View Full Version : Nomex hiking wear
Does anyone have any info or experience on Nomex for hiking wear, I ask because I saw flight suits at the ArmyNavy store dirt cheap, and was considering chopping the top off and hemming it for pants, way cheaper the most hiker wear, and in a fashionable green,
garlic08
12-25-2011, 18:14
I never had any problems wearing Nomex when I was on a wildland fire crew.
rocketsocks
12-25-2011, 19:00
Nomex huh,I use to wear this while working at plant where they had some really nasty benzene,and some petroleum in a tank farm,and who knows what else,it was itchy.Did not know that it (nomex)had made it's way into hiker clothing,I guess it would be good if you .........fell in a camp fire.:D
skinewmexico
12-26-2011, 03:15
I know the FR clothing OSHA has forced on everyone in the oil & gas business is incredibly hot. I'd think Nomex would be the same.
that's what I was thinking, NOMAX= really really hot. Plus it would remind me of that nasty pig fat smell of mills I worked in, no thanks.
I know the FRS clothing OSHA has forced on everyone in the oil & gas business is incredibly hot. I'd think Nomex would be the same.
That is probably flame resistant treated cotton, I have to wear that when welding, and it is thick, heavy, cotton, former job, now retired
Nomex, at least single layer manmade fabric. talking to military pilots, it has an adjustableweave, that makes it hot when it is hot, and cold when it is cold. though I cannot find any proof of that so it may just be a case of someone "hating a uniform because they have to wear it"
Nomex is an armid closely related to nylon
dshideler
12-26-2011, 09:03
Im an electrical lineman and I have to wear FR pants and shirts everyday. I have several nomex shirts and they are very stuffy and they don't hold up very well. They do dry very quickly.
Does anyone have any info or experience on Nomex for hiking wear, I ask because I saw flight suits at the ArmyNavy store dirt cheap, and was considering chopping the top off and hemming it for pants, way cheaper the most hiker wear, and in a fashionable green,
Well, this is a timely post. I was also looking at buying a nomex flight suit, for a slightly different purpose, as they are cheap. I've only seen them online though (no army navy store near me). HT1, do you have any info on how much these suits might weigh & sizing? I'm assuming they're sized big to go over an underlayer?
Im an electrical lineman and I have to wear FR pants and shirts everyday. I have several nomex shirts and they are very stuffy and they don't hold up very well. They do dry very quickly.
dshideler, glad to hear they dry quickly. Do you think these would hold up to some bushwhacking, or are they too fragile?
dshideler
12-26-2011, 11:20
They would prob hold up to bush whacking. Over time the fabric tends to sort of dry rot. that's the best way I can describe it.
Well, this is a timely post. I was also looking at buying a nomex flight suit, for a slightly different purpose, as they are cheap. I've only seen them online though (no army navy store near me). HT1, do you have any info on how much these suits might weigh & sizing? I'm assuming they're sized big to go over an underlayer?
dshideler, glad to hear they dry quickly. Do you think these would hold up to some bushwhacking, or are they too fragile?
flight suits are sized by chest size. if they try S-M-L- XL it is a fake, still might be great, but it is not MIL ISSUE. now with that said they are a tube from hip to armpit, so if you are FAT, measure your belly, BUFF, across your chest, they are supposed to be the size of the measurement, so if you hit a high number like 44 chest , and they are sized 42-44 go up one size. tall means over 6 ft X tall over 6, 4, you can look up the actuall inseam measurements, but it is a range also. Flight suites are not designed to wear over anything but underwear. military considers a t shirt underwear everyone wears one.
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Dries fast was part of what I wanted to hear, I know how they sort of "brittle out" especially in direct sunlight. come on they are "plastic" and sunlight breaks down plastic,
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can anyone confirm the rumor, that they are cold in the cold, and hot in the hot. as thin as they are I would not expect them to be warm, but the hot thing doesn't ring right to me
Camping Dave
12-26-2011, 21:49
Does anyone have any info or experience on Nomex for hiking wear, I ask because I saw flight suits at the ArmyNavy store dirt cheap, and was considering chopping the top off and hemming it for pants, way cheaper the most hiker wear, and in a fashionable green,
This is silly. If you care about cheap that much, go to a thrift store. You can't just cut of the top and, voila!, have a pair of pants. Flight suits aren't made like that.
Nomex is itchy. You can wash it until it's not itchy any more, but it loses flame resistance with every wash.
This is silly. If you care about cheap that much, go to a thrift store. You can't just cut of the top and, voila!, have a pair of pants. Flight suits aren't made like that.
Nomex is itchy. You can wash it until it's not itchy any more, but it loses flame resistance with every wash.
I've never found NOMEX to be particularly itch, and I wore it and ENDURA for 24 years.
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You are absolutely right, you will have to hem the belt line, add belt loops, buttons, and some sort of fly, I'm partial to velcro. I'me quite sure the House seamstress can handle it.
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NOMEX is inherently flame-resistant, washing it does not affect fire resistance. and I dont care about fire resistance for hiking clothes anyway.
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I've been to several thrift stores, and none of then seemed to have any hiker wear, I guess most hikers wear their clothes til they are rags;)