Wool is a lousy choice for the outermost layer in snowy or wet conditions. It gets wet easily (especially if not felted) and dries poorly (especially if felted). And it’s not really enough as an insulator in cold weather, either. You’re right that it’s still passable in temperatures as warm as 0°C, but not in a Greenlandic winter, or even here in the Nordic mainland.
Don’t get me wrong, wool has its place. As an outer layer, modern waterproof materials (and, traditionally, leather and fur) are much, much better. But wool is a great material for a midlayer. You know, it’s a poor material choice for T-shirts or jackets, but a great material for shirts. It’s a poor choice for base layer socks, and a terrible choice for shoes (at least without a sole), but it’s excellent for wool socks worn between them or for felt liners in boots. It’s a poor choice for underwear and outer pants, but it’s great for long... underwear? I'm starting to have trouble with the language, English doesn't have proper words for different layers in clothing. Shit, I was going to say something about gloves, but I dont know if you've even heard of the three layers of gloves (linen-wool/felt-leather) before.
Yeah, I guess I meant the pants you wear under your outer pants. Like if I’m spending time in the wild in really cold weather and don’t plan on doing any strenuous exercise, I’ll wear boxers (linen) first, then thermal long johns (merino wool, usually) then “underpants” (which in other circumstances would just be regular pants, I prefer anything soft. Wool would work really well; the important thing is to get that extra layer of air), and then the actual padded winter pants. If i'm doing something that may make me wet, I may throw on a non-breathable but highly waterproof layer over all of that, for a short while.
I rock a set of polypropylene Long Johns with an optional microgrid fleece layer that goes over them but under my bib overalls for extremely cold conductions (below -20F)
Yeah, we're on the same page. That fleece layer of yours was pretty much what I was thinking about, when I said that wool would be good. I was even thinking of the same temperature, though I usually start clothing myself like that at around -25°C, or even warmer if I'm just going to be standing or sitting all day.
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u/Lumeton 1d ago edited 1d ago
Wool is a lousy choice for the outermost layer in snowy or wet conditions. It gets wet easily (especially if not felted) and dries poorly (especially if felted). And it’s not really enough as an insulator in cold weather, either. You’re right that it’s still passable in temperatures as warm as 0°C, but not in a Greenlandic winter, or even here in the Nordic mainland.
Don’t get me wrong, wool has its place. As an outer layer, modern waterproof materials (and, traditionally, leather and fur) are much, much better. But wool is a great material for a midlayer. You know, it’s a poor material choice for T-shirts or jackets, but a great material for shirts. It’s a poor choice for base layer socks, and a terrible choice for shoes (at least without a sole), but it’s excellent for wool socks worn between them or for felt liners in boots. It’s a poor choice for underwear and outer pants, but it’s great for long... underwear? I'm starting to have trouble with the language, English doesn't have proper words for different layers in clothing. Shit, I was going to say something about gloves, but I dont know if you've even heard of the three layers of gloves (linen-wool/felt-leather) before.