Comfort in the Cold: Wool Clothing for the Wilderness 

I love wearing wool throughout the cool and cold months in the upper Midwest. For me it’s all about breathability. If I’m hiking uphill with a heavy pack and start to sweat, my wool layers will wick away moisture while keeping a layer of warm air trapped when I stop moving. It’s the perfect outdoor fabric.

Wool always has been and always will be the best for winter cold !!! I've never understood why we've strayed from wool products. The old generations had it right !!

after hiking the Andes up and down and trying not to freeze in my wet synthetic clothes when the wild patagonian wind gets through you, I am making my way back into wool and canvas again! Canvas, oilskins, wool garments, caribou fur jackets, etc work MUCH better and are definitively much more environmental friendly. I am pretty sure we will see a generalized comeback to such natural materials, of course with new designs and new material combinations, This will happen with clothing, backpacks, tents, boots, etc. I am quite sure! (synthetics can still be used where there is no better alternative or where it makes sense to do so). There is already quite some research going on around traditional clothing (Inuit, Sami, Chukchi, Mongolia, Tibet, etc,) Our superb andean wools have also a bright future... Scandinavians, Aussies and especially Kiwis will certainly be able to take the lead in transforming such ethnic designs into sportsmen clothing (Swandris have been a hit for 100 years...) A NEW sun will arise in the sportsman horizon, soon!

The best place to get awesome wool sweaters is Goodwill. I just picked up 4 very nice merino wool sweaters for $28. Absolutely nothing wrong with them.

Nice m-1951 shirt. Love those things

Kirk I too like Woolrich. Good quality for the price. Just wanted to say the wool military watch cap is a great product. Wore it under my Kevlar Helmet in the military and it always kept my head and ears warm. Price less than 8 dollars new. Colors Black, green and navy blue. 80/20 or 100% Wool cannot remember, and the tag is gone in mine. I still use it. The army use to have a 5 button stand up collar wool sweater I wore under my BDU shirt that kept me warm down to teen temps. I do not think it is made/sold anymore. It was a good layering sweater. Not as thick as the sweater on the vid but a good piece of gear.

Wool is life !

Your grandfather's coat is very cool, it doesn't look 70 years old at all ;) Keep posting great video's

I like that high collar red nor. Thrift stores are great! Thanks for sharing!

Here in New Zealand we have the best outdoor wear in the 🇳🇿world I wear woollen and fleece in the winter but in the summer I have started wearing merino singlets and I stay cool and dry try out swandrai Swazi icebreaker ridgeline you can't go wrong and it's cheaper than most other big name brands

Amazing deal on that wool blanket. Good find!

I thou7ght I was the biggest wool freak in the world but you're right there with me. Side note: I was so disappointed to see Woolrich change their clothing line from "outdoors" to "urban yuppie". They were my go to brand for almost all my outdoor wool clothing.

that red Woolrich jacket was FANTASTIC INVESTMENT!!

Absolutely love my wool living in Wisconsin..this is my first year really wearing wool...but it's amazing...so warm..and breathable...

I love my military surplus wool pants, my 100% lambs wool columbia 1/4 zip and my Dad gave me his wool blanket he was issued during his time in the military in the Vietnam era.

That Woolrich jacket though..................... LOVE

Weatherwool is definitely worth your time looking into imho jackets, anoraks, pants caps gators. You will get sticker shock but the quality is stellar and Ralph and his wife and the company not only provide great items but their customer service matches the quality of goods they offer also.

Pathfinder store 100% wool watch cap $9.95. Huge fan of black owl, been watching for a long time! Keep up the great work guys.

Love using wool. Just plain feels great and gets the job done rain or shine. Keep up the awesome videos!

Good video. When we were kids our winter coat was wool and it was great until it rained talk about heavy but you were still warm. Thanks for sharing.

I love wool for deer hunting. I have had deer look in my direction and they don't see the wool. Warm and undetectable. I love it.

I like the visuals with the clothes line demonstration. I love wool clothing and always look for it in thrift stores.

BlackOwlOutdoors great tips and your grandfathers field coat is kick ass, thanks for sharing

Nice video. For a wool beanie, I made one from a boiled wool sweater from a used clothing store (Google boiled wool mittens) and a pattern for a fleece toque. Super easy!

Love this channel. U have great info and great reviews on products. Keep it up brother.

I was spinning up a rare type of wool, Romeldale on my spinning wheel while I watched this. It is soft yet very warm.....I am thinking of making both a rug and blanket. I love wool, mohair and other natural fibers. I find clothing regularly at the thrift stores and also scored a $1 Cashmere sweater. That blanket was a great bargain! In order to afford my crafting...I decided it was time to spin up the yarn...Wool makes great stuffing for pillows too! It is nice to see you enjoy the wool and older jacket...

I can remember when my dad was in the army, he had a wool blanket and when I tell you that I hated it, that couldn't describe it enough, but it was extremely warm but itchy as hell!

wool is hands down the best for most cold climates. throw some gore tex over it for really wet times and you have an unbeatable combination. i have found military surplus to be by far the best and least expensive source for wool cloths. there are even some italian wool long underware on the market now that are verry good quality, i do have to wear a layer under them (thin synthetic) but im extra sensitive to wool itch

Thanks just getting into wool ! This video was very informative thanksDan

We live in Tennessee we wear wool year around we use merino wool shirts they are great for keeping you cool

I live in Michigan and it gets plenty cold .I really like wool one of my favorite wool garments is a crew neck wooly pulley sweater. They can be used as an outer garment or under a coat

Thank you for a great and very helpful video

I wear a lightweight merino shirt during the summer, and a lighter merino sweatshirt at night if he gets a little cooler. With the newer merinos you can really wear wool all year round, I prefer it to synthetics just because if you sweat a bit in it it seems to cool down and breath a lot better then synthetics. Doesn't stink after a few days out hiking either, great stuff. Either Smartwool, Icebreaker or First Lite is my favorite because they have earthy colors and camo patterns in wool for hunting, plenty of different weights and styles from shirts to heavier jackets.

Wool is great... wicking and breathable. Vermont winter very cold this year. Wool socks and boot liners a must. Im looking at canvas anorak as an outer layer for windproof and breathability layer. Keep up the good reviews

great video, thanks for the info!

I am a wool believer. I have a very similar green knitted sweater from WW2. I also have Army Surplus Wool Pants and a Swanndri Bush Shirt. I only recently got the bush shirt but it is the best bush shirt i have had. I did have the lester river one but it isnt as thick. I would recommend a thick outer layer like the Swanndri Bush Shirt

Great video and tips, thank you

I get my Wool beanies from the surplus store because I can't find them anywhere else. When i lived in snow territory (for years) I found that my wool outerwear did not get soaked with water when it rained or snowed on me. I suspect that it was because my wool still had plenty of lanolin in it (which is what makes sheep waterproof), so if you wool is soaking through it might be because they were dry cleaned too many times or simply washed with hard detergents too many times and the natural lanolin has been lost. I do carry an inexpensive poncho in my pack to throw on top of my all wool (100% wool) outerwear but to be honest I have not use dot in the past 25 years, no water has ever gotten through to me.I still use my surplus wool coats (manufactured in the 1940s) and the wool looks new, all the synthetic (performance fiber) jackets I bought didn't last and have all been given away to young folk who only wear synthetics. Hopefully they will learn when to switch to wool (I remind them of wool's warmth when we are standing still outdoors (chatting) on a cold winter night, they are shivering in their experience lightweight synthetics while my family is happily warm in our old school wool. The pockets on the back of the hunter jackets are great for putting hand warmers next to your kidneys, which then warm up your entire blood supply.I find the best combo for keeping me warm and waterproof is a leather jacket (which is incredibly windproof and holds your wartime in) with one or more wool layers underneath, its my ultimate combo, its snow, wind and waterproof (if you're worried about that) and the combo is lighter than several thick or dense wool layers. If I was extremely active then I would have focused on synthetics to wick away the prodigious sweat but we just don't do that, we walk, stand or sit in the cold so the synthetics just don't do anything for us, wool has worked extremely well for us for many decades now and continues to be our favorite. If anyone complains about itchiness then I show them our wool and silk blend base layer which feels like silk, with no itchiness at all (its 20% silk).

Wow another wool fan - I can not survive winter without my wool socks, pulls, jackets and caps & most important military grade wool blanket ! But my last buy was the best : a 1982 US parka with sheep skin liner - you can drop it in spring or survive a winter with the sheep skin 🤗

The perks of being little are that you can find vintage gems and sales. I'm envious

I've been a big fan of wool, but struggle with the price. I was blessed this year with a gift of a woolrich coat that is probably 30 to 40 years old. What a great coat. I agree with your comments about the high collar. My coat has a button under both sides of the collar that allow me to tighten it around my neck. Awesome. I also wear wool socks once it gets cold. The socks I like best are the Cabelas mid weight boot socks. On sale I can get a four pack as cheap as $10.99. They are warm (but not too warm), dry quickly, and they don't smell because of the natural anti-microbial properties of wool.

Pendleton makes amazing wool garments, easy to find for those on the west coast

I've just gravitated to wool slowly and steadily over the years. I get finely woven wool dress pants (merino if I can get it). I wear the silk and merino wool hiker socks made by Wigwam, I wear cotton t-shirts and polo shirts but with cashmere sweaters over the top, and then I top the whole thing off with medium to heavy weight wool sport coats. The finishing touches are cashmere scarves and merino wool stocking caps. Pure comfort even in light rain.

Hi, yahh wool is the best; I’v tried it wet on the beach in the winter, and it kept my feet warm still. I wear wool everyday in the winter now since I live i. Calgary AB Canada. You guys can absolutely find good quality wool just in thrift stores. You can find lots of high neck wool sweaters I assume in Pensilvania because I found some good sweaters which are mostly all wool except for one high neck Edie Bauer, with80% wool I didn’t buy. Surplus stores are great places to look at foe wool.

It's a shame for Woolrich the factory has been shut down in PA for a while and most of the stuff is made overseas. Now I believe the store is also closed. We would drive by on our way to our camp above lock haven. When I was a kid I wore a Woolrich coat deer hunting. Worked great. Thanks for posting.

Good review, It reminds me to add more wool to my wardrobe. I do have a wool beanie I bought at garage sale for $2!

Nice video Bro.

Norsewear from new zealand, very thick and warm wool watch cap. Have had mine now for 10 years

Filson or duxbak make great wool watch cap style beanies. I have both and love both.

Have the same blanket, have slept on it for years, also a surplus buy. Have a felted wool poncho/sarape for the high altitude summer excursions. Use Quebec made wool sweaters for layering all winter long. I love your videos.

Wool socks feel much much less clammy from sweat than synthetics. Same for wool shirts and thermos. I switched over all my socks, including summer socks to wool.

Your grandpa's coat looks great considering how old it is! There are some things worth saving up for to buy quality, and winter coats are one of them, especially considering that your comfort (and possibly safety) is what's on the line!

Hi. Really like the video. Great to see others that appreciate the old knowhow! For high collar similar to your video try the surplus Austrian army mountain troop sweaters. With no collar but a great heavy zip-neck try the same but Swiss version - both cheap online. More expensive but absolute best (have worn in arctic) are the Swedish Ullfrotte in several layers. C.

Good info. I would wear a cheap synthetic over my wool when by the fire to protect my wool. I would then replace the synthetic more often.

hi nice video !! i bought a Swandri wool bushshirt and is the bets ever for outdoor clothing mine is already 15 years old and still use it everyday in the bush!!

Thank you for your great video. I am a huge fan of wool clothing. I lived in Norway near the Arctic Circle for 7 years. I quickly learned that wool is a traditional Norwegian favorite for clothing. It seems to work very well even if you're working out as long as you don't sweat too much. I would go on 10 Mile cross-country skiing Journeys and I would have a 100% baby wool base layer and then a wool sweater on top of that and it worked out really well. Again if you start to sweat too much then this could become an issue as the wool doesn't do so hot if you get extremely wet. But as long as your perspiration is Madara you should be good to go. I find a lot of good will closing at the Goodwill. These items may have a few blemishes or possibly even a few small holes they will work great for hiking camping skiing snowboarding Etc. Raven just for hanging around the house on a cold winter night. I loved your recommendation regarding wool and open flames.

LL Bean has a nice 100 merino lambs wool sweater with same collar with lining around inside of collar with similar material as yours. Has a zipper instead of your snaps. Wasn’t cheap but very very nice

I bought a filson mckinnaw wool jacket, 9 years ago! Since then I haven't bought any other winter jacket..

for a wool beanie, search in surplus stores for the military 100% wool knit cap. great piece of equipment! thanks for you video mate, wool rocks :D

100% wool watch cap, military surplus. Also, there is a shirt circa Korean War just like the one you're wearing that's a wool blend for like 20 bucks on eBay

Self reliance outfitters has black wool beanies ,watch caps.

Both ice breaker and Smartwool make amazingly comfortable merino wool beanies , hope This helps !

Good video. The Sportsman Guide I think still sell the wool Italian Jeep cap you might like it.

Your a PA boy i live by derry ridge nice to know someone with such a good channel is in the same area

I just got a 100% wool beanie from 'Turtle Fur', hand made in Nepal. Warm!!!

thanks!!!!

I have a Filson Wool Packer and am curious about how the shearling collar will hold in rain / heavy snow.

Nothing better than denim jeans and grandpa's old Pendleton flannel.

Frost river has a really great wool beanie

I haven't bought a wool hunting yet.... iv been on Johnsons woolen site and will probably order from them. There andorandike plaid is 24oz

How did that gorgeous red coat stay moth free since the 1940s? I love wool, but I have no cedar chest or closet. Sometimes the wool gets holes. Love the stick hanger too. On another note, we do ecological restoration in Midwestern woods, wetlands, and prairies. Bonfires are utilized to burn down the cut down invasive buckthorn and other species. We are not allowed to wear synthetics. Ever. The sparks, and flying embers really do cause the synthetics to melt.

ive had my Woolrich stag shirt jacket for almost 9 years, id recommend it to anyone!

Hey, what do you guys think about wearing a peacoat out in the wild? (Assuming the peacoat is 100% wool)

Prometheus Design Werx makes the best merino watch cap beanie - 100% US made too.

Have you used a wash in water proof treatment for wool. Got a wool jacket and after treatment water beads off like a gore-text rain coat.

Wool is cool :) Good vid, agree with everything you said. Btw, there are some wool beanies at Amazon right now for around 10-12 bucks but you probably already know that.

NxN makes a great merino wool beanie

Here is some comment from down under kiwiland: here all blokes use there swanndri bush shirts even when wet there warm ones a year i washed them with cold water and a soap based on lanoline ( wool vet ) keeps most water off.

that is a map pocket in the back of the hunting coat stormy kromer wool hats check out US Navy wool watch hats I am another PA proud resident Woolrich is good stuff. Keep an eye on swap meets, and thrift stores I have seen navy pea coats @ army surplus for like 70 bucks remember aromatic cedar to keep moths away it also deters stinkbugs I keep some on my cold air return

Sherpa has a nice hand made wool beanie

Nice video (took me a minute to notice you guys actually built those cool hangers)! Really like the Woolrich shirt, I've been looking for something like this for quite a while now. Have you ever heard of "Loden"? It's a natural fabric based on wool. It's mostly used for German/Austrian traditional wear and is also very popular among hunters in Europe. I haven't tried it yet (I'll either wait for an opportunity to buy a coat used or go for a more modern jacket, like the "deubelskerl"), but I hear it's great.

I couldn't agree more about how much wool helps out. I have the Boy Scout Jac-Shirt that's an 85/15 wool blend and it's a difference-maker on cold campouts.

I'm in Texas I wear wool socks year round

Living in Calgary Alberta Canada we live off wool

Really enjoy your videos. Have you ever tried any Filson wool products and the tin cloth pants? I own a few pieces and really enjoy them, filson can be pricey but it's American made and they have great earth tones. .

I personally usually wear a SPOSN Berezka (birch pattern) spetsnaz headwrap....imported from ukraine

Wool is 100% mix made a difference..I am 100% or noting for the forest .....from north BC

Great video, Sent you a pm about the best watch cap available.

I have over 42 pieces of FILSON...mostly the older stuff. Check FILSON for the beanie or LL Bean .

What model carhartt cap is that? Love it.

I don't know if you mentioned the shirt you were wearing is a wool OD Green 108 1950s series I just picked up one at an army surplus store for $37 still have the inspection tags inside the pockets dated September 1952 I need shoes wolf shirt winter Army and it's thicker than my Johnson Woolen Mills brand new 2020 field coat but you can see light through if you try to put a flashlight behind it Yarbrough shirt you can't see the light it's so thick very good shirt made for the Korean War conflict winter Warfare series

Wigwam mills worsted wool watch cap, looks identical to what your wearing and for 12$ has done me good during this " polar vortex " winter. Ps: why did you go to the Gap?

Smartwool has a good hat its called the Lid.

Ray Mears has the awesome merino wool and possum fur hats on his page, look them up. I highly recommend them!

Did you ever find a wool beanie? I bought one in the last month or so at a military surplus store. New, 100% wool and made in the USA for less than $7. They had them in OD, black and navy.

Wool is good for autumn.. but when it really gets cold, like -30 f or -35c then its shite.. you need properly layered clothing with good insulation on top and a layer of air in between

Living for the last 5 years at the edge of the Tibetan Plateau, I discovered yak down and I'm never going back to synthetic fleece. I have designed, made and tested yak down sweaters in the last year and I hope to launch some products this September. If you want to know more about yak down check our Facebook page facebook.com/thelazyak. Check out our latest video ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-34K4GTJR4vU.html

I've got a wool field cap from WWII for hunting, easily worth it other than accidentally buying the hat two sizes to small.

You mentioned wool is a no-no in the summer. What materials would you recommend to be worn during the summer months? Looking to get some new clothes for camping.

Maybe it's just me but a hat feels like the best layer to remove if you're heating up. Likewise if you're getting too cold. Put on a hat instead of fussing with your coat. Works for me at least. I absolutely hate sweating in the cold.