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  1. #1
    Senior Member headchange4u's Avatar
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    Interesting New Fabric Find: Bamboo Fabric

    I got an email today from Dharma Trading Company. I have ordered from them in the past, specifically their Habotai/China silk that I used to make a hammock.

    I visited their website and noticed they are now selling Bamboo Rayon Fabric. From the website:

    Fabric made from bamboo? Really?

    Really! You asked for it and we, as usual, are happy to oblige. Here is an assortment of fabrics 100% and a blend made from bamboo rayon (the rayon process using bamboo instead of wood byproducts). Legally called Bamboo Rayon or Rayon Bamboo, it has the properties of being extremely absorbent with excellent wicking properties, and is also sublimely soft. Some sources even say it is antibacterial or antimicrobial and hypoallergenic. These properties make it a fabric that belongs next to your skin! They dye into radiant colors with our Fiber Reactive Dyes! Also, bamboo is a fast growing crop requiring little or no chemicals to thrive, making it a much more sustainable resource than non-organic cotton.

    I had initially thought it might be a decent fabric to use in making a hammock, but looking at the specs it's a little on the heavy side. Properties sound like it might make a good lining for a quilt or clothing. Definitely interesting.
    “Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it." -Terry Pratchett



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  2. #2
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    I bought a bamboo shirt for somebody as a gift one time. I can't remember any details other than that they loved it and it did feel really good on the skin. What doesn't make a good backpacking hammock can make a great front country sleeper...
    .. truly to enjoy bodily warmth, some small part of you must be cold, for there is no quality in this world that is not what it is merely by contrast. Nothing exists in itself. If you flatter yourself that you are all over comfortable, and have been so a long time, then you cannot be said to be comfortable any more. - Herman Melville

  3. #3
    Senior Member Knotty's Avatar
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    Rayon is often considered the first synthetic fabric but as mentioned it actually is made from wood so synthetic is a bit of a misnomer. Many rayons can't even be machine washed because they are too fragile. That's not the case so much anymore, so it's become a popular material to make tech shirts out of (often labeled as Modal). I own a bunch and love the feel. Bamboo has become the hot new source from which to make rayon, mostly because it's considered 'green'. Still, my guess is rayon still isn't one of the stronger fabrics so probably not a good choice for hammock making.
    Knotty
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  4. #4
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    I have bamboo sheets on my bed and they are amazing. I went to the store thinking I would splurge on egyptian cotton sheets and came back with these instead and I've never regretted it for a minute. They are wonderfully soft.

  5. #5
    Senior Member PuckerFactor's Avatar
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    If you keep an eye out, there have been several different bamboo shirts on SAC lately......

    Acer
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  6. #6
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    the owner of one of the vendors I buy grinding disks and other machine/welding shop supplies from owns a small company where they use bambo fabric to make shirts and socks and things. He occasionally comes by and asks me if I need any shirts and socks. They're all seconds that have a little something wrong with them somewhere, but I can't find it.

    Very comfortable. I've taken to wearing them under my smartwool as part of my baselayer more than the poly pro. The socks are good too. Wore a pair for about 4 days last September and they were the only piece of clothing I had that needed to be burned to save man kind.
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  7. #7
    Senior Member Knotty's Avatar
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    Rayon has amazing wicking properties and dries fast after getting wet. Oddly it can get a little stinky, like synthetic shirts.
    Knotty
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  8. #8
    canoebie's Avatar
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    I was cruising the other day on Campmor and saw a shirt that was combined fabric of bamboo and smart wool. Looked very interesting. Makes sense from an eco perspective. The stuff grows like crazy, requires few inputs.
    “Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?”
    ― Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

  9. #9
    Senior Member Bleemus's Avatar
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    I have a bamboo cardigan sweater from Banana Republic that is super cozy!

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