by Zan Smith

Created on: July 01, 2008

My bamboo t-shirt is one of my favorites. It is incredibly soft and dries in a flash, making it a great alternative to cotton. As they say, "cotton kills' when you are hiking in unpredictable weather; if you sweat alot and then it turns cold, hypothermia could be a risk. Bamboo "breathes" and is either keeps you warm or cool, given the temperature. It is a great second layer because it is so lightweight, smooth and silky against the skin.

But even better than this is the fact that Bamboo is 100% sustainable and is good for a healthy environment. It grows naturally and needs no assitance from us, pesticides or fertilizers. Cotton depletes the soil and must be constantly rotated to maintain soil health.It requires the use of even, flat ground that could be used to grow food. Bamboo grows pratically anywhere, even on the steepest land where nothing else will grow and because it is cut, and not pulled up by the roots when harvested, it protects hilly areas from erosion. A comparision of bamboo production to cotton per acre is amazing: bamboo has a ten times better yeild per acre.And it loves to grow. It is one of the fastest growing plants in the world. It shoots up to its mature height in three months.

Bamboo is thrifty with its water consumption as well. Give it a little rain and it will grow, compared to the irrigation demands of cotton. A cotton shirt requires an enormous amount of water.

From what I have read about my bamboo shirt, it is also naturally anti-baterial, making it great for sensitive types like myself who break out from the harsh chemicals often used on synthetic clothing and cotton clothing for sizing. A study on bamboo fabric found that bamboo retains it's aversion to bacteria even after months of washing. And as bamboo protect you from bacteria, it also blocks 98% of harmful UV rays.

My bamboo shirt can be rolled up in a ball and will spring back without wrinkling too badly. It can be washed in the machine, dried in the dryer, or washed out in a creek after a long hike or bike ride and hung to dry by the time I want to wear it in the morning. It only has one draw back: it stains more easily that cotton does. The resiliant fabric made of the same bamboo used for building scaffolding can hold on to a stain pretty tigthly. I have found that shampoo and not standard fabric cleaners works best for removing stains in bamboo.

What is not to love about my bamboo t-shirt? It feels great when I wear it and makes me feel great that there are alternatives that can improve our enviromental delimmas. I would give the shirt off my back to help with that.

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