Teach Me About Wool

JGON

JGON

Joined
Mar 12, 2010
Messages
975
I'm thinking of supplanting wool for my highly synthetic clothing options for cooler weather. I have a few questions about it...

  • Why don't the typical outdoor outfitters carry it?
  • What size/weight is ideal for base, mid, and outer layers?
  • Is the weight difference from synthetics significant?
  • Where do you get yours?
  • How do you care for it?
  • Any other pros/cons you can think of?

Thanks to all who respond.

JGON
 
Last edited:
I think the reason people don't wear wool is because it is heavy, and it doesn't normally come with camo patterns. plus there are a lot of warm alternatives now a days. I have worn wood and find that it is very warm. it is also supposed to be warm when wet which I believe. One thing I really like about wool is how durable it is. Wool is very durable and can take a beating. It will last you many years. Plus if you are a hunter, wood does not make sound when you rub against branches, foliage, etc. Don't get me wrong I still like wool a lot, but i have moved over to "newer materials" mainly fleece. Fleece is my favorite thing to dress in because it is light, very warm, and dries fast. But when I have to split wood, do heavy work, or get dirty, my wool jacket/shirt is the thing(s) I will grab because I know they will not get destroyed like other material would. Care wise: I really don't have any experience cleaning my wool because i wear it for work, "wool does not really get that dirty to be honest". Well, I hope this helped.

-Stephen
 
I have some wool pants I like to use for when I'm outdoors at least all day (like skiing, hiking, whatever). I got mine from a military surplus store, it's medium weight german surplus stuff (around $10 if I recall correctly, so it wasn't cost prohibitive to buy a couple of pairs). Mine don't seem to dirty up either, and esp in the snow don't get or stay wet long. Wool can get heavy (esp the thick (**good**) stuff), but if you don't mind a product that is sometimes a little itchy, you won't be disappointed. Also, it can be a very handsome thing to wear (just think of good ol' wool suit jackets!)...anyway, I like it but ymmv!
 
Pro's :

Wool keeps ya warm when wet.
Wool won't melt or burst into flame when sat around the camp fire.
Wool is naturally antibacterial and won't stink the house out after one or two hikes.
Wool is very robust and will last many years, some products by Swanndri and Filson get passed down from father to son.


Con's:

Wool is heavy.
Wool is expensive.
Wool is slow to dry.

I love my wool products to bits and will choose them everytime over my synthetics.
 
after i took the plunge on my Filson double mackinaw cruiser i wouldn't look back. I can't imagine ever wearing it out plus it just has that look to it that separates you from all the yuppie types with their North Face jackets i see all over:cool:
 
crossada said:
after i took the plunge on my Filson double mackinaw cruiser i wouldn't look back. I can't imagine ever wearing it out plus it just has that look to it that separates you from all the yuppie types with their North Face jackets i see all over:cool:
Click to expand...

Holy crap! What irony! I just picked up one of those in OD green at my local Goodwill today for $10.50. I just knew it was nice and felt good, only when I got home and arbitrarily looked it up, did I discover how expensive it originally was. It is literally in NEW condition. I'm STOKED!

http://www.blackbirdballard.com/Filson_Mackinaw_Cruiser_16253.html
 
Wool is mostly windproof. You will almost certainly never need a wind shell. Wool is heavy enough, though, that the fleece and wind shell is still going to be much lighter than wool. Wool doesn't move as easily either (because it's denser.) You'll feel "freer" in fleece. As for me, it depends on the environment and activity.

Wool looks soooo much nicer.
 
When it is COLD out I wear my smartwool thermal undies as a base because it feels drier than any synthetic. I love wool for the base. If I need a middle layer or two I use synthetics. The outer layer is wool as well if it is not raining and especially around the campfire. I've burned little holes in too many expensive synthetic outer layers around the fire. I use the goretex outer only in the rain.
 
Wool is wind proof? You are way off base on this one, as any wool wearer here will tell you. You will have to wear multiple layers in windy conditions to offset the effect of wind. Wind, for experinced wool wearers, is one of it's greatest weaknesses. This coming from a fan of wool clothing.
 
jw2n said:
Wool is wind proof? You are way off base on this one, as any wool wearer here will tell you. You will have to wear multiple layers in windy conditions to offset the effect of wind. Wind, for experinced wool wearers, is one of it's greatest weaknesses. This coming from a fan of wool clothing.
Click to expand...

I said it is "mostly" windproof. And it is, especially as the OP was asking about how it compares to fleece. I have two wool outer garments I've been wearing. One is a Korean War era army shirt. It is thick enough that I'd call it more of a jacket. It's mostly windproof (especially as compared to fleece.) My other outdoor wool layer is a wife-made wool blanket anorak. Again, it is mostly windproof. In my experience, thick wool cuts wind very well. It not completely windproof, but it ain't bad either.

Edited to add: The wool blanket went through a very hot wash then dried on high, then repeated, before it was turned into an anorak. The material is dense. The Army shirt/jacket is standard GI.
 
Last edited:
REI, Cabellas, Bass Pro all carry wool garments.
I go to REI or online for base layer stuff. Smartwool is what I know so far.

Size/weight: smartwool has lightweight and mid weight bases. I go with a tight fighting lightweight base, and if it's cold enough a regular or relaxed fit(my normal clothes fit) midweight layer over that. The tight, light base will wick away misfire from sweat or if you get wet. And the the heavier layer over top will insulate keeping you warm.

Weight: with base layers I've found wool to be lighter by a couple ounces than similar synthetics.

Care: smartwool=machine wash and dry. I've had my layers for about 3 years and they are doing just fine.

A major plus for wool is it repels stink. It doesn't get funky the way synthetics do. I wore Under Armor while deployed and it got down right nasty. Switched to wool and no issues with funk.

In my opinion, you cannot beat wool base layers. I've worn alot of the synthetic stuff out, some of it costs almost as much as the wool, and it doesn't perform or last the way wool does. I will not go back to synthetics as a base.

Mid layers are a different story.
Once you get into jackets and outer layers, wool strts to get really heavy, and I haven't found any with an athletic( anatomically correct) cut.

For shells and jackets I go with fleece or the high tech stuff from Arc'teryx, The North Face and REI.

Base layers, go wool. You will be a happy camper!
 
Millions of sheep can't be wrong.;)


I tend to wear combintions of wool and synth. The other day I was wearing a wool jacket, hat, and mitts with a synthetic sweater and pants.


The mitts are basically thick wool liners that fit in canvas & leather shells with a trigger finger feature (Canadian milsurp, I think). Not bad for ten bucks, but they don't come close to that guy's Filson score up above.
 
I like to mix wool into my layering. I will say, my latest purchase of an Icebreaker long-sleeve hoodie is an incredible lightweight piece!

Modern quality wool garments will cost you if you're foreced to retail, but as mentioned, you can find good deals if you look and are patient. I have several surplus (1951?) OD wool shirts that are more work wear and just plain durable and well made. Some old surplus Swedish wool pants are what I often wear when hunting. One thing I've started to wear more of is a wool T-shirt. They're great in the summer and don't stink as bad as synthetics if you're wearing them on extended backpacking trips.

Swanndri is a first class maker of a great bush shirt, but there are several smaller makers here in the states (and CAN) that make some great bush shirts.

As mentioned, REI Brand, Smartwool, Icebreaker, Ibex, Filson and even Cabelas Brand all carry some great wool clothing.

ROCK6
 
I have a wool Woolrich shirt jacket with the extra material over front of the chest and and extra layer, like a cape, over the shoulders. It cuts the wind well. If I think I need an extra layer, I use a light weight gortex jacket with some thinsulate made by Eddie Bauer. I wear just the shirt jacket well into the winter. I would recommend them. I gave one to a friend as a gift. He came to the same conclusions on his own. Not bad wear for Kansas winter weather. I have never cleaned it for over 8 years. I have plenty of fleece. It feels like a wet bag next to me. Wool does not stink next to the skin like synthetics.
 
If you have a lot of pure, unblended wool try to find a cedar chest at a garage sale. They suggest lightly sanding the interior every couple years to best maintain the moth repelling qualities. If not, you can buy mothballs made of cedar or sealed bags of cedar chips and use them in a regular duffle bag. A lot less stinky than paradichlorobenzene or napthalene mothballs.

I'm wearing a long sleeve 100% merino wool top right now. Got the house thermostat at 60 and I'm comfy.

DancesWithKnives
 
I like a light (150-ish) weight merino to use as base layers- they dry a little slower than syn, but feel less clammy when wet

as mentioned if your trip is multi-day, they don't absorb odor as much as syn

for a mid layer my preference is a light fleece (R1- a 100-ish weight fleece that breathes better due to it's grid pattern)- for high exertion like skiing/snowshoeing a mid layer of wool would soak up too much moisture

outer layer I want something that's going to stop wind- a windshirt accomplishes that at a very minimum weight

for insulation I want down (drier conditions) or a primaloft-like syn (for wet conditions)

I like wool and I like the fact that it's traditional, but from a performance standpoint in the backcountry I think it's worth looking at all the options
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top