Does anyone wear wool anymore?

[Frito]

I have an old wooly Pully from the Marines that is warm as hell. Kinda itchy though, so I wear a thin layer of modern merino under it. It's ugly as hell too. I rarely wear it unless it's really cold. I also wear cheap wool socks when I'm not wearing my Darn Toughs. They wear out really quickly but I've gotten away from cotton.

 

[Only Dreaming]

I am on the fence with wool for extended hunts right now.

I have a Filson Double Mackinaw Cruiser the jacket is absolutely wonderful. I like in Fairbanks so I have a lot of experience keeping warm and comfortable. The one property about wool that blows my mind is its versatility. I can wear it at 30 degrees and be comfortable and with a sweater I am comfortable around town at -40 F. I never get that, I have got to get this jacket off of me or I am going to die feeling! I will never give up on wool around town or if I were on shorter hunts. (There does not seem to be such a thing as shorter hunts in AK. Everything is an expedition!)

I first got into wool on the Delta Junction Bison hunt that I pulled several years ago. My first clue that I needed something else was when I was "sneaking" through some brush and single twig brushed against my nylon jacket. I heard the noise and looked up and saw about 100 eyes looking at me. Days later, I belly crawled in the snow in a pair of insulated nylon pants to a herd of about 12. I laid there for a while seeking to identify a bull and then just to watch the herd. I was there for an hour and came back soaking wet and very cold. In another stalk, I was in my Filson wool bibs and remained warm and dry. At that point, I thought I was sold on wool for life.

My difficulty comes in when I consider our week long moose hunts on a river in a canoe. I know if I fall in the water, which seems inevitable, I am going to be wet for a good while. I have also found that the Double Mac is not quite warm enough for early mornings. Additionally, space and weight are always a premium. The stuff is just heavy and worse bulky! I have also been wearing the Double Mac, with layers, on snow machine trips. At -20 F, even with layers, I am not as warm and cozy as I would like. One important factor with the snow machine trips is an outer layer that breaks the wind, which I do not have.

I have been weighing my options and am considering some of the more technical gear offerings. I am not sure where I will end up but if I part with my wool outerwear it will not be without a tear. And I always feel that any departure will only be short lived.

Bryan