Best wool hunting suit?

A

akrifleman

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I'm looking for European style woolen hunting clothing. The kind that is a proper suit, and suitable for Arctic wear. Who makes the warmest, toughest, and most gentlemanly suit of hunting clothes?
 
Warm, Tough and Gentlemanly are not generally compatible. Not sure what European style is, but Pacific Northwest style with regard to wool generally meant the Alaska Tuxedo- otherwise known as the Filson Forestry cloth cruiser suit. To get warmth, it was the Filson double Mackinaw coat.
 
Ray B said:
Warm, Tough and Gentlemanly are not generally compatible. Not sure what European style is, but Pacific Northwest style with regard to wool generally meant the Alaska Tuxedo- otherwise known as the Filson Forestry cloth cruiser suit. To get warmth, it was the Filson double Mackinaw coat.
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Tough is things like Loden or Wadmal wool, and some tweeds. A proper suit can be worn at a lodge or in polite company.
 
akrifleman said:
I'm looking for European style woolen hunting clothing. The kind that is a proper suit, and suitable for Arctic wear. Who makes the warmest, toughest, and most gentlemanly suit of hunting clothes?
Click to expand...

Items like these can be found without problems on the European market. Such garments are made from Loden. There is a vast selection available, designed for a wide variety of purposes, and it is for this reason difficult to recommend anything precise. High quality Loden clothes are very expensive.

As for the Arctic, you certainly could wear Loden clothing there if you wear a hardshell jacket and trousers over it. If Loden gets wet, like any wool garment, it will continue to provide warmth, but it dries very slowly. For this reason, Loden clothes would not be my first choice for the Arctic.

Otherwise, many of the warmest, toughest, and most gentlemanly Loden garments are well-suited for many types of hunting activities.
 
I’ve seen people hunt the highlands of Scotland in everything from a kilt to a full woolen suit with a tie. None of which I would ever consider adequate clothing for the Artic. And only some for proper gentlemen attire.

Think about it like this. You can do one thing very well, or several things poorly and be miserable in the process.

You will save time and energy by making good decisions. Choose wisely.
 
I have a spare, bespoke hunting suit made of scottish tweed by a hunting tailor in the midlands of England. It's the thickest tweed that the Scottish mills make. It has a shooting jacket, waistcoat, breeks, and a shooting cap.

I haven't had need to do any driven/estate shooting in very, very cold winter weather in ten years. It is roughly a size 50 long with a 46" waist. Of course it can be custom tailored further. I have an ample supply of wool stockings and spare flashes as well.

Not sure if the cost or the size would suit you, but feel free to send a PM if there is interest.

For purchasing a suit as described new today, you'll need to budget around 4000 pounds.
 
You do not wear European "gentlemanly" clothing in the Arctic. Even Europeans do not do this. Having said that, the Austrian brand Jagdhund sells very heavy weight loden clothing made for cold European winters. But there are many brands out there. Another one is Harkila. Euro sizes are different than US sizes/fittings. I tend to upsize when purchasing Euro brand clothing. EX: I am normally a US XL but will wear an EU XXL.
 
Tiger2001 said:
You do not wear European "gentlemanly" clothing in the Arctic. Even Europeans do not do this. Having said that, the Austrian brand Jagdhund sells very heavy weight loden clothing made for cold European winters. But there are many brands out there. Another one is Harkila. Euro sizes are different than US sizes/fittings. I tend to upsize when purchasing Euro brand clothing. EX: I am normally a US XL but will wear an EU XXL.
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A "British Shooting Suit" or the German equivelant can be used for deer stalking and stag hunting in the Scottish Highlands, or can be used in Central Europe for Alpine hunting animals such as chamois.

I agree, when we say the word "arctic" it inspires very primitive clothing and primitive accomodations. When we say cold-weather Alpine or Highland hunting, coat and tie may be required and you may still be wearing your hunting attire back at the lodge after a day of sport.

This was a 40F day, so some of the party had removed their jackets, but the two suits on the left side would be cold-weather shooting suits in the British-German traditional sense.
IMG_2997.JPG
 
MICKLAGAARD IN SWEDEN IS YOUR ANSWER!

I just received their hunting parka and it is built like a bank vault. Their trousers can be purchased with insulation in them - I have never done so as the wadmal wool is plenty warm enough for my environment.

If not Micklagaard, then Weather Wool here in the US, however, they are unable to keep trousers in stock due to demand,

Both of these beat Filson like a red-headed step-child - just not even a fair comparison and besides being hands-down warmer, they don't itch.
 
I have a loden alain pain coat thats very warm artic conditions id prolly go for something thats 100% rated for those conditions. Not saying you cant do it. But having spent time at-20/ -28C i wouldnt want a suit
 
I regret saying arctic, because everyone seems to be thinking Shackleton in Antarctica or something. This hunting season you could have worn shorts and a t-shirt in north Alaska (in the Arctic circle) until the end of September. Not unlike most Scandinavian countries weather, or Bismarck ND whenever the weather does the wierd stuff it does there.
 
The early European mountaineers wore wool suits in very harsh conditions. And some looked pretty dapper while climbing.

Pictured are Mallory and Irvine the first to summit Everest. (Not Edmund Hillary)

IMG_4681.jpeg
IMG_4682.jpeg
 
Ray B said:
Warm, Tough and Gentlemanly are not generally compatible. Not sure what European style is, but Pacific Northwest style with regard to wool generally meant the Alaska Tuxedo- otherwise known as the Filson Forestry cloth cruiser suit. To get warmth, it was the Filson double Mackinaw coat.
Click to expand...
Here’s a photo of the kind of European style, warm and tough suit he’s talking about.

IMG_0103.jpeg
 
farmer_john said:
I have a loden alain pain coat thats very warm artic conditions id prolly go for something thats 100% rated for those conditions. Not saying you cant do it. But having spent time at-20/ -28C i wouldnt want a suit
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At -20 on my trapline, I take off my coat so I don't sweat myself soaking wet. I have all the clothing needed for sub-zero winter conditions. I'm not going to the north pole in the dead of winter here.
 
akrifleman said:
At -20 on my trapline, I take off my coat so I don't sweat myself soaking wet. I have all the clothing needed for sub-zero winter conditions. I'm not going to the north pole in the dead of winter here.
Click to expand...
Lol true. I also do layers but my experience was a little more prolonged than a day or two
But the alain pain stuff i have is pretty warm.
 
akrifleman said:
I'm looking for European style woolen hunting clothing. The kind that is a proper suit, and suitable for Arctic wear. Who makes the warmest, toughest, and most gentlemanly suit of hunting clothes?
Click to expand...
What’s your budget ? Henry Poole in Savile Row (London) made me a Harris tweed three piece shooting suit for driven grouse shooting in 1966, which was pretty good.

But they’re extremely expensive nowadays.

If you have any experience with Harris tweed, then you’ll really appreciate it’s warm wearing abilities. Very coarse fabric though.

Oldfield Clothiers makes a relatively more affordable version
 
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Hunter-Habib said:
What’s your budget ? Henry Poole in Savile Row (London) made me a Harris tweed three piece shooting suit for driven grouse shooting in 1966, which was pretty good.

But they’re extremely expensive nowadays.

If you have any experience with Harris tweed, then you’ll really appreciate it’s warm wearing abilities. Very coarse fabric though.

Oldfield Clothiers makes a relatively more affordable version
Click to expand...

I'm referring to made to measure clothing for this. Something that can adventure travel as well as hunt.

Bespoke for me is just one or two suits, and not something I'd put at risk. Upper middle vs well heeled.
 
Since it's so good I guess that's why so many climbers in the last fifty years have worn it on their climbs of Everest and related peaks.
 
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