School Me On Wool

[43.6N]

After reading through the current posts on hard use wool clothing, I have many questions.

First, I’m doing an extended January cow hunt on the Wyoming/Idaho border. This has given me an opportunity to reflect on my current cold weather system, and it has been found wanting.

So, for all the true dyed-in-the-wool purists out there, please school me (and others) on wool.

-How do I know if a wool piece is “quality” or not?
-What types of wool should I be considering?
-Would you ever consider buying used wool?
-Are there some reputable brands you would recommend?
-How do I take care of my wool?
-Shrinkage?
-Merino vs Alpaca vs camel?

 

[RADunfee]

My recommendation would surely be Merino and First Lite makes great merino products. However there are a TON of other companies out there. You're going down a deep rabbit hole.

 

[Tmac]

First, one can have an adequate cold weather system without wool. That said, I often wear some wool. I use it less now than 30 years ago. So all my wool, save a couple base layers, is old and I’m no help on brands to consider now.

Couple thoughts. Wool can get heavy, especially if wet. Depending on the tightness of the weave it can suffer in the wind.

Before I redid my clothes, I might look to seeing if I could add warmth or a better outer layer to what I have. You might just be a warmer pair of boots/gloves/face mask and a layer away from being where you need to be.

 

[43.6N]

My recommendation would surely be Merino and First Lite makes great merino products. However there are a TON of other companies out there. You're going down a deep rabbit hole.

Thanks for the recommendation.
My experience with the lighter summer weight wool pieces from first lite and Kuiu has been mixed.

They breathe well, and keep the bugs and sun off. But there seems to be no durability. I have holes that spontaneously pop up under any friction point.