Matuls wool "medieval bushcraft" tarp

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Elleth
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Matuls wool "medieval bushcraft" tarp

Post by Elleth »

SO.

Recently we were talking about MERS standards and fiber content as it related to shelters - and I remembered seeing that there was indeed a non-cotton option available off the shelf! Matuls of Poland makes not only woolen tents, but also a woolen shelter tarp -
matuls-tarp.jpg
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https://matuls.pl/produkt/woolen-tarp-matuls/?lang=en

Since none of us had any experience with them yet, I ordered to see what it was like. It's been sitting in the craft room over the long winter, but Eofor finally got me off my butt to go set it up and see what it was like. And so far I'm happy!

Since it's very much in the same category as the oilcloth bushcraft tarps a lot of us have used, I thought I'd set it up side by side with a Coalcracker 8x8, just so we have something to compare against. The prices are comparable - Coalcracker oilcloth is presently 240 USD, Matuls wool 250 EUR.

So let's take a look!
Last edited by Elleth on Sun Feb 19, 2023 10:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Elleth
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Re: Matuls wool "medieval bushcraft" tarp

Post by Elleth »

First, construction style. Both are simply two lengths of fabric stitched side by side and hemmed. On the website, the Matuls tarp has the same leather-reinforced grommets I've seen on European reenactor's tents. What I received (surprise!!) had loops, very similar to the Coalcracker ones -
merf-matuls-wool-coalcracker-oilcloth-tarp-comparison-loops-corner.jpg
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merf-matuls-wool-coalcracker-oilcloth-tarp-comparison-loops-side.jpg
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The Matuls does have a couple loops on the top I wasn't expecting, but nowhere near as many as on the Coalcracker. How much a difference this makes to you very much depends on what you want to do, I imagine.

Next, size -
merf-matuls-wool-coalcracker-oilcloth-tarp-comparison-size.jpg
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The Matuls - nominally 250cm x 250cm - is about 114"x118"
The Coalcracker - nominally 8x8 - is about 96"x94"

I've not weighed them each yet, but they fold up to a comparable bulk. Neither is exactly an ultralight - here you see the Matuls tarp loosely rolled up, next to a pack holding just the Coalcracker tarp and a very small slight blanket -
merf-wool-shelter-tarp-bulk-with-pack.jpg
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Also note those wood stakes Matuls has on offer are BIG. I was expecting much smaller!
Last edited by Elleth on Sun Feb 19, 2023 10:47 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Matuls wool "medieval bushcraft" tarp

Post by Elleth »

Anyhow, here we see both shelters set up side by side. The extra size on the Matuls shelter makes a big difference - far more than I was expecting!
merf-matuls-wool-and-coalcracker-oilcloth-tarps-colors.jpg
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The size difference is a lot more noticeable once you're inside - look at the size of my pack there in the corner of the wool setup for comparison. The wool tarp is a lot roomier than I expected! I'd say it turns snug-for-two into roomy-for-two quite handily -
merf-coalcracker-tarp-interior.jpg
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matuls-wool-tarp-interior.jpg
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Re: Matuls wool "medieval bushcraft" tarp

Post by Elleth »

.. you may notice above my (very clumsy, very hasty) bit of stretching out a bit of sag on the wool tarp with a branch and stake. That's possible because of the little tabs you see stitched onto the flat sides here -
merf-matuls-wool-tarp-spread-out-loops.jpg
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Without thinking on them overmuch, I would perhaps have preferred them set on Coalcracker way of putting those along the center seam, but I didn't expect to have them at all! And I suspect Tomasz would be willing to move them - or leave them off entirely - if you ask.

Here's what the reinforcement looks like inside -
matuls-wool-tarp-loop-reinforcement.jpg
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Note how you can see daylight through the holes in the fibers. That doesn't especially concern me yet - wool swells quite a bit when it's wet, and I imagine provided it's set up tight it will be fine. I have NOT yet tested this though! For what it's worth, the wool in the hand feels something like a broadcloth, perhaps a bit stiffer - but nothing like "moving blanket" stiff.

Subjectively, the interior space of the Coalcracker felt a bit warmer, but I think that was mostly wind direction and a lower ceiling.
Last edited by Elleth on Sun Feb 19, 2023 10:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Matuls wool "medieval bushcraft" tarp

Post by Elleth »

So that's what I've learned. When I get a chance to set the Matuls up in the rain, I'll make an update here. In the meantime, do I recommend it?

Hrm. It was absolutely worth getting just to see how well woolen shelters work, and I'll absolutely be using it. I think if I wanted super-duper hand-crafted work with not a single machine stitch, I'd probably ask someone like Old Craft Workshop if they'd be willing. And if bushcraft utility was more important to me than period-appropriate materials, I'd probably stick with the Coalcracker (or a modern tent! :) )

But for period appropriate, off the rack? This is a pretty darn good piece,and it absolutely fits into the "no cotton in Middle earth" / early medieval vibe. I think I like the loops as is, but if they look too modern to you, just ask Tomasz for different finish work - he absolutely does do custom work and may be able to work up another option for you.

Anyhow, that's what I've learned. Happy trails, all!
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Re: Matuls wool "medieval bushcraft" tarp

Post by Taylor Steiner »

Wow cool!
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Re: Matuls wool "medieval bushcraft" tarp

Post by Iodo »

very interesting, thanks for that Elleth, the only thing that would concern me is while an oil cloth doesn't adsorb water so once you shake it off it is the same(ish) weight as it was dry, the wool one might get a lot heavier to carry
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Re: Matuls wool "medieval bushcraft" tarp

Post by Harper »

Interesting.

Any feedback on wind resistance?
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Re: Matuls wool "medieval bushcraft" tarp

Post by MiketheBlacksmith »

An interesting useful item.
Has anyone used a product like Nikwax on a woolen fabric like this?
Would it help to make it more weather resistant?
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Re: Matuls wool "medieval bushcraft" tarp

Post by Elleth »

Iodo - I'm certain you're right! I took a dunking in wool clothes as an experiment a year or so back and the extra weight was incredible!
... stayed warm and comfy though, which was a bit of a surprise. I mean, I'd heard of that effect, but it was remarkable feeling it. :mrgreen:

Harper - wind was fairly light when I had it up, but I didn't feel any wind through the fabric. I doubt it's as wind or weather resistant as the oilskin though. Being under the shelter was a bit darker, but did seem to "breathe" a bit better than the oilskin. How much of that was just having more space though, I'm not certain.

Mike - I'm sure some kind of grease could increase the weather resistance quite a bit. I know the Hands on History folks have experimented with horse fat... ah! Here we go, I'd forgotten I'd written with them a while back. Here's their wisdom:
What you want for both a tarp and a sail is a fabric that is thin and light, yet dense and strong. You would have to start with sorting the wool to get this completely right, then moving on to spinning and weaving. A few experiments have been made to figure out how to make good quality sails. The fabric is of course very expensive. What we did was to buy a modern woollen fabric and then impregnate it as they impregnate the sails at the Viking ship museum in Roskilde (with horse fat). It will not be 100% waterproof no matter how you do it, so the most important thing is the angle when you put up the tarp. A flat tarp will start dripping, but a nice angle will make the water run off on the surface.



We found a good fabric at https://www.naturtuche.de/ Write them and tell them what you are looking for. They are very nice and helpful.

edit - ah!

More info here:
https://www.firkanttunet.com/home/2018/ ... post-tarps

and the video -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQegsfegPeY
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Re: Matuls wool "medieval bushcraft" tarp

Post by Iodo »

Elleth wrote: Tue Feb 21, 2023 1:50 pm Iodo - I'm certain you're right! I took a dunking in wool clothes as an experiment a year or so back and the extra weight was incredible!
... stayed warm and comfy though, which was a bit of a surprise. I mean, I'd heard of that effect, but it was remarkable feeling it. :mrgreen:
I'm glad I'm not the only one who has tried that, I feel a lot less mad now LOL, but in all seriousness, yes wool is heavy when totally wet, but it doesn't normally reach that state while it's worn even in the hardest of rain because it does shed water quickly so maybe if a tarp was put up in rain instead of dipped in water it might not get too heavy???
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Re: Matuls wool "medieval bushcraft" tarp

Post by Manveruon »

Wow! Very cool option there! I love the idea, overall, but I’m definitely curious to know what happens when it does get soaked. I’m also curious to know what the overall weight difference is between the two.
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Re: Matuls wool "medieval bushcraft" tarp

Post by Barandir »

I would be very interested to know the dry weight if you’re able to get around to finding out! This seems right up my alley.
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Re: Matuls wool "medieval bushcraft" tarp

Post by Elleth »

Dragged both onto the bathroom scale today:

wool ~7.8 lbs, 114"x118"  => 12.02 oz/yd
oilskin: ~6.1 lbs, 96"x94" => 14.02 oz/yd

Wool packs down bulkier, but carried they feel pretty comparable.
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Re: Matuls wool "medieval bushcraft" tarp

Post by Greg »

Does it seem to bead moisture, or soak it up? I'd be terrified of its "wet" weight.
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