Non-synthetic winter gear.

sportsmans guide also sells a ready made wool capote.
Duluth trading has an oilskin coat in their clearance section - not sure about sizes left.
they also have some "wool lined" cotton cargo pants that are VERY heavy duty and good enough for most of the weather we had here in the plains last winter so long as I was moving. (plowing snow still required the quilted overalls)
Filson makes some great stuff, as does Duluth pack.

also, though oilskin is heavy, it's great stuff. I have an oilskin field coat with removable wool liner and it's warm enough to for family visits up by Bemidji, Mn or Green Bay around the holidays.
 
I have wool from the following companies:
Dale of Norway
Smartwool
Columbia
The North Face (A bunch of older sweaters I picked up NOS on ebay, and the Mt. Tam and Diablo)
Eddie Bauer (Ragg Wool sweater)
Woolrich (buttonup hanley and a nice thick crew neck sweater)
Helly Hansen (Odin full neck baselayer, and another short sleeve baselayer)
Hmmm... I know there's more.
Dale of Norway takes the cake-hands down. If you are looking for one sweater that will last you the rest of your life, this is it. The North Face Diablo is a favorite-it's a blend that's extremely lightweight and probably the most breathable, yet perfectly comfortable down to 30 degrees. The HH Odin is AMAZING, I wore it down the Lower Salmon whitewater kayaking last month and it was sufficient keeping me warm against the chilly wind that was funneled down the canyon, even while constantly being doused in 60 degree water. Swandri is the New Zealand company you're talking about-wool and oilskin canvas. Kakadu is another great company, out of Australia, that makes great oilskin jackets and such. I have a drover's jacket and a few canvas shirts from them, very utilitarian-breathable, waterproof, and extremely durable. Get yourself a nice flannel shirt as well-Eddie Bauer makes their ''Favorite flannel'' that I picked up late winter last year for 20 bucks. That thing is so soft, and unbelievably warm-it'd be great for wearing alone or underneath a shell. I think I have more Swix than anything as far as hats go, though I have Kakadu's rabbit fur lined oilskin bomber hat.
 
I bought 6 East German wool blankets at a surplus place for 60 bucks. Made a vest, gloves, hat, triple layer of wool for gaiters, Wanna work on a sleeping bag this winter. I'm a certified wool junky, but it keeps me warm in -15 in the high CO mountains so I'm happy with it.
 
I bought a couple of wool blankets from harbor freight (80% wool 20% polyester) and used Rick's pattern to make myself one hell of an anorak. Sewed it with nylon thread, bound the raw edges that could be seen with quilt edge binding.
It's nice and warm.
I still have scraps left from making the anorak, and a whole blanket. It took me a week and a half of on/off work.

I need to post pictures when the opportunity presents itself.
 
KEmSAT-Survival said:
I bought a couple of wool blankets from harbor freight (80% wool 20% polyester) and used Rick's pattern to make myself one hell of an anorak. Sewed it with nylon thread, bound the raw edges that could be seen with quilt edge binding.
It's nice and warm.
I still have scraps left from making the anorak, and a whole blanket. It took me a week and a half of on/off work.

I need to post pictures when the opportunity presents itself.
Click to expand...

OK, where can i get a copy of "Rick's pattern"?!??! :p

I really like anoraks and wool is soooo nice - though something from a tight-weave "egyptian cotton" would be pretty nice too.
 
PayetteRucker said:
Bolivian guy was selling alpaca sweaters on campus today, I bought a black hooded one with llamas on it for 30 bucks. http://www.tripleaughtdesign.com/Special-Service-Sweater
this is my next wool purchase, unless I can find a Dale of Norway Ibsen for around the same price.
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Hey Payette, don't wear that llama back sweater around during hunting season ;)

Main reason I like wool, apart that it layers very well together, is that it is pretty darn fire proof. You don't get spark holes tunneling through your outwear like you do with synthetics. The cost is weight and on its own lacks a bit of wind resistance (which can also good since this helps wick away sweat better).

That said, I have a gortex/primeloft snowsuit combo that has seen its way in the Arctic several times. I'm always lending it to one of my colleagues who has tried to buy it from me every time he comes back from his research trips over there. But for the most part that thing is too hot and sweaty for me to use in the way I move around and play in the snow. I do like having gortex shell pants for kneeling and sitting in the snow and not worrying about getting wet. I have my eyes on wool pants though which I've yet to find a pair that I like.

Most of my wool is from swanndri. I've had the pleasure to try on and handle filson at a supply store and really like that stuff, but you really pay for its quality! Its worth the price though.
 
I like wool a lot and been having very good luck picking up wool sweaters including merino wool and wool shirts at the local Goodwill. Usually 5-7 bucks a sweater and the shirts cheaper yet.
 
I understand the value of wool. But synthetics have there place! I have more money tied up in Filson and wool and am hear to tell you a tough synthetic shell keeps you more dry. It can be tossed in the wash too. Heck, I'd even say it is as tough as the Filson. For insulating layers...that is where wool works best imho.
 
fmajor>>

Here it is:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=618590&highlight=anorak

It's a pattern by our very own Rick Marchand. One thing I found out from it is that you'll want to measure the widest part of your trunk (if you're hefty it might be your abdomen) and add about 8 or 10 inches to allow for extra layers of clothing.

Most people who've followed it used silk thread or heavy-duty outdoor thread. I used Nylon thread and it works fine.

I'll try to get pics of mine up tonight.
 
I love wearing wool pants in the snow. Warm when wet, breathable, quiet, and can be layered over a regular pair of non-cotton pants. Depending upon the weather conditions, I also wear a wool knit hat and a wool shirt under a wool jacket, down jacket or waterproof/ breathable shell.

Check out Johnson Woolen Mills for Made in America wool clothing. While wool clothes can be pricey, I find that they wear hard and seem to last forever. Sometimes you can also find less expensive wool clothing at army-navy stores.
 
One of the best things I've rediscovered; cashmere! Awesome upper body underwear. This year if I stay inside long enough I'd like to use some of the old sweaters I have to make some long-johns ala the Backwoodsman magazine article from a year or two back. Now, of course you dont go to Brooks Brothers; you get 'em at the thrift store/consignment shop.

I guess oil-cloth works, but I have only ever had a single article, a ball cap and I didn't much like it. I have entertained the idea of giving it another try by treating my canvas jacket with one of the re-treatment products. If it turned into a no-go; a couple washings and it'd be gone. But, I can't tell ya whether a retreatment on a non-treated garment would make one as good as factory fresh. (dirt, gunk and grime just clings to the material and you can never wash it I doubt I will foul my gear with the mess)

Woolens are hard wearing +1 that; which makes me feel confident buying used clothing. But, not always quiet. whipcord is very swishy when you walk, but so are synthetics and cotton duck.

It's fine if you want to go all natural; for me a reasoned mix works best. I love my worsted wool sweater when walking but at sit down, out comes the down sweater, and I dont want that loft sandwiched between heavy duck or slow drying mackinaw wool.

I am not way up north so a good vest often works well for me; the western or mackinaw by Filson are super functional.

Several guys mentioned heavy so I tried to check via bathroom scale, both with me wearing the garment and the garment by itself to give you an idea. Filson guide sweater showed to be 3lb by subtraction of my weight without. 2lb by itself. Filson canvas coat 3lb and 2.5lb. Pair of pants and vest together 3lb. Not very exacting, but still By comparison my sleeping bag, down sweater, shell jacket, groundcloth, sleeping pad, softshell pants and smallest pack together(which all that fits into with room for a little food and water) is somewhere around 5.5-6.5lb

hope it helps.
 
Briarbrow said:
One of the best things I've rediscovered; cashmere! Awesome upper body underwear. This year if I stay inside long enough I'd like to use some of the old sweaters I have to make some long-johns ala the Backwoodsman magazine article from a year or two back. Now, of course you dont go to Brooks Brothers; you get 'em at the thrift store/consignment shop.

I guess oil-cloth works, but I have only ever had a single article, a ball cap and I didn't much like it. I have entertained the idea of giving it another try by treating my canvas jacket with one of the re-treatment products. If it turned into a no-go; a couple washings and it'd be gone. But, I can't tell ya whether a retreatment on a non-treated garment would make one as good as factory fresh. (dirt, gunk and grime just clings to the material and you can never wash it I doubt I will foul my gear with the mess)

Woolens are hard wearing +1 that; which makes me feel confident buying used clothing. But, not always quiet. whipcord is very swishy when you walk, but so are synthetics and cotton duck.

It's fine if you want to go all natural; for me a reasoned mix works best. I love my worsted wool sweater when walking but at sit down, out comes the down sweater, and I dont want that loft sandwiched between heavy duck or slow drying mackinaw wool.

I am not way up north so a good vest often works well for me; the western or mackinaw by Filson are super functional.

Several guys mentioned heavy so I tried to check via bathroom scale, both with me wearing the garment and the garment by itself to give you an idea. Filson guide sweater showed to be 3lb by subtraction of my weight without. 2lb by itself. Filson canvas coat 3lb and 2.5lb. Pair of pants and vest together 3lb. Not very exacting, but still By comparison my sleeping bag, down sweater, shell jacket, groundcloth, sleeping pad, softshell pants and smallest pack together(which all that fits into with room for a little food and water) is somewhere around 5.5-6.5lb

hope it helps.
Click to expand...

One of the things I don't like about natural fibres is that in addition to the actual weight they also tend to have a heavier perceived weight. The reason for that being is they just aren't slippery enough. The same is true for synthetics to some degree but it easier to overcome. Take a thin 100 weight fleece and stick a heavier 200 weight fleece jacket over it and you'll have some pretty hefty mid layer insulation. But it is also claggy because the fabrics don't slide over each other very well. It might not be something that is noticed as particularly salient 'till you've been in a system that really reduces that. I think of the layering system rather like a gimbal:

0.jpg


If they layers slip over each other really well movement in any direction isn't impeded. With the example using the two synthetics above that really isn't the case because the fabrics drag at each other. Yet with synthetics materials can be introduced into the mix for trival weight that not only trap dead air nicely but also maximize the slippage between layers. And that makes the system feel a lot lighter. I don't know of any natural fibre garments that have ever been made to behave in this way.

I came across measured research on this last year. Essentially it was looking at old WWII era kit and expedition stuff from the days of yore. Aside from the actual weight of garments this concept of “slipperiness” between the layers played a large role. You use a lot more effort with kit that is a restrictive drag. If I had more time I might go and find the research again because it was proper measured data. My own experimentation has me hooked now. It wasn't an aspect I paid much attention to once, well you wouldn't would you, it's just the way clothing behaves when you add layers. I certainly do now and it is extremely liberating.
 
Blais said:
That is a fantastic idea! The price is awesome and I'm no stranger to the sewing machine. I'm ordering one now...


EDIT: Scratch that, the shipping is more than the parka.
:mad:
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yeah, i wanted on of those anoraks but the shipping is absurd

i went with this deal - which is sold out but you can find the same jackets on fleabay

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/4-used-swedish-mountain-jackets-stone.aspx?a=442724

i'm salivating at the Empire Canvas Works gear :D

EDIT: +1 on the italian blankets - they're incredible for the price. I have six of them now - it does take some work to get the mothball smell out though. I think they were soaked in the stuff. Another option for great wool clothing for cheap are Swedish tunics and pants - google around and you'll find some deals. I think Majorsurplusnsurvival had the Swedish tunic available in their last catalog. The Swedish wool is top notch.
 
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