When the zombies rise from the dead, you are going to get a lot smellier. Bathing goes from a daily occurrence, to a rare treat when you find running water. Clothes become a disposable commodity as washing machines fail without our amazing infrastructure.



But you can minimize the funk you develop by using a great material, wool.

Wool is textile fiber that is grown on an assortment of animals, the most popular being sheep. Since ancient times, humans have cultivated sheep to produce wool, sheering them annually to harvest the fiber.



Wool helped provide warmth to ancient humans, who began to migrate to colder climates. It remained popular and common up until the mid 20th century.



The zombie world is a lot more like our great grandparents era. We return to the roots of how our ancestors lived, cold and hungry. We can take lessons learned in the past because wool has many advantages over cotton and other synthetic materials.



1. Wool keeps you dry and warm.

Wool has a very interesting fiber structure. It is both hydrophobic (repels water) and hydrophilic (absorbs water). Every fiber can absorb water into its core while the shell of the fiber will repel water. The result is that wool can hold almost 35% of its weight in water, without feeling wet or clammy. As you sweat from from exercise, the wool wicks it away ensuring you aren’t caked in stale sweat.



Cotton on the other hand, only absorbs the water. It is strictly hydrophilic, absorbing all the water it can. This will leave you feeling soaked as you exercise and run from zombies.



And for those cold nights as you sleep outside, bundling up in wool ensures you don’t freeze from the elements. Wool is a slightly better insulator than cotton and even when wool is wet it does a better job.

2. Wool resists becoming stinky.

Unlike cotton which can become funky from exercise, wool has natural odor suppressants. There is even a company from New York that is making a no-wash wool shirt.

Wool resits becoming stinky because of its crimped fiber pattern. Your sweat doesn’t have any smell normally, instead bacteria grows on the sweat from your body. That bacteria reproduces quickly on clothes with smooth surfaces and explains why your Under Armour gym shirt smells funky after a workout.

But wool has a rougher surface and so the bacteria doesn’t stick and reproduce on it. The wool absorbs the moisture into its core and no bacteria can reproduce on its surface.

Wool has found a niche in camping industry. Since camping usually means going without a bath for many days, wool is popular for its resistance to stink. Once you escape the city, you’ll be out on your own camping as the world comes to an end.



3. Wool is an expensive, higher quality material.

Wool was very popular before the age of synthetics but dropped in price due to the introduction of materials like polyester. And with the drop, wool was no longer a main textile in North American clothing.

Since wool is much less popular today than it was in your great grandparents time, most wool is aimed at a premium market. It has to be better, sturdier and softer than other cheaper competitors like cotton and polyester. New Zealand merino wool is considered the best when it comes to high quality wool outfits.

4. Wool is easier to keep clean.

In the past, clothes were less likely to be laundered. In-suite laundry was a woman (or a child) with a basin out back and a clothesline for drying. Our great grandparents didn’t have the luxury of machines to clean our clothes.

Wearing wool meant less need to spend time washing clothes. Men’s suits (which is what most men wore prior to the 1970s), would remain man-funk free and easily cleaned with a wool brush. You can still buy these today. They are much more effective in keeping your wool suit clean and help extend its life (rather than subjugating to damaging dry cleaning chemicals).

5. Wool isn’t stained easily by blood

High quality wool is easier to clean than cotton when bloodied. To my dismay, a few years ago I suffered from when at a wedding. My nose started to bleed and it splattered on the lapel of my wool suit jacket.

I did exactly what HowStuffWorks.com suggested and with a quick wipe of a damp cloth, the wool was blood free. As soon as the jacket dried, there wasn’t a sign that the jacket has been soiled by blood.

And you’ll need to clean your bloodied clothes for obvious reasons.

What is the ideal wool clothing outfit?

To get the perfect wool garb, you’ll need to be conservative in both weight and appearance. You will be carrying every piece of clothing with you at all times.

First, you’ll want to grab some nice comfy underwear. Get at least five pairs which you can keep compact in your backpack. As these become soiled, you can hand wash them in a stream or river. Make sure you get very high quality merino wool. This type of wool is soft and feels good against the skin.

You’ll also want to get some tight tshirts and pairs of light wool socks, at least five of each. Your underwear, socks and tshirts will serve as the base layer of your outfit. These three pieces of clothing you’ll keep fresh to help your moral up.

Next you’ll want to layer on top of your base clothing. A wool long sleeve zip-up sweater. Something easy to remove if it becomes hot, or pull on if it becomes cold. You’ll want a zipper on the front, so you can slide out of the clothing should a zombie grab onto it.

For pants, a nice pair of dark wool trousers. These will wick away the sweat, clean themselves and keep your visibility low. Remember all your clothing should be darker colors to hide yourself from any dangerous, wandering people.

Outside of summer, keep a pair of long johns close at hand. As winter approaches, you can slide those on under your wool pants and keep warm. The multiple layers also catch air between them and insulate your body. As an OutdoorPlaces.com article explains, trapping heat between layers helps keep you warm. The long johns will wick away sweat and trap air between your layers, keeping you warm.

You’ll need a nice windbreaker if in the summer or heavy jacket for the depths of winter. For brands, if you live in the Pacific Northwest, you’ll want to loot an Arc'teryx store. These $800 - $2000 jackets are some of the sturdiest you can find. Not only do they bead rain incredibly well when new, they last a long time. And when everything is looting, $1000 is free.

Although a bit bulky, a wool scarf will complete your outfit. Scarves are versatile, they can be adjusted based on the season. Worn loose in the summer or wrapped tightly around your neck in winter, they can even be used as a splint if you hurt your arm. Something nice and neutral like this Ralph Lauren scarf.

A nice neutral scarf



Remember, when dressing for the end of the world. Keep it light and find expensive clothing. You’ll only have one outfit, but as long as you keep your socks, underwear and upper body somewhat clean, you’ll be comfortable and dry in the end of the world.