School Me On Wool

[43.6N]

I grew up using wool, as that was the only option for cold weather. These days my base layers are always different thickness according to the temps. There are so many good companies these days, both hunting and non. The one company I would check out and recommend is Duckworth, specifically the powder hoody. It will block the wind very well, is very dense, durable and very warm with not a huge weight penalty. I ended up wearing it this month over my down coat in the high country.

I will be checking out that hoody.
You wore it over your down coat? Or instead of your down coat?

 

[Ross]

I wore it over my kuiu super down pro on a windy day chasing muleys at 5800 in the 20s while moving and sitting.

 

[43.6N]

I wore it over my kuiu super down pro on a windy day chasing muleys at 5800 in the 20s while moving and sitting.

Epic hahah. Thanks for clarifying.
Bet you looked like Jeremiah Johnson to those deer

 

[Maverick1]

Is Brynje the only option with these? Feels strange paying $100 for a bunch of air holes, but I can’t seem to find any alternatives.

Aclima is another option.

 

[Scoutfan]

Not what you asked but if I had to choose I would trade all my wool for a quality down puffy suit for a cold weather hunt. For base layers alpaca is expensive but awesome. Too soon to know about it's durability.

 

[43.6N]

Not what you asked but if I had to choose I would trade all my wool for a quality down puffy suit for a cold weather hunt. For base layers alpaca is expensive but awesome. Too soon to know about it's durability.

Haha not on topic, but I’ll allow it.
So what would you consider a “quality” puffy suit given the current market offerings?

 

[Scoutfan]

Anything with 800+ down. My hunting buddy picked up a set of kuiu during there sale and couldn't be happier. I use black ovis and have no complaints. Lot of folks seem to like stone glacier

 

[Beagle1]

For me if XC skiing and snowshoeing it would be fishnet wool baselayers with another wool baselayer over that. That would be the extent of my wool clothes. I wore KOM and Sleeping Indian for many years deer hunting but now it sits in totes in my basement. It wears like iron and is warm and quiet. But the big downsides are even the best weaves do not block the wind and it gets very heavy in the rain or wet snow.

 

[beachbunny]

I bought two loose knit, but thick wool sweaters at a Goodwill for around $10.

One is big enough I use it as a mid layer, usually between merino and a puffy.
If it's REALLY cold, the other sweater is a size to large so I cut the sleeves off and add it over the top of the other sweater.
The loose knit adds loft between layers and is amazingly warm under a wind layer.

Thats the way brodude

 

[hibernation]

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.

That's been my experience with all the lighter weight merino base layers, multiple brands. It's not a durable material. I view it more like "high performance" gear that serves a purpose, like how ultralight rain gear isn't durable either but it still fits a need.

Some people get sucked into the marketing and seem to think anything that expensive must be "better" or "buy once cry once" and that's totally not the case here.