Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Wool or Sitka Gear Quandary

For those folks that have used both Sitka Gear and wool, which seems to perform better?

Currently I am leaning toward wool because it's a tried and true way to stay warm in the woods. However, I am hearing a lot of positive things about the Sitka Gear layering system that has me thinking about giving it a shot. Neither one is exactly cheap so I don't want to go one direction and regret it later.

Wool is very hard to beat except in one area - when it's wet it weights a ton. I'm not really familiar with Sitka gear, but if it performs even close to wool but doesn't soak up water, I'd go with it.

Well, I've never worn alot of wool (what little I did years ago made me itchy), but faced the same decision recently. I went with the Sitka gear. I just got back from CO yesterday. I was pleased with the outerwear (Jetstream jacket and 90 percent pants), but not real crazy about the under layers. They worked good when active and when I got sweaty, but not great when it was cold (early am and late pm) and I was less active. Most folks think that Underamor cold gear works similarly, but I think the cold gear works better when sitting/less active than the Sitka. I was thinking that some fleece or wool underlayers would have been warmer when needed along with the Sitka outer layer.

I really like a lightweight wool underlayer and then Sitka pants and top. Wool outer layers are just to hot and bulky for active hunting. If you are sitting in a tree though I'd probably give a nod to wool.

Wool is also very hard wearing, far more so than most synthetics like fleece.

A pair of wool army surplus trousers must be one of the tur bargins in hunting clothes...

WOOL! The better the quality wool less itchy. Wears longer is warm even when wet and you can layer as well.

Give Icebreaker merino wool a try, I have used it and find it to be itchy only before it is first washed. Very comfortable and lasts much longer than any sitka gear. As suggested wool for a base layer is an excellent choice, then your camo on top. Icebreaker offers many different weights to choose from. I currently use the lightest weight and find it usable in heat as high as 85-90 degrees (obviously with no jacket or shirt on top of it).

At least 10 years ago, I found some milsurp wool pants for $7/pair. I bought 4 pairs thinking I'd have enough to last a long time. I'm still on the 1st pair. They'll still be in great shape long after I'm too old to hunt.
There's only 1 drawback - they're so ugly that I've stunned 2 elk to death just by letting them see me wearing them.

One of the things about some synthetics is that they can develop a pretty evil smell if you end up wearing it for long enough without washing. With wool you end up smelling like a wet sheep which is not nearly as bad.
In my opinion the only problem with good wool is that it's heavier..................DJ

I like both, depends on the time of year, active hunt or stand hunt, as I do both types I like sleeping Indian wool and the 90 percent stuff from sitka, don't have to buy either of these new if you look around.
Shoot straight
Anie

You can turn that around; if you're hunting out of your pack for a week in cold wet weather when it becomes difficult to keep your synthetics dry, they'll hold less moisture but will lose more retained heat and you'll end up feeling colder than with wool. In addition, synthetics can develop and retain a funk.

Just to add to my previous post - several guys mentioned the funk associated with synthetics. I did not notice this at all with the Sitka gear with 5 and half days of wearing it. I did take a couple of really lightweight silk shirts and pants that I wore under them. I alternated them and my socks daily and couldn't notice any distinguishable odors.

One other thing, I wore the Sitka in about an hour of light rain on two different days - both the Jetstram jacket and 90 percent pants did a good job of repelling the water and neither soaked through.

I vote wool for maybe everything except maybe the outside top layer.

I spend a good number of days outside each year so I tend to moderate priced wool base layer. Lately I have been buying the Teramar from Campmor. Underneath that I wear the lightest weight Smartwool t-Shirt to ward off any itching.

For the my legs I think that Filson whipcords have the widest comfort range of any pants I know of.

While I do like wool top layers, this is an area where Sitka or another synthetics can be lighter and perhaps more wind/rain resistant as well as lighter.

I agree with noKnees. wool=base layers, waterproof synthetic+top layers.

The problem I've had with wool is insect damage. I think the bugs that caused the damage are called carpet beetles - both the adult and larval stages eat holes in the stuff, and the bugs are small and hard to see until it is too late. I ended up throwing out some of my wool clothing due to the damage, and replaced it all with synthetics. I understand these bugs are endemic here in Utah, so they must have gotten into my clothing bag that was sitting on the ground of my floorless tent.

My clothing bags are always dri bags....

Been working on this seriously for the last few years. I work with guys who are out there and do not get showers for literally weeks at a time- yep, it's been over a week for me now... The funk factor of poly and other synth may not be a factor if you are not out more than three days, or you can bath/change. Poly burns really well too. It is a little lighter and rucks up a little better, but..
In my experience, I like the Filson Whips with a base of light wool; both Filson and just found some -33 which I really like. Put on light wooltop with as long a zipper as I can find to regulate the heat. Put on a good wool shirt and carry a good outer shell and you should be good to go.
I have been wearing good wool socks in all my boots from 120 to around 10 degrees and my tender feet survive well. No doubt it is heavier and takes up more space, but it is tougher ( I am still using some of my Dad's 50+ year old Filson Whips)
I think the key is to spend the money once and purchase the best you can as it will flat out work within the limitations cited.
OTOH, most of the younger team members like the poly as it is lighter and we do not get much rain. They are not concerned with how well it stands up as they DX the stuff every six months or so.

Moth Balls..

Tried that with wool clothing I don't wear hunting, but it didn't stop them. Even some clothing that was washed and put into vacuum sealed bags ended up damaged - must have been eggs or larva that got on the fabric when it went into the bags despite all my efforts. Used wool for years and never had any insect damage before this. It was frustrating to have to throw out damaged clothing that was only a couple years old. I can't afford to do that very often, that's why I replaced the damaged stuff with synthetics.

Both laundering in hot water and dry-cleaning will kill all stages of fabric pests, both clothes moth and carpet beatle. Clothing and other textile items should be stored only if clean. Clothing and other textile items can be protected by storing them in tight-fitting containers or carefully sealed boxes with a moth repellent. The vapors of the repellent are lethal to fabric pests only if they are maintained at sufficient concentrations for a sufficient amount of time. Follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully. Generally, two to three weeks of treatment will ensure absolute kill of all stages of insect pests-egg, larva, pupa, and adult.

After storage, air items for a few days before using them to get rid of any odor. If items are washable, launder them before using.

Suggested reading:

Preventing Damage from Clothes Moths and Carpet Beetles
Guide C-504
Susan Wright, Extension Consumer Education Specialist
College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences New Mexico State University