did a five day float down the Snake River years ago. weather was cold with flurries at night. we were constantly getting wet.

being a traditionalist i chose wool clothing, believing it could keep me reasonably warm when damp. so did a couple of buddies. we felt great in our expensive wool Filson gear.

others in the groups trusted synthetics (like polar fleece and gortex), usually in very fugly colors too.

well, did we learn!

we wool guys were stinking miserable the whole time, close to hypothermic. wind cut thru our clothes and they never dried in the least. we were cold and wet, day and night.

those we had laughed at seems comfortable the entire trip. in fact, when fully soaked, they just took off their gear, wrung it out, put it back on, and were warm again in minutes.

i came home and traded off my wool gear.

best i can say about wool is it's tough, fire-resistant, quiet and doesn't pick up body-odors as badly. but when it comes to cold/wet survival, i'm into man-made clothing now. and the same would go for sleeping gear: a synthetic bag over a wool blanket, any day.