LOL welcome back Pete by the way...And yes wool absorbs moisture from the body but the problem is, it doesn't pass it through. That's absorbing not wicking. Not to mention the "itch factor" of wool!!! Like you, I grew up with wool long johns, shirts, coats, pretty much everything wool. And I can honestly state, without a shadow of a doubt, I was one of the happiest people on this planet when something other than wool came out that kept me just as warm!!