Anyone use King of the Mtn. Wools?

[Bullkllr]

Last summer I found a pair of King of the Mountain bibs at a yard sale for $50. Couldn't pass them up. My size and in very good condition.

This late season was the first time I tried them. I thought they were awesome in the cold and snow. When it warmed up to whatever it is now (50 degrees+/-) they were a little on the warm side, but not too bad. They seem really durable and did not pick up a lot o burrs and other debris. Extremely quiet. Padding around knees is a nice touch.

I haven't worn them in a soaking rain yet. I read where the tight weave is supposed to repel some water. But I have to imagine they soak up some water. If they soak up like other wools I have worn, I'm concerned that they may weigh about 20 pounds.

Anyone wear them? Or have any reviews good or bad? I'm actually considering a matching jacket. But I know I'll likely have to pay way more than 50 $.

[sirmissalot]

I used to use sleeping Indian wool and they went belly up, king of the mountain and now basically taken over their market, the story is one of the past owners runs it. My brother in law has some of the king if the mountain stuff he used this year, maybe he will chime in hear I think he had some failures in the pants. I do know it's nice stuff I tried some on at one of the shows years ago but I wasn't a fan of the owner bad mouthing his old employer.

[washelkhunter]

"Failures in the pants"   

[RadSav]

I had some years ago.  Very nice stuff!  I absolutely loved the camo pattern on mine.  It does wear out faster than I had expected, but I hunted the stuff hard in eastern Oregon crawling and climbing over a lot of volcanic rock.  It's definitely not your typical modern performance gear.  And even dry I would never consider it lightweight.  But if you do not like synthetics and/or Gore-Tex it's about as good as you can get these days.  The old Korean war type wool military pants held up about three times longer.  If you can still find that stuff it's a good option for your lower and then KOM stuff for your upper.  That's the way I would go if I was to use the stuff again.

Both Gear Aide and Kiwi has had some stuff you would wash your wool with in the rinse cycle.  It is made for acrylic fleece but works fine on wool.  Then if you are brave run it through a very low heat dryer or hang over a heater vent to dry.  Makes that tight knit wool act a lot like the DWR finish on most your premium synthetic stuff.  Just be extra careful on heat and quick drying as some of that stuff will really shrink bad.  Not going to stay water proof in a heavy rain storm, but it does very nice in moderate moisture conditions.

[Bullkllr]

Thanks for the input and ideas.

Not sure I'm brave enough to try the dryer. Had a few bad experiences. List price on the website for those bad boys is $591 Ouch.

[follow maggie]

An I could afford that stuff. Years ago I used to wear German wool army pants I got at Jerry's Surplus in Everett.  Those pants werew awesome. Sure wish I could find something comparable to those at an affordable price

[fair-chase]

Wow that stuff is spendy!!!

I will try not to thread jack this to badly, but will someone with experience please enlighten me as to why KOM is nearly twice the price of Filson? I'm trying to get a feel for how the KOM Bowman/Bunwarmer line stacks up against the Filson Mackinaw line. I already own the Filson but have never seen the KOM in person. Would like to first of all know why it's so spendy, and wether or not the quality is there to justify the price being twice that of Filson? Also would like to know how they compare in weight, breathability, water repelancy, and athletic comfort (do the knees articulate better, are there any binding issues etc.). Thanks.

[Bullkllr]

Wow that stuff is spendy!!!

I will try not to thread jack this to badly, but will someone with experience please enlighten me as to why KOM is nearly twice the price of Filson? I'm trying to get a feel for how the KOM Bowman/Bunwarmer line stacks up against the Filson Mackinaw line. I already own the Filson but have never seen the KOM in person. Would like to first of all know why it's so spendy, and wether or not the quality is there to justify the price being twice that of Filson? Also would like to know how they compare in weight, breathability, water repelancy, and athletic comfort (do the knees articulate better, are there any binding issues etc.). Thanks.

What I know- from reading write-ups in catelogs, etc- is that the KOM (and Sleeping Indian) material and the way its woven makes it more naturally water repellant than other types of wool.

I'm a pretty old school wool guy, and have worn and liked Woolrich, Pendltn, and various off brands as well as (mostly) army surplus for decades. Comparing those to the KOM bibs I have I would say:
         KOM bibs are thicker and heavier than any other wool I've worn
         KOM naturally were warmer than thinner wool
         Quality of material seems fine- nothing poked through it- and it didn't collect a lot of burrs/briars
         Despite the thickness the breathability seemed good- I didn't overheat in 50 degree temps
         Mine fit me really well. They have nothing special at the knees for movement, but moving in them was very comfortable. Didn't notice any binding.
         Can't speak for performance when its really wet- and that's one thing I have concerns about. As I posted. if they soak up a lot, they will weigh a ton.

Is the cost justified? Good question. Right now I think not. Maybe for guys that hunt a lot where it is cold and wet, but more on the snow side, they may be the ideal garment. Chasing elk on the west side where late season temps can typically be 50+ and rain- maybe not. But my experience is limited- I'll know more when I try them in a wider variety of conditions.
         

[Wilderness Addict]

KOM is good stuff, but I don't think it would excel on the west side. It is built more for snow and cold. I have owned a jacket and pants for 15 years and it is my go to outfit, but I am a tree stand hunter on the dry side.
 
I like the fact that it is silent, warm, breathable, and a great camo pattern.

[fair-chase]

Thanks Bullkllr.