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Seasons dictates the way wolves live, In the winter they grow thick fur coats that keep them warm. Like most mammals, they conserve their energy whenever possible during the harsh winter months. This is usually the time when wolves bond/ mate.

In the spring both male and female wolves devote time to cleaning the existing den. Spring time is when most pups are born.

By summer the winter coat is long gone, replaced by a short summer coat. This time the pups learn to hunt, and the pack is more active.

Then in fall wolves begin winter preparations and the coat becomes deep and dense. At this time some wolves (two and half years) may leave and find mates and to start their own pack.

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Wolves are extremely smart and manage to adapt to their environments. Wolves can be found living in more places in the world than any other mammal. Humans can benefit from studding wolves and how they manage to adapt to some of the planet’s toughest habitats. Wolves are pack animals and known to work together rather than against for survival. They take what they need and help the areas where they live to thrive. Humans could learn to be as resourceful as wolves, so that we wouldn’t worry about running out of resources quite so much. Everyone in the pack has a specific role, even the pups learn their place, and do as they are told. They all can communicate via howls, barks, body language and even smell. Studying how wolves communicate can improve how humans communicate especially in in times of strife. Wolves do everything it takes to survive, but at the end of the day they play together and have fun. It’s far too easy for us humans to get caught up in work and the stresses of life, but we should also make time for rest, relaxation and fun.

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Wolves have two layers of fur that adapt to the seasons. Outer layer- long coarse hairs, shed water and snow (gives wolf’s coat it’s color); inner layer- thick, soft gray “wool”, which traps air and insulates the wolf from the elements.

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I love a good blanket, but never seem to find the perfect mixture soft/warm/light weight. How can I have a soft, warm, light weight blanket all at the same time to keep me warm all year long?

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Prototype 1 is a two-layer blanket. For the top layer I used Tricot (a soft/heavy weight fabric used in wind breakers) to mimic the wolf’s outer protective coat. For the bottom layer I used fleece (soft, warm, and strong insulating fabric) to mimic the wolf’s inner wool like more soft layer. This prototype was soft and warm, but also heavy and noisy because of the tricot. Not ideal for a comfortable blanket.

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This time I used Nylon (durable, strong, and weather resistant) for the top layer to mimic the wolf’s outer protective coat. For the bottom layer I continued to use fleece (soft, warm, and strong insulating fabric) to mimic the wolf’s inner wool like layer. I liked that the nylon added a protective layer to the blanket, in case of spills of drinks or food. However, this soft light weight blanket was not warm enough.

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For the final prototype, I kept the same fabrics used in prototype 2 (Nylon/Fabric) but added a middle layer. The middle layer contained gel like technology that disperses your own body heat throughout the blanket. Just like when a wolf curls up and uses his own breathing to heat up his body. This now three- layer blanket is soft, warm, insulating, lightweight that is also water resistant.

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Nowak, K. (2018, July 31). Wolves 10 things we can learn | Ecotravel | EcoCompanion. Retrieved September 30, 2018, from https://www.ecocompanion.com/blog/10-things-we-can-learn-from-wolves/

Wolf Country, Annual cycle, seasons. (n.d.). Retrieved September 30, 2018, from http://www.wolfcountry.net/information/WolfCycle.html