Hey Gang,
I am thinking about trying to make a TQ using cat tail down for insulation in place of goose down. There is a pond near where I live that is loaded with the buggers. Because I'm such a cheap *******, I thought this might be a neat low cost alternative.
Does anyone have any knowledge or experience of/with this material?
Give a shout.
Cheers
i saw some other thread where a guy did it. i'd rather you did not do it. but if you do i'm glad you're in canada and going to try it as i'd rather not have a pond habitat near me get destroyed...
Gad Zooks Fellows!Originally Posted by Wags
"The dirty dealer meant no harm."
I too am a firm proponent of Leave No Trace. That is why I chose hammock camping, and why only cook with an alky stove, and why I carry out everything I brought in. This is only in the thought stage, for goodness sake. It seems to me that if the stuff works as an insulator, why not use it. We are speaking hypothetically, of course, about harvesting five cat tails which reproduce like wildfire (see quote below).
"Seed production prolific; each spike may contain 117,000 to 268,000 tiny seeds. At maturity, the spike bursts under dry conditions, releasing the fruits. Each fruit has bristly hairs that aid in wind dispersal. When the fruit comes in contact with water, the pericarp opens rapidly, releasing the seed, which then sinks. In wet weather the fruits often fall to the ground in dense mats."
http://www.rook.org/earl/bwca/nature.../typhalat.html
Now, balance that quote with the one below regarding the harvest of goose down:
"To obtain feathers and down at the time of slaughter, the normal process is to first scald the geese in hot water (60-68°C) for 1-3 minutes. The coarse feathers of the wing and tail are then removed by hand with the remainder of the feathers and down removed either by a plucking machine or by hand. The feathers are then dried and this is normally done in large commercial tumble dryers. For small amounts, the feathers are spread and stirred frequently to facilitate their drying." Lovely.
http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/005/Y4359E/y4359e0c.htm
Talk about "leave no trace". Yikes. How many dead geese does it take to make a top quilt?
If cat tail down was as good as goose down and I had to choose between the two, I'm pretty certain I would feel no guilt in going with the cat tails. But it's all hypothetical anyway...
Cheers
Last edited by jspate61; 06-03-2011 at 12:07. Reason: more ranting required
Check this out:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Moder...ke-Cotton.aspx
THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!!
Many Thanks.
Cheers
I LIKE IT!!
Oh for petes sake, you taking some cat tails is better than stripping geese of their down. Don't give the guy a hard time over harvesting some plants. It's not going to ruin any pond habitat. I have two ponds covered in them. If anything he's helping to promote diversity. You're not going to miss any cat tails, you might notice the dead or naked geese that have been used to make your down quilt however.
there is also a thread on this in the DIY section..KM (who contributed heavily to it last year..)
Like GLP said, the stuff is heavy (compared with down). But it WILL keep you warm. I believe someone also mentioned that you want to bake it in the oven to kill insects that will undoubtedly be in there (seen & unseen). I've collected some cat tail fluff and plan on making an UQ when I collect some more. That plus some cheap silnylon and a little bit of sewing = a nice, cheap car-camping UQ!
At least thats the plan.... Good luck with your project!
Cat tails will come back, even if you've plucked the heads to harvest the down. You really aren't destroying any eco system by collecting them. They'll be right back the next year. I know people that have collected stuff like that from the same area of the lake year after year after year, and guess what! They just keep coming back. Nothing has been destroyed, the areas of cat tail growth have gotten no smaller, nothing has changed! AMAZING HUH?
Some Eco Warriors are just a little too eager to point the finger at someone else. Cat tail down is one of the ultimate sustainable possibilities for an industry such as this one.
If we used cat tails to it's fullest possibility, we might avoid MANY marshes being drained in the name of progress and development, and create a new farming venture. Sustainable cat tail farming.
using hemp, cat tails, and bamboo to their fullest potential is more eco friendly than just about anything else we can do.
Fulfillment is living a life that makes the lives of others worth living.
DIY is addicting and fulfilling!
"If guns kill people, then pencils mispell words, cars cause people to drink and drive, and spoons made Rosie O'donnell fat."
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