ABBA, Wool and Mindless Ramblings !!!

That is one CUTE sweater:D

I like wool too. It is very tough in general.

The way its woven, it can be either very breathable, or very airtight.

When it gets wet, the fibers tighten up, keeping the wind out and heat in.

It insulates even when it's wet.

It won't catch fire, or melt on you should something freaky happen with fire.

And no one makes better wool sweaters than the Norwegians. Even with the um, decoration, you probably won't easily find a better sweater than that one.

Nice piece of kit.
 
nick-nack said:
Whats that rope thing that goes over your neck and under your arm?
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It's my dogs leash made of some static climbing rope and a crab....
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ABBA? pitdog, if you're warm, who cares...Eh?

I wear a Filson Cruiser under a Brit surplus poncho in cold, wet weather. Trapping in the weird conditions we've had in the Northern States says "So you don't look Tre Chic"
 
It is the same thing here in Sweden, old materials rule. :)
Here is a small anecdote on how not to be too excited about the latest stuff.
Some years ago there were a swedish homeguard unit/TA/ROTC/reserve whatever who had planned a skiing trip in the mountains. They also invited some Norweigian reservere whatever. The Norwegians then brought some US military (the rumours says Marines) of some kind.
When they all gathered at the starting point and were to be out for a week or so. The US showed up in the latest cold weather gear with extra this and super that and whatnot. The Norwegians shoved up in their regular winther combat gear and the swedish shoved up in uniform M39/58, a grey thick wool uniform used during the war and on some ancient wooden skis.
Anyway. The result from this event was that the US troops had to be airlifted back to base after three days because of frost bites. Their fancy stuff didnt work but the old wool kit from 1940 something did.
Now this has been told in different versions. One version was without the Norwegians, one was that the US troops shaved every morning, the Swedes didnt.

Anyway, whatsoever, the wool uniforms are quite popular and are getting hard to come by. Some are sixty years old but still good for outdoor use. The newer green M59 uniform is not that good but still alot better than the current issue M90

Natural materials rule.
 
nodh said:
It is the same thing here in Sweden, old materials rule. :)
Here is a small anecdote on how not to be too excited about the latest stuff.
Some years ago there were a swedish homeguard unit/TA/ROTC/reserve whatever who had planned a skiing trip in the mountains. They also invited some Norweigian reservere whatever. The Norwegians then brought some US military (the rumours says Marines) of some kind.
When they all gathered at the starting point and were to be out for a week or so. The US showed up in the latest cold weather gear with extra this and super that and whatnot. The Norwegians shoved up in their regular winther combat gear and the swedish shoved up in uniform M39/58, a grey thick wool uniform used during the war and on some ancient wooden skis.
Anyway. The result from this event was that the US troops had to be airlifted back to base after three days because of frost bites. Their fancy stuff didnt work but the old wool kit from 1940 something did.
Now this has been told in different versions. One version was without the Norwegians, one was that the US troops shaved every morning, the Swedes didnt.

Anyway, whatsoever, the wool uniforms are quite popular and are getting hard to come by. Some are sixty years old but still good for outdoor use. The newer green M59 uniform is not that good but still alot better than the current issue M90

Natural materials rule.
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You can still buy green wool trousers from Johnson's of Vermont. They are actually thicker and better built than their military counterparts. Outside of army surplus stores, I don't think that one can find the old wool uniforms.

GB
 
Wool is great stuff, and I love it. I tried the fleece thing for a couple of years, but I got tired of being cold. There's nothing like a Filson cape cruiser to make a winter day pleasent.

One thing I did find out though, its just not that the fleece is not as good as the wool. Its the kind of material and how its made. I think fleece is just too thin and does not have the insulation of even a low price acrilic sweater because it does not have any loft. Its the way a sweater is made vs the cut to shape polyester cloth of the fleece. The woven texture of a bulky knit sweater traps alot more air than the thin fleece, even the polar tech 300 stuff. My 100% virgin wool sweater has to be dry cleaned, but an acrilic sweater I have I've tossed into a washing machine with no problems and it dries fast, so you have the advantage of fleece with more warmth because of the thick knitted texture. I don't think its an accident of fate that in places like Norway, England, Sweden, and most of northern Europe they still wear sweaters that have a knited pattern. If they add on a cable knit, which is a trick to add more thickness (loft) to the garment, it gets even warmer.

How many times did your mother tell you when you were a kid to put your sweater on. I think they knew something. I've found a knitted sweater to be warmer than my Polar Tech 200 or 300 fleece that I had, and it does not seem to matter if its wool or acrilic. When I wear a sweater under my jacket on a cold day and we're hiking, I have to vent more, or even remove my outer layer jacket and tie it around my waist, where with the fleeces I never had to vent as much let alone remove outer layers.

Old fashioned sweaters work.
 
Nice pic's as always, Pitdog!

btw... The type of sweater youre wearing is called a lusekofte.
I allways wear one in the winter time. You just have to remember to wash them a few times before wearing them, or theyl itch like #%/#&#¤"#!!!

-Jontok
 
jontok said:
Nice pic's as always, Pitdog!

btw... The type of sweater youre wearing is called a lusekofte.
I allways wear one in the winter time. You just have to remember to wash them a few times before wearing them, or theyl itch like #%/#&#¤"#!!!

-Jontok
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Are they oiled wool? I always hesitated to wash mine (hand wash) for fear of losing the water repellency until I found the stuff to re-oil them.

GB
 
i switched to wool this winter too. i purchased a filson double mackinaw cruiser. i don't think i will ever need another winter coat in my life. it is that tough:thumbup:
 
gunknifenut said:
I just bought some wool socks...really heavy ones...they are great and keep me warm even when wet. I have worked outside in sub-zero temps(wind chill) for about 9 hours and was fine.
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My new favorite is a pair of Fox River X-Static liner socks (polypropylene/nylon blend with anti-bacterial silver fibers) with a pair of medium weight merino wool socks over them. Keeps you warm, dry, odorless, and because the friction is between the two layers, blister-free.
 
I have always liked wool. Depending on the temperatures, I will wear a Pendleton Shirt, a wool sweater, or a wool sweater over a Pendleton shirt. Today I was out pruning grapevines with temps around 40-45F, and for a while I had to take my wool sweater off (I was wearing a cotton t-shirt under it).

I like the design on that sweater, too.
 
Ilike the sweater! But I've never left the 70's! The high point of societal evolution!!!! ;)
 
I'm sure you guys don't limit the wool usage to sweaters and pants.

Here's my hiking hat keeping an old spruce warm on a January thaw hike. Good for warmth, shade, and fanning the flames.

Post your woolies you sheep whores:

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Are they oiled wool? I always hesitated to wash mine (hand wash) for fear of losing the water repellency until I found the stuff to re-oil them.
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Don't think so... I just throw it in the washingmachine. Just be shure to wash at a low temp, or it will fit your hamster when its done :)
Oh, and don't put it in the dryer!

-jontok
 
I have some boiled wool slippers I was supposed to give to my friend for xmas, shes a size 6. I put my toes in to see how they felt and somehow managed to stretch them to fit my size 10s.:D
Freak accident, I swear.;) They are green and orange, but I don't care, they changed everything I ever thought about wool, like how well it stretches.
Here's a pic so Pitdog doesn't feel lonely.
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I like synthetics for the light weight and moisture transporting properties. Jackknife is very right about loft and warmth. In my climate, it is 40-50F, drizzling cold rain and high humidity. I don't need the loft that someone in higher altitudes and inland cold dry weather does-- I need something that breathes, won't hold moisture, and can be dried in the field. Down sucks in Western Washington!

Fleece needs some sort of wind blocking layer to be effective and it doesn't compress well, so it can be bulky to pack. I still prefer it to wool.

When I am hiking, I need very little insulation. I have the pack insulating my back and the rest of me is generating plenty of heat--- and sweat. It is when I stop that I need the loft and then I use something like Primaloft or Delta polyester fill. I have base layers of silkweight polyester coupled with Power Stretch micro fleece and a wind shirt when I am climbing and add a Patagonia Micro Puff vest or similar pull-over for insulation when stopped or camped.

I use a poncho for rain gear with a multi-day pack, which ventilates well and keeps the pack dry too. The only time I use a rain jacket is day hiking or in high wind, like on the coast, where a poncho just gets whipped all over.
 
I just don't find the petro-clothes breath as well as the woolies. I've switched to smartwool for base layers and wool of various weaves/thicknesses over top. Real cold, I have a base camp down parka.

I find my thick wool pants are more comfortable, pass moisture, and don't ignite like the fleece/nylon layers as well.

Just my opinion.

Here's wify in head-to-toe wool - even the Roots backpack is wool - she's the consummate traditionalist - notice the wood snowshoes :)

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