If you ever find yourself in the wilderness or simply want to try living off the grid and providing everything for yourself, you have come to the right place. In this article, we will take an in-depth look at how to make clothes in the wild that will last you twice the time than clothes bought in stores.
So if this is something you desire to learn how to do, make sure to stick with this article until the end.
How to Make Clothes in the Wild
Before even attempting to make clothes in the wild, the first thing to do is to get familiar with the potential materials. Depending on the location you might find yourself in, you will have different types of materials on hand from which you can make your clothes. Luckily, as clothes can be made from various plants and animals, you will not have to struggle to find a particular tool or plant that you will turn into clothes to keep you warm and protected.
That said, to successfully learn how to make clothes in the wild, I will first explain in detail the most common types of plants out of which you can create clothing items.
Materials from animals
How to make clothing out of animal skin
The type of skin you will use solely depends on the animal you will be able to hunt or trap. If there are larger animals with larger fat content and thicker fur, you can try and go for them, of course, without putting your life in danger.
Once you get the animal, you will need to skin it first. Be careful not to use skin from any potential ill, diseased, or infected animals. Next, after you skin the animal, you will have to stretch the skin over a wooden frame and ensure to remove all the meat and fat by scraping and cutting.
After thoroughly cleaning the skin, you will have to dry it for at least five days, or if it’s thicker until it becomes completely dry. You can let the skin dry in direct sunlight and over low heat.
Finally, when the skin is dried, you can use the hide with fur to make all kinds of clothes simply by cutting the skin to the desired shape and using stones or animal bones as garment fasteners. If you want to make socks, mittens, or shoes, you can utilize the hindquarter joint areas in the desired design.
How to make clothes out of fish skin
If you can not seem to hunt a large animal, you can always try and catch some fish. After doing so, all you will need to do is skin the fish and stretch the skin on a wooden frame to dry completely. The combination of sunlight and low heat will work perfectly in drying the skin quickly.
When the skin is ready, you can simply put the pieces together using sturdy branches or animal bones and make clothing of your choice. Remember that the fish skin, when dried, acts as a great rain, dew, and wind protector.
Read more: How to Survive in the Woods Without Supplies
How to make primitive sandals in the wild
Making sandals in the wild can be really easy if you have the right materials. All you will need is some kind of flexible cane or any natural cordage that you can find (vines, leaves, roots, or bark).
When you gather enough materials, you will have to cut these materials six times the length of your foot, which is around 5 feet. Then, you will need to interwave the materials of your choice while ensuring that they will cover the entire surface of your feet. When you are done doing this, you must ensure that the soles of your DIY sandals are sturdy enough and are interwoven well.
Finally, you can use the same material, or any type of cord or flexible cordage you have with you, to tie and secure the sole of the sandals around your feet and ankles.
Additional Elements You Should Consider
Garment fasteners
Now we’ve come to the actual designing and making the clothes fit. The most commonly used garment fasteners in the wild are usually any kind of pebbles, little rocks, tiny animal bones, wood, or anything really that is small and sturdy enough.
Color and design
Unlike the textile companies where you get pre-mixed colors, in the wild, you will have to get super creative and mix and make the colors for yourself. You can use about anything that can deeply stain the clothes material, such as blueberries, beets, and any other natural pigment sources.
The easiest way to dye your clothes is to dye the yarn or thread directly. You can also try wax coating systems or even a rudimentary silk screen. This is the part where you have a lot of freedom, and you can play with different kinds of dying methods, even dye.
Regarding the clothes design, you can also feel free and play around with whichever design you need and want to create. You can include multiple layers, fringes, pockets, hoods, etc.
Also read: How to Tell Direction Without a Compass
Tools to make clothes in the wild
In this portion of the article, I would like to suggest a few tools you will need to make or have with you for successful clothes-making in the wild.
- Small rocks, animal bones, sturdy branches
- Natural cordage (cane, leaves, vine, bark)
- Crochet hooks or knitting needles
- Seam ripper or sharper stone
- Thimble
- Scissors
- Pins
- Flexible tape measure or any kind of band or strip that will do the job successfully
Conclusion
This article was constructed in a way to serve you and anyone else that is interested in how to make clothes in the wild. I made sure to include every little detail essential for successful clothes-making, from crafting the material to adding the finishing touches. Therefore, if you are ready and interested in this kind of adventure, do not forget to memorize every bit of this article well.