Wool experts I need your help

G

g123

Joined
Oct 25, 2009
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329
Hey Guys,

I have used all kinds of synthetics, but not a lot of wool. Prices seem to be all over the map.

How does Minus 33 stack up to Filson, Smart Wool or Wool Power? I will have to save if Filson is that good, but Minus 33 is much more affordable.

What are your experiences?

Geoff
 
look at Day One Camo, they make non camo if you like also. the prices are great and so is quality. Gary the owner is top notch.
 
Good quality wool is going to cost a lot.

That said, good wool is going to last you the rest of your life. I have an old Peter Storm sweater that is 30 years old. It's had to be darned a few places, but it's still there. I have a Wooly-Pully sweater thats 20 years, and still going strong. Just two little moth holes that got stiched up. Two old school Woolrich Buffalo shirts that are around 20 years, still good.

The problem is cleaning it, and keeping the moths away from it. It has to be dry cleaned, and it can shrink if it gets good and wet and dried while not blocked out. And a wool coat can take a long time to dry out, and it weighs a ton when wet. I have a Filson double cape cruiser, but I find myself wearing it less these days.

I like wool for an under laywer, but for the outer shell, give me a lightweight synthetic any day. Nylon, or tight woven cotton like my old field jacket that I treated with the stuff to re-proof waxed cotton.

I really love wool, but it can be a pain in the a$$. Also as I have gotten older, I find I like the light weight of the synthetics.

If I were a younger man, and still capable of going deeper in the woods like I used to, I don't know if I would bother with wool again, given the choices of good syntheticas they have these days.
 
Light weight wool baselayers can be fairly fragile - it's best to hand wash or wash them on the gentlest cycle you have, and hang them to dry. I usually completely ignore that advice, and I've definitely seen a lot of wear on my light wool.

I have mostly experience with the brands sold at REI type stores...

Smartwool - pricey but pretty comfortable
Icebreaker - very lightweight, a bit itchier than smartwool
Gordini - more reasonable prices, often available in a synthetic / merino blend. Very comfortable.
Patagonia - overpriced patagucci. Seems to get stinky faster than other brands, for some reason.

I have no experience with the specific brand you mentioned, but the only way to find out is to try it. Some people swear by icebreaker, for example, but I prefer other brands. It all comes down to personal preference and finding out who has the specific combination of fit, weight, and style that you like. For example, I like long merino boxer-briefs, but they are fairly hard to find in a light summer weight.
 
Filson is extremely high quality. The wool garments I have purchased from them have stood up and lasted better than the garments from any other maker I've found. Pricey but worth every dime.

Woolrich also makes some very good wool shirts and trousers at a lower price point.

Cabelas has some excellent wool garments as well and often have some on very good sale prices. Read the reviews they have as occasionaly they will tip one to size discrepancies etc.

Woolpower brand which is made in sweden is an excellent brand of undergarments. Fantastic stuff that can even be washed hot. However they don't hold up well as an outer layer they are meant to be used under other garments. They are made of merino wool which doesn't itch but ti is a bit less durable on the outside.

I also have some Filson Alaskan guide longjohns and they are very durable though expensive.

A friend purchased several smartwool items from a local shop and they all had small holes in them and didn't hold up well at all. However I don't know if that is common to the brand or not.

I often find really good deals on merino wool shirts which can be used as under layers etc at thrift stores. I have picked up several $80.00 plus shirts this way for $7.00 - $10.00 each this way.

Wool especialy good wool last forever so take your tim picking up a few pieces at a time till you have a good supply.

If you can find any of the older German, Swiss or Swedish wool military trousers that fit. Buy them they are great and when available go for a fair price.

I have even made myself some outer layers buy sewing my own anoracks out of the Italian Wool blankets i found at a local surplus store.

There are good deals out there if you have a little patience and a bit of ingenuity.
 
i ordered woolrich pants & shirts for many years thru l.l.bean. here is a trick i used to use to get a coat weight jacket from their alaskan shirts. i was a medium at the time & i would order the x-tra large alaskan shirt for about 4$ more than a med. shirt, wash it in hot water , it would shrink back to a comfy medium but have about 40% more wool than tyhe alaskan shirt. in essence you now had a wool jacket for 4$ more than the wool shirt. i still have my wool but usr synthetics more since they weigh so much less. still wear the wool pants to the deer blind when it's nippy. wool is heavier but the champion of durability is still wool.
 
Dale of Norway as well-if you shop right you can find their stuff a quarter of the price of the MSRP, they definately take the cake in the industry when it comes to sweaters.
 
Also, The North Face has a few great merino blends-their Inspiration shirt, and Diablo and Fairfax light sweaters (they weigh about as much as teeshirts and breathe just as well, but keep you comfy down to freezing temps). I know they also have a new 100% merino baselayer out as well.
 
Commercial wool can be over processed, dry, and scratchy. Buy quality and you'll be glad. (Or learn to knit/weave.) I'm partial to my Filson jacket. For socks I'm not as fussy, but Smartwool sock are great. I agree with Jackknife that synthetics are a good alternative and maybe more affordable for base layers/outerwear, but wool socks still rule my world.
 
have used/worn ibex wool for a number of years
(have had other brands that didnt hold up as well)
have had great experiences with it
and it holds up really well
the pieces i have are worn lots and no holes or other issues so far
good quality wool is well worth the expense
as it will literally last for years

i wash all my ibex in the washer on cold
and hang to dry
no problems with shrinkage so far

what i really like about wool is its ability to keep you warm
even if it gets wet

serious wool fan here
watch for sales
off season etc

except for heat of summer(when that happens....)
i wear wool every day
it comes in many weights
short and long sleeve(yes short sleeve undie shirts are great base layers too-
wore one on a 5 mile hike at cape lookout/oregon coast today)
and wool socks
smart wool rei etc etc
i have wool sweaters and socks that are 20+ yrs old
you couldnt tell by looking at em

i also use synthetics in winter
but really prefer wool
 
I can vouch for Filson. I have one of their midweight liners that is the single most versitile piece of clothing I own. It is relatively windproof, breaths very well, sheds water as long as it's not pouring, and makes is very warm layer when worn under a breathable shell. If it ever wears out I will buy another without hesitation. Much better than any windblocking fleece jacket I've ever tried. Good luck.
 
There's no way I'd ever compare wool to 'modern synthetics'-I have yet to own any fleece or other synthetic pullover or jacket that is anywhere near as soft, breathable, warm and light as any of the wool products I own-not to mention it retains 90% of its insulation value when wet, is good for your skin (try wearing any other knitted material on sunburn...) and is near impervious to nasty odors. I've bought or been given eight wool sweaters in the last year (Dale of Norway Storebjorn, TNF Diablo, TNF Fairfax, a hand knitted sweater I picked up on the Blackfoot res, a Woolrich, Eddie Bauer Rag Wool and two older but new TNF sweaters I found on ebay) and would kill for a Cruiser and don't think I'll ever be spending much money at all on polyester pullovers again. I don't care what science says-try a decent wool sweater and you will see, there is a ton of difference and there really isn't a comparable substitute.
 
Hey Guys,

Thanks for all the feed back. I like the tip on shrinking a larger size shirt to get an inexpensive Jacket.

Geoff
 
I have minus 33 long johns. They have been fine so far. I've used them for probably 50 total nights in the woods. Kept me warm under my synthetic pants. I wear only them and my Icebreaker wool upper under layer when I crawl into my sleeping bag. They are a great value in my opinion. Very soft too. The elastic on the waist line is extremly comfortable A little thick though for trekking in.
 
Living, as I do, in an area that grows the finest Merino wool on the planet I'm a little biased towards wool. It has a LOT of advantages, in some situations, over synthetics. It's tougher, and it will even keep you warm, relatively, when it's wet.

Having said that, there are situations where synthetics will have the advantage. They're lighter and easier to pack for example. Which one is best for your situation depends on what you're planning to do.

They both have their place. Wool doesn't make a terribly good raincoat, but would you wear a nylon suit? :)
 
My experience is that Filson has the best quality and longevity but you do pay more while Woolrich has quality goods at a good price.
 
Nice, informative thread. I'll add my little bit. I have several wool garments. I use the sweaters the most. Here is a web page that has several good sweaters, pay particular attention to the "Austrian Heavyweight Wool Sweater."
That is called a "Dachstein Sweater," which is considered by some to be the warmest sweater ever made. Among other wool sweaters, I have five Dachsteins. Here is the URL: hxxp://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/browse/military-surplus-sweaters.aspx?d=122&c=2&s=306
Here is a little info: hxxp://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=34365
I think a company by the name of, "ORTOVOX" makes them. By the way, my Dachsteins are very warm. HTH :)
 
Gajinoz, alot of wool companies are layering goretex, windstopper and other hardshell technologies right in with the wool. My Dale Storebjorn has been worn in the rain dozens of times and it beads up and rolls right off, leaving me completely dry inside. The flip side to wool is that you don't NEED protection from water because it retains its insulation value when wet. I'd rather be soaked to the bone with rainwater, but warm, than be drowning in my own stinky bodily fluids inside a nonbreathing weatherproof jacket. I guess it really depends on how you like to roll-if you don't mind getting rained on, you'll have no problems using wool as your outermost layer. Since it breathes so much it also dries extremely quickly. It goes along with the age old footwear debate-do you wear heavy 'waterproof' boots with goretex lining that trap in your sweat and water, or do you wear desert or jungle boots that breathe more and dry out faster? Thankfully my current climate is so dry that even during or after a good rainstorm I can still clean up pretty well. In humid areas getting dry is just as huge a battle as preventing getting wet.
 
Hey Ulgah,

How heavey are the "Austrian Heavyweight Wool Sweater," What do they weigh?

Do they shink or hold there size?

Thanks,

Geoff
 
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gajinoz said:
Living, as I do, in an area that grows the finest Merino wool on the planet I'm a little biased towards wool.
Click to expand...

ditto and ditto.

imho one of the best things about wool is: it's fireproof.

ever seen what happens to those synthetic fleece jackets in a fire? not pretty and not pleasant.
 
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