Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Filson or Woolrich

I'm in the market to replace my wool hunting clothes. Currently using older Cabelas model DRYplus gortex hunting jacket.

I used to have a woolrich traditional hunting coat, but some puke stole it out of my soft top jeep Wrangler a few years ago and it was my grandfather's jacket that he gave me.

It was American made, now alot of their stuff is imported. I'm thinking about their coat and pants or Filsons's Double Mack.

What say you?

Woolrich is almost 200 scones cheaper and used to be high quality. What they like today? I know filson is nice but are they really that much nicer and how?

I'm a Filson man, but there are alternatives

Johnson Woolen Mills

I bought a Filson Tin Packer coat a few years ago because i got tired of buying a new Carhart every few years cause the sleve cuffs always fell apart on me...local gal had started carrying Filson in her store and said she was impressed with what their warranty covered when her brother needed one replaced after years and years of service. so I bought it on her recommendation and was so pleased i shelled out the extra for the wool liner awhile later....I think they are worth the money but i havent had any Woolrich stuff, do know they are worth the money over Carhart though....

I would look at Johnson Woolen Mills or Bemidji Woolen Mills (pretty good prices and made in Bemidji, MN).

Was the Tin Cloth Packer as hard to break in as some people say they are? I read that in a few reviews online.

Filson is very good. U.S. Army wool Korea surplus vintage is an alternative "beater" option.

not sure what you mean by break in....lil bit of a residue for awhile that i just felt on my skin, didnt mark any clothes, from the water proofing they do but I was pretty happy with it from the time i Left the store....it is a heavier canvas, well more like a denser weave than thicker, than my last carhart coats so it feels different but thats about it...

The reviews said that the fabric was very stiff, also mentioned the residue/smell.

it is stiffer than a Carhart but as i said its also alot heavier material so not sure how you get one without the other....residue went away fairly quick and wasnt any big deal, i could just feel it and tell it was there on my skin....didnt notice a real smell....I'm very happy with it, especially with the wind and cold we have up here. like the wool liner aswell.....it was an 'investment' type deal as i dont think I've ever paid so much for a coat but the quality is there so that i should come out money ahead well before i wear it out over the Carharts i was buying....

Cool, nice to have feedback from a fellow hunter. Reading those reviews you never know if they were written by some yuppie.

I'm a Filson super junkie, but have some Woolrich stuff too and haven't been disappointed, though my Woolrich garments are simply heavy wool overshirts. Basically Woolrich's version of the Mackinaw Cruiser. I don't have any woolrich pants so I can't give a fair comparison on that.

I've got Filson's Double Tin Chaps, Mackinaw Bibs and the Double Mackinaw Cruiser. Well worth the dough to me. I outlasted 4-5 Kuiu warriors on a miserably rainy opening day of deer season in the Wyoming range this year. No problem.

My Woolrich set is 45 years old, but the new stuff is much different....looser weave wool/synthetic blend and much of it is imported. I always admired the Filson Double Mack but couldn't afford it back then. Too late for a do over now.

While the recent Woolrich isn't up to the standard of the old it is still good. Combined with the fact I find a Filson double too bulky and if you are moving hard I overheat. Good for standing the last hour or so on a cold day. If you get one size up for my first one shrank after getting wet.

Have a Filson heavy upland field coat and while nothing is it equal in shedding the jaggers, in the cold it becomes really stiff. On a mild day it can get pretty warm.

Not asked, but ive found a puff jacket under a light weight outer coat the best solution. Light weight warmth when needed, and if not it compresses down small. Tie it up and put it in a game pouch or your day pack.

Bemidji Woolen Mills. If you call, chances are, you will get the owner of the operation.

The smell comes from the wax that is used to waterproof the Tin Cloth. I can't imagine wearing out a Tin Cloth coat in my lifetime, the Tin Cloth Chaps are a 10-15 year deal, but that's busting through heavy buck thorn and typical heavy grouse/pheasant cover every year.

I'm on my second Filson double mack; the old one magically stopped fitting. It is a heavy sucker though, but nothing feels as snug and cozy sitting on a log in the woods. They also make some lighter stuff for still-hunting or warmer days. Filson stuff is pricey, but very high quality and worth every penny. I used to have their upland vest and chaps, but gave them to my son who does a lot of bird hunting these days.

I recently ordered a Bemidji jacket just for deer hunting, but they emailed back that they were out of the fabric I ordered and didn't say when it would be available. Most websites wouldn't let you order out-of-stock stuff. They also don't have a fit guide online, so call for help before you order. Their stuff looks great and they have a lot of stuff made with 29 and 30oz fabric. Most is 85/15 wool-nylon, but a few items are pure wool. They have a blaze orange hunting coat that's 30oz pure wool that looks like a beast. Prices are well below Filson. If Filson prices are out if line for you, I'd give them a good look. I'm going to re-order that jacket I wanted later.

Some years back, I was in the Hamburg, PA Cabelas and found a washable wool, insulated coat in my size for $50 in the bargain cave. Even with a Filson in the closet, I couldn't pass it up. It's not double-caped, but it's very warm, possibly warmer than the Filson.

I've got the Double Macs and the Cruisers by Filson. You can't kill them. Cant recall how old they are but figure the double Mac's are at least 20 years old; the Cruiser a bit less.I use the Cruiser more. It has to be pretty darned cold before I hike around with the Double Masc.

I have some Woolrich stuff, too. I think the Filson wool is higher quality; worth the extra money. The wool is heavier and the weave tighter on the Filson.although Woolrich is still good. Some REAL old Woolrich is on a par with Filson.

I started wearing Woolrich when I began hunting in the early 60's, the red and black buffalo plaid shirt I wore then predated WW II. My first new set was a red & black makinaw and pants with knit bottoms to tuck in your boots. When I switched to straight bottom pants I bought L.L. Bean. I have had some Filson but found that it is cut smaller than Woolrich. I buy the earlier made in USA stuff off eBay, often finding like new or gently used items for good prices. I have had L.L. Bean wool cape jackets and found them to be good items, my current cape jacket is a Woolrich which is a heavier wool than the Bean and is also more generously cut to allow layering with a fleece vest on colder days.

Thank you all for the excellent feedback.

can afford the Filson Double Mack, just trying to figure out if it's that much better than Woolrich.

See I'm a Pennsylvania guy and where Woolrich was made wasn't to far from our hunting camp. Like a two hour drive and once a year the family would get together and go to both stores in Woolrich, Pennsylvania.

I have alot woolrich wool shirts and I forget the one jackets name, but it was marketed with some Alaska pitch. It's a big blue down parka with coyote fur collar and was a beast while working and playing in Maine for two years. So warm, if you were walking youd only want a t shirt on underneath. I used to wear it ice fishing with just a red ram wool base layer and woolrich heavy flannel and never got cold.

My hunting style on most days is moving for awhile very very slowly and stopping for awhile. I like to slither like a snake....lol. Based on temps I'm hunting in could be on on walk in, on on walk in un buttoned or not on while walking etc.


But I want something that is warm enough to stand for awhile in one spot as well. I'm trying on a daily basis to move to Wyoming to put down roots, live the rest of my m life and retire. I want something that can keep me warm in the elevations at winter time come nasty weather. Basically looking for some [bleep] hit the fan nasty stuff blow in and I want to stay warm gear. Thanks again

Filson.

Having owned a number of wool items from Woolrich, Johnson Woolen Mills, Codet, Filson and a couple of others, I'd say the Filson wool is the best investment if you are looking to get 20-30 years of hard use.
Most of the other seem too loose in the weave and a lot of "wool blend". None of the newer stuff from the other manufacturers stand a chance of lasting as long as the Filson wool.
The Tin Cloth packer coat with the wool liner is a good bet, and can be had in Shelter Cloth, which is a lighter weight of waxed/oiled canvas.
Granted Shelter Cloth isn't as durable as Tin Cloth, it's still tougher than Carhartts.
As for the smell, they should be hung outside (under cover of course ) to allow the volatile solvents to off-gas.

There is only one Filson coat I didn't like, the Double Mackinaw.
Too heavy, and bulky with double cape/sleeves and not enough in the body.
I would go with the Cape Coat and some of the newer fleece and synthetic under layers.

My favorite Filson item? The Mackinaw Wool Vest. By a mile.

http://www.filson.com/men/vests/mackinaw-wool-vest-alaska-fit.html#200

My experiences over 50+ years of wearing wool outdoors.
Of course, YMMV

Mark