looking for some reviews.... how well do they fit a fella with small waste and big a$$ and legs. i like a loose straight leg cut so i can move around....
They run large and they are very roomy. Sounds like what you are looking for with straight legs.
They are made from recycled wool. It isn't very dense, and the wind goes right through it. Also, recycled wool is stripped of much of its lanolin - the natural substance that coats wool fibers and adds to their water resistance.
When you consider those two things, I guess they're ok for the price, but I think you can do better. If you're going to buy wool, imo, spend a little more and buy dense, virgin wool. The difference in performance is substantial.
The Gallatin fabric is just OK as wool goes and the fit is generic and bulky.
I bought mine many years ago and wish I wouldn't have....
I purchased a pair of these a month ago. Bass Pro had them on clearance for $49 at the time. I love them if it is cold. As mentioned above they are large and roomy, VERY long in the legs. I am 6'1" and the legs were about 5" too long.
For me, my pair is very warm and I did not have any issues with wind. I hunted with them on a couple of occasions where it was cold and breezy and stayed warm as toast but I do layer and was not relying totally on the wool pants for warmth. If you can still get them at the price I paid I would say they are well worth the money. I would probably even buy a second pair at regular price if I had to.
I am sure there are better wool pants out there but you will pay at least 2, probably 3 times as much. (At the clearance price it would be 6 times as much!)
I also have a pair, and the jacket.. I wore them on an AK early spring black Bear hunt on the Kenai Pennisula, as well as while hunting elk here in the Pacific NW during the late season which runs until Dec 15th. At times it's been down as low as 17 deg. in past years... I had no problems and stayed warm... I'd buy another set if they came up on sale again.. I think I paid about $125-$150 about 3 years ago for the set I have.
I have only one other piece of camo wool... a LL Bean jacked which is tighter woven, but perhgaps lighter in weight... "Warmness" is about the same.
Gene
Thanks for the reviews.... they were on clearance $49.99 at BassPro this morning. I just tried to order them a few seconds ago and they are gone. :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:
I bought some on clearance a couple of years ago. I bough them a couple of sizes big, and wear them over my regular pants. Put them on in the stand. They serve me fine.
If they don't have your size, you may consider going up a size and do as I do. As said, they do run large.
If you are going to be near Charlotte/Concord NC you might want to call them and ask what they have in stock. They will honor the web price if they do, that is where I picked up mine.
Good luck!
I would second what everyone else said here. They run a little large, wind goes through them but if you layer under them they are warm and really hard to beat for the price.
Mine have been great and the weave tightens up after a few hand washings to help with any wind issues........its never been problem for me..........
they run pretty big, I know the pants are really big had to hem my pants a couple inches and I'm 6ft. I really like them they keep me toasty warm with just a light pair of pants underneath. I just wish they wouldn't pick up burrs, I hate those things. just my 2 cents
Bought a pair and 2 jackets for $19 a piece at the Colombia Outlet store in Medford MN probably 15 years ago and still using them. been good for me.
I love mine...I have the bib overalls and the hooded jacket. Not as water proof or wind proof as higher quality stuff but I have had no issues. They are plenty for the cold days in S.C.
I know that this isn't a popular viewpoint with many, but I have found modern technology with fleece to trump wool in almost every regard.
Wool is nice, but I almost bought wool and instead opted for a pair of fleece bibs, a fleece vest, and a fleece pullover. Got them all on 70% off blowout sale at Cabelas. Normally would have been almost $600. Got for $130.
The bibs are Fleece, waterproof, breathable dry-plus, Thinsulate, Gore-tex, Scent-Lok, wind-shear, and have padding in the knees/elbows, and even a really thick butt pad for sitting on the ground.
Also, you can machine wash them and dry them in the dryer unlike wool.
I just won some on the internet, they are very roomy and are very long. I think they make them that way so the individual can hem them to their specific inseam and not have to sell them in every size. They look well made but have yet to put them to the real test. look good with my vintage Woolrich plaid jacket.
Well to each his own, but I have had the exact model of clothing in each garment that USN_Sam talked about and see nowhere the fleece trumphs the wool. I will sell any of the bibs, pullover whatever to anybody that wants them and replace them with wool.
I have the Columbia monarch pass jacket and like it very well. The key is layering under it to knock of the wind and as Gfred's site shows, there are some very affordable alternatives for the wind blocking other thanthe over priced plastic bag sounding stuff you buy from Cabelas.
Never tried the pants but I have the shirt-jac and when I layer with long johns and a wool or fleece shirt it's plenty warm enough for MI or CO as long as it isn't too windy. I'd get the pants if I found a good deal on 'em...
I have the bibs and the coat . Save your money,the cold wind blows right threw.
I have the bibs and the coat . Save your money,the cold wind blows right threw.
They are all right, but for treestand hunting just was not warm enough for me. My Cabelos fleece bibs and jacket with windshear keep me warm in the coldest weather, too warm for walking around, I put them on in the stand.
It isnt noisy at all. 100% silent for me. I guess some models may vary but i know the stuff i have has the windshear in between two layers of fleece. As for overpriced i would agree. At 70% off however it was a steal and i would never buy it full price
Wool has never been touted as a wind stop. It has been touted as a life saver in critical conditions when you get wet. If you are never out where you might be away from any kind of cover for long periods of time, you may not need it. If you have ever been wet for three or four days where there was no place to dry out, you will find that your fleece will not cut it. It all depends on where and how far you are going to be from some kind of cover or warmth. Nothing is better than wool when wet. I can speak from experience. We were carabou hunting and it rained every day and we also ran out of fuel for the tents. I was warm, there were many that were not. My wool made all the difference.It all depends on where you hunt and what you really need to survive. I would not go on any remote hunt without wool. Just my two cents.
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QuoteOriginally posted by jwingman:
Wool has never been touted as a wind stop. It has been touted as a life saver in critical conditions when you get wet. If you are never out where you might be away from any kind of cover for long periods of time, you may not need it. If you have ever been wet for three or four days where there was no place to dry out, you will find that your fleece will not cut it. It all depends on where and how far you are going to be from some kind of cover or warmth. Nothing is better than wool when wet. I can speak from experience. We were carabou hunting and it rained every day and we also ran out of fuel for the tents. I was warm, there were many that were not. My wool made all the difference.It all depends on where you hunt and what you really need to survive. I would not go on any remote hunt without wool. Just my two cents.
I hate to beat a dead horse, but my fleece bibs are waterproof and have "dry-plus". ;-p Basically it is Cabela's version of Gore-tex and is guaranteed to be 100% waterproof. Like I said, nothing against wool, and I know it is not a popular opinion; but the RIGHT modern technology can not be beaten by wool as far as element protection goes any way that you cut it. Where your wool got soaked through, modern fleece with dry-plus or goretex would have had the water bead up and never penetrate.
Now, I agree that wool looks a lot cooler. ;-p And as for Scent-Lok, well I don't buy into it at all. But I do believe in wind-shear, dry-plus, goretex, etc.
Too late! :deadhorse: ;) :p The Columbia Wool I have is long legged and baggy. Still a good value. It works well here in Michigan where it REALLY gets cold. Not that down south chilly excuse for cold.