Wool
 

who hear uses or thinks a wool outfit is worth the little extra money....I've heard some guys swear by it and say fleece can't hold a light to it, but I don't have moneytrees in my backyard.

RE: Wool
 

If you can find an army surplus type store, you can get some good woolies, pants\tops for reasonable prices. I picked up a set of Swedish wool pants for $20 that I love for cold weather hunting. I've seen shirts for as little as $10. You don't need to break the bank for wool. I use both, wool and fleece, interchangeably or separately or not at all, depending on conditions. Both have the quality of retaining warmth when wet although fleece gets the nod for quicker drying. Both are quiet.

RE: Wool
 

You can get all kinds of wool goods here for cheap:

Sportsman's Guide

Look in the military surplus catalog on the right side of the homepage . They also carry ECWS gear and MOPP suits .

RE: Wool
 

IMO, nothing beats wool for warmth, wicking, durability in the long run. It runs alittle more $$, but many of us using wool have had the coat, pant,etc for years. I'm fortunate to have a woolen mill in our town. Walk in,get measured up, and presto, custom made items. New camo bibs run $70, not to bad. taz

RE: Wool
 

I just bought a wool coat from columbia and like it. Havnt got to wear it hunting yet cause of the heat, but just from shooting in it and the quietness i cant find any drawbacks.

RE: Wool
 

Wool is pretty good stuff. But I rarely use it here in NY. I think if I lived a lttle different climate, I'd get a set.

RE: Wool
 

I have the columbia pants and jacket and wouldn't trade the for the world. Keeps me warm, and dry in very bad weather.

RE: Wool
 

I have the Columbia wool bibs & coat w/ their camo pattern. I absolutely love it. I got it on sale. I decided to bite the bullet myself a few years ago. This stuff is quiet and warm. It works well in the rain too. It is definately worth the little extra cash. I can use it in the milder days of october and the coldest days in december while muzzleloading. It is the only suit I can wear for all three seasons (bow, rifle, &m/l) I live in Michigan. There is an outlet store in Birch Run that sells all of the Columbia gear. I have called them on the phone in the past to buy my waterfowl parka. We did the entire deal over the phone. The outlet store sells items for less than retail stores. Keep you eyes open for the sales, don't pay full price if you don't have to.

RE: Wool
 

One of the first rules you learn in any military survival schools is in cold weather ....wool although wet will keep you warm.


If you are pressed for $$ check out your local GoodWill or Salvation Army stores....also military surplus stores. You would be surprised at what you might find just like new. ;) I used to do alot of Winter backpacking and camping. MHO is that although wool does have weight unlike fleece, it is tried and true! :) Good Luck and Happy Hunting!

RE: Wool
 

Wool worth the extra money? I don't know about you but this synthetic realtree/mossyoak/natgear/etc etc is out of control. You can buy military wool or Woolrich,Cabelas even Weatherby wool then you can same outfit from the synthetic bunch. Wool will keep you alive in the worst weather.

RE: Wool
 

Not sure what you mean?? Upstate NY gets pretty cold and Filson Overalls and Jacket are what I wear in the bad weather.

RE: Wool
 

I hunt in nothing but wool up in Alaska. It will keep you warm when wet. You can usually get some cheaper wool stuff from SierraTradingPost.com. The technowool stuff is very nice, light, and YOU can wash it. Some of the Columbia wool gets pretty bulky.

All wool is heavy, dries slowly, and is not particularly comfortable. Fleece is lighter, less durable, and more comfortable. I think wool cuts the wind better and it is very tough stuff. It also does not stain readily, which comes in handy when you are in the bush for ten days with one change of clothes.

RE: Wool
 

I've been loving my wool pants and shirt for many seasons now here in Oregon and have found them to do great in light rain, all snow, cool weather and soaked underbrush. They're always quiet and warm. But I do wonder about wools ability to "soak up" scent, particularly human scent. I hate going to the dry cleaner after using them, and I'm curious if anyone has any advice on washing wool hunting clothes? I'd like to use the no-scent laundry detergent, but I'm afraid of shrinkage or other irrepairable damage. Any thoughts or experiences?

RE: Wool
 

I get my wool from sprortsmans guide also and used RIT dye from the grocery store to add black, grey reds for camo.worked well.

RE: Wool
 

I've hunted a lot and spent a lot of time outside in all seasons including winter in Alaska as well. I used to have plenty of wool clothes, but wear almost nothing but synthetics nowadays. For the exact reasons you mention- lighter and quicker drying. Also, for me, much more comfortable not only in terms of not being itchy, but also more stretchy/flexible for freedom of movement. I can't tell you how many times after two or three weeks in the cold and drizzle, the wool just got damper and damper while synthetics are pretty quick and easy to almost completely dry out.

As for durability - I certainly have old wool pants that have had 20 years of good use. But I also have a couple of synthetic garments that are just as old and used just as hard if not more so. Wool is definitely better around the sparks of a fire though. If I wear wool anymore, I wear wool pants or socks. Everything else is polypro underwear and synthetic garments.

RE: Wool
 

Wool gets my vote! You can't beat it for warmth. There's nothing worse then being too cold up in the tree. Even when it gets wet it still keeps me warm! It's also very durable as well. It will last you for years and years! Worth the extra doe oops dough if you ask me!....Jim

RE: Wool
 

Check out Codet wool products. I have been wear their pants for several years. I like them and they are very reasonably priced.

RE: Wool
 

I have Colombia wool coat and hat. This year the first week I was elk hunting it rained and rained, I stayed warm and dry. Wool is absolutely worth it. Also have wool pants but only wear those when it gets real cold.