Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting How to choose between wool and polypro outer layers ?

Background: Last year I had a pair of Columbia Gallatin wool outer wear, jacket and pants. They held up pretty well and actually kept me warm at 25*F when I fell half in a beaver pond packing out a rear quarter for a friend. Polypro base, wet up to my waist. Did not start to feel cold until the ride back to the cabin. However, they did tend to heat me up on long uphill packs into hunting areas, and the wool weave does not stop the breeze when I am sitting and glassing.

This year, I have managed to pick up a pair of Sitka 90% pants, and a Kuiu Guide jacket. For the guys that have both the wool outer wear, and the polypro outer wear, what are the criteria you use to determine which are best for certain conditions or activities ?

The reason I ask, I just looked thru the thread showing camp sites. I noticed that several of the more "experienced" folks had pictures of companions still wearing all wool, or a combination of wool and synthetic. Based on those pictures, I am making the assumption that the wool outer garments still have an appropriate place in the grand scheme of hunting and outdoor activities.

So, as a newbie, if I have a couple pieces of each, what are the conditions or choices to get optimum benefit out of each ? Target environment for this question is SW Colorado, 2nd rifle, 8-12k ft.

Are you going to be backpacking? If so, you have to pack a lot of wool for the same insulation you can get from a good synthetic or down jacket covered by a good shell.

Use wool if you are going to be relying on open fires for cooking and warmth.

Until a couple of years ago, I refused to use WOOL anything. It was hot, it itched and was just uncomfortable. Then, I bought a pair of good merino wool socks. They were comfortable, when the weather was a bit warm but I never really noticed it. But what I did notice was that they kept my feet warm when it got cold. I quickly found that when I sweated as they wicked the moisture really well. At the urging of a friend, I got a set of SmartWool light and medium weight base layers and I was hooked. No way I will go back to polypro's that start to smell after just a day of hard hunting.

I swear by wool baselayers, but other than that, I typically go with synthetics. Have been looking into some merino wool outer layers to try for bowhunting, as they should be quieter than some of the synthetics/softshells on the market.

Wool = everything that you ever liked about the better synthetics, without the stink.

Smokepole, I never paid much attention to the weight of my wool clothes. Just weighed my Gallatin wool pants and jacket (6lb, 12oz) versus the Kuiu guide jacket and Sitka 90% pants (3lb, 6oz). SO definite weight advantage. Not sure how to compare the insulating qualities of each, but, for the differential, could buy a shell and/or puffy down jacket, and still be same/less weight.



North61, what is the concern with open flames ? Holes in the synthetics from popping embers ? Or, catching the occupant on fire ?

I know that the polypro base layers stink up faster that wool base layers. Is this also an issue for synthetic outer layers ?

I just hate smelling something burning and looking down to see the glowing expanding hole in the fleece garment from an ember. So if I am going to use an open fire a lot I like wool. Embers don't create so much damage and if I doze off by a lean too heated by a wood fire I am less likely to get burnt.

On trips where open fires are small and just used for cooking or I rely on a stove I go synthetic. Lighter, just as warm and dries a bit faster...