Horray for wool!

I think that any serious survivalist in a Northern climate ought to include a wool blanket or a pair of wool pants into their "bug out bag".

I can't rave enough about how warm wool is--even when wet. We have a saying up here in AK, "Cotton Kills". Wool dosen't loose it's insulating properties when wet...

Down is great, but get it wet and it becomes useless. . . Pollyester fill is also nice, but once again it looses some of it's insulation when wet.

Wool is great, wool is good!!! Anyone have any specific products/weights they prefer?

wool is one of the best materials to have for warm clothing. It is inexpensive and doesnt become water logged. gore tex is the best but I am not rich. I am a poor white boy.

Yup, if you can afford it Goretex is the way to go. -30, no problem. Wind, what wind? I've had a GT jacket for over 10 years, it's not what it was but DAMN, you laugh at the cold.

Wool..... oh the joys of a deep pair of woolen socks on a long and nasty hike in midwinter...


But as an under layer im all prolpropelene myself... (spelling not sure about it??!!) wicks like a dream and keeps you snug as a bug , and heck underamor even do a hot weather wicking layer made of metal fibres for super heat absorbtion and radiation away from the body. Great kit for high stress desert work.

MystikMushroom has a good point here.

As an illustration, several hikers died on Caifornia's Mount Whitney about 15-20 years ago when a surprise winter rainstorm moved in and then turned to ice and sleet.
Several of the hikers carried down sleeping bags and jackets which are totally worthless when wet.

Along with wool, modern synthetic insulation is the way to go.
I'm not sure what insulation value wet wool has, but damp wool isn't too bad.
I spent the night sleeping on a rear outside seat of a small fishing boat in a cold and wet springtime fog just a little ways off the California coast.
A heavy wool shirt over sweatshirt and T-shirt did the job.
Damp, but warm.

I understand wet sleeping bags and jackets insulated with modern synthetics retain over 90% of their insulation value when wet.


(Edited for spelling.)

[edit on 23-12-2006 by Desert Dawg]

[edit on 23-12-2006 by Desert Dawg]

or even better get out your gortex bivvie bag because of course at all times you got it with you because you anticipate bad weather even in the summer... being wets a killer.

Me, my lowly snugpak sleeping bag, and my gortex bivvie have slept out in minus 15 degrees celcius and have woke fine and well in the morning after a heavy nights ice with a morning snow... mind you it was a shock for some others in the group...rofl i woke fine and warm thank you very much...lol

Oh and never forget your woolen merino scarf... damn they are so nice and warm at night... ohhh pleasure indeed.

[edit on 23-12-2006 by D4rk Kn1ght]

Goretex is a great windbreaker/water repellant but dosen't really offer any insulation.

I use goretex for my outtermost layer, with a layer wool or fleece for insulation. Pollypro/capilline is a great base layer.

The kinds of winter conditions I can expect are 20MPH winds, with an ambient temperature (not including wind) of -20F, which is about -28C...including the windchill, you're looking at -40F easy. Exposed flesh freezes in minutes in this enviorment.

Let me tell ya, winter camping in Alaska in January can be pretty miserable. Tip: if you gotta pee in the middle of the night, pee into a water bottle and keep it in your sleeping bag for warmth....also take the liners out of your boots and put them underneath you whille you sleep--they'll be nice and warm in the morning!

Now mystic, thats what I call camping.


Oh and I agree with you that gortex is not warm... but you should try my sleeping bag inside a gortex bivvie bag.... rofl I have yet to wake up any thing bar roasting warm in the morning with that combo and nothing on bar a pair of shorts, but that said, even I would blanch at that combo out in the open air in alaska winter time...

I still don't rate wool as a great material bar socks though - if i was to go out in that type of cold i would be going native clothing for sure over a technical base layer, and maybe my lucky woolen scarf...

We had a badge in Boy Scouts called the "Hundred Below" patch...anytime we were out camping in the winter and the ambient temp. dropped below 0F, we earned "points"...a -20 night would = 20 points...I think I did it twice, and let me tell ya...Earning Eagle Scout is one of the best/smartest things I could have ever done to ensure my survival.

Mystik,
me and my older brothers went through army / air and sea cadets (mon /thur /fri nights) and I can say, that with out doubt i thank my lucky stars that i did.

two weeks survival school free from the army when your 14 is a great learning opportunity, and the hebridies (Northern Scotland Islands) were a great awakening for my survival traits.

If I had my time over again, I'd do it all the same, every last wet, cold, hungry minute of it, because after you learn whats what, you become dry, warm and fed.

Woolen socks and scarf all the way. Merry Christmas all.

Wool makes me itch...any animal hair is itchy...probably because it's full of fleas and mites

Yeah but i gotta say reptile skin makes for great sandpaper in a survival situation...


Now come here you over grown NWO Iguana!

(Only kidding, merry Christmas dude)

Don't they make wading suits out of gortex? My question is, would I need wool in Florida? No doubt the gortex is a necessity as it rains at any time of the year, and everyday from June through August. But should I really be using Wool at all? I mean it is close to the end of December and we do not really drop below 70 degrees, except at night where it may get as low as 55-60 degrees (this is not taking into account the few cold fronts we get, which last at most 3-4 days).

I mean in Tampa I would say we have a combined total of 3 weeks of weather where the temp drops below 55 throughout the year. That is not in a row, but scattered across the Autumn and Winter months.

Again, is it really necessary for me to have wool where I live? I already use a wading suit when I go fishing, I got a really nice spot in Upper Tampa Bay where I fetch me some nice Reds and Jacks every other week. I guess that stuff is made out of gor-tex eh?

Wool is a cold-weather clothing! In hot climates...geeze, IDK...Lots of sunscreen and bug-netting for me! The mosquitos in the Alaskan interior are so fierce, at times dark clouds of them can be seen coming at you!

Mystik,
that reminds me of the time when i was in the far north of Norway during the summer... omfg I have never seen clouds of midges and mossies like it - real batten down the netting hatches time!

you'd thiunk that summer in the artic would be less bug prone...but ooohhh no, not at all...it's hell on earth if your not ready for it!

Indeed, one needs a head-net, and total body cover (like you would for Ticks)!

Other than that, smoke makes a most-effecient mosquito/bug deterant. Actually, here in Alaska the fungus/mushrooms that grow on trees are excellent for creating a smoldering "insense" that burns very slowly and emits a great ammount of smoke...Just need a metal coffee can with a few holes around the bottom circumfrance for air, and placed on a non-flamable surface/area...

Anyone that has spent times in the aboreal forrest has seen the "fungas/mushrooms" that grow on the side of birch, cotton and aspen trees...use them!!!

I'd also like to add (getting back to the original topic about WOOL)...

There are many diffrent kinds of wool products. Some are more itchy than others because of the ammount of processing they have undergone, and the tightness-consistancy of the weave.

Woool was developed by nature to protect sheep, goats, and other high-altitude/cold weather beasts..It seems only natural to value it as a human.

Your nice PolarTec3000 jacket might be warmer, but in time it will matt and loose it's insulation properties. If in the event of a world catastrophe, you might not be able to go to REI or EMS (for you East-Coasters lol) to buy synthetic fleece or polly-pro replacements. . .

We can domestically herd sheep and goats, let alone kill them with rifles and bows.. . This is a much more "attainable" insulator in a survival situation than any kind of synthetic. . .

Wool ROCKS!

My mommy wouldn't let me join cubs or scouts or anything like that when I was little soI have under gone 8 weeks of suvival training including a 6 week survival instructor course through air cadets "in wich I am currently a Flight Seargent and the Squadrons cheif Survival Instructor" One thing I love about wool socks that I havn't seen mentioned is that they help prevent blisters. I never got blister tabbing anywhere when I wore wool socks.

I personally vouch and highly reccomend the "SmartWool" brand of socks. I belive they are a wool/synthetic blend.

SmartWool Website

I have hiked the Chilkoot Trail in the Yukon (over the "Golden Staircase") with them for over a week w/out changing (yeah...it's gross I know...) but they held up and maintained their cushioning/moisture wicking! Damn, we even made the cover of Boy's Life for that trip...(on the Centenial of the Yukon Gold Rush)

Boy's Life Cover '98

I'd say whille stores like REI/EMS are around--you buy 3-5 pair. They are very warm for winter, and provide breatheable cusioning for the summer.



[edit on 31-12-2006 by MystikMushroom]

As long as it isn't from Austrailia.. I'm with PETA (People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals) on this one.

7A