Shipwreck victims are often forced out of the safe environment of their vessel, and cast into the cold, wet and usually unfriendly conditions that exist along Alaska’s coastal regions. What a person is wearing can greatly influence their chances of survival. There have been many stories of individuals who managed to stay alive, where others did not, and what they were wearing had a great deal to do with their endurance. The problem after a shipwreck is how to survive the eternity of pain, suffering, desolation, hypothermia, dehydration and chaos that often happens between a shipwreck and a rescue. Clothes can help.
In January of 1933, three trappers survived a wreck where eleven others did not on a remote Aleutian Island. In the dead of winter, they hiked 60 miles over four days, through surf, snow, deep streams and countless hardships, and were able to get help from a small village far away from the wreck site. When recollecting their amazing trek, one garment mentioned that was critical to survival was their wool socks. When they had to cross icy streams and boots filled with water, they were able to drain their boots and wring out their socks and continue hiking without freezing their feet. You cannot do that with cotton or synthetics.
In June of 1968, a 57 year old fisherman was thrown from his boat into the 45 degree water of the Bering Sea by a gasoline explosion. He was able to swim a mile to the beach near False Pass with great difficulty. He was wearing heavy wool clothing and rubber boots when he entered the water. The wool clothing slowed his swimming but was likely what saved him from deadly hypothermia.
In November of 1976 a 17 year old girl survived 10 days alone in the wilderness after a shipwreck near a small island. She was without food or shelter and not an outdoor person. It rained and snowed the entire time. She slept under beds of moss and climbed to the highest point on the island to get bearings. She was able to attract the attention of a passing vessel after 10 days. Her extremities were frostbitten, but her trunk was kept from freezing by a wool halibut jacket.
In April of 1980 a small trawler capsized eight miles off the Alaska Peninsula with winds blowing 65 and seas to 20 feet. Only one of the three crew members survived, soaked in a survival suit until the following day. He was wearing a heavy wool sweater and a wool union suit which rescuers agreed was probably what saved him.
I pulled this quote from the internet when I looked up why wool can be so beneficial, even when wet:
“When a wool garment gets wet, water is adsorbed, meaning it gets trapped in wool’s porous fibers. Inside the fibers, the hydrogen bonds in water break down. This creates a chemical reaction that generates heat. Experiments have found through this process, one kilogram of merino wool can produce as much heat over eight hours as an electric blanket.”
True or not, I have read many stories where wool played a part in keeping a castaway alive when conditions were cold and contrary.
It is getting into the cold season in Alaska, which includes Fall, Winter and Spring. You may not have a shipwreck in your future, but the wisdom from shipwrecks can be passed on to your day-to-day clothing. I am posting some clothing ads in here, in the hopes that my Wife sees them and buys some of this for me for Christmas. Having spent decades in Alaska, I know what keeps me warm. Click on the pictures to get pricing and other information:
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