Hi
I need some advice from the USA... I am looking to get some wool pants or perhaps some bibs for the up coming New Zealand winter, for hunting and chilly days outside.

I am thinking of Woolrich Malone pants or bibs - according to to website it's a slightly lighter than most other wool pants which are usually 24oz, and they should be a reasonable alternative to fleece pants.

I really need to hear from people who have them so I can see how they come up for size/shrink etc particularly the bibs.

So If anyone could advise - I am 5'9" tall, 42" chest and with a waist that could be 34 in Carhartt jeans or 36 in dress pants... And if I put a tape measure loosely around my waist it is 37 inches.... What's that all about?
I'm asking because you can't buy this stuff here, so it's buying blind on the web, and returns aren't an option as shipping is a third of the price!!

They might work if you want something lighter. If you are content with 24 oz material, I would definitely go with Filson. They were even nice enough to send me some of their cotton duck material to face the bibs to prevent tearing the wool in the front. Great company and a great product.

Also check out Johnson Woolen Mills in Vermont, US. They will gladly correspond via email to answer all of your questions. They are a fairly small, "been around forever" company w/rigid New England standards. No outsourcing overseas, as far as I know.

I recently mail-ordered a pr. of boots from the (in-)famous Schnees of Bozeman Montana, via another big-box catalog dealer...Made in China.

BT, I have a pair of Woolrich wool bibs, size Small. The tag doesn't say how many oz. they are, but they are definitely heavy & thick. I use them as one of my primary hunting pants, and they are excellent at stopping the wind (which surprised me a little - maybe it shouldn't have), breathe nicely, and shed a surprising amount of water. They are quite warm, too (most of my hunting is done Oct - January in Minnesota, Wisconsin, & Nebraska; MN is about as far north as NZ is south, and of course without the ocean to moderate).

As for fit - I couldn't be happier with the bibs. They keep the cold off the small of my back & don't let the wind through the sides. I'm 5'8" and have a 30" waist, so I'd guess you're looking at a Medium or maybe even Large. Like you say, buying on-line is a bit of a risk with sizing. Can you send Woolrich an email asking for their recommendation?

Another person mentioned Filson, and you can't go wrong there, either; but I don't know if they make a bib. I have a beautiful Filson wool vest, and the wool is, of course, excellent. Is it better than Woolrich? I haven't noticed any difference in the two.

Lastly, I got my bibs on sale about 7 or 8 years ago, and I noticed this morning that the tag says "1994." I assume this means the year 1994, so maybe mine didn't sell (they were deeply discounted at the store). Either way, it'a a great bib and I would certainly buy it again.

Hope this helps - good luck!

friar

By the way, I never have washed mine - the tag says "dry-clean only". They are the same size as first purchased.

I would go with bibs. I have the pants and coat and get a cold breeze on the small of the back. Another dry clean only. So no change in size. I bought mine in about 1980 --- so they have been in use a very long time.

Thanks for all your help... I have bitten the bullet and ordered some Woolrich Malone pants... I think they might suit slightly more active use. I do own a few Filson items, and agree the quality is top notch, but I don't think I need Iditerod weight bibs here yet....famous last words.
Thanks again everyone!

Woolrich and Filson are both way overpriced for what you get. Best thing to do if you want wool pants/bibs or general extreme cold weather gear is to hit the Army/Navy Surplus stores.

They are importing an awful lot of surplus cold weather gear from Sweden, Germany and Russia and selling it in these stores. I picked up several pairs of wool pants for a fraction of what Woolrich or Filson want. I also got a half a dozen British made wool commando style sweaters for less than 12 bucks each. Good thing about military gear is it is field tested and is usually a green or dark grey color so it blends in well.