Is newer necessarily better?

[Dick284]

I was over on another site and a thread popped up about cold weather clothing, especially boots.
Lots has changed over the years, we now have Goretex, thinsulate, and a miriade of other wonder fabrics and materials.
I suggested that it was hard to beat some of the older stand bys, like CF issue Mukluks for long sits on stand. (yes I like goretex and thinsulate)
I was left wondering, am I one of a few who does'nt care much for Poly Pro (pew) socks and longies. And would rather use silk for my base layer with good old wool longies over top with a good pair of wool pants, with wool socks on my feet, same for up top, silks, wool, a wool sweater then a hunting coat.
Am I just a stick in the mud, or are ther others who often go back to tried and true as opposed to Poly and Pew? (Poly Pro makes a heck of a stench for me)

.

[Tundra Monkey]

It's all good there Dick. I still use a 15 year old pair of boots etc. Nothing wrong with good old heavy clothes to keep you warm but if you want to take advantage of the new stuff it definately has it's benefits. IE...cotton will keep you warm but if you sweat it's no fun.....there is stuff out there nowadays that will blow you away and leave you wondering how you ever lived without it...then you find something else...etc...etc....and then you have to decide how much you're willing to spend on all of it!!!

Thinking outside of the box about stuff is way to cool. Up until very recently "hunting stuff" was leaps and bounds behind the technology used in other outdoor sports....not so anymore and getting better every year. Now actually designed for the hunter. Think about what you really want....spend the $$'s and get quality.....lasts for years.

Swazi
Sitka
Helly Hansen
Snow Goose

You'll be surprised how you lived without it once you bite the bullet.

tm

[slopeshunter]

I have one pair of wool hunting pants that I've been wearing for 15 or more years. Mended them a few times after some fence crossings that didn't go as planned. But they're the best pants ever. Bit heavy though, not something I'd want to wear while climbing the mountains.

I always wear as my base top layer a poly pro shirt. What I like is when it gets wet with sweat, the shirt will dry again. A cotton shirt will not do that. It is a little stinky at the end of the day, but it's dry.

[209x50]

Life has never been so good since I could toss the silk and wool! Nothing works like layers of poly for me. I hunt actively and if I'm breathing I'm sweating, to be able to peel off layers or add depending on how high I'm on the mountain is fantastic. The wicking abilities are very important with me sweating a lot and silk and wool never handled that aspect for me.
Same with boots, I seldom need thinsulate but I sure need waterproof, and mukluks are a sodden mess by noon. That though is the beauty of the choices we have today, we can all find something that works.

[Waxy]

I finally stepped up to the super expensive Klim gear for sledding a couple of years ago now, and it was the single best purchase I've ever made for the outdoors. I spent a lot of time with the old standbys and bargains I bought on sale, none of it holds a candle to the new technology. Of course, I never had real good quality wool items, silk, etc..., so I can't really compare it to that.

I know this though, everything is more fun if you're warm and dry.

Waxy

[Cordur]

Yep the new stuff is better. I picked up a new pair of mountaineering boots this year and they actually feel like they've been sitting by a stove when I put them on. I've got a nice pair of alpaca socks but they don't really do too well when compared to layered ones I bought.

All I know is that if I lay the money down I'm going to be warm and dry when it comes to clothes. I've got a pair of insulated carharts that I've had caked in ice up to my knees and felt dry and warm wearing while sitting around on a lake ice fishing in the wind lol

The only thing I haven't found yet is a good pair of gloves that will actually keep my fingers from going numb while still letting me get my finger inside of a trigger guard. The wool mitten gloves from thinsulate work very well for me and I sometimes keep a hot pack in the mitten part. But they are a pain to flip back in a hurry if you need to. Wish someone would wire up a battery operated glove system that was thin.

Yup, you're an old stick in the mud Dick......I love this new technology in clothing but then again I like being warm and dry.

[Map Maker]

I cant comment too much on wool vs poly.

But i used to buy all those new fangled sleeping bags with all that high tech filling. Finally got fed up with it bunching up and compressing, that i bought a down bag, and down is hands-down the best material for me and will never buy anything but.

[TheClash]

new isn't necessarily better in all conditions.....i personally hate poly pro.....and prefer silk or merino..but some folks can wear it. i can't wear goretex boots.....my feet get too hot in them and overload the system and end up being more wet from sweat than anything else.....and i am also a down sleeping bag man...unless i am doing the westcoast trail....then it is synthetic all the way. but when it comes to more active sports.....snowboarding, skiing, climbing....i prefer the newer materials as they are USUALLY lighter, more compressible and more waterproof....so i am a mutt i guess...all depends on the situation.

[AB2506]

Who wears polypro? That's old tech already. Many other tupes of synthetics that are more comfortable and don't absorb smells like polypro. Thermax for one, is much better. My wife even found some Stanfield's underwear that is not identified, but it works great. It is not polypro. Try MEC. Their Power dry (or is it power stretch?) under garments work pretty well. Comfy and non stinky.

[TheClash]

there is powerdry and powerstretch at mec...and ya it is pretty good..i have a few pairs. but if i am going to wear synthetic..i wear patagonia capilene....

[AB2506]

Wow Clash, you must be rich!

Is it (capilene) that much better?

[Mintaka]

.

[TheClash]

Originally Posted by AB2506

Wow Clash, you must be rich!

Is it (capilene) that much better?

it is head and shoulders above the mec stuff...have never tried underarmour...but here is the deal..yup it is pricey....but i have had the same pair for over 7 years...and i use them often..and they aren't bagged out, pilled up or full of holes. they last and last and last..plus they are made from post consumer materials...and...when you are done with them you can take them back to the patigonia store and turn them in to be recycled and used again...you don't get any money back for doing it...but you help the earth a bit imho....


there is a fantastic patagonia outlet in dillon mont. and they have an incredible 4th of july sale..that usually starts on canada day...bt of a ritual for me.....see the parade in raymond....head down to dillon for the sale...stay and play for a bit in montana.

[lilsundance]

I still wear long underwear, undershirts, then a layer of wool. I also like to top it off with a windbreaker. I have a pair of swiss army wool pants. I did upgrade to fleese undergarments last year and found this to help. Seems like the older I get the harder it is to keep warm when sitting. I like the wool pants because they are quiet and warm even when frozen stiff.
So your not the only one still using the tried and true clothes of "yester-year".

[TheClash]

lilsundance....you might want to try looking for an under-layer that has some sort of wind shield to it....fleece is nice and warm..if it is protected...but wind rips right through it...so under just wool pants you might be letting a lot of cold wind through without realizing...just a thought.


after thought edit....patagonia and mec will both accept ANY brand of synthetic undies for recycling

[lilsundance]

But the wool pants I have are a very tight weave and one of the heaviest wool pant I have seen in quite a few years. Last year and this year I had no problems even when riding the quad. I did make one minor modification to them though. I took some of my old wool pants and sewed an extra layer on the knees. I did this mainly for when kneeling on the cold ground. It made a world of difference before I went to the fleece long underwear. I thank you for the suggestion. It will be something to look at for the future.

I use layers of polypropylene,fleece and a gore tex shell.I do not wear any wool at all.I prefer lighter gear that is waterproof.

[TheClash]

hmmmm.....interesting....most wool pants are pretty good...but they are very breathable...which is good and bad......lets your heat out as well as letting cold air through sometimes. i still love wool pants though

If you look at the camping stores wool is making a come back and lots of clothing is selling at a high price. I like lots of the new stuff but must admit my cold weather combo consists of a decent pair of snow boots, insulated Carharts and a old parka like my Grandpa used to wear when i was kid (with a coyote fur strip along the hood). I can spend a day out in -25 and still sweat more than i like to, its optimal at about -30 with wind. Great for long cold days of ice fishing. I carry different stuff in the mountains during the winter as its more compact but it doesn't keep me any warmer. I do really want to get a new rain jacket though, one of these breathable varieties (my last one got destroyed after a week, need to bite the bullet and spend the couple hundred bucks).

[TheClash]

jrs i have sold those kinds of jackets for years and years...if you have any questions feel free to pm me...

[Reeves1]

Silk underware and pink gun stocks.......

DV is on my list of places to stay away from

[Puma]

Guess Im a stick in the mud as well.

I like feltpaks and wool socks, wool sweaters and swiss army wools, c/w long johns if its really cold for hunting.

Insulated coveralls and a fur hat for fishin on the ice.

I leave the new stuff for the metro-sexuals. (kidding, you young pups)

PS. I dont gel or mousse my hair either.

[lilsundance]

what good would mousing 4 hairs do anyhow????
jk.

[bruceba]

I always went on comments that my late Father and Grandfather used to make. The forces know how to dress their men for cold weather. I bought gear from the War Surplus for years until I asked one old vet about the comment and his reply was that he nearly froze the boys off on several occasions. Since then it's been a combination of new and old but always layers.

[TheClash]

i used to teach the forces climbing and some winter skills....and i did not approve of the military gear they had...old, heavy..cotton based often.....it was bad stuff...but these were fresh recruits..maybe they save the good stuff for the real soldiers??

[Walleyes]

I'm with you bruceba,, its about layers and I use some of the old mixed with the new.. My typical cold weather outdoor wear would start with a pair of good old undies top and bottom then if its cold the Helly Henson heavy one piece undies next my heavy gray wool pants and a pair of sport socks topped with my mothers home knitted wool socks.. On the upper body over the Hellys, a heavy wool sweater topped with a good Fleece jacket or if I'm quading or ice fishing in cold weather a good wind breaker or heavy parka... And a good old toque on the head.. Love my wool and fleece for hunting quiet and warm..

[TheClash]

i have traded most of my hardshells for new softshells....much warmer, quieter and if treated they can be really water resistant....mine is totally windproof. i love it.

[twofifty]

Originally Posted by Mintaka

"...
Just don't wear cotton.

Nice thing about cotton is that once you've retrieved your goat or sheep, you're ready to call in Search & Rescue for helo evac since you're now hypothermic. Cuts down on the heavy work of getting off the mountain.

;-)