For the record, I absolutely agree that wool is a great fabric. Once I really started traveling to far places and lugging gear, the wool had to go. You just don't see many guys loading up their backpacks with wool garments when weight really matters. In an unrestricted setting, wool is a great choice.
The last hunt I wore wools (SI) on was a Yukon horseback hunt in October. By the time it was over my wools were just plain stinking. Odors of smoke, pack horse, human body, and food were very strong. I experienced the same thing (but no horses) on a British Columbia wilderness hunt. Even a good dry cleaning couldn't remove the smoke odors. They had to hang for a month. I've had some of the best wool garments ever made. A 30 mile windy boat ride in the NWT demonstrated (several times) that my wools would not stop wind penetration 100%. I had to shell-up over the wool. So did my partner.
When I began regularly going to Alaska (a great place to test your garments) I did some soul searching. I followed the advice of those who've been there and done that. They advised me to forget the heavy wools and go with synthetic layers. So I did. I've never regretted it once. Sweating inside my garments is mostly a thing of the past. I can stream-wash them and have them dry in a couple hours. Extra or excess layers stow and carry easily during the hunting day. Water and mud...even blood comes right off my softshell outer layer. I don't feel grubby/smelly by the end of a 12 day wilderness hunt.
Both types of garments have their place, and no one type is superior in all ways to another. This thread is about wools, and I'm glad we have the choice to get good garments in wool. I just don't have as much use for it these days. I would look to people like Sleeping Indian, Gray Wolf and maybe a couple plaid makers if I was in the market to buy wools again.
Topic: Wool clothing (Read 1297 times)
