Ghost of the hardwoods

Just curious. Are any guys on this forum still wearing the old wool checkered hunting outfits? I don't see them much anymore. When I was first learning to hunt, my mentor let me borrow an outfit for my first two seasons.

I still can recall how warm it was and how long you stayed warm in it too. I also remember walking though a very shallow marsh with the outfit on and the wet cattails brushing up against it. I remember how quickly it became heavy when that outfit got wet though.

Do you think this is one of the reasons you don't see these outfit around as much anymore? Or do you guys think it's because of marketing schemes of new camouflage designs?

Champlain Islander

Great question Ghost. I really think it is a regional thing with many in the far northeast still wearing wool. It is funny but when I hunt VT, NH or Maine I always wear my Johnson Woolen Mills green pants and Johnson Wool jacket along with rubber 18" boots. My methods hunting here is still hunting and having wool works well for that. My outfits are all forest green and I wear an orange hat and vest. In the old days it was no orange but in modern times having safety orange is important. I still have some dedicated hunting friends that still stay dark in the woods but in my older age I can't justify taking that kind of risk. I have worn that arrangement for 45 years. When I hunt the west or mid west I don't even bring it and use all the camo stuff I get from Cabelas.

jrbsr

The old red and black wool checkered hunting outfits, were the hunter orange if old time.
Before the hunter orange was even thought of.

The thing about wool is it will keep you warm even when it is wet.
It felt sratchy when against your skin.
Cotton will make you cold when it gets wet.
I wish I could find some hunter orange and black square block shirts.

Wingbone

Big wool fan here. I've got a heavy red checked Woolrich coat, and wool shirt and pants backed by wool underwear that is my rifle deer hunting outfit. I just don't get cold.

jerry d

When it's cold i still wear my Woolrich gray pants with the pinstripe red squares and my Cabela wool sweater.I just like wool,in 36 years of hunting i never had a reason to try anything eles.Oh yeah still wear Duo-fold wool blend longjohns also.

scribe

I would love to have some of that old Filson wool. Only thing wrong with wearing to hunt is, it starts to stink when wet. Sure good stuff, though.

Mojotex

Yep! About a 30 year old black/green plaid Filson wool hunting coat and solid green wool pants. Even have a green wool "Elmer Fudd" cap ! Warm, quiet, "itchy" and a bugger to "clean" !!!! A layer or two of high tech Long-Johns and I'm good to single digits. This far south, I seldom need this level of warmth. I have hunted in eastern Montana bad lands several times and this stuff was a Godsend !

DocD

Wool is hard to beat!! if it is cold & I am going to be sitting, Wool it is!!
only thing I have against wool is that it is heavy, so if I plan on doing any walking I go with the synthetics, (and some of them are very good) But I am a wool guy from way back. wool produces warmth even when wet. Stay away from cotton--"Cotton Kills" Doc

Tundra10

Started wearing the PA tuxedo 35 yrs ago ( handed down Woolrich)

Still a wool fan only now dressed top and bottom in Filson wool.

I actually have so much wool/wool blend stuff the wife plans to bury me in Wool.