Vulcanization

News and Adventure from Glacier National Park

The following is an adaptation from Ramble On: A History of Hiking:

Until the turn of the twentieth century, rubberized clothing was the most popular choice for staying dry in the outdoors. Hikers and outdoorsmen of all stripes used a variety of India rubber products to stay dry, or keep their gear dry. This included rubberized coats, ponchos, blankets and knapsacks.

India rubber was first used in textiles as far back as 1824. However, before Charles Goodyear discovered vulcanization in 1839, the first generation of India rubber products failed to perform as intended. The rubber coating on textiles from that period tended to melt in the summer and crack in the winter. A perfect illustration of the ineffectiveness of the product comes from a U.S. Naval officer who wrote a scathing complaint about this newly issued garment in 1835, exclaiming:

Oh! I wish the rascal were here, who sold it to me! I am up to my knees in water, it runs in, but ‘it won’t run out,’ and the caps leak through every seam, the jacket is not worth a groat.

After the discovery of vulcanization, it would take Charles Goodyear another five years to perfect the process of curing, which made rubber products more pliable, easier to meld, and far more durable. The process that developed from Goodyear’s invention involved mixing sulfur and chemicals with the sap of a rubber tree, which was heated to form a sticky mass. The mass was then rolled into thin sheets, which were then applied to cotton, wool or silk before being steam-heated and cut into garments.

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Check out our online trail guides:

• Glacier National Park: HikinginGlacier.com

• Grand Teton National Park: TetonHikingTrails.com

• Rocky Mountain National Park: RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

• Just released: Ramble On: A History of Hiking