{"id":107318,"date":"2024-01-12T10:09:07","date_gmt":"2024-01-12T09:09:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bergfreunde.de\/blog\/loden-material-outdoor\/"},"modified":"2024-01-24T09:13:36","modified_gmt":"2024-01-24T08:13:36","slug":"loden-material-outdoor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alpinetrek.co.uk\/blog\/loden-material-outdoor\/","title":{"rendered":"Loden – an underrated fabric?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Dear outdoor enthusiasts, today we will take a look at the subject of loden. Okay, okay, I can already feel the questioning eyes. So let’s start by saying this: loden is neither an archipelago in the North Atlantic nor an infectious childhood disease. In fact, it is a traditional material<\/strong> that has been used in outdoor clothing before the term “outdoor” even existed.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Loden is made from the wool of virgin loden sheep (Ovis lodensis virginalis). They can only be bred in the northern foothills of the Alps, and even then only on islands in a lake where swimming is forbidden. By resting and eating mainly asparagus and celery, the sheep grow long, smooth coats. They are sheared in autumn by volunteer pensioners from the Catholic Women’s Association. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sounds like nonsense? It is! But would you have known exactly what loden is and how<\/span> it\u2019s <\/span>made? To be honest, I wasn\u2019t really sure either, so let’s take a look at the most important facts on the subject together<\/strong>:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is loden fabric?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Firstly, there is no such thing as a loden sheep. It’s a shame really, but that’s the way it is. Loden is a general term for woollen fabrics<\/strong>. It\u2019s not possible to say exactly where the word comes from, but that\u2019s not important. What is certain, though, is that the material already existed in the Middle Ages. In the past, this type of fabric\u00a0 was mainly used for weatherproof<\/strong> (work) clothing. Some people may also be familiar with the term loden as a typical traditional costume fabric<\/strong> and from hunting clothing<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently, loden has been increasingly used in leisure and sportswear, which is very different to this somewhat outdated image. The fabric varies greatly. From thick to thin, smooth to rough,<\/strong> there are many variations. However, they all have one thing in common: the fabrics are always milled<\/strong>. This now leads us to our next question:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How is loden made and what makes it different from other fabrics?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Loden is a fabric<\/span> made from wool<\/span>. Merino wool is often used in outdoor clothing. Traditional loden, on the other hand, is usually made from conventional new wool<\/strong>, often from Alpine sheep. Alpaca or cashmere wool, for example, can also be easily made into loden.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, from the raw material wool to the finished fabric, the manufacturing process is roughly the same. I have summarised the steps the wool goes through for you here in a simplified form.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blending and combing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Loden or not, the raw material wool<\/span> is carefully treated before processing begins. As not only the wool of one animal is used, it is important that the individual wool fibres are thoroughly blended<\/strong>. Immediately after this process, the raw wool passes over special rollers with needles to comb the wool into a fine fleece<\/strong>. Some manufacturers dye the wool after this process, while others dye the finished yarn.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spinning<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Spinning is a very complex process<\/strong> and can be done in different ways depending on what the yarn will be used for. But what\u2019s important to us is that the wool is spun into yarns of different thicknesses<\/strong>, which in turn affects the final properties of the fabric.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weaving<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Weaving loden is not fundamentally different from weaving other types of fabric. However, this process is unique in that it usually involves weaving very long lengths of material<\/strong>, which then shrink considerably during the subsequent manufacturing process.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fulling<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Loden only becomes loden through the fulling process. This is a process that has changed little over the centuries<\/strong> and gives the material its characteristic properties. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The wool fabric is milled by friction and pressure<\/strong> in water at a temperature of around 40\u00b0C. The fibres are felted together and the fabric shrinks by around 30-40%. This results in a fabric that is very dense and therefore weatherproof<\/strong>. This is also due to the wool’s lanolin, which gives the fabric many beneficial properties.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Properties and uses of loden<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Loden has traditionally been used wherever there is a need for robust and weatherproof clothing. It\u2019s a fabric that\u2019s very typical of the Alps. In the past, it was mainly used for work clothing<\/strong>. This is not surprising, given that loden tends to be durable and warm. Another typical use of loden has always been in hunting clothing, where the requirements are very similar. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In simple terms, loden can be thought of as a highly compressed wool fabric<\/strong>. The individual fibres are much closer together than in conventional fabrics. In addition, the felting process tightly interlocks the fibres, creating a fabric with many beneficial properties:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n