Having lived at Ocean Falls and worked in the bush all over the BC coast and Vancouver Island, plus in the "Wet Kootenays", I can say with certitude that virgin merino wool, under waterproof shells will out-perform ANYTHING now available in long-term, daily use.
I won't wear Gore-Tex in such conditions, waxed cotton and coated nylon are heavy and stiff, thus impeding pack fit, a serious issue for we who tote heavy packs. Nothing will work as well as eVent shells over m-wool or I would use it, I have no interest in using anything less than the most functional.
Now, working in heavy rain, is that like six weeks of 10-12 hour days planting trees in BC coastal March rain or how about an open 14 ft. boat on Georgia Strait in December-January alone on the open ocean? Maybe hiking in February in the Bella Coola-Ocean Falls area in continual rain and winds off the ocean?
Wet, yeah, in BC we KNOW about WET!!!
Climbing, BC is mostly either straight up or straight down and an ice axe, crampons and even ropes are a part of our alpine hunting. I am about to buy a lighter axe, my fourth and alloy crampons for Mule Deer and Bighorn hunting as these keep me safer from falls at my advanced age, I don't hunt on private ranches and close to cities with restaurants to eat in and almost never stay in cabins as the BCFS burnt almost all the old-time ones in the '70s to prevent use by draftdodgers growing dope.
