Coloring wool pants?

[Fish Finder]

I traded some things and got some wool pants out of one of the deals.  They are perfect except they are a dark charcoal/black color and was wondering if there is a way to break it up some?

Any way to die the wool or any methods you guys have used in the past?  I was thinking of sticking on some segments of different colored material.

Your thoughts/ideas?

[Orion]

If you hunt from the ground, I wouldn't do anything to them.  Look around, most tree trunks are charcoal color.  You could throw bleach on them.  That will give a mottled, bleached out look.  Not terribly good for the fabric though.  I've spray painted woolies with lighter colored paints.  Doesn't adhere too well.  Usually have to redo it every year or so.

[dragonheart]

Would not worry about it.  The buck in my avatar was shot wearing brown wrangler jeans.  If you just feel you have to, you could try RIT dye.  I have used it on cotton in the past.

[jhg]

Not an expert, but most DIY dye processes I am aware of take hot water- the hotter the better for the dye process.  I would not expect your pants to be the same size when you are done regardless the method used.

BTW, if you have ever seen a moose (charcoal black) walking through timber you know just how great black/off black is as concealment.

I am with the "use them with confidence" group. Its a great color to break up your lower half.

Joshua

[YORNOC]

Even from a tree, if you break up your upper body your legs are lust a couple of thick branches. I bet they will be fine as is!

[njloco]

Yeah, same as the answers above, don't worry about it, the only thing it will effect is in your own mind.

[FarmerMarley]

For cotton clothes I sometimes bundle them up in a random shape and leave them on the roof or other exposed place for a couple months. The sun fades them in a really nice and natural shadow pattern like tiger stripes.

I don't think it would be a good idea with wool though. I also have some wool pants that I want to make more camo. I thought about spray painting them or stitching other pieces of fabric on to them. I wish I could just use the sun-bleaching method but I don't want to ruin the pants...

[bentpole]

I have those same Woolrich charcoal grey color pants. I wear them ALOT! Never had a problem and I mostly hunt out of a climbing tree stand. Some folks hunt in solid black clothes and kill deer.  What color is a tree trunk? I always thought motion is more important than color when deer hunting. Besides those pants wear like  iron. Great in cold weather with duofolds ot smartwool longjohns. When it really gets cold I thow a jumpsuit on over everything. Don't forget you can machine wash them on delicate or gentle cycle and line dry.

[maxfit]

I have the old fashioned red and black ones(30 yr old woolrich hand-me -downs)..i dyed them last year and nothing happened..(except purple water from the dye).i would like to at least get them brown or grey.. not that they spook game ..but with a green wool top and red pants i kinda look like a dork! I would buy new pants but i love the way these fit...so if there are any suggestions out there i am interested as well...

[The Whittler]

My wife says to look it up on the Internet How to dye wool. You can even paint it on with dye. I guess there are different ways you can use. Good luck.

[Bobby Urban]

Tough to dye wool and IMO not neccessary with the gear you have.  Other than improving your confidence on stand the color of your pants will not effect your hunt.  If  they see you in charcoal they will see you in blotchy charcoal and you run the risk of ruining and good set of wools.

[Fish Finder]

Thanks for the info guys...makes my life easier not to work on them lol.

[ErikT]

I tried to dye a pair of charcoal colored wool pants into a treebark pattern.  I used Rit dye diluted in denatured alcohol, then spread it using an eye dropper.   It took a lot of dye to even move the color.  Then I hung the pants outside to let them dry and air out.  It rained the next day and the dye simply washed right out. The pants look like they were never touched. I'll just continue to use them as is.

[Tom Leemans]

I totally believe the natural fiber does more than the color, when it comes to hiding you. It's all in how the fiber reflects light. How many times have you been watching an animal walk towards you, only to have it vanish when it stops moving? You know what it looks like, and you should be able to see it, but where did it go?

[dragonheart]

Originally posted by Tom Leemans:
I totally believe the natural fiber does more than the color, when it comes to hiding you. It's all in how the fiber reflects light. How many times have you been watching an animal walk towards you, only to have it vanish when it stops moving? You know what it looks like, and you should be able to see it, but where did it go?

Some of the commercial camo that is out there has a "sheen" to it.  Take a wool shirt and a synthetic on and put it in the woods and look at them.  The natural wool simply reflects less light.  Hair and wool is camo.  Bobcats sure blend in and they are not gren/brown/ and black.  The fabric is the key.