Has anyone tried making insulated clothing with cattail "down"? I am allergic to feather down and have been looking for a substitute. I have read that mature cattail seeds are very insulating, lightweight, essentially waterproof and reasonably long lasting. Also, unlike feathers, the heads are rounded, not pointed, so a very tight weave is not essential to hold them in. I was especially interested in using one of the Tyvecs, or other brand of housewrap, since they are all water resistant but breatheable, windproof, reasonably durable, and fairly inexpensive to free.

My first attempts, however, were no promising mostly because I am a klutz at sewing, and there were cattail seeds everywhere mixed in unrecognizeable patches of cloth. Also, I'm not sure sewing is the best way to join the non-woven materials like Tyvec. Some form of adhesive or the commercial Tyvec tape might work best. It seems like it ought to work and the cost is certainly right.

I have searched the web and found indirect references to using cattail down for baby cribs and diapers, one mention of a jacket firestarting and not much else. Most uses are for the leaves, tubers and pollen in a survival or primitive skills context.

A good down parka costs the better part of a kilobuck and requires extradordinary care. A semidisposeable cattail down liner that lasts a season or two and doesn't poop out when wet would seem to be a nearly ideal item of country clothing. Does anyone know why it's not used?

-- Martin Boraas (boraas@miliserv.net), January 22, 2001

Answers

From what I've discovered, cattail fluff packs real bad when it gets wet. A while back folks did stuff it around baby bottoms to catch "run-off", but then tossed it out. I've never heard of it being re-used in any form. I supposed if you have a water repellent shell, you could sew togather an underliner of cotten pieces face to face, sewing vertically every one or two inches, and accross the bottom, and stuff it with fluff and sew up the top. I suppose if it stays dry, it would work. I would worry about it collecting allergins, though. Good luck.

-- Marty (Mrs.Puck@Excite.com), January 22, 2001.

We have a large amount of cattails down around the pond. Last year I was doing some work down there after the cattails were fuzzy and all around. Must have caught fire from the weed eater. Man that fuzz burns almost like gasolene. That is the only reason not to use it as far as I know, also some people may be allergic to it.

-- David (bluewaterfarm@mindspring.com), January 22, 2001.

One of the old Mother Earth news magazines had an article on this subject. It would be in the 70's or 80's issues if I remember rightly. They were using the down for jackets and vests. Supposedly, the structure of the cattail down is very similar to goose down, but cheaper!

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), January 23, 2001.

Perhaps a rinsing in a borax or other fireproofing mixture (like they do with newspaper insulation) would prevent "flare-up" danger. In the meantime, a homesteader with an open flame heating or cooking source would be ill-advised (it would seem) to wear this sort of "money saving" device. If you think down is expensive, you oughta try paying for those special burn-scar preventing compression bandages.

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), January 23, 2001.

Some good points. In truth, I had not considered the flammability issue. In fact, I don't know how flammable goose down clothing is (I can't wear it). As far as I kno, it is always enclosed in close weave rip-stop nylon and I have burned a few holes in nylon jackets through the years, although they never actively caught on fire.

Definitely something to think about.

Thanks,

Marty B.

-- Marty Boraas (boraas@miliserv.net), January 23, 2001.

Years ago, our life preservers were made with Kapok filling, which is some kind of a plant floss from tree pods, very much like milkweed fluff. If that got wet, it would clump up really badly and start to rot. However, for the life preservers that went in the water, it was sealed inside of plastic inside the canvas. It might take some head scratching, but perhaps you could seal it inside something breatheable, but water impervious, like GoreTex.

-- Julie Froelich (firefly1@nnex.net), January 24, 2001.

During WWII Milk Weed WAS used for life vest when Kapok was not available. I recall collecting it and taking it to school.

But milk weed is a real noxious weed and it might be best serve to be distroyed.

-- Hendo (OR)r (redgate@echoweb.net), January 26, 2001.