Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Wool Pants

Jeff, how much $ for the Rivers West pants?

If I remember right, the pants were about $120-$140 and the jacket was about $220. I had my local seamstress add snaps to the front pockets of the pants, and a drawstring on the jacket. For what it's worth, the only OTHER hunting garments that have been worth it to me to pay her to work on are... my wool pants!

You can sit in a puddle, or on wet snow, in the RW pants. On the flip side, the fabric itself is not very breathable but I'm DONE with the whole breathable thing. Breathable, as exemplified by Gore-Tex, means that you still sweat inside it BUT it's not waterPROOF. Worst of all worlds. The RW philosophy is to build garments from this wunder-fabric of theirs, and build the garment such that it's breathable by design. So, the pants have waterproof zippers on the sides of the legs, the jacket has chest and underarm vents. But when you seal them all up and hunker down for a day in the $hit, you stay warm and dry. And I thrash through brambles without even thinking about it in them.

If I want breathable and didn't fear wet snow or rain all day, I'd wear wool any day. I really, really love my wool pants.

Here's another wool story. I have a black beanie style hat that someone left out in my studio years ago. It's made of dense, felt-like wool like the army surplus pants I love. I also love this hat and have used it many days hunting and skiing in gnarly conditions. It's the perfect combo of warm, breathable, water repellent, etc. Anyway, my 12-year-old daughter tried it the other day and declared "this is my hat now", and I must admit it looks really good on her, very hip. So I went out, price no object, to replace that hat. Couldn't do it! All the wool stuff nowadays is that stretchier wool with hi-tech liners. Very good, I'm sure, but not my hat! So I took it back from her and told her to find herself a cool hat, price no object... so that I could have my old-school wool beanie back!

-jeff

Actually, this stuff (KOM & Sleeping Indian wool) is fine anywhere below 35F unless you're running a marathon.

Just wear the appropriate underwear and it works well. Much of my hunting is glassing & stalking so I wear it a lot.

It is expensive, but I've had it for years and wool wear very well.

As for wind resistance, no wool is windproof, but this stuff, worn under wool is close to being windproof:

Maxit Underwear

It was originally used by the NFL too.....I like it; just have to be careful how it's washed.

MM

Heres the Rivers Wst online shop. http://store.cascadedirect.net/servlet/Categories?category=HUNTING+GEAR

Haven't used it, know a few guys that do and really like it, only complaint I have heard is that you get pretty warm in it. I am going to go take a look at some Sitka gear tomorrow, figure it would compliment the wool stuff I have real well.

Yeah, it's not for 60 degree days!

Pretty sweet at -5 degrees though, and fine up into the 40's or so even when hiking hard, and the confidence you get from knowing that you WILL be warm and dry inside has kept me out in the elk woods with some big storms rolling in...

Nothing is perfect. If it could somehow be completely breathable, and yet still do what it does, that would be perfection. However, every piece of "breathable" gear is not waterproof, not even close, and not for long if it is!

-jeff

From the link provided, I have the Ranger pants and Ambush jacket... pretty much. I have early versions of those. They've changed them a little. Mostly adding the things I paid my seamstress to add!

-jeff

I have River's West, Impro, Cabela's synthetics such as Microtex and used their MT50 as well as Sporthill 35P and various other synthetics. As I said, I find Filson's whipcords FAR superior overall in BC hunting conditions and use them most of the time.

Attempting to carry a heavy pack in River's West gear in the BC mountains will make you sweat until you become dehydated and Filson's WILL stay warm and reasonably dry in even severe BC coastal conditions, the region of North America with the highest annual precipitation.

I started with synthetics in the '70s when they first came out, had probably the first Gore-Tex parka and tent in Canada, from Early Winters and Marmot Mtn.-Colorado and have returned to high quality wool because it works better. I normally hunt in temps from about 70*F down to about -10*F, but, have worn layered wool comfortably down to -41*F, it just works.

My main beef with wool in really wet conditions is not the warm factor- it's the takes 3 days to dry out again factor!

I don't think I've ever been truly cold in wool pants, not ever.

I really should try to figure out what country my surplus wool pants are from and find another pair...

What's the Filson Whipcords stuff cost?

-jeff

Ahh, DON'T ASK !!!! They AIN'T cheap!!!

Filson Whipcords

MM

Nice! Expensive. But who cares.

-jeff

I wash my woll stuff just fine, I wash in cold & then when I put them out to dry I kind of hand form/stretch if necessary & lay the stupp out flat on a table to dry, that way I can kind of get them hand pressed, shaped properly, pockets all laying flat etc & I just let them dry laying flat like that. haven't had any problems washing wool stuff if i do it that way.

When I am going out for the day I can pick a outfit to fit that days hunting so I have a range from BDUs to MT50 extreme weather coveralls..and lots of choices between. But If I am going into the ADKS in november (20-40F rain, sleet and or snow likely) and live under a tarp for 8 days at deer camp with one set of clothes... wool is the choice.

I have the filson whipcords and they are my pant of choice to about 20-25F and after that I swtich to some heavy woolrich bibs.

I infrequently hand wash my wool in woolite(every 2-3 years) and hang dry. seems to work fine.

I'm curious now.. I love my wool, but I have cheaper stuff. I"ll happily invest in whipcords, read much about them. AMortized over years thats cheap really.

What I"d like to know is that most hunting will be 0 or above up to 70s during the day. I"m in TX so lets just say whats cool to some is probably cold to me. Generally our hunts are seeing 20s at night as an average, up to about 35ish.... I use silk and merino wool under... and wear light nylon type fishing pants for the top... If I carried the whipcords and having the 2 layers under, will I be set if it dips really cold? Also how wind resistant are the whipcords, thats a big issue, especially for the wife.

Thanks, Jeff

Wool.. All the way.
I have one of the Filson Double Mac Crusiers, and it is warm, but HEAVY.

Rivers west are great for a blind but too hot to walk in and take forever to dry out....

I have not found them to be too hot with the legs opened up, not if it's cold enough ou that I'd be wearing them in the first place. They dry well in our woodstove-heated tent. I turn them inside out.

Again- I love my wool ,too.

-jeff

What's the Filson Whipcords stuff cost?

-jeff [/quote]

I've never seen the Filson Whipcords, and I'm sure they are top of the line. However, you probably pay a premium for a marginal increase in quality over LL Bean or Johnson. I've seen both the Johnson whipcords and the LL Bean whipcords. The weave on the LL Bean whipcords are just as tight and the wool just as heavy. Again, you can't beat their warranty. Check them out - here's the link.....

http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/st...21&shop_method=pp&feat=502922-tn

Thanks Jeff, I'll have to check them out.

I like the French surplus pants for Oct. or so and Swedish mil surplus for later. Neither has cargo pockets...which I like so for late season I use Austrian or German woolies.