Wool and REAL Cold....

[Roger Norris]

One of my favorite subjects on here is wool, what to wear for cold, etc....

Saturday, I went ice fishing on my Mothers lake. The fishing was lousy, so I only stayed out about an hour&1/2. But in spite of 7 degrees with 20 mph winds (which had to drive the temp well below zero), I was pretty warm...at least functionaly comfortable. If I needed to stay out longer, I certainly could have. Knowing that my Mom was making stew inside while I was working hard for some miniscule bluegills drove me in more than the cold.   I wore:

polypro long johns, fairly light weight
Filson wool bib's
Filson Double Mac Cruiser
Woolrich wool shirt
wool fingerless gloves with jersey gloves underneath
Stormy Kromer hat
fleece pullover hood
wool socks
GoreTex over bootie
RedWing boots w/ 600 grams Thinsulate

Today the temps without the wind are -7...I'm staying inside ;0)

[Bishop]

Roger I am wool guy also. I like the KOM. When it's below 20 "functionaly comfortable" is the best way to descibe it.

[dino]

We had our 4th annually trad southern Michigan bunny hunt this past weekend.  Same weather... 8 degrees with 20 mile a hour winds.

I wore 200 and 400 weight Klar wool bottoms, pair of levis and then brush pants.  200 and 400 Klar wool shirts with a Woolrich wool sweater with a fleece pullover and a fleece hood.  Klar wool socks, Danner boots with 200 gram thinsulate, and toe warmers.  Stayed toast warm all day without alot of bulk.  Can't beat that stuff for days like that!

Lots of bunnies and lots of shooting.  Had a great day.  dino

[Marblesonac]

Dino, You're right.

Klar long johns ROCK!!!!!  I also have Filson Alaskan that I don't like because they're thin and itchy.

That Klar is soft, thick (I have the 400) and WARM.

I've never tried to layer with a 200 layer, because I've never been out in weather cold enough to need it, but I can imagine how toasty you must have been.

[Roger Norris]

I have some very thin merino wool sweaters that I now use for longjohns. They were nice, work sweaters once, but the moths got to them. Now they make great layeres for cold days in the stand.

[Frank V]

Can't go wrong with C.C. Filson!!!! Frank

[swp]

How do you guys shoot with that much bulk on your arms? If I get much over 3 layers on my arms I start banging strings off of my forearms or catching sleeves.

[Roger Norris]

swp - if I'm going to be bow shooting, my outfit would be the same except for the Double Cruiser. I would substitute the heavy coatfor: the same longjohns, a thin Merino wool sweater, a thin fleece VEST, the same wool shirt, over another woolzip up VEST.

Vests rule when you need to shoot a bow.

[Ray Lyon]

A couple of years ago, I saw one of the most interesting sights while bow hunting at Shrewhaven Lodge in the western end of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It was a super cold/still mornings with one of those heavy, heavy white frosts blanketing everything. Shortly after sunrise, two young spikehorns came walking past my stand. Something odd looking was on the back half of both deer as they approached. When they got to about 15 yards, it dawned on me that there was frost sitting on top of the deer. I guess this goes to show how well insulated the deer is.

I've had great luck with my Gray Wolf Woolen pullover parka with their comformax lining.  Non binding sleeves, great draping to avoid string contact and able to withstand driving snow/wind during late season duck hunts. My coat looked just like the deer's back with snow built up on it.

Great wool clothing is a joy to hunt with and to brave the elements.

[breathed]

I agree that the filson long underwear is a little itchy, but it's real warm. I wear silk long underwear under them and stay warm in low temps.

[8th Dwarf]

Some of you know that I was badly burned in a fire north of the Arctic Circle some years ago.  I was trapped in the burning cabin wearing my longjohns...my WOOL longjohns.  The only places on me that burned were the areas not covered by the wool longjohns.  

HAD I BEEN WEARING POLYPRO, I WOULD HAVE DIED IN SECONDS!  FIREMEN CALL THIS STUFF, "SHRINK WRAP"!

You can go on line and you can buy MERINO wool long johns that are totally itch free.  They are WARMER than polypro.  You can order online from New Zealand companies and get a mix of Wool and Possum (the Australian variety...not like our Opossum).  SILK is also great and is very fire retardent.  I wear a set of Silk longjohns and put the wool over them when it's really cold.

What are the odds that fire might be an issue for you?  I don't know, but four of us found out in moments and one of us,WHO WAS WEARING SYNTHETIC FABRIC CLOTHING, died!  

Polypro can really gather sweat and can stink in a hurry, too!

Wearing my combo, with tight weave wool over the top, Woolie Booger Handwarmer mitts, Bunny Boots, and a good wool Balaclava, I can sit at -40 degrees and have done it many times.

However, I prefer hunting in 85 degree weather in shorts and a tank top!

Too Short

[Stephen_D]

For the last 30 years I've never been without a USMC sweater. Very warm.

 http://www.galaxyarmynavy.com/item-6348.asp

[Roger Norris]

Paul Brunners point is a good one.
 
Wool rules.

I don't have a problem with itching for wool at all.

[bentpole]

MMMMMMMWOOOOOOL Yes I now wear smart wool longjohns

[bjk]

Buy the right stuff and you don't need to itch...Justin Charles and Autumnwood make some of the best wool undergarments I've used (ulfrotte is very good, but I feel these are better).  Absolutely  no itching...very comfy.

Of course, good things come at a cost...I don't mind spending for warmth and/or comfort (who am I kidding, I don't mind spending    ).

[Pinecone]

I buy medium weight silk longjohns from Winter Silks and then pair them with Merino wool longjohns from Smartwool.  Add some additional wool trousers, wool shirt, and wool coat and I'm in business...even for the cold stuff!

Claudia

[WESTBROOK]

If anyones interested, you can get the Woolrich plaid wool shirts from their site for $28 new.
I bought 4 last night, lots of colors.

yes $28

Eric

[WESTBROOK]

Nevermind, just went back and there $50 today.
OOOPPS

Eric

[GroundHunter]

SportsmansGuide HQ catalogue:

Cotton knit longjohns, top & Bottom $5.00
Norwegian Wool Longjohn bottoms (like sweater for the legs)$3.00
German Wool V-neck pullover OD sweater $4.00
German heavy OD wool sweater. $6.00
German Fleck-tar Camo cotton Cargo pants $1.97
German Wool Baclava $3.00
Check Insulated camo vest. $14.00
SG 400 Gram Thinsulate Waterproof Hunting Boots $39.00
Kevlar leather thisulate duty cloves $17.00

All these layers are warm sitting stock still for 2 hours 'till sunup at 27 degrees F. Sweaters are quiet, whisper-quiet, when you move to draw a bow.

Shuck them layers after the sun comes up!

If it's really cold, you need a wool coat to break the wind.

The norwegian wool longjohns are like thick wool sweaters. Never had legs so warm.

[Ray Lyon]

Claudia makes a good point about the silk long underwear. I've been wearing some paper thin silk long underwear under my cross country ski garmets and it keeps me very dry. My outer windbreaker ends up literally soaked with sweat, but next to my skin feels dry. Wool doesn't bother me for itch purposes, but the wicking of that paper thin silk will have me using it as a base layer under wool in the future.