PEAX Equipment

Wool hunting clothing

MS 9x56

Active member
Joined
Mar 9, 2022
Messages
159
Every year I see less and less hunters wearing wool hunting clothing. This mystifies me as man still has not invented any material that is as warm, quiet, flame retardent, and earth toned coloration as wool. Any one else out there still using wool?
 
I only use merino base layers and alpaca wool socks. I think there have been some advances in outer layers that are durable and don’t have the weight of wool once it’s wet.

I do have a nice wool coat that I love but it doesn’t get used all the time, never been a fan of wool pants
 
I like wool for base layers and socks. But for heavier outer layers, cleaning them becomes a pain. I invested in an expensive pair of warm pants for extra cold days--100% wool, dry clean only. Makes me not want to get them very dirty.
 
Also available on Amazon, of course. I use it on some wind proof fleece, that stuff also picks up everything it touches in the woods
I have a picture somewhere from years ago my cousin helped me get a deer out of a hell whole with a fleece Adidas coat. He threw it away when we git back could barely tell the jacket was blue.
 
I must admit I have spent a few nights in front of the wood stove in our cabin picking burrs off my coat and pants. Labor of love. My favorite method of hunting big game is by still hunting. Stealth and silence is key. Nothing is quieter than wool when sneaking through a brush lot. Blood doesn’t show much on black and red checked wool either.
 
I like wool for base layers and socks. But for heavier outer layers, cleaning them becomes a pain. I invested in an expensive pair of warm pants for extra cold days--100% wool, dry clean only. Makes me not want to get them very dirty.
A new shoe brush is really all you need to clean wool, after all these are hunting clothes not night on the town or church going clothing. As far as scent control I pack mine in pine boughs a couple of weeks before season. Always hunt with the wind in mind.
 
Wore Johnson wool pants for years.
I wear SG goretex now.

All this fancy cold weather clothing is noisy. I went back to wool for hunting mountain whitetails this year.
I had an original Cabela’s goretex lined wool hunting coat but ended up selling it as it was way too noisy for still hunting.
 
Because for 1/4 the price and weight I can use a puffy, and stay warmer. I don't smoke so flame retardant isn't a thing. Anything can be colored earth tones. And if you're hunting out west with a gun you really don't have to be that quiet.

I like wool pants for archery and that's about it. I've even gone away from merino for base layers because they really don't dry if you get them wet. Sure they don't stink but play the wind and it doesn't matter
 
Because for 1/4 the price and weight I can use a puffy, and stay warmer. I don't smoke so flame retardant isn't a thing. Anything can be colored earth tones. And if you're hunting out west with a gun you really don't have to be that quiet.

I like wool pants for archery and that's about it. I've even gone away from merino for base layers because they really don't dry if you get them wet. Sure they don't stink but play the wind and it doesn't matter
All fair points for western hunting, where shooting distances tend to be much longer than in thick woods here east of the Mississippi. Wool definitely gets heavy if you are walking longer distances going up and down mountains.
 
I wear a lot of wool. My sock and T-shirts (long and short sleeved), thermals are wool. Shirt is wool - early season I wear a Pendleton Board Shirt and I move to a thicker LL Bean wool shirt I’ve had for 30 years.

Once it gets mid 40s or lower I move to Army Wool pants I bought 30 years ago. I bought a second replacement pair at the time but haven’t worn out the first pair yet. I think they’re 1951 fatigues or dress pants. They have baggie legs and are great for hiking. It’s a lighter weight material. I have thick wool pants for miserable days.

I have a heavy Fillson wool coat but only wear it occasionally and only when I’m not hiking the heavy coat.
 
Gastro Gnome - Eat Better Wherever

Forum statistics

Threads
111,155
Messages
1,949,107
Members
35,056
Latest member
mmarshall173
Back
Top