What are the disadvantages of wearing wool?

[Kevin Dill]

ron w...

I do think the synthetics will catch an odor, but I have a lot less trouble washing and removing the odors. My hunting tipi has a woodstove, and it's unavoidable that woodsmoke will contact damp clothes. The cling and 'presense' of the odor is much less for me than the wools I used to wear. I hypothesize that poly fibers release odor molecules much more readily than do the organic wool fibers. I have washed stinking poly long johns in a river and they came out smelling sweet. Nothing I could do ever removed the odor from my SI wool, which I left hanging for 3 months. Having done a sizeable number of hunts in BC, Yukon, NWT, AK and other locales...wearing wool and synthetics...the synthetics please me much better than my wool ever did. That's only me though, and I don't 'talk down' on wool.

The other huge advantage for me is how rapidly my synthetics dry while on a hunt. Wet wools can take a full day or two to dry, but I can wake up every morning in Alaska knowing my clothes are dry and light...as opposed to heavy and damp.

I'll always own some wool. It won't be my first choice when going on those really demanding and weight-restricted hunts.

[ron w]

I'll buy that.....getting stuff dry quickly is really important. But even damp wool does retain warmth. Thanks for your response......  

[snakebit40]

 

Great thread! Thanks Kevin for all your input on those high demanding hunts. I just switch to wool this summer, so I can't wait to see how I like it.

Dri-All, the dry cleaning bag that you can toss in the drier for that general cleaning is handy and it needs to be done occationally.  For muddy knees and butt and the like I use a wash cloth first.  As often as I have been caught in the rain with woolen garments, I don't remember them ever shrinking or changing shape over it, but then we never toss wet wool in the drier.

[alaninoz]

One thing I forgot to mention earlier - wool doesn't burn easily. If you're sitting round the campfire and a few sparks land on you, you don't end up with a hole right through your jacket, trousers, whatever - maybe a small scorch mark.

[Tom Leemans]

The only thing I don't like is that it can be expensive. If you can get over that, you'll find that it's worth the investment.

[AWPForester]

Wool does not have to be heavy and bulky to keep you warm.  True it does not buck the wind as well as some material but your underlayering clothes should take care of that.

[Tutanka]

My dad put me in wool when I started hunting at 12 yrs old.  I wore wool from early season archery into late season rifle in Montana.  The things that I didn't like about wool where that it was bulky, smelled when it was wet, would collect burrs, and the bottom of the legs would get matted with snow.

I moved out of Montana in my 20's and like most people got hung up on trying out the next best thing. This got me hooked on Sitka gear.  I will argree that it is light weight and not as bulky as wool, and it does dry out fast.   However, with that said I have switched back to wool.  Why...well simply because most of the Sitka gear that I have has started to fall apart.  Seams in the legs are coming apart, pockets on some of the shirts are starting to fall off (alot of the seams and pockets are glued on rather than stitched), and for me it just does not insulate as well.  Plus, I was always layering it with wool underwear anyway.  

I have picked up some of the Silent Predator and really like it.  

Both has their place and I can see why some people have started to move away from wool.  With that said I think you would be hard pressed to find better all around clothing than wool.  If my life depended on it, I would choose wool over any other type of material.

[German Dog]

Originally posted by ron w:
The down side of wool.....nothing! There is a reason it has been used for hunting and work clothing for eons...........        The ONLY thing better than wool is another layer of it!! JMHO!!      

Yep thats about it right there! The stuff just works. Lasts and wear's like crazy.

This year I totally switch from wearing my everyday cotton socks to wearing a light wool sock same thickness as cotton socks and it feels so much better and performs way better. Mind you this summer was hot and I'm a powerlineman and wear these wool socks to work with heavy 10' work boots and the wool is way better than the cotton. Honestly I have not had a pair of cotton socks on in over 10 months or so.

[sweeney3]

None.  Wool is the best there is.  Don't dry it on high heat unless it says it's okay.  Otherwise, enjoy.  It's still the best stuff out there.  I even prefer lightweight wool in warm weather because it breaths much better than anything except the synthetic fabrics, and they stink to high heaven.  Wool doesn't smell quite so bad even after a couple of days.

[Archie]

Thanks again all, for your replies.  

I just wore my wool pants out last night to try them out.  They didn't itch much, and were surprisingly comfortable to wear even though it was about 75 degrees out.  Granted, walking around my backyard isn't going to generate much extra body heat.  Very comfortable, I'm looking forward to putting them to work.  They are Columbia Gallatin pants, supposedly waterproof or water-resistant.  I wasn't shopping for wool, just picked these up because they were my size and on the clearance rack at a great price.

[stickum]

It gets very heavy when wet, other than extra weight its good stuff.

[hvyhitter]

The Columbia stuff has a pretty open weave but mine tightened up real nice after being hand washed and air dryed a few times. Get good soft merino for underneath. For me one layer under and its good to the low 20s With a second its down to single digets. Zero and below I add a oversize set of malone bibs over top. Wind never a problem with several layers....

[jonsimoneau]

I wear wool everyday of deer season and nearly everyday at work from mid September till spring. I have not found anything better but then again I have not tried Sitka or anything like that. I think many people use it incorrectly. Most people buy the outer layer first. I would buy both a light and a heavy set of merino long underwear before I worried about an outer layer. I often don't even wear the outer layer unless its very cold. If u buy an expensive outer layer first and wear cotton long underwear you will be cold. Especially if it is windy. As far as an outer layer for tree stand hunting I wear wool when it is cold but not windy. The reason is wool is quiet. Really helps when it is time to draw your bow. If it is windy I will wear some sort of a windbreak. Cotton can be used for this as long as it is sewn tightly to stop wind. Carhart material works well.   Also avoid wool garments that have a layer of windbreak on the inside. Wool is an excellent insulator. It does no good to have it on the outside. Keep your windbreak on the outside and you will be warm. This is what works for me. Your mileage may vary!

[arrow flynn]

Hunting coastal nw ca with wool its heavy when wet better with polar fleece and a lite rain jacket been there.when you are hiking uphill and in a hurry you want to go lite.

[postman]

Let you know in Jan. Just spent a large sum of money on merino wool underware. Could't believe how thin and light it is, hope it lives up to the reviews I have read.