Trad Gang

Well, I've tried to convince myself for a while that my Filson Double Mac was the ticket for the environment I hunt in up here, but I find that it is too bulky, heavy, and hot for stalking- even in the late season.  Is this common with all of the other high end wool offerings as well?  I've increased my bench press to 235lbs, but can't seem to wear this heavy thing anymore...    

Cabelas Outfitter Fleece.

You could take a look around at the King of the Mountain stuff and Sleeping Indian wool.  I wear Sleeping Indian wool.  I love the stuff.  I have worn my Highline shirt everywhere, WV to northern Quebec for caribou and Maine for rifle.  I find it is comfortable, depending on your layering, from 65* down to below 0*.  I also have the On-Stand bibs.  Great for sitting and even very slow still hunting in cold weather.  A very good friend of mine has the King of the Mountain series wool.  They do have a few more styles of jackets to chose from, which is nice.  And layered properly is not as bulky.

I think what you have is likely the single most heavy piece of wool that you can buy. Wool clothing comes in many weights and weaves, and you can find exactly what you need by looking around some.

F'rinstance, a shirt-jak might be just the ticket for you. Ron La Clair offers longhunter shirts in two different weights, and the wool pants you need might be at the Goodwill store as we metaphorically speak.

I use a lot of wool, and a lot of synthetics. The synthetics are lightweight and fluffy on the skin. But they are full of burn holes from campfires and errant match heads and are not as good as wool when they are wet. If you are ever in a fire, the plastic clothes will melt and fuse with your skin.

Each material has its use, and I would not give up on a happy future with wool based on one garment's construction.

Killdeer

The Filson double mac is double layer coat made out of 24oz wool... that's alot of wool if you're doing any moving around.  It's also not the most dense weave you can find, so that adds bulk and isn't the greatest for cutting the wind.

It is a very nice coat though.

Killy is right on the money.  You just need to figure out what weight wool you need for the environment and type of hunting you do.

I have a Filson double mac and I love it but its way too heavy for most hunting.The only time I wear it is gun hunting if Im planning on sitting alllllllll day long and at that I have to bungee it to my pack on the way in.

I know that Gray Wolf has 2 different weights in some of their patterns.  There is 18 oz. and 24 oz. available.  That Double Mac would probalby feel real good while sitting still, but pretty heavy for doing a lot of walking.

Thanks guys, (and Killdeer) for the dose of common sense! I've seen the reviews on all of the KOM and SI gear, now to figure out which way to go.

i just got a maine guide parka from ll bean.  it is super heavy and warm, just the ticket for cold windy all day sits in december, but if im going to walk a couple of miles, even in the bitter cold, at the most ill have a couple of wool shirts on, not a huge parka.  chech out the cabelas, i believe theyre called ripcord, shirts, the graywolf camp shirt, and the regular shirts from ll bean.  all are what you need, rather than a heavy coat.

Save the heavy coat for all day sits, Layer ploy-pro wicking long johns, Light wool shirt,Fleece vest,then carry another light wool shirt. This combo is good for still hunting down to 18 degrees. If you start to sweat, you moving to fast.    ron w.

I love wool, but agree that it can be too heavy.  Had a Filson wool coat and sold it.  Weighed 80 lbs.  My setup now is a combo of wool and synthetics for layering.  Love my Pendleton wool shirts with a windblock fleece vest under a saddlecloth jacket.  Layering rules (at least in my world).  TgE

Use filson jacket liner(24oz) very durable but is terrible in the wind. my favorite set up is marino wool tight to the body sweater with cabelas windshear wool sweater and filson wool vest. very warm and Like stumpknocker believe in layering. BEWARE SLEEPNIN INDIAN CUSTOMER SERVICE: have pants love'em 3yrs old, ordered shirt(recent) had pockets added(no size alteration) felt wool was different than pants, returned for refund he said "no way"(pocket added). He very well could have resold that shirt, stuck 355.00. Check out Grey Wolf products.

I have the sleeping indian "Mountain hunter" Extreme parka and the Ridgeline jacket, Timberline pants and suspenders, and Northbound hat and ridge runner gaiters in snow camo.

I think they are top notch....should phone them for sizing though...they did mine over the phone and it was bang on after they made them.

 http://www.woolcamo.com/system.htm

I love Filson wool products, but I would agree that a double Mac Cruiser is overkill for our Western Washington weather. A mid-weight wool jac shirt works just fine. If it gets unseasonably cold, just add a wool vest.

For great affordability, comfort, warmth, great durability i've found this complete set to be an excellent choice.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?id=0005812960365a&navCount=1&podId=0005812960365&parentId=cat601740&masterpathid=&navAction=jump&cmCat=MainCat cat470076-cat601740_TGP&catalogCode=XJ&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat601740&hasJS=true (http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?id=0005812960365a&navCount=1&podId=0005812960365&parentId=cat601740&masterpathid=&navAction=jump&cmCat=MainCatcat470076-cat601740_TGP&catalogCode=XJ&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat601740&hasJS=true)

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?id=0005812930516a&navCount=3&podId=0005812930516&parentId=cat601740&masterpathid=&navAction=jump&cmCat=MainCat cat470076-cat601740&catalogCode=XJ&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat601740&hasJS=true (http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?id=0005812930516a&navCount=3&podId=0005812930516&parentId=cat601740&masterpathid=&navAction=jump&cmCat=MainCatcat470076-cat601740&catalogCode=XJ&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat601740&hasJS=true)

Those 2 items w/ one under layer of Polartec, used in conjunction w/ the items in the link below constitutes my ultimate wool setup.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76tufK6wglM

Just walked 4 hours looking for a buddys deer on Sun. in heavy winds and 35 degree weather. Wore my SI pullover with a sweatshirt underneath and was perfect. Another guy had the KOM shirt jacket on and felt the same. Great jackets for stalking.

I layer and finish with a wool shirt...PR

OB, I would recommend SI Wool. I wear the Ridgeline shirt, Timberline pant, Sheep Mountain vest and the Sheep Mountain Cap.  I love it all, and it serves me well these many years! I am on my 13th season wearing it, and only have some wear on the cuffs of my shirt from climbing up & down from tree stands.  The only way I will ever need to replace it is if I get too fat and out grow it!  As you know it ain't cheap, but, it's great stuff!!

Steve AKA-Tillerboy

How do you buy Sleeping Indian wool? My email gets returned undelivered, and they don't answer the phone.

I had a full set of KOM, bibs,jacket and hat I just sold on the auction site a week ago, same problem here, it was way to heavy, it smelled when wet and I hated picking burrs after every hunt. I was warm though!

I went with Dry Plus/Revolution Fleece at Cabelas, much better for what I do.

You should check out Beagle wear in Vermont, they have bunch of neat wool clothes.

As stated above KOM has two different weights of wool gear. The lighter weight would be more suitable for the weather in Texas or other parts of the Southwest unless that extreme cold front is passing through. I layer my KOM heavy vest with a Pendleton wool shirt and perhaps a set of moisture wicking undergarments and I'm off to the bowhunting races. Course I would also add a good pair of Johnson wool pants to the mix. It ain't cheap but it is not as expensive as 100% KOM or Sleeping Indian.

Goodwill Stores....I've bought several really nice wool sweaters for about $3.99 each.

Love my wool but hate the cockelburrs and briars getting caught in it, but cann't beat it for warmth and comfort.