Looking for some bowhunting specific warm clothing. All my technical jackets are a tad loud ( first light was the quietest) and my fleece is ultra quiet but wind goes thru it and it’s not even close to water resistant.

Never worn wool but heard some good things about it.

What are the downsides to wool?

None

The only down side I see is weight and if it will absorb moisture.
We, and I , wear wool, all the time when hunting. Even during archery season up here in Sept.
Mainly have a King of the Mountain wool shirt as my main warmth up top.
Having a tight woven material really helps with absorbing moisture.
Snow tends to just lay on top to brush off, not anything you might have to worry about.
Rain could be an issue but you will still be warm if wet.

Fleece is great for blocking wind but not keep real cold out, it is quiet too. Maybe wool under layer and a good fleece on top?

I have tone of KOM and a little Sleeping Indian wool, all are great but new is expensive. Find some on Ebay to try, I've gotten almost new KOM of ebay lately.
Some First Lite is ok but not long wearing.

Some of that "hunting" wool is super expensive, prohibitively so for me. I use old army "cold war era" wool pants and shirt. It's just plain old od green but it keeps you warm and mostly dry. Weight is the only issue but this combo is the lightest I've found.

On another note some of the base layers the Army came out with are tremendous best gear next to the new sleeping bag system that I ever used in 20 years as a cavalry scout. The base layers consist of a silk weight layer and waffle pattern layer. Pop your fleece on top of them and you'd be toasty. They also resist becoming wet and the silk weight stuff really wicks sweat away. Should be plenty of that stuff in surplus stores.

I have some Cabela's Wooltimate. I don't bow hunt, but the stuff is quiet. I have pants and a pullover. It's quite warm and I'm cold natured.

I have yet to find any downside to wool. You can find old surplus military clothing for cheap that will do the trick.

I can wear merino wool next to my skin, but not the heavier Woolrich and Pendleton fabrics.
That Wooltimate stuff looks very interesting. Thanks for mentioning it Jetdad.

Only downside to wool is it'll shrink if you're not careful drying it. Air drying is best.

I wear a base layer of merino wool. The Wooltimate has a liner, so the itch and scratch of regular wool is not there.

I may have found a kindred spirit.

I’ll second the Wooltimate line from Cabela’s. I have the pants, zip up jacket, vest, gloves, beanie, and gaiter. Really like all of them, except the beanie and gaiter run small for my big head. All of it is Quiet and warm, with no itch

Wool isn't the best at blocking the wind, in my opinion, but it's otherwise awesome. If it's windy and cold, then a good shell jacket should be the perfect layer over wool.

Overall Weight both dry and wet. Also not as stretchy. It will also hold a lot more moisture than fleece.

Fleece can be layered with different weaves to help block wind, but neither really do a good job at blocking wind unless they have a membrane added. Example Cabelas woolitmate has a windblocker membrane, it’s a love hate. Works great blocking the wind but doesn’t breath well so high activity can leave you sweating and damp.


https://voormi.com/ Has some really good prices

An upside is no one will ever mistake you for being Bobo.

My wife wears my grandmothers 70yo perfect condition Woolrich hunting coat on occasion. Says it's very warm.

Wool is my go to in cold weather. I have a bunch of it. I have filson jacket and pants. They were pricey but have lasted 20 years. I also have a good bit of military surplus. The best stuff I have is Swiss military surplus I got at an army navy surplus.

I wear a Cabelas Berber fleece pull over, if I’m I’m not hiking. STX ranchman copied me

I pulled a lot of wool in the early 2000's

filson jacket and pants

It's best to have to have to dry cleaned and it can be scratchy to the skin, which is why you often find it with clothes that have a nylon liner. However, wool is a natural fiber that retains body heat even when wet.

No real down sides to wool. Warm, blocks wind, doesn't get wet easily. Not overly hot when temps warm up. I wear mine in all seasons, and from -20 to 80 degrees!! The best ones out there are US GI M-51 pants, from the Korean era, readily available at most Army surplus stores

https://www.armyandoutdoors.com/pro...VPJ78oM4XUsgUuXXm9523l3jebBoCBwIQAvD_BwE

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Be careful of the womens sizes.

You mess with one goat and the rest of your life you always hear about it

It has been said that nothing is so dry when it's wet or warm when it's cold than wool. Only downside probably the cost. I think moths will eat holes in wool so be sure to store away with moth balls, etc. Wool fibers (I think) are hollow and they are scaly on the outside so they lock when twisted, and they have natural lanolin. Science can't improve.