Teach Me About Wool

OK, keep in mind that the below responses are for merino wool, which has significantly smaller fibers and is better overall than regular wool.

1. Why don't the typical outdoor outfitters carry it? - You got me on this one. Everywhere I have been usually has at least a little bit of merino.
2. What size/weight is ideal for base, mid, and outer layers? - 150 can be worn year round and is great for a base layer. 240 or 320 makes a good mid layer and is good for cool to cold temps. I would not recommend wool for an outer layer since it does not block wind without a wind blocking fabric added. Get a dedicated soft or hard shell for an outer layer and you will be a lot happier. There are some wool outer jackets on the market, but they are more for casual wear.
3. Is the weight difference from synthetics significant? Wool weighs a bit more, but it's not heavy by any means.
4. Where do you get yours? Pro deals. :D I realize that not everyone has access to these, so try sierratradingpost.com, backcountry.com, steepandcheap.com, moosejaw.com, and rei.com. For brands, Icebreaker is the largest and buys the best merino from New Zealand (used to be 85% of what NZ produced, not sure if that is still true). Everyone else gets their left overs. Smartwool and Ibex are decent, although I have found the sizing on Ibex to be a little funky.
5. How do you care for it? Unless it is dirty, you don't really need to wash it all that often. I wear my mid layers many, many times before washing them since merino naturally resists odors. Of course, anything that is worn next to your skin will get stinky. Wash them in cold water and hang dry. I have a dehumidifier in my laundry room to avoid mildew.
6. Any other pros/cons you can think of? Merino has natural temperature regulating properties, so it will keep you cool in the summer and warm in the winter, which is why I highly recommend some 150-200 weight stuff as your first pieces. You will be able to wear them year round.

One other note is that most of the merino producing companies do not make stuff for big guys. An XL is not for someone with a big gut, it is for a tall and thin guy. The clothing gets longer, not larger as the size goes up. Even the big garments are usually quite formfitting, so keep that in mind.

Just for reference, I have worked in the outdoor industry for a few years and have sold a heck of a lot of merino. I myself probably own 50 different pieces, even though I usually just wear the same Icebreaker hoody every day of the week during cold weather. I am a huge fan of the stuff and can wholeheartedly recommend it, especially if you can find it at a good price.
 
Why wool? Girlz always hit on the hobbits!

DSC_0038-2.jpg
 
Wool is coming back. After a brief period (and it depends who you ask, probably most far North guys never participating in this wool dry spell) in the 90's when the polyester fad (no not the 70s version) hit hard and every body started wearing North Face, people started to realize the benefits of wool. Now the natural green movement is also steering towards wool, bamboo, and other materials. Merino Wool has been around a while, but now has increased due to new looming technologies for production.

Merino Wool isn't the only wool, of course there are TONS of other types like Alpaca, and dozens of others I don't even know about. I'm just speaking about it as one of the more popular wool fibers. In Vermont there is a good strain, and some companies have used this US source. One such notable company is DARN TOUGH SOCKS. LIFETIME WARRANTY....on socks!
http://www.woodsmonkey.com/index.ph...ough-socks-review&catid=64:footwear&Itemid=77


Now many of the qualities have probably been listed on here, but wool is really antibiotic:
It contains Lanolin which keeps odors down, unlike some tight fitting poly-pro, in long johns, for instance, which can smell like festering ebola gym bag death sauce.


Good US Wool Manufacturers:
Empire Canvas Works: I have their blanket shirt. The quality is amazing. Hand made. When you think about a hand made jacket, the prices don't match up too.
http://www.empirecanvasworks.com/
Darn Tough Socks:
http://darntough.com/
Johnson
http://www.johnsonwoolenmills.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=JWM
Beagle Wear
http://beaglewear.com/
Pendleton (for the most part made in the US)
http://www.pendleton-usa.com/


Other Sites:
http://montanawoolenshop.com/
Apex Wool Base System
http://www.backpacker.com/gear-zone-apex-baselayer/gear/14986


More Wool Facts:
http://www.enotes.com/how-products-encyclopedia/wool

http://www.woolrevolution.com/
 
I live in WI and wear wool jackets exclusively in the winter.
I wear a Columbia fleece jacket under a heavier wool jacket and I rarely get cold. I do not like synthetic winter jackets. I can't stand the crunchy sound of Columbia or similar jackets when temps get down around 20 degrees. I also like that wool is flame resistant.
 
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.
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Not necessarily...it depends on the tightness of the weave/knitting.
 
I've always stuck mainly with wool when camping and hiking.
Maybe its the Scottish in me, but I love the stuff.
I have an LL Bean Scottish style wool sweater thats warmer than my patagonia coat.
I don't find the weight a problem, though it doesn't pack down as well as all the synthetic stuff.
My buddies all seem to have the latest, greatest synthetic materials.
They also seem to be colder than me...
I also really like Alpaca, and you can readily find fair trade Alpaca, too.

One primary item I always have if nothing else is a Hudson Bay Blanket.
This saved my butt more than once in the Rockies.
If you can find one used, buy it.
They are very dense and insanely warm.

As somebody else said already, it works for the sheep, right?
 
I love wool!

One cheap place to pick up wool garments though by no means a dependable supply source. Is your local thrift stores. Look in the swater section you can often pick up italian made (as well as others)Merino wool polo shirts and light sweaters, they work great as base layers and you can't go wrong for the price.
 
If you decide on wool and are not able to find any at thrift or second hand stores. Consider buying a wool shirt/aorak pullover from either:
They can be had for right around $65.00 which is good considering their quality.

Ron Laclaire at www.shrewbows.com
or
Fred and Teresa Asbell at www.gfredasbell.com

I have the gray 26 oz wool pullover f/ Fred Asbell and it is great, very warm. Was out geocaching w/ my 11 yr in -2 F (no wind) Layered w/ thin moisture wicking t-shirt, eddie bauer fleece, the wool pullover, and thin cavas anorak outer layer...I had to take off wool I got too hot.

Good luck
 
I like and have about 18 Pendletons, and most are like beach surfer shirts in lots of cool patterns and colors with virgin wool. I also have a few that are known as outdoorsman's and western's that have a coarser feel and are heavier with a long tail-my fave is a black and blue hunter checkered pattern. These are really good for under a dry shell. I wear them all year for comfort and style-they just look and feel great.
A good tip-I have purchased about 4 or 5 from the big auction site we all know of for between $10 and $15 and actually scored an older unused heavy model similar to a Mackinaw packer for $12. This one does buck the wind well and if I wear a vest under-it kills the extreme cold too.
The new ones we have bought from the Pendleton store have all been about $70 each.:)
 
Someone else mentioned Ibex, I have some long johns and a couple of their jackets. One of the jackets is a stretchy thick wool jacket. It's almost as thick as my Filson Mac, and it's got some stretch. Great jacket for winter sports and backpacking.
I like my Filson stuff as well, very durable, and mostly windproof.
I used wool in NM for many years, and the dry climate meant it never took long to dry.

The best under layers I've ever used was merino wool, Ibex and or Smartwool. Ibex has a slimmer cut, Smartwool is more roomy. You won't get too hot, it wicks moisture, keeps you warm when wet, has less stink than synthetics, and lasts for years.
 
JGON- As I mentioned earlier, I switch back and forth between wool and fleece depending on the activity and environment. Knowing that you winter paddle, I'd stick with fleece for that. If you dumped, and had to make your wet clothes wearable and warm again, fleece would get you there. Wet wool is just gonna stay HEAVY and wet for a long time. Wool's great, but fleece still has its place.
 
I have a mix of syn and wool. I really don't see any overwhelming reason to supplant one in favor of the other. Such as replacing syn long johns with equal weight wool is not going to matter a great deal imho
 
Briarbrow said:
I have a mix of syn and wool. I really don't see any overwhelming reason to supplant one in favor of the other. Such as replacing syn long johns with equal weight wool is not going to matter a great deal imho
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Me either, and I'm quickly discovering that the lightweight merino base layer I decided to give a go is neither particularly warm, or durable. It did feel great on the skin, and maintain its warmth when soaking wet. Unfortunately, it wasn't that warm to begin with, shrunk when washed according to the instructions, and got a hole after one wearing. This stuff's too expensive to put up with that crap. Think I'll stick to Capilene 1 or 3 for baselayers from now on. At least I know I can get several years out of it.

Doesn't stay cold enough long enough here for heavy wool outer wear, but I'm really liking merino for mid to heavy socks, beanies, and stuff like that. Giving 6 pairs of midweight merino socks, 3 merino beanies, and a 40% merino jacket as Christmas gifts.

Still using my 50/50 cotton/wool blend bottoms that were issued to me 19 years ago this week, and I was the third person in the family to be handed down a wool sweater before it got holey enough to get rid of. That thing was too hot to wear, even with just a t-shirt over it, until it got well below freezing.

Wool in general seems very durable, so I hope the heavier(compared to that light baselayer) items I'm both giving as gifts and using for myself have a good service life.
 
Owen, what brand was that? The bottoms that blew out on me were helley hansen or maybe terramar. I had the same problems with smart wool socks tearing at the toes. Icebreaker though, even without any changes to my toenail grooming habits(which are not bad mom) last for years. A step up from those, i think, good so far, patagonia wool socks.
 
The bottoms were from Terramar. Very similar to the lightweight Smartwools I looked at, but I got them on clearance for about $30.
One of my Smartwool socks had the seam around the cuff on the inside come apart the first time I put them on, but the rest have been fine. I got a bunch of them-if that had been the only pair, it would have been the last.
I like to try everything I can get my hands on, and am constantly trying new stuff(out in the elements 6-7 nights per week most of the time, so am continually "testing"). I'm not going to condemn a brand or material based on one failure, but can't afford to give second chances to everything that falls apart on day one, either.

btw, I have over a dozen Terramar boxer briefs in Coolmax and whatever poly blend the EC2 wicking midweight ones are, and love them all, so it's not a brand thing. I've thrown some Underarmour and Nike Pro stuff in the trash...
 
I was thinking, maybe it's not that p'gonia socks are so much nicer than others, but they are new. Old walked down thread bare socks just aren't as warm. A new pair of socks is a treat for winter feet.

I sewed up the holes in my socks and kept wearing the long handles without a crotch and tears in the legs-I don't exactly give up on a disappointing brand. I certainly do ease into something different next round.

Me, I'm outside for work 5 days/sleep in the woods 4 days a week. I cut it off a bit green this week for Christmas.
 
I only wear wool long underwear now (Icebreaker 200 weight). It's much better than synthetics IMO. Is warm and won't smell. I also only wear wool socks (Darn Tough brand from Vermont). These garments also wear incredibly long so they are a good value compared to synthetics.

I love my wool Swanndri bushshirt, but it is no good below about 50 degrees and is bulky. I also wear wool when bowhunting because it is quiet. But if it is very wet out I will put rain gear on over it. Once wet, it's very heavy. However it does stay warm. The other negative with wool insulation is it is very bulky/heavy for the warmth provided. So on long hikes I will take synthetics over wool.

If I wear wool today I will make sure it is Merino or a close cousin. It won't itch and is usually higher quality than other types.
 
LL Bean sells merino base layers in various weights -- scroll around the page--

http://www.llbean.com/llb/search?storeId=1&catalogId=1&langId=-1&init=1&freeText=cresta&Go=
I haven't tried their wool products but their return policy is great if you purchase something and dislike it.

I've had good experiences with 170g Sugoi Wallaroo :thumbup: and 150g Icebreaker so far. I like Icebreaker merino beanies too.

Eddie Bauer carries some nice merino base layer pieces.

Darn Tough and Smartwool for socks. Smartwool glove liners are useful too.

Heavier 100% merino pieces I've purchased from Goodwill for $2- $5.... Gap, LL Bean, and Smartwool. So, +1 on thrift stores and the like.

Here's another brand -- http://www.io-bio.com/shop/men

I wash my woolens with this Wool Shampoo: http://www.diaperjunction.com/imse-vimse-wool-shampoo.html Imse Vimse makes "Wool Care" too if you have something you want to re-lanolize.

+1 on the Patagonia R1. I have the hoody and it wicks like crazy, is durable, warm, has thumb holes if you like them, has a deep zip vent which is offset at the top, and washes easily. R2 is nice also... warmer and fuzzier than R1.
 
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