anyone use wool?

M

michael barnes

Active member
i got 2 nearly brand new wool sweaters, one ll bean, the other was woolrich, for about 5 dollars at a thrift store. they are so warm when worn together that im thinking about using em next year for duck hunting, and getting a cabelas gortex shell jacket to wear over em if its really windy or raining. anyone else do this? im not sure how well it will work, so id like some input. thanks, mike.
 
I use wool...wool long johns and if I get really cold, or think I might, I've also got a military issued wool sweater that I love. Even if I get wet I tend to stay warm. I have no complaints, other than me being the genius that I am when I washed it, forgot to pull it out of the wash before throwing everything in the dryer. Good thing it was HUGE on me to begin with cuz it shrunk A LOT. It works well for me...

Dani
 
Wool sweaters are my standard whenever it gets cold and or wet. I usually wear 1 or 2 pairs of wool long underwear and two wool sweaters plus either a gortex shell or a gortex parka. My two other pieces of clothing that are indispensible are a balaclava and a neck gaitor - they are small enough to fit in a pocket and can add 10-20 degrees of perceived temperature increase.

I also recently bought a Grunden's wind proof vest that works great over the sweaters.
 
Yup, I have a filson waterfowl sweater that i wear about every outing, except the early season. They're pricey but I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Very warm.
 
I have a few wool sweaters I use for layering, and a couple Woolrich traditional plaid shirts, but fleece is easier to keep clean & I think it wicks moisture better.

But I have found no better substitute for wool when it comes to cold wx deer/goose field hunting trousers. I have a pair of super heavy German army surplus wool pants & a lighter pair I wear most often. I was intrigued by a Woolrich product called Wool-Dura that came out about 10 years ago but it seems to have dissapeared.
 
Wool is awesome! How do I know? Well, I topped my waders last weekend while picking up decoys in an ice-covered river (I'll admit to it). The only thing that felt dry and warm was my wool sweater. Remember, wet cotton has no thermal value what so ever! Never wear cotton in wet environments, it can kill you. Wool, fleece, and polyproplyene are your friends.
 
I'm wearing wool right now!!

I wear wool head to toe for about 7 months / year due to working in the woods of MI's UP. It's the only way to go if you want durable outdoor clothes for wet / snowy conditions.

I'll admit, I do like synthetics for the layer next to my skin, but after that, it's all wool, all the time.

NR
 
I wear wool pants almost the entire season. They seem to regulate for both hot and cold. My warm sock combo still includes wool sock as my outside sock. Also have a wool/shearling vest for real frosty days.

I want to purchase an Aran sweater, but I want to look at quality and try it on before plopping down $200-300 for one. And plan to buy some merino wool long jons yet this winter.

A friends boat went down due to high winds and large seas. All season long he complaining how broke he was from buying so many wool items from LL Beans, but while the ambulance was trying to revive the other guy in his boat, my friends only comment was, "These wool clothes are worth every cent", and then continued on puffing on his cigar!
 
It's usually not cold enough for wool for me here, but when it is wool is great. It'll keep you warm even if it gets wet. I like it best with silk long underwear under it. I seem to wear the wool more often deer and elk hunting than duck hunting, it's quiet. I also have wool overalls, they're great if your belly is bigger than your butt.
 
Same here!!! I love wool for all the above reasons. I wear it next to my skin and as an outer layer when the snow flies. One of my favorites is a pair of Columbia wool bibs. Also I watch garage sales close for ugly wool sweaters that are sooo warm for just a couple bucks.
 
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I have been wearing Ullfrotte wool long underwear for about 10 years now. I wear it next to my skin. It does not itch at all. Duck, deer, elk and even spring turkey, I have it on. Comes in different weights. When it's really cold I were the 200 and 600 weight and then a shell over it. Great stuff. Thye also make sox.
 
Thrifted wool sweaters are the best! Maybe we should have a photo contest to see who has the best/ugliest!

I have one from the Bemidji Woolen Mills that I call "Clark Griswold goes duck hunting" It's pretty nerdy, but very warm!!

I'll hafta take a pic this weekend and post it up.

NR
 
Use to be a place in town called "Merill Woolens" bought all our wool shirts and pants there at the factory outlet. The man who ran it retired and sold the name. It featured high end wool shirts. I miss that place. I go in too sticker shock when I see the prices in any stores that carry wool now but the price is worth it. If you are working outside all you need is a wool shirt all the way down to the twenty degrees. When I was young all we wore for deer hunting was wool jackets and pants. You know the old red and black checker board one's. When blaze orange came along wool did not dye well and was replaced with other materials. The up side is wool jackets were heavy especially when wet from snow. During muzzle loading season all the fellows I hunt with wear wool pants. They are quieter and warmer if they get wet. I had not thought about them for duck hunting but it makes sense. Never too old to rethink things. Very few things are new their just rediscovered. Also a knit stocking cap out of wool is superior to any other material if you can get some one to knit it for you.
 
I forgot to mention my wool "cape". It's just a wool octagon I cut out of an army blanket, and then cut a T shape slot in it I stuff my neck through. I wear it to keep the rain off my shoulders, without overheating me like a wool coat would, and with much less weight. It's big enough to go over the top of my shoulders, and a little ways down the chest. It's sometimes the only wool I wear, Oregon's coast is very wet, but not that cold. I wear it much more often deer and elk hunting, where I'm walking alot, than duck hunting, where I'm usually sitting still, and want a full coat.
 
I have a camo dry bag that I bring hunting. It's one of those bags that is totally waterproof, for kayaking and canoeing. In that bag I have my handheld vhf radio, extra shells, and two wool sweaters among other things. More often than not mosquitos are a bigger problem than cold, but when it does get cold those sweaters are nice. Funny thing is I'm not usually cold first thing in the morning it always seems to get colder after sunrise.

Ed.
 
I have a pair of those kraut woolen army tousers too. They are too heavy for anything but the coldest weather. I wear GI long johns which are not itchy at all. I'm too old to get real cold so I use a lot of wool under gore tex and if it's raining pretty hard I wear my Helly Hansen's over all.

Be careful,

Harry
 
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