Been looking at wool pants and maybe a light to medium weight jacket for big game hunting (early season out west, and may be all I need most days here in Ga. during gun season). I've always liked Filson stuff but it is pricey. How do other wool makers stack up, particularly from LLBean and Cabelas? Any input appreciated.

I can't like wool,in this day and age.

That being said...for the loot the Columbia Gallatin Range is very good stuff IMHO....................

I have the Filson double cruiser and 6 pocket pants and also a couple of odds and ends of other stuff. The Filson stuff has been used as an antidote to the Wisconsin winter wind more than for hunting, but it has been used for that and is top drawer.

I really like the Woolrich pants with the elastic cuff on the bottoms. There things are tough and pretty toasty. I'd recommend them and the matching top both. It is about half the price of Filson and lasts well. Plus you get the cool 1940's retro plaid look for free. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I also have used the Gander Mountain pants, but cannot remember what they call theirs... has a red maple leaf on the tag. They were good and lasted well but a bit too heavy for my taste.

Have never tried the others though

Wool is fine for some limited applications. I would certainly not choose wool where any amount of walking or climbing is required. Glassing canyons with vehicle access to the area it's great. Stand hunting, it's great, Maybe some slow archery still hunting too. However for walking any distance or where elevation gain starts to get significant, wool is out of the question for me.

I have a very good parka and pants Made of wool and it's great stuff in the really cold windy conditions. But it's a heavyweight nightmare when wet. If wool is what you want you should look at the Cabelas brand in Outfitter Camo, or the woolrich/columbia brands they sell. Filson is good stuff that will outlast you. Unfortunately it's also so heavy even when dry that I would not use it ever when wet, or with any potential of getting wet. It's typically dry clean only and usually a bloody mess after the first pack out. My pants stink like rot from the blood, the dry cleaners would not even take then in! My newer Cabelas Wool says it's washable. I've not taken that risk yet!

They "say" Wool is warm even when wet..........Yeah because it weighs a ton when wet and requires maximum calorie burn off to remain in motion!

dawgvet, I like Filson, Codet, Pendleton, LLBean..Woolrich,all quality wool.
For economy, most of what I use for hunting is east German milsurp wool or Swedish...literally pennies on the dollar compared to new.

The surplus stores and places like Sportsman's Guide sell truckloads of it.
For lighter(cheap) woolen trousers and coats, the Goodwill and secondhand stores are a great place to shop also.
A couple pairs of lighterweight wool quality dress pants work fine and can be layered well.I often find 70.00 Pendleton wool shirts and jckets for 7.00 at the local Goodwill stores..

I have a Filson double Mac but it's seldom cold enough to wear it if youre hunting actively..Might be good for late seaspn stand hunting or very high elevations..jim

Some of that Swede wool stuff is good. 30 years ago, I bought a pair of wool pants, silk lined, that were of fine wool. Hunted in them for years.

Check out some of the fine men's clothing stores that have been around for 50 years. They often have stuff in the back that is out of style. I bought an Abercrombie & Fitch light wool shirt with a suede shooting patch for $2.00. It had been back there since A&F had the store in Manhattan. I was buying a pair of dress shoes and just asked. Presto!

I sure would like to know what you have found to work any better than wool. Admittedly, I'm primarily elk hunting in heavy timber and insist on items that are "quiet". Fleece is fine if the wind doesn't blow and it doesn't rain. Everything I've found that's somewhat waterproof sounds like I'm wearing a plastic grocery bag. Two years ago, I made an attempt to update my clothing to more modern materials and ended up sending it all back and buying Cabela's washable wool. Most wool clothing is simply to heavy for walking in anything other than subzero weather. The trick is to find lighter weight wool clothing.

I hunt northern minnesota, montana, and sasketchewan every year. Buy filson and don't look back.

For hunting pants nothing beats Filson Whipcord IMO. For the torso, I typically wear nothing but synthetics. For pants whipcord rules. Tough as hell, light enough for in between weather but can add mid or expedition weight Capilene underneath for real cold.

Cabela's has it's own whipcord pants for roughly half the price if that has any appeal to you.

Revolution fleece.

Wind/waterproof,more supple than wool,so it's more comfy and quieter......................

Sleeping Indian....pricey but worth it, much better than KOM.
tighter knit, a bunch more windproof.

Take it from someone who has had a jacket in both.

I sold the KOM and bought the Sleeping Indian if that tells you anything.

I also agree on the Filson and Cabela's stuff. My brother bought the Cabela's wool stuff last year, the ones with the Dry Plus lining......real nice outfit and absolutely windproof.

Tony

Johnson wool, made in Vermont is very good and not too expensive. I have a pair of their pants, they're built really well.

If its wool. www.autumnwoodoutfitters.com Expensive but then when did a few bucks ever stand in the way of quality huntiing gear. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I have a pair of LL Bean wool pants that work great when stand hunting, particularly in the wind.

For everything else, choices in fleece or Microtex work better, for me at least.

For colder and wet weather, I like layers of fleece or wool with a waterproof/windproof outer shell.

I went with Swanni wool, from New Zealand. Lighter than most of the American stuff and of tighter weave. Even with shipping prices are about the same.

Long

I am very happy with my set of Sleeping Indian. Someone left King of the Mountain and started SI. Pricey yes, but it is top notch with great camo patterns. If you take care of it, it will last a lifetime.

I always liked the wool German military field pants. They had a matching jacket with the German flag on the shoulsders. I didn't care for the jacket much, but the pants were awesome and cheap.
Seems they've all been surplused out because I haven't found any in the surplus stores for a few years now.

Not sure where I'd start looking for commercial products........probably Woolrich or Cabela's for starters.

Can you say Polar Fleece? That's what I wear, and then the new style water proof/wind proof synthetics, (Goretex or similiar) over the top. Lighter, warmer.

Breathes better, repels wind, keeps water out, heat in, it's quiet, drys faster when wet, keeps you warm when wet. What more could you want?

And that's the facts.

I have to agree with Brad. I have the Filson Whipcord and the heavier Filson Greens for when it gets really cold. they will keep you warm long after you forget how much you paid for them.

Stevelyn, I've used the same German military pants you describe for years. Filson Whipcord remains my favorite but for real cold the Deutsch field pants are fantasitc. Finally blew mine out this year and am looking for another pair.

What a lot of guys that use synthetics haven't discovered yet is they're not as durable as quality wool. They need a windproof barrier to come close to wool's wind-bucking ability and if you make a fire for a quick warm-up you'll find all manner of holes in your pants.

For pants only nothing beats wool for the hunt. I've used pile and fleece pants since the 1970's... still have my original Chouinard pile pants. Wool, however, still remains my choice.

I have several wool items, I think the nicest stuff I have is Weatherby, but it is heavy duty for cold hunting. For more hiking and a lighter weight I use my Codet pants.

King of the Mt, and Sleeping Indian is really expensive. i cannot see spending $300 on a pair of 10 pound wool pants.

The guy that runs KOM does not hike around, he sits in a stand when and if he hunts, so for that application it is great.

I get overheated in fleece. Wool breathes better if you don't get that heavy stuff designed for Minnesota late season deer stand sitting.

For me a single cruiser from Filson is OK for late deer and rifle season for elk in Western WA in Nov. I prefer Swandri stuff for earlier seasons. For pants there are a variety of surplus military from French to Austrian, to Swedish. The Frenchies are good for earlier and the Austrian and Swedes for later. I like the cheap pants because my cuffs get shredded in the timber. I don't wash them very many times. I used them for a few seasons and toss them.

The next best stuff I've seen bang for the buck wise is the Columbia, especially if you're fond of camo.

I've seen KOM, Sleeping Indian, and I own some Weatherby stuff....all way too heavy unless you're going to sit on a wind exposed ridge in the snow.

Another minus for fleece and GoreTex is fire. I like to be able to have a warming fire if I need one or to be near my campfire at the end of the day. Every fleece garment I own has spark holes through it. I won't get near a fire in hign dollar raingear.

Oh, and the Cabelas Outfitter stuff? Not worth the money. I had a pair of bibs. They ripped on the first day I wore them hunting mule deer. I patched them. The next day I wore them was on my archery elk hunt later that season. They separated from one hip bone to the other all along the waist in the back. That was one drafty walk back to camp. My complaint letter that went with those was two pages long. They might work out well if you walk on the flat, don't carry a pack, or go over logs and other stuff but they DO NOT hold up to real western down and dirty hunting.

Bingo!

US Army OG 107 wool trousers and the OG 107 wool shirt. They do very well without being too heavy and they are durable.

After living through two New Zealand winters (not real cold temperatures, but always wet and windy...chills you to the bone), I have gradually shifted away from fleece and towards wool. My warmest outer layers are Filson (mackinaw crusier and mackinaw pants), and my inner layers are Icebreaker Merino. Merino is great for long underwear because it is warm, comfortable, and DOESN'T STINK after you've been wearing it for a few days. Icebreaker is a New Zealand company that makes high quality products, and I think you can find them pretty easily in the U.S.

If I'm going to be active outside (like hunt or hike), I'll wear my fleece clothes still, but only because they are lighter. I no longer believe the myth that fleece is as warm as wool, however, and from now on I will always choose natural fibers over synthetics if possible.

Gotta agree with the spark holes in synthetics, dang near every thing I have has a few holes in it, some more than others. I figure it's custom venting. (grin)

I just can't go wool trousers, don't even wear them when snowmachining anymore. Can't think of the last time I had any on. Never forget the first late season float trip I did with an old fishing guide, "What you didn't pack any woolies?" Nope and haven't since, long johns and supplex pants do it for me, and normally hunting in hip waders so leg warmth has NEVER been a problem.

With that said, I'm sold on the wool long underwear, I like Smartwool and Ibex so far, not as sold on Duofolds version of same. Haven't tried the others mentioned.

But one piece of gear on my AMEX list for everything other than sheep is a light weight wool sweater from Woolrich with a fleece collar. Cold early mornings moose hunting, slip that on under my ancient Cabela's windstopper fleece jacket (lots of custom venting in that one) and we're talking toasty. Often don't even need the jacket with the wool sweater. I gotta agree with an earlier poster that said "I no longer buy into fleece is as warm as wool" Though I have some fleece garments I'm partial to.

Maybe it's part nostalgia, but it don't feel like I'm really hunting without the C's jacket and the wool sweater in the pack. Two trusted garments, that have BTDT with me, with those and a bite to eat I can weather the storm.

I bought the Cabalas washable wool pants with dryplus lining.
They are to warm for 98% of deer hunting where I live in Oregon. They are great on really cold days, and do wash up nice.
Also, they don't "swish" when i walk Virgil B.

Just a heads-up, that Cabelas sells a washable whipcord wool pants, very similar to the Filson pants. They sell for about $70-80 bucks IIRC. They are pretty darn durable. I've worn one pair for about 10 years and just bought another pair last year. They are lightweight, so they're good for early season hunting (Sept-Oct.), buck the wind well, and shed water pretty well also. I've never owned the Filson pants, but I figure I can buy 2-3 pair of these for the price of the Filsons. I've worn synthetics, and for really warm weather, I like them better than the wool pants, but when it starts getting cool in the fall, I'll stick with wool every time. As for clean-up, I'm not sure what everyone else does, but I usually have a set of light-weight rain gear with me and if I'm worried about getting my pants all bloody, I'll throw those on over the wool first, before I get started. That way, the rain pants are a cinch to clean up and the wool stays fairly clean. I will also say that I've taken my wool pants into dry cleaners for the last 30 years and pointed out the blood stains on them. They have never given me any problems and the blood stains are always gone when I get the pants back.
Test

For me alone and aside from my other points, I've found Whipcord to have a wider range of comfort than fleece/pile. I understand those two are different than a supplex pant with some sort of longjohn. I still wear supplex sometimes in the early season coupled with Capilene. However, here in dry MT I'm partial to Canvas duck for early/dry conditions. I know I'm a heretic wearing cotton in the mountains but I like them better.

Anoither nice thing about quality whipcord is it's a tight weave that resists wind penetration but is soft and itch free enough that it can be worn sans longjohns if desired.

I've never seen it mentioned on these threads but natural fabrics have a far more comfortable "handle" (highly technical garment industry term to describe a fabric's feel -grin) to me than any and all synthetics. For me that counts a bit as well...

johnson does work well and is inexpensive if you want wool... i have a closet full of the stuff and wear it for everything.. pretty tough stuff..

woofer

I've got the Columbia Gallatin Range Shirt, Jacket and Pants. It isn't the best but it is very functional for late season outings. I've also got various Filson, Woolrich and Johnson stuff that gets much use as well.

My experience has been a bit different. I haven't used any of the lower body stuff (I use surplus wool pants), but I have used the Cabela's washable wool coat and vest (I'm not a big fan of camo, but I do like the outfitter pattern). The coat has the rainproof lining in it. Both have held up well on some hard hunts.

The first drawback to both is the cheap zipper. Any savings I thought I was getting by buying Cabela's coat rather than a competing brand was lost when I paid to have the zipper replaced with a good #10 YKK 2-way (the original was a tiny-toothed, 1-way POS).

Another drawback to the coat is weight when it gets wet. The lining does keep me from getting wet, but the wool fabric gets mighty heavy after a few hours of a real downpour. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

I really like wool - actually prefer it for most applications but it is heavy. My latest wool is the Cabelas dry plus wool series. I would not pay the extra money for KOM or Sleeping Indian wool if I could get Cabelas dry plus. I've worn it for two Colorado elk hunts in late October. It is a bit heavy, especially when wet but I still prefer it to the synthetics I've handled.

I do have a slightly different take on the weight issue. I have the lightest possible equipment and minimum stuff in my pack for survival and comfort. A pound or so on the wool garments is a fair trade off for wind and warmth.

-- BW

Filson, but the Columbia Galatin stuff is not bad, though bulky.

Wool. Twenty year old wool logger's pants. Merino wool turtleneck and a heavy or light wool shirt. Polypro underneath,top and bottom.

The turtlenecks come pretty cheap in men's stores on a sale.
Wear them for dress and retire them to your hunting closet as required. Nice and light.

Sally Ann supplies the wool shirts, usually with tags still on. Last one was a new Pendleton for $7.

Ever get whacked in the leg with branch wearing fleece ?
Wool gives your lower body more protection from bruising etc IMO.

Cain't savvy anyone opting wool,over synthetic......................

I'm exactly the opposite and it's not like I don't spend a lot of time in the woods when the weather is crappy. Different strokes for different folks....and I do have synthetic stuff that I use from time to time.

That a bitch,or a brag?...................

Just the facts. Personal preferences are weird like that. Some people get all snobby over scotch. I'd rather get a mouthful of diesel while siphoning. I like bourbon a lot, some people think it's crap.

I can tell when my balls are wet and cold.

Wool will induce that,synthetic won't...................

Boy, completely disagree with those who are still wearing wool. I've had every brand. Never wear it anymore.

It's heavy, sweaty, dirty, expensive, (except for Army surplus) cold when the wind blows,takes to long to dry, etc.

It is quiet though <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I wear quality long johns, polar fleece over those. The weight of the fleece depends upon the temp. Over that I wear an outer pair of pants. The quietest I have are "Walls." Windproof, waterproof, not real expensive, and they don't pickup and carry burrs. For a coat, again fleece, weight depends upon temp. When the wind blows or it's raining, out comes a light "Walls" shell. Often I'll put the shell under the fleece and let it blow and rain. I have others too, but those "Walls" have seen the most use over the last few years. It's good stuff, and not overly expensive, and waterproof enough to keep me dry most of the day into the evening.

Absolutely no way I'd waste my money on expensive wool. I've worn a variation of the above from Alaska to Idaho. During September rain storms in Nome, to cold Caribou hunts in late October. Works fine during late November Whitetail hunts in Idaho too...

In Alaska I donned Cabela's Guide Gear as an outer garmet during Spring bear, and Fall Moose.

You can keep the wool <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

My hearing is far from stellar,but I regard fleece as being easily quieter,than wool.

I don't know a single dude who Commercial Fishes,works in the Woods or Guides Hunters,who prefers wool.

Same goes Mountain Climbers......................

If I'm still hunting, I have an old pair of fleece pants that I'll wear. True enough, quieter than wool.

I typically let my eye's hunt for me though...

Zeiss bino's oughtta be outlawed,for unsportsmanlike conduct..............................

I go home when my balls get wet. If my balls are wet, I'm too wet.

I weigh the condition of my bald-headed buddies.

When they ain't happy,the rest of me concurs.

They's barometers of evaluation,that I cain't dispute..................

That's good... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

It's apt.......................

Mark me as another one voting for the Filson Whipcord pants: tough, warm, lightweight, not itchy. They're expensive but will last you forever.

I've lotsa Filson.


On the shelf..........................

And Codet,Pendleton,Woolrich,yada,yada,yada..................

I don't know how I managed to forget about the Army OG 107 stuff. As I've been haunting some surplus stores looking for decent specimens.
They were issued to us up at Ft. Wainwright back in the day before the Gore-Tex and bear suits.
I think the OG 107 pants are a little too light weight and dressy, but the shirts are perfect. They are comparable in thickness to heavy-weight chamois shirts.

Light and dressy?? They are as durable as any wool clothes I've ever seen and with the G.I. longjohns they are nearly bulletproof. The shirts are so heavy and tough that they stand up well as an outer jacket if you get a couple of sizes too big.

For woolies I'll take the Filson Whipcords and also my King of the Mountain for heavier uses.

At least in the land I wander these 2 work very well 4 me.

Mark D

Looking at the location of the people posting here, myself included. It seems you could make a graph of the opinions that would follow exactly with the amount of rainfall.

Where it's really cold and typically arid, or minimal rain the wool crowd is very strong. As you move towards the more moderate climates and the greaterlikely hood of percipitation the wool/synthetic users become a bit more divided. When you get to the fringe of the Pacific Northwest and further into the coast of Alaska wool becomes a non-functional option.

It's not really a debate about whats better in total, but rather what's better in the habitat each person uses it in. The problem is really easy to solve with enough money. A great wool parka and bibs or pants with a dry plus lining covers two of the three areas. Maybe even two ana half. For that coastal PNW habitat, there are better options. Some MUCH better. So you have fleece which is much lighter when wet, drys in very little time, and can be lined with windshear and either goretex or Dryplus.

I have a nice wool parka and pants, I use them east of the mountains for nearly every hunt. I love it! However I would not be using it west of the mountains or in SE Alaska, Heck I would not even tak it out of the closet to think about wearing it. For that the fleece dryplus is the clear winner.

On the coast where you may have brief sunshine or none at all, and you don't go home at night to have the luxury of drying things out with a furnace or tumble dryer for the next day. Wool will remain wet for a hella long time. Fleece will usually drip dry over night, or in a warm room at least be comfortable to wear again the next day. I have not expereinced too many more miserable mornings in my life then climbing out of a warm sleeping bag to slide on cold damp wool pants that still weigh a ton.

On the other hand I love that wool east of the mountains for sitting on a ridge and glassing canyons in a cold wind. It's as warm and comfortable as I could hope for.

This conversation is much like whats the best 4X4 truck tire? Depends what you drive in the most. Snow, mud, sand, rocks?

I bought a fleece jacket from Day One Camo and it is very warm, and windproof. It doesn't seem as durable as wool though. My two complaints with wool is it is heavy and stinks when you get it wet.

JJ--very well said, one thing that always amazes me is how some will respond with a "this is the best and or ultimate or this or that is useless" kind of comments when in reality the best and or ultimate and or what is good or useless is always gonna be different for most all.

"DWS" (darn well said) JJ

Mark D

Valid points. Here in CO, I only wear wool when it is cold and snowy. When it is moderate and potentially wet, I wear normal camos and good rain pants and jacket.

I worked with a guy that said you had to wear wool in the rain, not raingear. Good luck with that one, i cannot think of anything worse.

Warmth to weight,fleece crushes wool. It dries faster,is more comfortable and is easier to layer,while being quieter.

I've no issue driving my Filson Double Mackinaw downtown to a Sunday breakfast.

That don't reign it supreme,nor even close,for sneakin' and peekin' with rifle in tow.......................

All i use is fleece.It's lite warm and dries pretty quick.Gave up on my woolies 4 or 5 season's ago.

Stick: What brand fleece pants do you use? I would like to try them, but all I see in stores is fleece sweatpants.

Anyone make a real fleece hunting pants with pockets and some sort of windliner?

Thanks.

Revolution Fleece,by Cabela's.

Thank me later......................

JJ,

I live on the westside, but hunt primarily the eastside. Your points are valid, but I still prefer fleece to wool. I was a wool user 20 years ago, but have since gone with the newer synthetics and find them better for all conditions and climates.

Fleece "is the best and or ultimate and wool is useless" <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I'm that guy Mark!

dogcatcher223
Northern Habitat make's dam good fleece.It come's in most of the popular camo patterns.My pants are Real-tree hardwoods but i think Mossey Oak is available.

Wool was easily the best route a guy could go,for many moons.

Them days is over.........................

Thanks guys.

Big Stick,

I think your opinion is known by all by now and the one-liners are no longer necessary. You like fleece. We get it. There is no reason for you to make this thread unreadable.

Back to the topic at hand, I choose fleece when it's wet, wool when it's dry and cold. The two are not mutually exclusive, however. I wear fleece under wool all the time in New Zealand, and the combination works well.

There's laying to consider too. I generally have silk, either light to medium weight on underneath. It's lighter than most things for it's insulation value and seems to lay closer to the skin. It dries fast and holds a lot less odor than synthetics. Most of my synthetic long underwear gets a life of it's own in a hurry.

I think the weight of wool you use makes a difference too. My Swandri bushman's jacket (pullover) is thin enough that even when damp (only the bottom 6"ever gets very wet) it doesn't weigh much. Being that lightweight is also tends to allow your bodyheat to sort of keep it dry.

I've had six different fleece pullovers and a few pairs of fleece pants. Maybe I'm not getting the right stuff. My current pullover is the Cabelas with dryplus. I like it when it's cold and wet but those inbetween temps where I could keep wearing my Swanny just get me overheated in the fleece. I have the same problem with my nonlined fleece too. I spend a lot of time taking it off when I go up hills or into a more sunny area and putting it back on when I stop or hit a patch of dark timber. I'd rather just be hunting rather than playing dressing room at the mall.

One of my friends swears by fleece. He's been using it since it was mostly river running guides that had the stuff. His wet weather wear is two layers of fleece over regular long johns. He says he never gets wet against the skin. I never checked but I'll take his word at it.

I suppose the weather you hunt in make a difference too. I've hunted the west slope of the Cascades during Oct. and Nov. and more easterly areas from late Aug. on to Nov. It's never really bitter cold, nor is it pouring down rain. The weather is changeable though. Snow one day and 80 degrees two days later is common in the Oregon high country in Sept. so having something with a wide comfort zone, even if it's not perfect in any of them, is more important to me than being able to nearly scuba dive in the stuff in comfort.

When it's really cold, snowing, and windy my fleece bibs with silk under is hard to beat but then I'm wearing a Filson single cruiser, a neck gasket, and a wool flap hat too.

Change the channel,or Google some cheese for your whine.

I find that very readable and perhaps bordering on clairvoyant.

Thoughts?.....................

I like polypro undergarments.

Insulated fleece can easily be wayyyyyyyyyyy too warm,for anything active.

Thus the beauty of layering and I only summons insulated fleece for the most trying conditions.

Light fleece,bolstered with HH Impertech is pretty bulletproof,veddy veddy quiet and permits a wide range of motion.

The layers seperate quickly/easily,for changing conditions...................

I use both.

Fleece is unbeatable for layering. I like fleece a LOT.

Wool itches me like crazy. I can't wear regular wool against bare skin. BUT, those N-Euro surplus green six-pocket wool pants are the cat's meow if you ask me. The thing I love about them is they keep me comfortable in a much wider range of temps than fleece. I wear a thin layer of Thermax or Capilene under the wool, and that sets me up. I like wool pants.

I wear a lot of different fleece up top, and most of it is sans dryplus or windblock, etc. I carry a good LW Patagonia Gore-Tex shell that comes out over the fleece if the wind or rain (or both) come calling. Otherwise, I mix and match 100 and 200 weight to get what I need.

On a hunt to rainy country like AK and PNW, I'd leave the wool at home.

But to the Rockies or plains in the fall, some wool will make it, for sure.

In the desert, except for a fleece hooded sweatshirt, I don't take much of either.

Rick

BTW: Anybody use Merino wool, especially socks??

I wore the Swede GI britches a bunch. Pards here are bragging up MicroTex,I've not drove any of it.

What I like about Revolution Fleece britches,is they are cut generously and wind/waterPROOF. They are of low nap and very little adheres to them and they are 100% SILENT. Also do well fending Devil's Club and the like.

When doing the Woolen Nostalgia Thing,it's generally outta a hardtop boat,Hunting early Spring Bear. Neither wind or water is truly a factor and it just amounts to slumming a little.

The HH polypro skull cap is one the best invents of all time,IMHO.....................

I prefer a synthetic/wool blended sock....................

I usually wear wool pants when we hunt here in Northern Alberta, it's usually cold, but not usually wet. I have a pair of gallatin wool columbia pants and they feel like you are wearing a diaper. I have three pairs of cheap codet green wool pants, they each cost about $60 cdn, i think cabelas sells them now as imported (from Canada). they re very durable, quiet, snow just bruches off and they are warm.
I like them alot.

I like Marmot panties/shirt,then fleece atop.

You can't get cold,wet or add much in the way of weight to the equation,due to water clinging aboard.

Breathes well and dries fast to boot....................

I used to wear all wool, but now wear a combination of stuff.

Around here, it generally doesn't rain or snow much during hunting season. Snow is just a dusting that you might have to sit in if you take a stand for a while. Rain's more likely a drizzle. Wool turns both easily.

I still like wool pants best, and have several pairs of surplus ones from unidentified countries that have held up well.

However, I'm switching to synthetics for the upper body -- especially because they're lighter when you have to shed and carry a layer. Also, it's easier to find practical designs in fleece -- such as pit zips (on the Rivers West jacket), and pockets you can use while wearing a hip belt (on my Patagonia R4).

I have a Filson Double Mack but only wear it around town now. It's just too hot to walk the hills in.

I think every Logger in the world,has a Filson Double Mack Dinner Jacket.

Mine's blue/black plaid....................

I never had that wool making me itch problem. Good thing too. I had a little incident that left me in a full length leg cast for just shy of 14 weeks and the only pants that would fit over it were my German woolies. I had to wear them from Feb. to early June that year.

Red-Black plaid for me.

I suppose I'd itch if I wore it next to my skin -- but I don't. I wear Capilene or similar ... still haven't found the Holy Grail of long johns.

Rick
I wear Merino socks exclusively. The late Warren Prax
( Owner of the Prospector, here in Fairbanks) got me started, he claimed he was nothing but a glorified sock-seller. Warren had a great personality.
Anyway I started wearing the socks Warren had produced by Fox, but later found that Wigwam has the longest wear life.
I use the light hikers and a pair will wear for a year or more , in my sock rotation. Try a pair, there warm in winter and cool in summer...

Perhaps the pants I saw that I thought were OG 107s were something else entirely.
Can't argue about the shirts.

The Columbia Gallatin/Monarch series have served me well at the right times of the year. Aint Filson but works good for me and they are also comfortable enough to wear around the house on real cold days.

As I made abundantly clear, I dislike fleece/pile unless covered by a shell (which are generally too noisy for hunting). My next pants purchase will be a pair of Schoellers, probably Mammut Champs.

However, for -10 and colder I'll stick with heavy wool.

Un-insulated Revolution Fleece,answers all equations..................

Bullsheit...

Compelling.

When did they fail you and in what conditions?.......................

Wet dreams,living vicariously through me...don't count.................

For my style of hunting and the temps/weather I'm usually hunting in I'll take wool pants. Fleece uppers (until about 25 degees), below 25 on most days I'll go to wool on the top as well. If it's below 0, I'm layering fleece under my wool coat.

NH Hunter.

After backpacking all my adult life using synthetics, I switched to Filson exclusively a couple of years ago. For me, it's breathe-ability is very superior to any synthetic I have tried. YMMV. Went to England last May and it rained every day. Did NOT bring my Filson shell, but a North Face "breatheable" one. I was miserable. The thing was wetteer on the inside than the outside after doing some hiking around-even with pit zips. Won't leave the Filson home again.
For the type of hunting and outdoor activities I do now, I regard the Filson "system" as the best.

There has been some allusion to it earlier on this thread, but I look at all the outdoor clothing I wear as a "system" of layering. I have a couple of shells (Filson) that frankly work in most conditions here in NoCal. I own 2 different weights, depending on conditions. I now own several Filson liners for those shells, that zip in and are of different weights, depending on conditions. I also have a pair of the waxed cotton Filson pants for hunting in terrible conditions, and if it's cold I'll use woolen long johns under them.

Wet is the friend of cold, and the idea is to try to keep from getting a soaking. The Filson stuff is very waterproof, and I've hunted a lot in the rain here in NoCal. So far Filson seems drier to me on both the outside and the inside.

In any event, using a system is the way to go, and not trying to use one garment for all conditions. For example last fall hunting in Wyo, I used a wool shirt, and wore a wool jacket over it for hunting in dry conditions with snow on the ground. Here in NoCal, pig hunting, I may wear a shell with a fairly light wool liner with my hunting pants in rainy and (not so) cold conditions. Sometimes here in NoCal only a shell is required for many conditions, as it deosn't get really cold except in the mountains. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

www.kingofthemountain.com

Only the BEST wool hunting clothing there is.

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

That's like saying "he's a cute guy".

Gimme fleece and the womenfolk................