Source for wool coats on the cheap

[Alan Gage]

I like the thought of wool but can't justify the price. Like most here I'm not a winter camper nor am I spending the day outside at -40. My winter activity is maybe a couple hours walking or cutting wood down to -10f. I don't really need specialty clothing but that doesn't mean I don't want it.

So I've looked at a couple local thrift stores now and again but have never found anything good. But this week I tried a consignment store in the neighboring town, which is more affluent, and had a lot more luck. Came home with 3 wool coats for $50 total, all high quality name brands in great shape. One for a work coat, one that's lighter weight and a little snappier looking, and a knee length poly coat with wool liner to make a poor man's anorak.

It looks like the key, around here at least, is to skip the stores that take clothing for free and check consignment stores instead. All the clothing was much nicer but prices still very low.

Alan

 

[Marten]

My wife was always bringing me nice heavy wool apparel from the thrift stores but that dried up about 10 years ago. Fortunately I have 4 totes full of really good wool from her quests. Must me enough Red and Black plaid to outfit an Elmer Fudd contest. Green and Black plaid is my favorite but rare here in the mid-west. I hear Maine loves that color too.

 

[scratchypants]

What I am really missing is my grandfather's Pendelton's wool dressing gown (long rotted away). Yeah, yeah - but on a lazy winter Sunday morning it would get you to the wood pile and back. I've been searching for a replacement and the closest I've come is LARP costumes. If I could get fabric at a reasonable price I'd give a shot at sewing my own.

On the wool coat front, I've picked up a few Big Bill items from Gostwear. Very utilitarian/not stylish, but it suits me for deer hunting.

 

[LarrySw45]

Scratchypants,
If you don't mind taking out a bank loan to finance the purchase you can still buy a
wool Pendelton Bath Robe:

Shop Men's Sleepwear & Robes | Pendleton

Pendleton is a family business known for world-class woolens, including quality men's sleepwear and robes.

www.pendleton-usa.com

I've got a few Pendelton wool shirts that I splurged on.
They make nice canoe tripping cool weather shirts.
Larry

 

[scratchypants]

Scratchypants,
If you don't mind taking out a bank loan to finance the purchase you can still buy a
wool Pendelton Bath Robe:

Shop Men's Sleepwear & Robes | Pendleton

Pendleton is a family business known for world-class woolens, including quality men's sleepwear and robes.

www.pendleton-usa.com

I've got a few Pendelton wool shirts that I splurged on.
They make nice canoe tripping cool weather shirts.
Larry

That price isn't too bad, considering what wool clothing goes for these days. But I doubt it is anything like grandad's - it must have weighed 10 lbs.

 

[yknpdlr]

A few years ago, my fellow instructor team of BSA wilderness guide/trek leader training instructors decided to enter a float and march in the annual Saranac Lake Winter Carnival parade. It was appropriate for us in the program that we call the "Voyageurs" after our French Canadian namesake, to wear wool capotes. The local outfiter store happened to have a sale going on for pendleton blankets in various colors and sizes. We found a pattern so that my wife, an accomplished seamstress, and some of the marchers helped to sew 8 capotes for the gang to wear. On parade day the air temperature did not get above -15F but we stayed warm. We took first place in our parade class.

 

[scratchypants]

A few years ago, my fellow instructor team of BSA wilderness guide/trek leader training instructors decided to enter a float and march in the annual Saranac Lake Winter Carnival parade. It was appropriate for us in the program that we call the "Voyageurs" after our French Canadian namesake, to wear wool capotes. The local outfiter store happened to have a sale going on for pendleton blankets in various colors and sizes. We found a pattern so that my wife, an accomplished seamstress, and some of the marchers helped to sew 8 capotes for the gang to wear. On parade day the air temperature did not get above -15F but we stayed warm. We took first place in our parade class.

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Those are exactly what I would be looking for!

 

[Sdrew22]

Ebay is a gold mine. I am a bit obsessed with wool and sourced most of it on Ebay. I just won an auction for a Dehen wool chore coat.

 

[ppine]

Military surplus coats from many countries are good and cheap.
I have a Filson cruiser from 1974 that my Dad gave me that I still wear.
Wool capotes made from a blanket are the best coats in the snow. I made one from a mill in PA white with multi-stripe but not as heavy as a HB blanket. I put a fur collar on it.

 

[Gamma1214]

I always start searching for any used clothing at St Vincent De Paul thrift stores (I think they're nationwide & probably international). Although they seem to never have alot in my size, if they do, it's stupid cheap! (like 50 cents for a pair of jeans, 25 cents for flannel shirts cheap).

 

[sweeper]

I've had a lot of luck finding them for free. Several years ago I found a Large Woolrich Jacket in the free section of the dump and last year found another Large Johnson jacket with the local Rod & Gun club parch on it and a half dozen wool pants free on the side of the road at a house cleanout.

 

[Jatfomike]

Kind of a funny story along this line......a few years ago, my wife and I were visiting family in Gorham, Maine. We decided to take a more scenic route home and cut thru the White Mountains. It was mid October and we hit the tail end of a big snowstorm in the mountains and as we popped out the other side, we passed thru a little ski resort town ( I forget the name) that looked like it was beginning to wake up for the season. We stopped for lunch at a tavern and upon exiting the tavern, my wife noticed a thrift store and insisted we check it out. I was anxious to get on the road, but gave in to her. Upon entering the store, I immediately noticed several racks of ski outfits and loads of ski equipment. I had been on the lookout for another pair of wool pants so headed the direction of the racks of ski apparel. When I got closer, I spied "olive drab" on one of the racks. Turned out to be a wool jacket. My wife saw me looking at it and wandered over and asked me what I had found to which I replied a wool jacket.....which I didn't need.....She then asked me how much? I replied $19.00.....does it fit....It was my size, but again, I didn't need it.....Long story short, she bought it for me for my Winter camping trips. After I got home, I figured I would drop it off at the dry cleaners with some other stuff and a couple days later after picking the clothes/jacket back up, carried them into my office to hang up. One of my co-workers who is a "clothing nerd" saw the jacket and came scurrying over and asked me what I had....I told him it was an old wool jacket (albeit like new condition) from a thrift store that I picked up for winter camping. He then asked me who made it....I didn't know.....He then checked the interior of the coat and said "Holy smokes, Mike it's a Baracuta!" You can't wear that camping! I said something to the affect of "sure I can...it's a $19.00 coat".....his reply was..."you don't understand Mike, it's a Baracuta....".....Then he ran off. A couple minutes later he came back and informed me that he couldn't age it exactly, but it sold new for somewhere around $900.00 and there was nothing like it in the current "Baracuta" line, but the closest jackets were going for $12-$1400.00......I of course had never heard of a "Baracuta" jacket so looked it up online and sure enough, it is an English coat company, been around since the 1800's.......according to the website, Winston Churchill used to wear their jackets and Steve McQueen wore Baracuta jackets in all of his movies......I got home and told my wife the story to which she reminded me...."Mike, it is a $19.00 coat", wear it camping and don't worry about it.......so now it hangs in a closet and collects dust, I haven't been able to bring myself to wear it camping.....maybe someday....

Mike

 

[Alan Gage]

I probably couldn't bring myself to wear it camping either but I could sure as heck bring myself to sell it to someone for more than $19.

Alan

 

[Boatman53]

Here I am a couple of years ago waiting my turn for a sleigh ride pulled by a Norwegian fjord horse.
I think I sewed it up (by hand) back in ‘79 or ‘80.

 

[DanOver]

Mike, what size is that Baracuta coat?……..

 

[Jatfomike]

XL….

 

[GeoBoy]

Johnson Woolen Mills in Vermont manufactures nice woolen clothes in the USA, but they are not inexpensive. www.Johnsonwoolenmills.com

 

[memaquay]

I will repeat Scratchypants........Big Bill is a Canadian Company, been making wool clothes for ever. I have three pair of there wool pants, which are super. I have a wool plaid "shirt", which is more like a jacket, and an olive cruiser style jacket. The shirts and jackets are not as good as the pants, in my opinion, but the price is good.

Hunting Apparel - Gostwear.com Homepage | All your workwear needs in one place

www.gostwear.com

 

[scratchypants]

I will repeat Scratchypants........Big Bill is a Canadian Company, been making wool clothes for ever. I have three pair of there wool pants, which are super. I have a wool plaid "shirt", which is more like a jacket, and an olive cruiser style jacket. The shirts and jackets are not as good as the pants, in my opinion, but the price is good.

Hunting Apparel - Gostwear.com Homepage | All your workwear needs in one place

www.gostwear.com

Hi Mem - the Gostwear site I mentioned previously is where I buy my Big Bill wool stuff. I have their green, 24oz jacket as well as a pair of the 28oz "charcoal plaid" pants. The jacket is a little basic in cut, material, and hardware - but the pants are the beans. I was considering a pair of bibs in the same material.

Additionally, I almost exclusively wear their lighter, work-wear line while canoe tripping - regular, blue poly-cotton work pants and beige shirt. Check my avatar.

 

[DanOver]

does anyone have experience with the wool Boreal Anoraks? The prices I see on line seem a little too good to be true…