Will pass on wool

[AWPForester]

Mountaineering and mountain climbing outer garments are not wool because of the weight of them.  Ask people who do it what their underlayers that never get taken off are.

It is what it is.  You like it or not.  But it is warmer than any synthetic, it will keep you warmer in adverse weather if you dress right by layering.  If it is really cold outside, you can't just throw on a wool jacket and expect to be toasty without proper layers undermeath.  But, you can't do that with anything else either.  It will out last any synthetic made.  It insulates when wet.  Will actually never lose one bit of insulating potential until absorbing over 30 percent it's weight in water.  It regulates your core temps durning extreme activities unlike synthetics.

It is one of those fabrics that doesn't sweat you so your not going to put it on and start getting hot.  You can set in it in 55-60 degree weather as easy as 20 degree weather.  It is a regulator.  No synthetic can do that regardless of their breatability claim.  It has it's place like everything else.  Your choice to use it or not.  God Bless

[McDave]

As was mentioned, the demands of mountaineering are much different from the demands of hunting. I've done both, and when mountaineering, I want the absolute lightest things that will do the job. Mountaineering is more of an athletic contest of you against the mountain.  Few people are interested in climbing a mountain that isn't pretty near the limit of their capabilities. A fair number of people die because of that. Some kinds of hunting might be like that, such as hunting mountain sheep in the high mountains, but I haven't done that kind of hunting.

The kind of hunting I do requires quiet, slow movement. I often wondered why I didn't see more game when mountain climbing. Well, we never moved quiet and we never moved slow. I often have to move through brush when hunting. I'm above all the brush when mountain climbing. A little extra weight has never bothered me when hunting, but I do need clothes that are durable and quiet.

These factors are why I would choose wool when hunting and the lightest synthetics when climbing mountains.

[Panzer]

I like wool for an inner layer, but I want something on the outside that can stop the wind. If the wind gets through to your body you are finished.

[Thumper Dunker]

I just do not like it because it gets me all itchy even just as a out side layer. Drives me nuts. Think I might be alegic to it or something.
Wool is good stuff.

[Terry Lightle]

Wool for me

[jwhitetail]

Actually, Merino wool base layers (underwear and socks) ARE all the rage in the mountaineering circles these days.  Mid and outer-layers are different because of the aforementioned weight and the desire for an outer "shell" when back-country skiing or mountain climbing.  Hunters often opt out of the shell concept because of the noise these fabrics make.

I am a huge fan of wool when hunting or fishing - climbing its Smartwool base - synth or smart wool mid and synthetic outer layer/shell.

JW

[wulf]

I would agree that most wool fabrics aren't the most windproof material on the market today.  But oddly enough, that is part of the reason it regulates your body temperature so well and in such a wide range of temperatures.  In the past I tried what seemed to be every combination of windproof this over synthetic that and I always ended up overheating, getting damp from perspiration and eventually COLD.  Using layerings of wool (including merino wool longjohns) I found myself very comfortable MOST of the time when the weather was nasty, and when the wind became brutal, guess what I did?  I retreated to the hemlock groves and interestingly enough found that is where the deer had headed for themselves.   You wool guys do yourself a favor and get one of Asbell's lighweight, windproof pullover vests to layer directly under your outer wool garment.  Yeah it's synthetic but that's what makes it windproof.  I have one and it works great.

[FarmerMarley]

I gotta say I love wool. I used to be pretty sensitive to it as a kid, and it would always make me itch. That went away with time. I don't get in the real cold like some folks and it is still my favorite. I get cheap used pendleton shirts from the thrift store in earth tone plaids. Half-open I have worn them as a baselayer in 80-90 weather and they worked.

The sound of wool can't be beat, and the non reflectivity, and colors are great for concealment.

[old_goat2]

I bought some boots with the "event" lining instead of goretex, man those boots breathe so well and keep my feet dry, but my feet were getting super cold, bought some merino wool socks and man are they great, don't hunt super cold weather enough to go for the wool outer clothes, but the socks are awsome! And when it's warm, cotton is still king:)

[amar911]

My base layers of long underwear and socks are almost always merino wool, along with various merino wool caps, neck gaiters, and sometimes liner gloves. I actually wear merino wool socks every day, all year long.

Most of the rest of my hunting clothing is synthetic, and that is because it is light, compactable, and warm when needed. I like down, but have gravitated now to PrimaLoft or some other similar fill insulation to stay warm if the insulation gets wet. Kuiu has recently come out with down jackets where the down is DWR (durable water repellant) treated to minimize water absorption and drying time. I will wait for some of the real world reviews before I venture out with the new Kuiu down clothing. I like the soft shell materials from Kuiu, Sitka and others. I've worn that gear in the Yukon Territory and the Rockies, and it works well, as long as I make sure to stuff PrimaLoft mid-layer jacket, vest and/or pants into my pack. Lots of trips involve travel by air with all my gear, including sleeping bag and pad, bows, arrows, optics, clothing, etc. I don't have the room for excess bulk or the weight allowance for excess mass in my gear, so the lightest, most compactable gear is what I look for. In most instances, wool is not the best option for me to use for my middle or outer layers, although a second pair of merino long underwear, a non-bulky merino sweater and/or a Pendleton shirt can be a good option. Of course, I also have good hard-shell rain gear, with my favorites being Core4Element Torrent (quieter) and Kuiu Chugach (drier), that can keep out wind, rain and snow.

HOWEVER -- I do have quite a bit of wool other than socks, long underwear, caps, gloves, and other next-to-skin items. I also have whipcord wool pants that are fairly light and tightly woven, Pendleton shirts, merino wool (and other less desirable wool) sweaters and LaClair Longhunter wool pullover and hood/cape. I gave away several pairs of heavy wool pants because they were far too bulky and heavy for me, so I never wore them. So, except for the heavy wool pants, I am adequately prepared for hunting completely in wool too, which I am sometimes known to do.

I also have a ton of fleece, which I think is the greatest stuff ever for silence and wears like iron. It also comes in lots of my favorite patterns. Fleece isn't the warmest, lightest or least bulky material on the market, but it works very well in most hunting conditions, even when it is not the best option available.

Cotton is good for some conditions, but in winter it can kill you, and when wet it is abrasive. I only wear cotton in mild, dry weather and never in my boots where it is a leading cause of blisters.

Allan

[Kevin Dill]

Well stated Allan...and I've had much the same experiences.

I guess it's the individual which matters most here, and what pleases (or displeases) them about their gear choices. There was a time when I thought wool was the be-all/end-all of hunting fabrics. I was in love with it, and could never imagine preferring anything beyond it. I found it well-suited for much of my more sedentary hunts, like whitetails and such. For packing light (Alaska and other destinations with gear restrictions) the heavier weight and bulk of outer wool garments was a major disadvantage. They were eventually eliminated in favor of lighter physical weight synthetics and insulators like Primaloft, goose down, etc. Along the way I realized I wasn't missing any performance advantage of my wool, which was hanging at home. A couple years went by and I just found myself repeatedly leaving those very good wools alone and reaching for my 'other' comfortable clothes.

I've been to either northern Canada or Alaska the majority of the past dozen years, and experienced some pretty wild weather on those trips. 60 mile days of boat riding in the NWT in cold temps. Horseback hunting in the Yukon. Running in a Zodiac for hours with snow in the air in northern BC. Waking up to near single-digit temps in central Alaska, but also seeing t-shirt afternoons there. Then there's lion hunting in Utah, where the day begins in the high desert and might end at 9,000 ft in the snow and ponderosas. I've experienced the advantages and disadvantages of both synthetics and wools. For these types of adventures, synthetics are my clear and unambiguous winner. That's me, and no way am I suggesting anyone else is like that...or shares these thoughts.

Finally, most of my wool comments above relate to wool as used for outer wear, with heavier fabric weights. I like and use merino wool products for underlayers and such, though I own far more synthetic underlayers than I do merino. Wool is a great natural fiber and fabric for outdoorsmen and women, and I'm sure it will be around forever. Wear what you enjoy most, and be assured that's what matters most!
 

[Sockrsblur]

I think wool is great!
I think of it like tools in a tool box! I would hate to have just one choice. I remember hunting before goretex, before fleece, before thinsulate in my boots, not for as many years as alot on the site but I whole heartedly embrace the wonderful choices and variety in my hunting clothing.

[Russ Clagett]

With all the modern wazoo synthetic miracle fabrics out there, and we use alot of synthetic stuff....does anyone know what every Soldier going through cold weather training gets issued their first day....?

surplus korean war WOOL.....and that's all they use...

[Ron LaClair]

I've been a user of wool for 40 years. I tell about my first eye opening experience on a Montana hunt many years ago on my web site  http://www.shrewbows.com/wool_shirts/

Dressing up for a few hours hunt in the morning or evening, then back to your warm house or cabin may not be the best test for cold weather gear. If you actually have to live in your clothes for days or weeks at a time I think you'll learn to appreciate the benefits of wool.

I did that when I went on Jay Masseys Moose John float hunt. Patagonia long johns and King Of The Mountain pants, coat and hat protected my body for two weeks in Alaska's fickle fall weather. One time in particular I left our small base camp on an inland excursion. It started to rain lightly and soon turned to snow. When I got back to camp my wool was damp but I wasn't cold. I laid down on my sleeping bag inside the tent and fell asleep for about an hour. When I woke I still wasn't cold. Wool generates heat even when wet. If I had been wearing synthetics I probably would have have been chilled to the bone.

   

[Tom Leemans]

I agree 100% Ron. While folks can decide for themselves, I have been in skin freezing temps at both ends of the clothing spectrum, I can tell you from experience that at some point, the synthetics just don't perform like wool will. I like to say "There's a reason why sheep aren't covered in polypropylene." It's the natural fibers that are doing the work.

I feel they help you blend in with your surroundings better too. Gotta be something to do with the way it reflects light. Like when a deer quits moving in the woods and seems to fade into the background. On several occasions, I've walked up on deer in an open field and simply knelt down before they saw me. They eventually spot me and will walk towards me until they can get down wind and smell me. I've never had them do that in my old camo gear.

My wife bought me that same shirt you are pictured in and I don't know how I hunted so many years without it.

[chanumpa]

Thats a fine looking hunters frock that Mr.LeClair is sporting there.When I was younger and dumber,I got lost hunting the goat rocks wilderness in Wa.THe wool I was wearing saved me.Since then,its all I want and use.I do layer and can appreciate other new fabrics in conjunction with wool and wool blends.This slick new shiney stuff just isnt for some of us old timers I guess.

[charles m]

Originally posted by amar911:


I also have a ton of fleece, which I think is the greatest stuff ever for silence and wears like iron.  

I have to ask, what type of fleece?  If you are talking about recycled pop bottles wearing like iron I would have to use the hype word on that.  I mean c'mon, PLASTIC wearing like iron?

[gringol]

I think wool is much warmer than the synthetics, especially when wet, but it's weight and bulk and maybe cost has led to it's decline vs the synthetic stuff.  If you're carrying everything for a week or two on your back, wool starts to get very unattractive in a hurry.  At least for me.  However if I was to fall into an ice cold river on a snowy day in Canada, I would want to be wearing wool.

[BAK]

I wear the merino wool under garments, and love my wool socks.  I also like the lighter weight wool outers like LeClair's and Asbells, but my point about not wanting wool when it's really cold comes from the wind issue.

When you build a house, you wrap it with Tyvek to keep the wind from robbing the insulating value of the fibergalss.   The same principle is well known and has been mentioned by others here with clothing.  

You can wear some light fleece or primaloft under a wind/water proof shell and sit in your stand for hours.

You would need wool a half inch thick weighing you down like a lead overcoat and even then you would still feel the cold penetrating through.

[charles m]

So, you give fleece a shell to work but not the wool.  Not a very good defense.  And, some of you guys must be pretty week complaining about the weight of wool.  I wonder how some of you get around in the woods if you can't carry the weight of a wool jacket.