I am in need of a cold weather coat. Trying to decide whether I want to go with wool.

As I am sure you know layering is the way to go.
I have use about every type of "coat" there is, depending on the conditions.

For heavy rain above freezing I like waxed cotton [with wool underneath], for high country hunts where light weight is of high priority I use Gore-Tex. For general use I like a wool "coat". They are quiet, and warm when wet.

I like Filson Products.

I've got a down North Face jacket that I wear solo or zip it into my Goretex Mountain Jacket shell....not much of a coat for hunting, but the warmest coat that I've ever worn. I have used it to hunt elk and still hunt whitetail...bought the darn thing when I used to live in Jackson.

Nothing else I've worn comes close to being as warm...but get ready to shell out some serious $$$.

MG

Always go with wool!!! Filson products are in fact the best wool products in my opinion.
I have a old Double cruiser I use for the worst of conditions. Use a standard wool cruiser for everything else.
Avoid down at all costs!!! Use only synthetics for underwear. Always wool for sox!!! Again, synthetic is fine for a liner.
I have LOTS of mixed emotions for "Gore-tex".
Personally, I think "Gore-tex" can be cold. Don't know why. Have had it, but tossed it in favor of my old wool stuff.
Buy a Filson Single cruiser and Double cruiser!!
You will have it for life!!! The two garments will cost you less than a grand, but you will be a happy hunter!!!
As a side note: Filson "tin cloth" is over-rated. It wears out so fast!!! The waxed "tin cloth" works good for a season or two, but you will be dissapointed with it.
The wool stuff from Filson is best.

Take a look at the web site for King of the Mountain. Their woolens seem very popular with guides and serious hunters.

Always remember, dimension is warmth. In the cold and and wet. Dimension can decrease. Thats why wool works so well. Wool actually increases in volume when it's wet, thus, more dimension. Thickness
Something like down, being hydroscopic, absorbs water and vapor from your oun body and becomes a little sorb of material that will produce mass, clumps and such. Thus, we don't have dimension. It becomes thin. We then get cold.
Cotton is the worst for any cold weather activity. It just absorbs our moisture, climatic or body. Evaporates, and makes us cold.
"Gore-tex is another thing that makes me suspect. Yes, it is good for the little blast of rain. But, we are hunters. We tramp around much of the time looking for our "hot-spots". This exposure of dust and grime possibly erodes the membrane that makes "gore-tex" so good. All of a sudden,our coat leaks. It's happened to me. We then get cold.
Get wool my friend. Never let modern technology get ahead of "mother nature".
It's cold out there.

I've got King of the Mountain stuff, and it is great. But I will say that my favorite--keeps me the warmest--stuff I have is the Cabela's MT-050 Whitetail Extreme. It IS gore-tex lined, but I find that cuts the wind completely, and I have had no issues with durability or EVER being cold with it.

I think some of the synthetics are superior to mother nature myself, but I suppose that is why there is chocolate and vanilla. ---but then again I like Rocky Road ice cream.

Sleeping indian is what a couple of my buds swear by, but when in Kansas just a week ago, both of them complained about it not 'cutting the wind', I don't know if the wool is available with some type of wind resistant membrane, but that would be a great product I think.

Good Luck--Don

If one is truly talking about COLD, then there is nothing better than a down parka for periods of inactivity. Wool and a wind breaking anorak over it for activity. I winter camp (pulling a tobaggan on snowshoes) and would not want to be without my down parka. For hunting though wool is hard to beat. You can even make it pretty water resistant by treating it with anhydrous lanolin.

How to waterproof wool

All fabrics, old and new have their place and there is no one fabric that can do it all. Having air space (loft) thats heated by the body is what keeps you warm. Blocking the wind so the warmth stays next to the body is very important. So is keeping water away from the skin. Down is the best warmth for the weight, but loses loft when its wet and it does not block the wind. Wool is a good insulator, even when wet it keeps its loft but it is heavy..and heavier when wet. It also does not block the wind effectively but does so better than down. Primaloft is very much like down except it keeps its thermal qualities (loft)when its wet. It does not block wind though. Whatever the insulator(loft generator) it must keep water/moisture away from the skin, be lofty enough to hold heat next to the body and stop heavy wind from moving the warm air away from the skin. You see, no single fabric can do it. It takes layered fabrics to accomplish all these tasks. A light synthetic fabric to wick body moisture from the skin, a layer of loft to hold the warm air from the body and then a layer (breathable preferred) to keep wind/rain from penetrating the loft layer and reducing its effectivness of holding body heat. The best garments available anywhere are the ones the mountain climbers use...their life really does depend on what they are wearing and most hunters will never see the brutal weather they do. I use a layering system like theirs (except the colors)and there is nothing better to protect you. Forget the brand names and stick to the concept of layering quality components.

The best I've used has been a Browning Gortex Quad Parka. I've had one for about 15 years and it is still going strong. It has worked well in snow and sleet while duck and goose hunting as well as wind and snow at -13F while Deer hunting. It's quiet, waterproof, comfy, and quite warm. I highly recommend a Browning Quad parka for a great coat that will last many years.

Good Luck

Reloader

quote:

Originally posted by Tracker12:
I am in need of a cold weather coat. Trying to decide whether I want to go with wool.

I like the Air Force extreme cold parka or one of the civilian knock-offs for cold weather. More moderate weather I wear a down vest over a sweatshirt with a Gore-tex rain shell tied on the back of my pack in case it gets wet.

Alaska is another thing altogether, and Gore-tex is thought of as something for shopping trips.

Don't forget the back of your hands and back of your neck. Thats where the blood vessels are closest to your skin and most suseptible to heat loss. With good gloves and a balaklava i can be ok at -30* with a light coat and no wind. Gianni.

The best I have found so far is Arctic Shield. Last year I bought some for the first time and it is great stuff. The T3 stuff is best (the T2 is noisy). I got the bibs and parka. This year I was sitting on top of a hill when it was 16 degrees with a -2 wind chill and I was not just warm, but hot. I had to zip the coat down some and the legs up to the knees. All I had underneath was a light pair of camo pants with a light poly underneath, and the same up top.

I have had all kinds of wool, fleece and the rest, but this stuff is great. This year I bought the gloves to match and after a day of use and a night in the truck, they were still warm the next morning.

I'm with Larry on the Artic Shield, I've been wearing it for three years & it's light weight quite, water proof & warm as hell. Pretty good price as well.

Tracker Could you maybe tell us what you consider"cold weather"? I'm not trying to be funny but what is cold for someone from Florida or Texas may not be cold where I come from. Believe me it gets cold in Manitoba and we occasionally get to hunt in weather in the -30 to -40 deg range. In order to stay warm you are going to need the layered system. If it is real cold you will need more than just a parka.Especially for inactive periods you need some insulated overalls. Makes a big difference keeping your lower back and backside warm.As already mentioned military cold weather parkas or knock offs are very hard to beat.