Growing small scale Cotten for shtf
Posted by Traditional_Neat_387@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 36 comments
I planted a dozen Cotten plants this year and there doing amazing. I had the idea of during a prolonged SHTF event clothing is going to rip and tear and degrade over time. Now by no means is this enough to make a wardrobe and depending on your size making a whole outfit would be highly labor intensive BUT I figured growing Cotten for just making thread to repair stuff would be a worth while investment. Honestly for my small scale goal I went pretty large without realizing it. Each plant it seems to get between 40-70 balls (bolls) and I harvested two times this year from each plant. Apparently if you know what you’re doing it takes like 125ish bolls turned to thread to make a shirt. But again I grew mostly to make my own thread for fabric repair. I wouldn’t recommend going with 12 plants though as I have an over abundant surplus now and am honestly thinking about making a few shirts, rags, ect. I’d say though like 2–3 plants is a worth while investment as during long term grid down you can make rags for bandages, make cotton swabs to clean ears and stuff, and obviously thread for repairing fabrics. I’ll probably only plant 3 next year maaaaybe 4 as the plants need constant harvesting once bolls start opening. Has anyone else done anything similar? I feel like it’s a fairly overlooked plant for prepper with a homestead spinning it into thread isn’t even that hard either, I did buy a little thread spinner to make it easier but you can literally do it with your hands and a stick like object.
sheeprancher594@reddit
I love a good experiment. I bred tilapia in tanks then moved them to an above ground pool until they were big enough to eat, just to see if I could.
My grandparents were cotton farmers and large fields are a lot of work. It also depletes the soil. BUT that doesn't keep me from wanting to try it (along with tobacco). I'm a start-to-finish kinda person. As a spinner, cotton would be interesting. It's why I do sheep, although they are multipurpose. Spinning is a good winter activity, once all the livestock are taken care of.
Yes, I have things stocked to the rafters. But I also do things I enjoy along the way. If my many hobbies produce something useful, so much the better.
Trail_Breaker@reddit
Why not just get a stockpile of extra clothes? Maybe in different sizes in case your weight changes. In a SHTF situation I don't want to have to spend my time and energy making clothes. And I have some clothes that are 40-70 years old and still in excellent condition (my grandfather used to own a clothing company).
Traditional_Neat_387@reddit (OP)
I prefer having the means to produce stuff myself and honestly it would be more of a winter thing over anything because other than tending to livestock, heat, and cooking you really ain’t gonna be doing anything realistically. If anything it will help prevent cabin fever especially if your area gets super cold during the winters
reddit_username_yo@reddit
Cotton is maybe not the best choice if you're in a cold climate. There's a reason for the hiking adage that 'cotton kills'.
Traditional_Neat_387@reddit (OP)
True just cotton isn’t the greatest but then again everywhere is gonna seem a lot colder during the winter (unless your in a state that winter is like 60 degrees like Florida or something)
nwhiker91@reddit
I’ve thought about this as a community thing for clothing. I’ve got some new shirts and socks in a vacuum bag new winter socks and hat. I’ve had this conversation about what happens in 2 years or so when your clothes are holy and your boots are done for.
Traditional_Neat_387@reddit (OP)
Yea especially long long term shtf like I’ve seen boots sit in a garage for just a few years and completely fall apart from reputable brands
nwhiker91@reddit
Agreed I’ve been waiting for my Romeo’s to ware down and I was going to try and re tread them with a tire I have just to see how well that works
GooseGosselin@reddit
Not to rain on your plans, but if SHTF long enough for you to need to grow cotton for clothes, there will be plenty of clothes laying around for the taking.
emp-cme@reddit
This is the answer. If it’s a real, no-kidding SHTF/collapse, that implies a large die off of the population. That means there will be plenty of unused clothing laying around that would be good for many years.
Certified_Goth_Wife@reddit
The biggest question is: do you know how to process the thread into fabric (weaving, crochet, knitting)It’s a pain in the ass first off, but it’s also a something you’ll have to get your family involved with if you want to make any kind of product. Becoming proficient in fiber arts is the most important part because it will greatly effect the practicality of making your own textiles vs stocking up on clothing. I love crochet, knitting and weaving, but it’s tedious and especially crochet can be rough on my hands. Better you figure out what if any fiber art is viable for you now than in a shtf situation.
SomeoneInQld@reddit
Wouldn't it just be easier and cheaper to pre store some thread ?
Traditional_Neat_387@reddit (OP)
I thought that too originally. But natural fibers degrade and become weaker over time a decade in storage it could end up so brittle it’s useless. Plus I’d like to believe in the possibility after a decade or so of grid down some form of community’s will form (nothing major but maybe up to 100 people) kinda like how early American settlements were and limited localized trade. Either way at some point communities will form I just can’t guarantee when but it’s human nature to happen. Being the guy/family with the raw materials to make clothing is a game changer. As fabric (such as cotton ) has been a staple of civilization since since 5000BCE, now this isn’t my top priority in my preps obviously nor is it or will it be the primary crop I grow but if your in the southern US other than harvesting it’s pretty much “plant and forget” also you can press the oil as well (I’ve never used it yet but I’m actually bought some yesterday to try it with cooking) Tobacco is another one I’m looking at planting next year probably going to plant 2-4 plants of it. Honestly to from the cotton plants I’ve grown and from the tobacco plants I’ve seen growing before it takes up very little space. Yes food is always more important but I feel confident in the amount I’m able to grow. It also wouldn’t hurt to buy some seeds of cotton and tobacco as well just to have on hand because depending what the area you live in looks like you might be able to expand your property after shtf kicks off after a while. (Ie if your property is surrounded or boarders farmland or public land, even just a big field or something like that)
Hot-Profession4091@reddit
I would like to try tobacco, but need to find a place the dogs can’t get into it.
Traditional_Neat_387@reddit (OP)
Have you consider chicken wire? Like put it around the plant
Hot-Profession4091@reddit
Yeah. And we do that with a fair bit of the garden already. It just makes me nervous because it’s very toxic to them.
Traditional_Neat_387@reddit (OP)
A 3 ft diameter circle per plant should be plenty
less_butter@reddit
That would take a longer period of time than you will live.
My wife is into vintage clothing and she has some cotton shirts from the 1960s and they're in great shape and wearable.
And I have plenty of cotton shirts that are over a decade old, some two decades, and they are fine.
I don't know where you got the idea that cotton fabric will degrade to the point of uselessness in just a decade. Maybe if it's stored improperly and gets moldy or bugs get into it, but you should try to prevent that from happening.
Traditional_Neat_387@reddit (OP)
I will admit “uselessness” I did use pretty loosely but threads do weaken and become harder and more of a pain to use over time, and there’s no guarantee on how long thread spools are good for, some people who do sewing often I’ve asked say to chuck it after 5 years or so as it’s more likely to snap in a sewing machine. But as mentioned to a fellow redditor has some 50 year old thread that’s fine. It’s kind a hit or miss depending on storage, and geographic location
Traditional_Neat_387@reddit (OP)
The treads do become weaker at varying degrees, fabric will last longer and will be less noticeable with the degradation as it’s almost like a spider web it’s weaved together to where you won’t notice a single tread snap, moisture, light, and heat degrade thread a lot faster. I had a sewing kit in my car I forgot about over just one summer and the threads were so weak they snapped at not even 1/3rd the force of a fresh spool. Also premade clothing often went through some form of processing via chemicals for texture, color preservation, or other reasons. A quick google search will show formaldehyde has been used in textiles such as clothing since the 1920s. It’s cool you have clothing that’s lasted that long. Plus again like in the post I mentioned down the road in SHTF trade opportunity (potentially). Plus for me it’s a nice way to kill time on cruddy days that I can’t do much and I’ve used some of the tread for making lures for fishing as well.
MichaelHammor@reddit
I'm using thread over fifty years old on a 102 year old treadle machine. It's performing just fine. However, OP, I admire your inventiveness and spirit.
Traditional_Neat_387@reddit (OP)
Thank you and I’m not saying it always degrades poorly as your 50 year old thread is proof but im sure you’ve found some poorly degraded at some point or another, and being just under a hour from the ocean humidity is terrible here which can lead to rot. Plus it’s honestly pretty fun and it could be a pretty useful skill one day as it’s not a common thing people do anymore
Traditional-Leader54@reddit
Would vacuum sealing it prevent degradation?
Traditional_Neat_387@reddit (OP)
Idk haven’t tried that I’ll have to look into it to see if someone else has done it already
Traditional_Neat_387@reddit (OP)
Sorry I didn’t realize how long that was xD here’s a summary TLDR- it’s been a staple of human civilization for darn near forever and small scale takes up very little room could be valuable down the road for trade
SomeoneInQld@reddit
I read the entire post.
I just think there are better things to be putting your time into.
If you want to do it as it's cool, that makes sense but for prepping just buy some and focus on other things
Traditional_Neat_387@reddit (OP)
I mean it’s kinda both. And I do love having as much renewable stuff as possible
SomeoneInQld@reddit
I would LOVE to make a shirt out of cotton that I grew - that part is cool and where I am hoping to move to soon - will be a pretty good climate to grow it in - and there are some people growing it there already.
in a year or two - you may get a random message from me asking for some advice ;)
Connect-Type493@reddit
I would think you could store thread and fabric for years
Traditional_Neat_387@reddit (OP)
It is possible but all natural fibers degrade and become brittle and useless in thread form after awhile it vary a lot though depending where you live
Academic_1989@reddit
What a fun hobby! You might also look into hemp - it grows where cotton grows but is slightly more drought tolerant and I seem to recall it is a perennial plant. Would love to see a link to your thread spinner.
Traditional_Neat_387@reddit (OP)
Honestly if you know someone who’s good at woodworking or you are yourself it’s really a fairy simple device honestly the one I got might have been made by someone randomly
Traditional_Neat_387@reddit (OP)
Honestly if your good at wood working it’s basically just a hand crank wheel (almost like a thread spool on its side) one side comes off with a simple wing nut, the other has little one way gear teeth carved into it for the handle to gently pull the thread tight it’s a T shape and has almost like fishing line eyelets, your suppose to hand twist and feed it into the spool. You basically make a thick log of fiber and start it by hand and proceed to feed it and constantly twist. And occasionally twist the spool lever to take in slack and keep it tight. I’ve realized secret is to twist until it’s starting to kink a bit, helps to pull slightly while doing it. During shtf I would try to only do it during cruddy weather like winter or something
Traditional_Neat_387@reddit (OP)
I can’t remember where I actually got it at the moment, I believe I found it at a garage sale, it’s pretty analog and old though but I’ll dig around after work and see if I can find something similar
WasabiParty4285@reddit
If you're going this far, I'd look into sheep and dairy cows before going after cotton. There is a reason cotton relied on slave labor for so long, and at least you get other things from your cows and sheep.
Traditional_Neat_387@reddit (OP)
I actually am currently working on getting a sheep pen set up for next year but personally I don’t want to deal with cows even though the leather would be a nice bonus out of them I do have a chickens, rabbits, and a a few goats. I’ve been trying to get fully off grid while the grid is up so if it does go down it’s gonna seem as normal as possible. But I 100% agree harvesting isn’t quick work. Tiz why I do want to downsize to 4 instead of 12 plants.