cloak material

[willmc349]

What is the best material for a summer cloak? I would like it to be strong, lightweight, and waterproof.

[Peter Remling]

A single layer of cotton fabric comes in a variety of colors, will look good, be light enough and still hang well. It's easy to waterproof with Scotchguard, but won't be period.

For costuming purposes it's a quick and inexpensive route.

For a heavy winter weight, there are several threads posted here, I'll see if I and find and reference them.

[Chris Russo]

Summer weight, if you want it water-PROOF, I'd say oilskin.

[sgainbrachta]

WHat Chris said. Cap-Pel fabrics makes a thin, fairly tough brown, green and sorta "carhartt" yellow-y brown color- all of which work great to shed moisture. They DO have a bit of a smell for a while, but once you make it- hang it out in the air for a while, and it fades.

It is able to oil-stain you other gear, especially if it gets really hot, but I figure dirt and some staining is kinda par for the course...

Bestens!

Robert

[Manveruon]

That's definitely good to know. I'll have to check out their selection. I've been wondering where to find a good source for oilcloth.

What I used for a summer cloak was some very, very lightweight wool flannel in a sort of heather grey/greenn color. It's breathable, but insulating, and also a good period material.