Hey folks, just a heads up, FirstLite is running their annual fall sale August 19-22. You can save up to 40% on a bunch of their gear. As mentioned in the vid, I've been wearing their merino base layers since 2010. I believe they were the first to do merino in camo but what initially drew me to FL was their commitment to public lands conservation, something I was deeply involved in at the time. Since then I've come to know many of the folks that work there. Good folks, good ethos, good gear. About two years ago they came on as a sponsor, helping to support the channel and the quality (hopefully 🤪) content I strive to make. If you're in the market for some excellent outdoor clothing, hit'em up. www.firstlite.com/
A light balaclava hood and neck covering, weighing an ounce or two, is life support gear. That, plus a beanie, helps you survive when the weather does something really unexpected. And really light weight.
I wore the Merino wool base layers for four (4) straight weeks; comfortable, warm, & itch free. On winter deployments in Germany for US Army wargames "wool" was the only way to go, but that wool worked just as well & was uncomfortable because it was itchy. I learned early on when I was a Boy Scout that cotton was worthless & smelly. Why oh why Merino wool was not around in my Army days makes me wanna cry...!!!
You have to put in a plug for them to bring the Cipher camo back. I loved that pattern for the fall time. I hope FL keeps innovating with their merino products.
I been telling everyone I know about your grape vine water purification set up, they are just blown away by it, especially to see inside the vine and it's purification system, I have learned so much from you, I'm so grateful, thank you clay!
I love Merino, but the history of wool is far more interesting all together. We used to use more coarse wools that were woven and felted and treated to soften the wools. Labour intensive, but that's what medieval nobility wore. Merino wool is less scratchy but a little lower on the strength scale, not a bad idea to mix with other fabrics. Important to remember is that all wool/hair is a closed fiber unlike plant fibers, allowing no moisture in just on, naturally wicking moisture and odor. Not odor destroying, but it releases it easily unlike plant fibers. Don't throw it in the dryer though.
Don't forget a roomy backpack for extra gloves, scarves, facemasks, hoodies, etc. etc. When your exhalations ice up your facemask, you may need a new one every hour or two. Wind can compress down multilayers of pants in front of the thigh bone and freeze it bad, e.g. wind chills down to -50 Fahrenheit. Good insurance is a piece of thick foam rubber in front of the thigh bone. If you step into cold snow, underneath may be meltwater from several days ago insulated warm by overlying cold snow. This water will find every crevice in your boots. So, don't step into low areas that can have hidden water across a field, and rubber boots are good insurance as long as they don't develop pinholes and cracks. Eddy currents at the edge of any body of water (streams and lakes both) can keep ice from freezing above even if it is minus 90 F, and snow can accumulate igloo-style higher above so the snow domes over and you can't see the underlying hole in the ice. Be careful where you step so your foot doesn't go into icy water. This happens because as eddy currents swirl they can give off heat upwards to keep ice from freezing, but higher up it can be cold enough for snow cover to survive frozen. If you are walking into severe wind, it flattens multilayers against the front of the thigh so there is no airspace left for insulation unless you use foam rubber or similar to force residual air insulation to survive the air pressure. Under these condition a very thick face mask with only tiny eye holes is a must. For more information, read Jack London "To Build a Fire" and other stories based on his experience in Alaska.
As a kid I stomped on one of these ice domes on the lake, not knowing what it was. Fell right into the freezing water but was able to catch myself on the edges of the ice. An adult then pulled me back out. Could have ended much worse. Lesson learned, don't mess around with ice and only step where you know you can step.
I finally started using wool socks year -round about ten years ago. Deep South Louisiana and I’m in the heat all day. My feet stay dry and don’t stink. Completely counterintuitive, but it’s true, I’ll never go back. I’ve added 100% merino wool tank tops under my work BRAND shirts that I have to wear. Slowly budgeting into more and more wool. Appreciate
I don’t have your experience, but I have plenty. I live in canada, and have spent a ton of time outdoors. From ice fishing, hunting, hiking, camping, working in construction, where I’m indoors and outdoors a lot, I even cycled for two years all year around. I love wool. Like you said it smells less, and also has a way bigger range of comfort. Poly stuff seems to be too hot, or not hot enough in a small temp range, but wool is comfy in a way bigger range. The only thing I like poly stuff for is that it does dry wayyy faster than wool once it gets wet. It’s also very light. Wool, if you’re careful to not let cloth eating moths get to them, needs to be treated with lanolin to keep it healthy, and a little water resistant, but those moths actually are after the oil, and not the wool. And Yessss! Wool socks in my work boots, even in warm weather are so much better than cotton. Cotton is great for hot weather shirts.
Here in Montana where the some of the uninitiated wear jeans, we call it “death cloth” when worn into the backcountry, especially in winter. The go-to for outerwear is wool or a good synthetic that retains its insulating quality when wet. The odds of getting caught out in a snowstorm or rainstorm can be high in hunting season. The downside of wool is that it tends to be heavier.
<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="1260">21:00</a> For getting started Costco brings in Merino Wool Base Layers (top and bottom) Every year. Good quality, low price. Great way to have several merino pieces, get used to wearing them everywhere in winter, fall, and spring, And really helps to identify what you would spend to Upgrade in an extreme cold Weather kit. Ie medium or heavy duty merino long John's for cold winter weather.
Love to see that old dodge being taking care of and used. Those old trucks and engines are the secret to simplicity and longevity. We used to install vegy kits back in high school, my brother and I took a trip from the Canadian boarder to Florida on straight vegy down and back. Many people didn’t believe it, but many embraced the idea. Good work clay keep going
Synthetic fabrics are so incredibly uncomfortable that I can’t stand them ever. I’m always cold and hot at the same time no matter what level of activity or temperature I am. Just a horrible feeling. A few years ago, I tried wool socks for the first time and fell in love with them! I never looked back! Wool is amazing! So comfortable! Any time of year!
I’ve seen so many people put on all their layers to walk to their stand. Needless to say, they’re sweating & breathing heavy halfway there. Try to carry what you can. Deal with the cold. You’ll warm up while you walk. Layer up when you get set up & cool down.
Great advise! Back in "the day", all we had was wool or cotton. There are times when cotton is better but not very often. We really have great options these days. My prefered base layer now is silk. It is superior to merino for moisture wicking, anti-microbial and lighter. But it can be a bit fragile and is definitely expensive. I generally choose merino as my mid layer, melton wool for pants or bibs. If the weather is sub-freezing, I might choose to have a down 2nd mid layer, if I'm going to be inactive. My outer layer is only worn when it's wet, so that is usually something like Gortex, or the like. For socks...silk in the summer, silk base and merino in the winter. I have 1 pair of alpaca/merino socks for extreme cold weather. I won't wear those until the temps are -10F or less. They don't make my feet sweat but it feels like they are on fire if the ambient temps are too high. If you plan to be more than a mile from your truck, get the best gear you can afford. 😊😊😊
@@clayhayeshunter You might try Australian brushtail possum "wool" for gloves sometime. They can be a but fragile, like merino, but are extremely warm and light.
This was interesting. Have you ever tried linen before? I got into medieval recreation and I am absolutely amazed at what linen can do. It wicks moisture like nobody's business, keeps you cool in the heat and warm in the cold, it breathes beautifully, it dries fairly fast,.. I wore a linen tunic under a thick wool tunic during the summer in about 28C and I barely sweat at all because of the linen.
The Confederate soldiers wore linen pants during the War of Northern Aggression, but only in the summer (from what I can tell) Wool still rules the field
I have problems with my feet/toenails/walking and you just explained that your feet slide in cotton socks and they get flattened out, worn itchy scratchy almost from the dryer so I’m going to get some wool socks 🧦 and I can’t wait to wear them. Thanks again Clay 🙏🏼
This video is truly exceptional and packed with valuable insights! I wholeheartedly support the information presented, particularly regarding the superiority of natural wool fibers over synthetic materials. My experiences range from mountaineering and guiding ice climbing to living off the land, relying solely on these natural resources for protection. As for "out on a limb" regarding time spent in the wilderness (<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="364">06:04</a>) I may possibly challenge that Clay, thought that certainly is a small group I would agree. I have typically had the upper hand in this regard to most I meet, even professional, due to my teachers being born between 1877 and 1898 and how I was raised. I embarked on my first traditional retreat, often referred to as a "vision quest" by some, in the early 1970s at the age of 13, spending 67 days in the same outfit, and totally alone until an Elder retrieved me. Following that, I dedicated many months, and then nearly a year, to solo retreat before enlisting in the Marines. I still possess woolen garments from that era, which highlights another advantage of crafting your own gear and the wonders of natural wool and related fibers including buckskin: they can last a lifetime, even with rigorous use if taken care of. Thanks again Brother for another marvelous video...!!!
I don't know why more people don't talk about vests for an outer layer. I love wearing a mid-layer jacket and a wool vest outer layer less restriction of the arms. But they seem hard to find it's been my experience keeping the core warm is way more important than extremities. Except hands and feet of course
Thanks Clay, you confirmed some things I already have been doing for several years and added some new things. I've been able to find most of my wool gear on Ebay and some from Marino tech. I wear this stuff hunting or not in the winter plus wool socks year round.
Best thing I’ve ever done was invest in wool layers. Wool socks, wool base layers, wool flannel, wool Adirondack. Something to black the wind which is normally a thin down puffer. I’m not in the mountains but because I’m hunting high pressure public land I am hiking into areas that most people are not so it’s easy to over do it and get hot. Here in in Northern IL we might have a random 70 degree day in October or even December but it will normally be sun freezing with lows getting well below 0 late season around January.
@ronhanish Praise Jesus! Sing songs of worship to him everyday! He just wants us to love him, and when we do, he fills us with unspeakable joy and heals us and comes to live inside of us, the Holy Spirit is real and will show you the truth of all things, like Clay, he is here for us and teaches us things we never knew and are awe inspiring!, thank you Jesus and thank you Clay!.
This is why I want to build a dry hot sauna on my homestead. I'd do one before heading out for the day. That'll warm your core up real good for at least a few hours.
I will never wear anything but Marino for my base layers iv gone whole ski seasons using the same base layer and not washing them, all I ever did was hang them up in a tree in the sun ( I was camping in the woods in the mountains because I couldn’t afford accommodation where I was skiing and had no access to to a washing machine)
I'm new to your channel. Absolutely spot on advice. I'm a huge fan of wool, almost any variety. I really like it as an outer layer. It's absolutely silent when going through brush. You spend forever picking out prickers and briars, but that's a fair trade off. Totally different point, I'd love to know more about your Longrifle. A flintlock is all I ever hunt with.
I've tried all kinds of wool and alpaca wool is best. It's as warm or warmer than marina wool and dries faster. Also alpacca wool doesn't stink as bad.
Merino wool is good and all but worth mentioning something alot of people don't know or think about. If its at camp or anywhere not being worn it will get chewed up and used for nesting material. It dries significantly slower than anything else. My dumbass had a few hundred dollars worth drying on a log at camp and came back to find it absolutely destroyed. I'm pretty sure it was chip munks, mice, maybe prarie dogs or squirrels but whatever it was im sure will have a good winter.
Everyone has their own opinion based on personal experience. I personally choose synthetics for mountaineering, it is lighter, dries faster, does not require fine maintenance like wool, is extremely resistant to all conditions, I have clothes made of synthetics that are years old and are as good as new. And I have some examples of wool clothing from renowned outdoor manufacturers, barely a year old, showing major signs of wear and tear, and considering the high price, this should not happen, plus they have been maintained as best as possible. From wool, I only use socks, hats and sometimes active clothes, although I use a mesh base layer more and more because it performed the best. It is best when wool and synthetics are combined into one, then you get a garment with all the advantages of both wool and synthetic materials. In my area, people have been raising sheep for centuries and making various clothing items. The best quality sheep's wool comes from sheep that live in the harshest natural conditions of snow and ice. The advantages of wool would be that it is naturally anti-odour, naturally provides protection from UVA radiation and is not easily flammable, it does not contain heavy chemicals. Cotton clothing should be avoided for the most part during any outdoor activities.
MARINO WOOL does NOT require _"fine maintenance."_ They're not an L.A. blonde chic in an Aspen lodge. I RARELY WASH my Marino Wool socks and they _DON'T EVEN STINK._ And they Do Not Wear Out like your synthetics. I'd LOVE to challenge you to put your synthetics through the Same Torture as my Marinos and see how they "survive," 'cuz they won't.
REGARDING CLOTHING.... I live in AMISH country where ALL clothing is hand made from Wool 'cuz they don't have Cotton Fields. Amish clothes _Don't Wear Out For Years !_ These "renowned" wool textile mills *Cut Corners* to make money since wool isn't _"all the rage"_ at a Paris fashion show. Research More.
Great advice. Take the old adage "cotton kills" seriously. Rookies learn the hard way. Want proof? Wear a wet, light t shirt on a very warm breezy day. You will be shocked at the chills you will get.....
I heard from Matti & Stina on RU-vid that birchbark and wool insoles are amazing as they are odor resistant and increase warmth - they are unfortunately hard to find
Is first light made in the USA ? Great info on the different types of materials. Looking forward to upgrading my layering system. Thanks for the great information like always.
When you find something you like, buy TWO MORE of them and put them in a sealed protective bag/bin. You’ll love yourself even more when you need replacements five or ten years down the road. If you can’t afford it, add them to your gift list ideas for family to graciously get for you.
I live and hunt in Tn we have a small 67acre farm and never really gets cold enough and if it is cold enough I don't have very much land to roam. But I've been fortunate to take six bucks in the 150" class. But I'd really love to bow hunt the big country. Bow hunting small tn farms we have down to a science
I'm starting to discover that the solution for me, may be Alpaca... now we all know that normal wool is great (even as someone who has a minor wool allergy - thus I have always had to run silks or synthetics under 'skin contact' wool) and that merino seems to fix most of the issue - but it has to be higher quality merino for someone like me! However of late I've started to experiment with alpaca wool and found it (so far) to be as good as merino... and maybe even a little better in some areas; skin-contact is better than high quality merino. I'm not sure the Alpaca socks I've been playing with will last as long as the Merino (they just don't feel as strong?), but what has been really good this last winter was Alpaca boot inserts - I'm pretty confident in saying I felt those WERE superior my merino inserts. The big issue I'm finding is both Cost and Availability - alpaca is more expensive (though I'm lucky in that I live not far away from a small firm that make Alpaca garments and inserts and scarves and etc - and my current upper base layer... And they're quite reasonable on price), but its a lot easier to find Merino like those awesome merino base layer hoodies - have yet to find anything like that in Alpaca. But its an ongoing little experiment for me. Anyone else trialing Alpaca? Anyone know of any sort of Alpaca base that has a LONG torso, turtle neck, etc?
A super video thank you. But one thing I wish you had commented on was how do you care for your base layers after you have been forced to wear them for several weeks. Can you Machine wash wash then. Can they lose there antimicrobial properties from incorrect care.
Hey Clay, how tall are you and whats your size for the Kiln Hoody? Does it fit very tight or is there some space between you and the shirt? Greetings from Germany!
Interesting video and overall good info. - However... Cotton is Not the big bad evil its made out to be. Cotton makes an excellent base/mid/outer layer when used correctly and intelligently. - Get any material wet with no way to dry it out and you'll have issues... especially in winter weather. Thanks for the video...
@@Nyeupe-Nguvu For your info... - Every army in the World also used lots of Cotton! - Sounds like you need better winter boots. - Cotton will dry out just fine like any other material when given air space.
I have a traditional mackinaw jacket, it’s made almost completely of traditional wool and a bit of polyester (I think), I’ve always used it to deer hunt in the cold and it’s worked fine as an outer layer. But it’s extremely large and clunky, and it takes up a horrendous amount of space in my rucksack on long hunting trips, not to mention the weight. I love the jacket, and it’s great for long sits, but it’s hard to carry and keep, any suggestions?
That's the downside to heavy wool outer layers. I love them but if I'm going on a long backpacking trip, I almost never take them. For light weight, synthetic outers is really the only way to go.
Want to not smell with your base layers (wool or polypro treated with Makspec or Polygiene)? Keep your arm pit hair trimmed, and after a shower wet your pits and finger tips. Dip your fingers in baking soda and apply them under your pits. I can go days without showering (I don't, but I've tested it) and there is no smell. You can wear the same shirt for weeks, even after sweating. If you don't want your junk to smell, keep things trimmed below and apply a dab of baking soda. Your underwear will be neutral smelling 10x longer than otherwise. I like used icebreaker marino wool off ebay, used Sitka shirts off ebay with Polygiene, and used Kuiu shirts off ebay with Makspec. I also like new Mondetta Outdoor Project shirts, sized down 1 size, off ebay or Amazon because they're cheap but they have the same Polygiene stuff as Sitka and work just as good. Sitka and Icebreaker are sized normally. If you want Kuiu, you must size up at least 1 size. If you've never used baking soda, it is a micro abrasive and will irritate your skin for about 2 weeks. After that, you're good to go. I've been doing this now for 3 years, haven't bought deodorant since, and I'm so confident now in public because I don't stink and I'm more successful in the field as well.
(<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="823">13:43</a>) Stalking wild/feral hogs with a bow, didn’t see that you had a sidearm. What was your plan had a big boar or momma sow charged you?
Attention that you pay for your clothing shows that you are really an active hunter, who trully deserve his food, his life style. Totally different story in the flatulent Europe. Yeah, I live there..
Just got a pair of pants from Firstlite and was disappointed it was made in China. It was so tight I had to order two sizes up. I like the fact they are local but why not charge a little more and make it in USA? Kitanica has an option to purchase pants made in the P.I. or the US for another $20.
Serious question, what winter boot do you wear that's truly waterproof?, I only wear the ASOLO 535 because it's waterproof it's the only footwear I've worn for 24 yrs, what do you wear that's truly waterproof, thanks Clay!!
The pac boots I have from Schnee's have rubber lowers but the uppers are leather. They're great if you just need to cross a creek quickly but if you're going to be wading through a few inches of water, they're going to soak through. When I'm in standing water for more than a minute or two, I usually wear something like muck boots or something similar.
Wool is dead outdoors because is gains 30% of it's weight when wet and takes a long time to dry, even though it insulates when wet. Synthetics preform well and dry fast. The three factors of exposure are cold, wet and wind and to eliminate one with faster drying clothes is key in cold alpine environments.
ALL 100% wool socks are going to be on the "more expensive side" since Americans have bought the Lie about synthetics. NOTE: Marino Wool socks have lasted Me for over 5 years without developing a single hole or thin spot. _"Buy Once ... Cry Once"_
