Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Wool Pants

Can anyone tell me where I can purchase a "good" pair of wool pants w/o cargo pockets. I really dont care for Cabelas. Thanks in advance for any replies.

filson or woolrich dealers, thrift stores seem to have thwm often too.

I bought a pair of Codet[made in Canada,I think], several years ago from Cabela's when they handled them. they are green, and no cargo pockets. I wear them every year for deer season. They look as good as new, and at the time were only about $30 + shipping. You might look in a surplus store and see if you can find a set of military wool pants. I had a set of them[$8] for years til I "out grew" them.

Mad Dog

maybe check these guys out.

they are right here in MN, they have a good reputation for quality.

http://www.bemidjiwoolenmills.com/bemidjiwool.php

One of the many options that this outfit offers�
http://www.armysurpluswarehouse.com/product/m1951-wool-field-pants-3429.cfm

CP.

Surplus mil wool trousers are always a good option..

Here's two pair for less than 20.00(German) w/o cargo pockets that'll give good service for med weight wool trouser needs.

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/cb/cb.asp?a=151230

Goodwill, Value Village and surplus stores have decent wool trousers for pennies on the dollar of what you'd pay new.

Wool dress pants from the thrift clothing stores , layered if necessary, can be found at thrift stores with suits..Jim

My favorite most weather-versatile are Filson ripcords. No cargo's. Comfortable and very tough; not inexpensive at the outset but considering that my two are going on 10+ years they are proving worth it.

Gdv

When I was growing up in NH, Johnson wool hunting clothing, made in Johnson, VT, was the most common good quality outerwear. They still make good quality clothing that is usually sold for less than the suggested retail price on their web site.

www.johnsonwoolenmills.com

Beagle, also in VT, sells wool hunting clothing that has current technology liners. I have a Beagle jacket that I would probably wear more if I hunted in colder weather.

www.beaglewear.com

Much of the Canadian-made Codet line uses a softer, less expensive, wool blend. I have a Codet jacket that I have cached in NH as part of a pre-positioned hunting kit that I keep there in case the mood ever moves me to go hunting back there.

FWIW, I have not had particularly good success with surplus wool clothing. While I have had great success with the surplus German Gore-Tex pants that Sportsmansguide sells, the wool clothing that I have bought has not stood up very well. The East German was the worst, but even the higher quality West German and Swedish wool pants were less rugged than the not much more expensive Codets.

Jeff

I've bought Norwegian and German surplus pants from Sprotsmans guide. Never spent over 15 bux on them. They are a bit heavy, but they are bullet proof.
Get a good pair of suspenders and you're all set.

Jeff, I've got some of that johnson woolen stuff, bibs & a jacket. I like it, good stuff.

I still have the red & black plaid Johnson double cape Jac-Shirt that I got in 1970. The cuffs are a little ragged, there are a few tatters and tears, and it is far too small for the 2007 version of me, but it the fabric is still strong and the colors are still pretty bright.

I think that the store I bought it from, Hirsch's Clothing, may still be in business at the same location on Hanover Street, in Lebanon, NH.

I would probably wear a Johnson Woolen Jac-Shirt while hunting in the midwest today, except that wool is too much of a burr magnet and once those burrs get a grip into the wool, they are impossible to remove without destroying the piece of clothing.

Jeff

All I wear is the Johnson stuff.
The 28oz ugly grey plaid are the pants I have.
I do want to look at the Woolrich, I think it's called "Camwoolflage". One of the guys I hunt with got a set last year, looks pretty good.

If you're looking for a Woolrich wool hunting jacket, Sierra Trading Post had the grey Stag jackets on sale for $80. You'd need to wear an orange vest over it while hunting in most places, but $80 is a pretty good price for that jacket.

Jeff

Still have to wear a vest, but this is what I'm talking about. The pattern is woven in, not printed on. I checked them out and they're pretty nice.
http://www.cabelas.com/hprod-1/0033709.shtml

I am looking for washable wool so I don't have to take it the dry cleaners to get the blood and mud off of the pants...

You can end up spending more on drycleaning than the pants cost....

I currently use the Columbia Galatin wool pants, but they are heavy and have pockets.

Blood and mud are good.
Was told years back that dry cleaning wool hunting clothes removes much of the natural wool's oils. Most woolies will bead much water unless it is rubbed in. The most I do to mine is use a brush to remove caked on mud and blood. The rest can stay on my ugly grey pants.

"Might as Well Have the Best" If money isn't an object Filson is the best. I have a Mackinaw that is 20 years old worn daily for many winters and shows almost NO wear. They have a good variety of styles and weights and will sell direct if you need.

I love wool.

I have some surplus wool military pants of unknown manufacture that are just awesome. Completely bulletproof. I wear them skiing and hunting in the worst imaginable weather. I also use a dense wool felt beanie hat that is equally awesome.

Seriously, you have to spend some serious money to get a fabric that works better than wool, when you consider how well it breathes and how it will keep you alive even wet.

That said, now I hunt in Rivers West gear. I still ski in those wool pants though.

-jeff

I probably have 12 pairs of wool hunting trousers.All I use with suspenders.All are various shades of mil green drab..:)
Some are east German ( cold war era) and they are the heaviest with double layers on thigh-front and seat.
I had an old gal down the street replace the buttons with good HD metal fly zippers..:)
Some are Swedish mil from the 60's and some are Swiss mil.

I wash them by hand in warm water & woolite when that's needed, but generally, a light brishing after dirt or mud dries and they are clean enuf for hunting.
Wool CAN be revitalized concerning the natural oils.
Get some lanolin from the pharmacy and mix it well with 1/4 volume white gas into a solution and soak the woolen garments.

Allow to drip dry/blocked on a slightly inclined surface.
GODD competent dry cleaners can do even the finest woolens without harming them but that gets expensive..

I'd like to own nothing but Filson, but never had 500.00 for a suit of any sort that was considered spendable..:)
Milsurp wool is a great bargain..including the better blankets for use as camp blankets..Jim

I wonder if my "good" pair is East German... they are double in the thigh front but not in the seat, I don't think. Wonderful pants. Cotton-lined in many places on the inside, so not itchy, and just built like a tank.

I did manage to damage them last year. I was skiing in the early part of the season up at Mt. Bachelor, and I decided to hit the first black diamond (hard) run of the year... wiped out but good on some bizarre combo of crust and blown powder and started accellerating ass over teakettle down this very steep slope and ended up hitting some rocks at about 20 mph. Bruised my hip/back area so bad I can still feel it a year later and tore a hole in the pants. Got 'em fixed up again and now they are good as new!

-jeff