At Denton Hill I saw the terrific packs that Bison Gear puts out. I loved them but didnt have the $ to get one. I have now picked one up on this site secondhand. (I love this site)
The packs I was checking out at Denton were the wool that Angelo uses, but this pack is made of "bucksuede". I dont remember seeing that material at Denton. Anybody care to tell me it's pros and cons as compared to the wool? Any photos?
Bucksuede is a lot more burr proof than wool, it is windproof and about 90% waterproof. It is a little stiff at first but softens with age. I have always had good luck with it.
I've got two Preadator camo outfits in Bucksuede, Fall Gray and Spring Green. Absolutely great stuff. Won't fade, windproof, very water resistant, practically burr-proof, very tear resistant. No insulating properties, but hey nothing is absolutely perfect. I layer underneath mine and I'm very satisfied in all but the coldest of days whend I have to break out the NatGear Winterceptor fleece.
I LOVE both my Bison Gear packs....I have a fanny pack of wool, and my larger pack is bucksuede. For a larger back, the buckseude is what I chose due to the weight....and the weight that would also be added if it got wet.
Both have served me well....and both still look new after years of service.
I've got a pair of pants and a vest made of bucksuede.
A few other things I've noticed about it:
Bucksuede doesn't stretch and is bug proof.
It dries a little faster than wool but slower than fleece.
It is not as quiet as wool or fleece, especially in the cold, but as someone mentioned, it gets better with age.
I love it!
I picked up a used dayone pack in bucksuede, I like it alot. Originaly I wanted one on in wool, couldn't pass up the deal on the bucksuede, and couldnt be more happier. I love wool but them dang stiktights and burs are annoying.