Why wool?

In extremely cold conditions, even the best wool can let cold in. A canvas anorak over the wool cures this. On the other side is temperature comfort range. When I wear a petroleum based long sleeve shirt on canoe trips, no matter how many breather holes they have I feel clammy and hot when the daily temps go up. I can wear a merino wool shirt all day and not get that sweaty sticky hot thing going. My Swanni wool jacket with a wool shirt is good from 25 to 55 degrees, I do not break out the camo Filson double Mac until the daily high is under 32. And they are fairly water resistant if they have a good lanolin treatment. With some cheaper wool coats, a layer of wind stopping material is helpful at times. Some coats come with it, I think it is better to use it as a layering option, so you can leave it out when it is not needed.
This reminds me, I have a bunch of alpaca wool that needs to get made into a wool vest. I need to find a seamstress.

[WESTBROOK]

Originally posted by aim small...release:
What would be the best pattern for all around from the asbel wool jackets up top. The evening. stand looks good so does the morning mist.

If I could have just 1 it would be the solid grey heavyweight. The grey has a way of melting in to the woods. 2nd choice would be the ESB or ESG.

What color is a deer in the fall, that heathery grey..they can be tough to spot even in plain view unless they move.

Eric

[Archie]

I just started wearing wool a couple of years ago. Last year I was on a 14-day back country float hunt in Alaska, crossing a stream on a cold snowy day, and I took a chance, jumping from one rock to another.  I lost, and ended up on my back in 18 inches of water.   I was wearing thick wool pants, sweater, and vest, was about a mile from camp, and it was about 25 degrees and windy.  I was worried that I was going to be pretty cold and miserable, but after about 5 minutes that wet wool had been warmed up by my body heat, and I was as warm as I was when I was dry. It was a bit heavy, but not intolerable, and I was sure glad to be warm.

I am a believer in wool now.

That reminds me of an article about a canoeist that got a wood/canvas canoe for Christmas. Even though the temps were near zero, he had to try it out so he dressed in all wool and headed down a mostly unfrozen Wisconsin river. Miles from any roads or the end of his paddle he flipped in a rapids. He drug his new canoe and his soaked self to shore, crawled under his canoe and waited for the end to come. He lay there for a long time trying to make himself believe that he was freezing to death.  After awhile, he realized that he was not cold, so he put his canoe back in the river and paddled out.

[DaveT1963]

Wool is nice... synthetics also have their place.  The biggest disadvantage wool has is that is gets extremely heavy when wet and can take a long time to dry out.  Other than that it is my personal clothing fo choice.  I just bought a new set of merino wool undies from LL Bean - great stuff.

[amazonjim]

Wool is nice, personally I prefer to use fleece, it's not as heavy, warms when wet and dries quicker.

[jhg]

Not a fan of coats but I am a fan of wool layers. I hunted last year 10 days in the rain. What other material lets you do that without making it a miserable experience? I was comfortable, quiet and happy. (Wool pants over thin poly pro longjohns, three layers of wool shirts/light sweaters over base wool).
I also morphed this same material into my outfit hunting fourth rifle with my bow- 20* average temps, 18 inches of snow and lots of wind. That is versatility!

 Wool. Its what is on hunters.

Joshua

[ChuckC]

The ONLY thing I have against wool, especially the outer garments are their weight, but I deal with it cause I really like the other qualities.  I have owned synthetics and I don't wear them any more.  Just my 2 cents.
ChuckC

[Kris]

XXX What JDPolk said.

Wearing wool bowhunting is the bomb, it's just the right thing to do!

Also, Merino underwear has antimicrobial properties that help control body odor, big time.

Biggest down side of wool is getting into stickers, briars, beggars lice, burdock, etc.  Stay out of them.  

Kris

[TSchirm]

An example of wool's effectiveness from my experience.  When I was a game warden in western Wyoming, one year opening day of rifle elk season  was snowing a heavy, wet early snow.  I was on horseback riding through the mountains checking elk hunters.  I had put on polypropylene long johns, blue jeans(our uniform pants - loved that), and some cordura chaps I had "waterproofed".  I also had an Australian style oilskin slicker (waxed cotton canvas).  I didn't always stick to the trails, so soon my legs were soaked clear through and I was getting very cold.  Fortunately, I rode into an outfitters camp and the camp cook let me dry out by the wood stove for about 2 hours.

After that time,in such conditions, I wore wool pants and after a long time, might feel the dampness in the pants, but stayed warm.  

I have also hunted in western Washington where it rains a lot in hunting season, and stayed comfortable.

I LOVE wool!!

[jhg]

Regarding how heavy wool gets when wet I have never felt that way. One reason is I don't buy heavy wool. Coats, pants, or shirts. I use lighter weight tighly woven wools like "dress" (military)pants and shirts that with sweaters are very good thermally and not heavy when wet.

We have all seen the heavy pants- my gosh they are heavy when dry!

It seems that as my wool gets wet it also is drying out- ie the saturation reaches a certain point and stops.
I'd rather put on a damp wool garment than a dry fleece anything, when wearing fleece will mean  a rain shell as well. No thanks!
 I have yet to find any fleece that can even hope to match wool for versatility and I have worn a lot of fleece like everyone else.

Joshua

[Tsalt]

Why wool?

It's soft, silent and warm.  It's designed for the traditional woodsman. And, it's great camo!      

Someone should really put these descriptions in an ad!      

I love my solid grey anorak
 

[Roger Norris]

Nice picture Tim, Thanks!!

[atatarpm]

I work in wool pants and wool under ware even in 100 degree temperatures we get here in Texas. I buy military dress pants and ware them year round it does not matter how dirty they get or haw mauy stains I get on them for 5 bucks they look like new when I get them back from the cleaners. For the 10 dollars I give for them they out last everything else I can buy by years. In between trips to the cleaners I just brush them out.

[huronhunter]

hey Rodger, I won't be at the Fred Bear shoot in September ,but if you still have the grey Anorak in 3x or 2x please bring them too the MBH winter meeting so I can try them on .
                              Gary

[KSdan]

Long term, multiple generation, north woods raised WOOL guy here- UNTIL the past few years!  I see the new emphasis on layering with new tech clothing like Sitka, KUIU, Russel APX, etc. They have figured the BEST of BOTH worlds!  You use wool for layering and warmth. HOWEVER, you use an outer layer of Hi-tech that is light, weather resistant, good patterns, dries quick, lots of agility.  After an AK trip last year and a few other reflections the past years I am increasingly impressed with the New Tech stuff. Only problem I see so far is high cost- which seems like it may get more economical as more companies enter this market.

[Kevin Dill]

Over the years I've noticed that traditional bowhunters do tend to use more wool than other hunters. We simply are more in that mindset of using what has traditionally worked for countless generations. I own and enjoy wool myself, but nowhere near the level I once did. I think KSdan hit it pretty closely for me.

My wool wearing today consists of merino base layers, the occasional wool hunting shirt, and some wool-poly blends. I used to pooh-pooh the synthetic stuff back in the '80s/'90s, but gave the latest generations a fair and thorough test on many hard hunts in cold, wet and far-flung places. I cannot fault the synthetics I wear, except for price. They perform like once never imagined, and I basically live in them in Alaska each fall.

I have nothing negative to say about wool. For me it has advantages and disadvantages. When it came time to decide on wool vs synthetics for wilderness hunting, I went with synthetics (except base layers now) and so have a good number of serious traditional bowhunters I know. If anything, I'm pretty hardcore objective about the pluses and minuses of my gear. I'll always own wool, and I'll use it where the benefits are greatest for me...same with synthetics. I don't think either wool or synthetics can be broadly classified as better or worse than the other...just different.

[Roger Norris]

Hey Kevin....I have worn wool in some "far flung" places too      

 

Wool as an under layer is awesome....but I think you are missing why so many of us love wool, and that's as an awesome OUTER layer. Wools NATURAL quiet, soft feel, it's resistance to adverse weather, and to me....above all else....it's NATURAL camouflage effect, whether we are talking plaid, muted solid colors, or even the camo-pattern wool available. Thanks to the light managing ability of wool fibers, wool fabric blends in with the natural world like nothing else.

Wool may not be for everyone...but it's for me  

[babs]

I like wearing wool for my base layers and I like a wool tossel hat.I also like my wooltimate outfit for late archery here in PA.  I still like some synthetic coats just because they are not as bulky and alot lighter to wear or carry to stand.

[term]

.is not  a good  choice me.  I am primarily a whitetail hunter, I leave home in the morning and return at night. or I may be in a motel for a couple of weeks returning there every night. because of hunting and treestands 98 percent of the time wind is not something that I can necessarily always get in my favor,not that I don't set up and stands that winds are favorable but I am able by being at home to keep my clothes clean. try to always have five or six days worth of all clothes.usually by that time I need a break or it's raining or some other reason to do laundry.frankly I wish it was the answer for me I love the look and feel of wool. also my pocketbook would not allow me to own that much woOL