Looking for a wool hoodie. Any ideas on where to look?

I googled "wool hoodie" and there are lots of places. This one would get my vote if I had the money for it. boreal shirt

I have a Boreal Shirt, and its great if you're looking for a rugged "outside in extreme cold" kind of hoodie. If you're just looking for something to wear around the house it may be overkill.

I love mine, though, and sometimes do wear it around the house.

quote housty9: "Looking for a wool hoodies, any ideas on where to look?"

Look at Minus 33 products. Inexpensive and nice stuff. Minus 33 Hoodie

Check out the Patagonia Better Sweater Hoody.

It's not wool but a polyester knitted fleece that has a lot of the same wicking and insulating properties of wool.

quote mr.barley: "I googled "wool hoodie" and there are lots of places. This one would get my vote if I had the money for it. boreal shirt "

I'll have to put that on the spring trip list.

quote housty9: "

quote mr.barley: "I googled "wool hoodie" and there are lots of places. This one would get my vote if I had the money for it. boreal shirt "

I'll have to put that on the spring trip list."

My thoughts are this is over kill for a canoe trip unless you are traveling in late October or November. I own one and they are a bulky item to bring on a canoe trip. They are designed more for winter camping or weather that won't top say 50 degrees for a high. But to each his own so maybe you run cold. :-)

I found this one. I own a lot of Minus33 clothing, all top notch.

No experience with these but they look good and have a reasonable price. ASBELL WOOL

quote Banksiana: "I found this one. I own a lot of Minus33 clothing, all top notch."

I own an expedition weight zip top. Great product.

quote SevenofNine: "

quote Banksiana: "I found this one. I own a lot of Minus33 clothing, all top notch."

I own an expedition weight zip top. Great product."

I was going to buy one of those before but the pictures look pretty bland. What do you think of its look? I also read the thumbholes are small and zipper pull is plastic which curls in dryer.

It's funny to see this come up now. I was looking at getting something like the asbell anorak or the boreal shirt about a month ago, but they weren't exactly what I was looking for, don't come in a slim/athletic fit, and the boreal shirt is way expensive so I decided to make my own instead.

Spent some time on ebay and found a good heavy wool blanket from Ayers mill in Canada from like the 50s (a lot like the old hudson bay blankets) and got it for $30. It was exactly what I was looking for. Heavy 24oz wool with a good tight weave and not too scratchy. The hoody (or anorak if that's what you want to call it) turned out great and it's perfectly fitted to me. Couldn't be happier for $30 and I learned a new skill.

quote SevenofNine: "My thoughts are this is over kill for a canoe trip unless you are traveling in late October or November. I own one and they are a bulky item to bring on a canoe trip."

+1
Possibly my favorite piece of outerwear. Only way I see ever bringing it on a canoe trip would be if I were near certain I'd be wearing 100% of the time. In a pack, it'd take the space of a couple sleeping bags anyway.

quote redoleary: "No experience with these but they look good and have a reasonable price. ASBELL WOOL "

Thanks for the link, lots of options at a good price.

quote amhacker22: "I have a Boreal Shirt, and its great if you're looking for a rugged "outside in extreme cold" kind of hoodie. If you're just looking for something to wear around the house it may be overkill.


I love mine, though, and sometimes do wear it around the house."

Was wonder what these weigh and do you where a lot under it?

quote housty9: "Was wonder what these weigh and do you where a lot under it? "

Nothing ultra-light about them. Think army blanket weight. As far as layers beneath it, for me anyway, the sky's the limit. If it's upper 40s to 50, I may just wear a t-shirt. It's cut generously enough that you can pile on just about anything you'd want as it cools from there.

quote housty9: "

quote amhacker22: "I have a Boreal Shirt, and its great if you're looking for a rugged "outside in extreme cold" kind of hoodie. If you're just looking for something to wear around the house it may be overkill.



I love mine, though, and sometimes do wear it around the house."

Was wonder what these weigh and do you where a lot under it? "

Like PArkerMag says, they're pretty thick/heavy. It feel equivalent to a Filson 24oz wool. I'm not sure if it is, but that's what it feels like to me.

I run pretty hot, so keep that in mind, but I've been working (shoveling!) outside in sub-zero temps with just a T-shirt underneath and been very comfortable. If I'm going to be out in some real cold but less active, I'd probably go with a smartwool or equivalent base layer, and MAYBE an extra sweatshirt or something. I don't think I'd ever have more than that unless I added an anorak of some kind for winter camping.

First off, let me state that I have a great affection for products made by Kevin Kinney at Empire Wool and Canvas. His products are designed for the cold, dry winters found in the Boreal Forests of the northern United States and Canada.

The Boreal Shirt, made by Empire Wool and Canvas, is marketed primarily by Lester River Bushcraft. It is made from wool blankets. It's not light nor is it compact. It is a great product, well made and tough as nails.

It is well designed with over front pockets (actually a large "pouch" with a zippered inner pocket), sewn in rings for keys, etc., a large hood (big enough to fit over a hat or a helmet) that you can tighten down covering your neck, chin and mouth. It is long enough to keep your backside warm sitting in a deer stand and the bottom also can be cinched up to keep out the breezes.

It's intentionally designed to be loose and baggy to accommodate layers underneath.

Being wool, it keeps you warm when wet and is very forgiving around camp fire sparks. It never stinks no matter how long you wear it.

It is perfect as an outer layer in the fall and winter, but I wouldn't want to try stuffing it in a pack for a canoe trip. I might leave it on the outside of the pack and secure it with the flap.

Wool is a great around water. It keeps you warm when wet and it wicks moisture (sweat) away from your body and sublimates through to the outer layer. Although heavy in a fabric sort of way, it's one of the most comfortable and warm pieces of outer wear I use.

It's like a wool anorak.

(In addition an Empire Wool and Canvas Camp Coat is my everyday winter coat. I love it and it's worth every penny)









Boreal Shirt snow blowing attire

Sounds like you'd need a small pack just for your hoodie.

Thanks for the info, looks like it would be good for late fall or early spring paddling when there's still a little snow around and a chilly wind, 1st of Oct might be to early for it depending on the year.

FWIW, if I saw a cold snap in my tripping forecast, I'd take mine in a heartbeat. I already keep a wool Jac-Shirt in my drybag on every trip, and I use it on every trip. This would take up twice as much space, but it would be totally worth it to me. Warmth is worth a lot of extra effort, and this just takes a little extra.

It would save on taking a bunch of extra layers, Thinking I'm going to order one soon.

I really like my Boreal Shirt too. Can't wait for this summer to finish up so I can wear it again ;)

quote housty9: "

quote redoleary: "No experience with these but they look good and have a reasonable price. ASBELL WOOL "

Thanks for the link, lots of options at a good price."

I used mine regularly and love it. Definitely a great purchase. You would probably want the zipper jacket, my pullover is very comfortable but a mild struggle to get on at times.

Totally different but I love my Smartwool wool hoodie.

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Another vote for the Boreal Shirt. Great piece of gear. All of the gear I have from them works incredibly well and is very well made. As long as it is not too warm for your anticipated use, I think you'd be pleased. Only problem is they are definitely a limited production specialty shop, so getting the to accept your order is not always easy

I own one of these and I love it. And you can get a hood for it....

Ron LeClair Wool Shirt

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quote HappyHuskies: "Another vote for the Boreal Shirt. Great piece of gear. All of the gear I have from them works incredibly well and is very well made. As long as it is not too warm for your anticipated use, I think you'd be pleased. Only problem is they are definitely a limited production specialty shop, so getting the to accept your order is not always easy


"

I ordered one of these, it takes about 3 weeks to get it, I emailed back and forth with him, great to work with.

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quote housty9: "

quote HappyHuskies: "Another vote for the Boreal Shirt. Great piece of gear. All of the gear I have from them works incredibly well and is very well made. As long as it is not too warm for your anticipated use, I think you'd be pleased. Only problem is they are definitely a limited production specialty shop, so getting the to accept your order is not always easy



"

I ordered one of these, it takes about 3 weeks to get it, I emailed back and forth with him, great to work with."

The weather should be perfect for it by the time you get it. FYI: i was given the same schedule, but it came quite a bit quicker.

What a great hoodie, Just got back from a trip Oct 1st through the 5th, very warm and comfortable, plenty of room underneath to add layers if needed, most of the time I wore just a t-shirt underneath, the front pocket has 3 pockets in so you can carry stuff with out it falling out(camera, knife, snacks and other stuff), I would highly recommend one, favorite hoodie I have every owned.

Wish I had brought mine this past weekend. Friday morning was very damp and cold as much of the day. My down jacket kept me warm but had so little breathe ability that I was taking it off often when I did work around camp. I think the wool hoodie would have been a much better choice but I was backpacking so I went the light weight packability route.

Love my Asbell wool. Hunt ,fish , hike ,camp , shovel snow , and daily wear around. Have several pieces.

Check out the Appalachian Gear Co Alpaca hoodie, it’s amazing! It’s made in. Roth Carolina and the Alpaca wool is like a super material. Lightweight, soft, warm, dries well, and doesn’t hold odors. They also make it in a longer cut which avoids the “high back sweater” issue and also works better with a backpack waist belt.

Seems a little pricey at first until you compare to Patagonia or similar performance base layers. It’s a little hard to get though, as they come in and out of stock often. You’ll want to follow their Instagram story to know what is available.

Fits big, so size down for a more athletic fit. I’m usually a large at 6’-1” 207 and a medium is a perfect fit for me. Best purchase I made this year.

https://appalachiangearcompany.com/

Can't say enough great things about a couple wool hoodies I use. For lightweight sun protection, LOVE my Duckworth and Voormi hoodies. As a perfect base layer, my first lite zip neck hoody is true gear hall of fame worthy. For cool weather, love my heavier Duckworth Powder hoody.

Bjfinnegan: "...the Alpaca wool is like a super material. Lightweight, soft, warm, dries well, and doesn’t hold odors..."

I recently picked-up a mid layer from Arms of Andes and will be buying some base layers from them as well. All alpaca wool, and it really is super amazing stuff. Arms of Andes has really impressed me with all of the lengths they've gone to to keep their supply chain and products environmentally friendly, suppliers/labor treated and paid well, and animals cared for.

Bjfinnegan: "Check out the Appalachian Gear Co Alpaca hoodie, it’s amazing! …
https://appalachiangearcompany.com/
"

Not much "In Stock" on their website.

bobbernumber3: "

Bjfinnegan: "Check out the Appalachian Gear Co Alpaca hoodie, it’s amazing! …
https://appalachiangearcompany.com/
"

Not much "In Stock" on their website. "

Alpaca wool is not as plentiful as other materials, and the vast majority of it still comes from small farms in Peru. Covid did a number on the supply chain. Arms of Andes seems to have had a better time with this than most others, but even they got interrupted as well for a bit. I'm assuming AoA must have a closer/stronger relationship with suppliers or maybe a better means of distribution that allowed them to handle Covid better than many others in the alpaca wool game. Based on the the answers in Appalacian Gear Co's FAQ, they have less direct involvement and a longer supply chain from alpaca to customer than AoA which has hurt them more.

Their stock definitely comes and goes quickly. I would recommend following them on Instagram. They update their stock via one of the Stories links. Not ideal, but it worked for me.

"Boreal Shirt" ??
Why not just wear a Buffalo Robe ?

{:>)

Larry S

If you're looking for a lighter weight/baselayer hoodie I bought a WoolX Switchback Merino Wool hoodie that I could live in. It's so comfortable, even right against my skin. 230g Merino wool, so it makes for a nice midweight layer.

Interesting continuing a necro post from 5 years ago. The OP (Mark), even shows the wool hoodie he bought in the second to last post from 2015!

butthead

butthead: "Interesting continuing a necro post from 5 years ago. The OP (Mark), even shows the wool hoodie he bought in the second to last post from 2015!


butthead"

Ha! Great accountability!!! Too funny...At least there's now more recent opinions for the archive. I often fail to look at the age of the original post.

butthead: "Interesting continuing a necro post from 5 years ago. The OP (Mark), even shows the wool hoodie he bought in the second to last post from 2015!


butthead"

I don't see a problem with continuing an old thread if the topic of the old thread is still relevant. Wool garments are still a thing people go looking for today. Why make a thread asking about them when one already exists?

Wasn't complaining as much as find it interesting the effort to search and add to a 5 year old thread. Normally this is done via software driven sales potential search algorithms (trolling for customers).

butthead

Still using my boreal hoodie, very durable, have had no issues after five years, one of the best cold weather hoodies I've ever bought even bought the girlfriend one and she loves it to.

https://lrbushcraft.com/

Is the Boreal scratchy/itchy around the neck area?
It seems like the Holy Grail of tops...but if it's uncomfortable around that area it's a deal breaker for me

It’s tricky to answer because some people are more sensitive about wool touching their skin. I have two wool hoodies of different weigh wool that I made from blankets, so while I don’t have the LRB one I believe the wool is similar. I have no problems at all around my neck, but wool rarely bothers me (I have a Pendleton wool bathrobe!). One thing I can suggest, though, is if it bothers you you could wear a light weight merino gator with it. When it’s below freezing I usually wear my Buff under my hoodie to help keep cold air out.

If wool bothers you then yes these hoodies will bother you. The wool used is not merino nor is it soft. You will have to wear a midweight shirt under it and something around your neck to keep it from bothering you. That said it is a very nice piece of gear. I use mine for winter camping.

I'd never imagine wearing a Boreal or LR wool anorak against the skin. Kinda like I can't imagine ever wearing boots without socks. Surely anyone using one would have a base/midlayer and a gaiter or something around their neck anyway.

Appreciate the feedback. I would certainly wear some layers under and some sort of something around my neck both for warmth and to avoid irritation from the wool.
Thank you!

mschi772: "I don't see a problem with continuing an old thread if the topic of the old thread is still relevant. Wool garments are still a thing people go looking for today. Why make a thread asking about them when one already exists?"

Exactly. The topic is more then relevant.
I use Asbell Wool and have the Pathfinder. It's one of my favorite pieces of clothing.
Asbell Pathfinder

They even have a color named "Boundary Waters" Plaid.

butthead: "Wasn't complaining as much as find it interesting the effort to search and add to a 5 year old thread. Normally this is done via software driven sales potential search algorithms (trolling for customers).


butthead
"

Most forums flame users for not searching first before starting a new thread. I like the fact that a relevant thread is rekindled.

johnnyg08: Most forums flame users for not searching first before starting a new thread. I like the fact that a relevant thread is rekindled. "

Which never made any sense to me. I mean - didn't every topic have a first post at some point? What could be wrong with starting a new one?
But I'm glad to have this one get some fresh air.

KarlBAndersen1: "

johnnyg08: Most forums flame users for not searching first before starting a new thread. I like the fact that a relevant thread is rekindled. "

Which never made any sense to me. I mean - didn't every topic have a first post at some point? What could be wrong with starting a new one?
But I'm glad to have this one get some fresh air."

I agree...the entire point is to spur discussion.

If one does not wish to reply....keep on scrollin'

If we revive an old thread that still has value...more power to the thread! There's lots of wisdom in the winter camping threads. Some things stand the test of time.