Long johns used to be a must for winter wear. Many of the people I grew up with worked outdoors year round, loggers, trappers, mine workers (open pit mines), and thick wool long johns were a must.
We would go to the Salvation Army store to buy long johns. They had a big bin and you could buy a pair for 25 cents for a top and 25 cents for a bottom, or a union suit for 25 cents. I used to have a whole drawer full of them.
As I've gotten older, one by one they've worn out, or gotten too small to wear.
I've tried other types of long johns, but nothing seems to work quite as well as the wool. Some types I've tried, like polypropylene, keep you warm enough, but stink to high heaven after a couple of days on the trail. I bought some silk long johns a couple of years ago, and they are real comfortable, but not quite enough for really cold weather.
Today, Wing and I went down to Duluth. We did some sight seeing and took a photo of Bob Dyan's first home. We checked several places for wool long johns and I finally ended up getting a pair of Merino wool long johns at the Duluth Pack Store. They cost a little more than 25 cents.
Merino wool long johns (from New Zealand) are not near as thick as the old stuff I remember, but it sure is nicer to wear. It doesn't have the wool "itch" I remember from years ago. And the way we layer ourselves these days - it doesn't have to be as thick. I haven't tried it out on the ice yet, but it seems like it will be just the thing.
What kinds of things are people on the forum using for cold weather?
