I can't wear wool. Is there anything that will work as well as the wool?

oldschool,

Two thoughts here. If you want to have wool as an option, use a silk or poly-pro set of long sleeve shirt with a long john pant. This should prevent skin to wool contact. I would also recommend a poly-pro liner sock, they wick without absorbing moisture like cotton socks. Then wear a high quality wool sock over them for cushion and warmth.

The other thought was to try Merino wool, it is a very high quality wool from New Zealand if I recall. It has a finer texture, not itchy to the touch. Now, if you have wool allergies, I am not sure what this would do. Worth looking at and researching.

If wool is a total no-go, then I agree with JustABear, use polar fleece. It comes in at least four thicknesses, 100 lightest/thinnest, 200, 300, & 400 thickest/warmest.

Of course, maybe you could use a wool outer layer overtop of a polar fleece middle layer???

Best of luck on your search.

Mountainman.

alternative is Alpaca wool and products,
there is a store near Oshawa/Bowmanville and they say people with processed wool allergies (like me) can use this product as an alternative.

Polypropylene or Capilene see the sporting goods and hunting sections for these products. Layers, layers, layers. There is a army surplus store out your way, they did the interview with the Canadian Prepper shoot as well, they have the wool overshirts. Damn warm, works awesome, put the polypro underneath with a regular Tshirt etc and you will be very warm.

That way, you take off the heavy coat when working, so you do not overheat, now that is the real problem for most people as they keep the coat on. You work, you heat up, you sweat, then as you cool down the body cools off quickly and the cold causes the sweat to freeze, with the poly/capilleran which is moisture wicking, as well as the wool which is moisture wicking, it helps to protect you from this by pulling the sweat away from the skin. Remember Cotton Kills.

Might also look into Hemp clothing, there are some great Hemp and Bamboo/Hemp combos coming out as well.
Edit - I agree with the Polar Fleece as well.

Edit 2 - spelling and links
Polypropylene or Capilene
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polypropylene

http://www.rei.com/product/801816/patagonia-capilene-3-long-underwear-bottoms-mens

Here is the direct link to the clothing page.

Now I am allergic to processed wool, so I used to wear long sleve Polypro under the wool, it is an unbeatable combination.
http://www.providencesupplies.com/Products.php?view=productListPage&category=113

They are nice folks, he is Ex Cdn Military and they are Preppers.

On this page you will see some links to other countries Wool Pants and Wool Shirts. The best are the Dutch and German ones, unless you can find the Canadian ones, especially the older WWII or Korean War Wool kit.

delete

I spend plenty of time outside in the winter. Do to work, I have to be outside when the mercury drops to -40 c. Sometimes it is on a skidoo when its that cold. The biggest problem in the winter out in the praries is the windchil. It is nasty unless you dress properly for it. The windchil can literally cut though clothing like a knife . Layers is best. Your outer layer must be windproof. Warmth will com from your body heat trapped by a mid layer. Personally I have used both helly hanson clothing and also military surplus. The candian forces extreme cold weather parka is nice. It is a cheaper investment than the helly hanson. Underneath the parka you would need a mid layer. This is a must for both products. I do have a couple of helly hanson parkas and i like them the best. They have vents to prevent overheating . But they are very costly. Best to buy on clearance. The material is windproof and no worries about getting wet from the snow. Plus it is also breathable. My helly hanson has wind cuffs for your hands to prevent windchill blowing up your arm.

When getting a parka, make sure it has a long length . Enough to cover your waist and hips. Also have it big enough to allow room for layers underneath. Dont make the mistake of having it snug . You want the air trapped inside . That provides the warmth. Make sure it has a hood.

Boots- Since I was a teenager I always swore by my sorrel glacier boots. I never had cold feet in them . Not even from being outside working all day.
I always wear one of those 4in 1 hoods. It keeps my neck warm along with my head. On extreme cold days I wear a helly hanson balacava on the inside . Any exposed skin can freeze very quickly . Your head is the biggest loss of heat . Make sure it is covered.

base layer- this is worn next to your skin . It wicks away moisture from your body. I wear again helly hanson. They have different grades for different conditions/activities. This is basically the modern long johns. On top of your base laywer would be your pants/shirt. Cotton is to cool in extreme conditions but most shirts are conton material.

mid layer- this is the layer between your outer shell and your shirt. As always it is helly hanson for me. No zipper. Must be a pull over as the zipper can be penetrated by the cold. Make sure that your neck is not exposed. An exposed neck will let the cold in.

Gloves- mits are the best. These are those fingerless gloves that are big. Under them I wear those thin layer gloves for added warmth. Plus allows a person not having any expozed skin while touching a firearm or tools.

I do know that for products the columbia omi heat is supposed to be great . It is even more costly than the helly hanson. But it is also the newest tecnology on the market.

Hope this helps

oops - the pants . Outer layer pants must also be windproof. Also the pant leg must be able to go overtop your boots. This will prevent any snow getting into your boots. Plus also acts as a wind prevention. Your pants should have suspenders on them . This will help keep them in place.
Again I have both the canadian forces pants and helly hanson .

Wow thanks for all the info.

delete

WHY it was a good post

Living in Northern Alberta, Layers is totally what its about. If you're going to invest good money but have a limit to what you can spend, then spend it on a decent outer shell. I spend a lot of time hunting in cold weather and the secret is to be able to add or remove the inner layers. keeping the cold and wind out is just as important as keeping dry and not sweating up.

What is a good outer shell material/brand? Website to a product would be nice. Thanks.

canadian forces extreme cold weather parka - found at surplus stores . cheapest option
helly hanson - found anywhere in stores or online

Yeah I got a parka, but I was curious if there was a high quality type windbreaker that I would use over some items like sweaters if the main jacket needed to be dried out from sweat and whatnot.

When in the Army, the CF parka came in 2 pieces, the liner and the shell. Many times did I just wear a winter shirt, sweater and the shell, It made a good wind breaker and I still had all the pockets. We also had the winter whites, white nylon shell, upper and bottoms, which also made a good windbreaker. When chosing a windbreaker find one with back shoulder vents, or you could end up sweat freezing. Remember when working in the cold, wear as little as posible without getting cold, and then put on the jaket or sweater when resting. This way, you wont sweat as much, and what does will evapourate easily with out chilling you much. Goretex is said to be a breathing wind breaker, meaning that it allows sweat to escape. I dont know because it has always been out of my price range. Happy camping, but please Dont chill out.

Yeah I got a parka, but I was curious if there was a high quality type windbreaker that I would use over some items like sweaters if the main jacket needed to be dried out from sweat and whatnot.

Gravlore,

If you have an issue with sweat build up in cold weather -25C or colder. Take your jacket off for a short while, bungie it to the outside of your ruck and maybe 30 minutes later it will be as stiff as a board. Take a quick break, take it off your ruck shake out the ice and frost crystals and your jacket will be drier. Of course, I am thinking your jacket has a windproof shell and some sort of removeable liner. If your jacket is one piece this may not work.

Freeze dried, got to love Canadian Winters!

Mountainman.

Interesting idea. Have you ever tried it?