Twenty years ago I bought two pairs of Bunwarmer pants, two Trapper pullovers, light vest, and Bowman jacket. It was expensive then, but now is unattainable for most folks. I could not buy that many pieces at once for sure. My stuff is still going strong. Still fits too. I sold the Bowman jacket long ago because I never wore it. It has to be at least in the 30's before I wear any of it. I always really liked the stuff. Anybody still buying or wearing it?

I have to agree with you. I have owned many pieces and have worn it for probably 25 years. The Bowman jacket is hard to beat however at today's current prices there are better options out there. I bought a second Bowman jacket I found on Craigslist for $100. Probably never find that good of a deal again. The one thing I do like is I just sent a pair of bunwarmer pants back for repair. The price is $35 for any repair and to cover shipping costs. I had several holes repaired and a whole new gussett put in the crotch. The pants will be going strong for many more years. I have certainly gotten my money out of them.

I just googled them. Way above my pay grade.

I understand they last a long time, but....so does my Woolrich, and actually my oldest piece of clothing is a Bob Fratzke camo sweater I bought in 1978 and is still used every year. Forty years of continual use is pretty impressive for a $24.00 sweater in 1978.

My Woolrich pants are over two decades old and are still going-on as well, and my checked, plaid Codet wool shirts are never going to wear out. The old Woolrich coat/pants combination usually got handed down from one generation to another, as long as they fit someone.

KOM is still in business so the product has to be good, but yes..it's is out of my league for sure. It looks great and has a good following.

I have owned all of the wool made and for warmth they are great

And nothing says big time bowhunter like KOM.

About 20yrs ago I was looking into buying a high end wool parka. Could not afford KOM, or Sleeping Indian, way too spendy for me. Ended up buying a queen blanket from Sleeping Indian on sale and sewed one up myself. Still cost around $120.

Way out of my price range.

KOM, Sleeping Indian, all good clothing, and expensive even back in the late 80's when I bought mine. But now, they all sit in the closet, sometimes wear e vest when I go out. I put them on sometimes, to remind myself how heavy and ackward they are to wear. Never fit fit, always somewhat baggy. Kinda funny now, guys making posts about how expensive Sitka Gear, Kuiu and others are, but never batted an eye when it came to dropping 200.00 for a vest, 250.00 for a set of Sleeping Indian pants...

Out of my price range but I'm sure it's fine clothing. I'm a firm believer in you get what you pay for but just can't see myself spending that much on hunting clothes for the environment I hunt in. I think sometimes people pay for a "name" also like a prestige thing but hey it's their money spend it how they want and happy hunting!

I've been wearing a KOM shirt, bowman jacket and bibs for a long time. Probably will last me the rest of my years. However, if I had it to do over again, I'd probably go with Gray Wolf Woolens. Weave is a bit tighter, can be sewn for a custom fit and quality is just as good.

I bought SI when they split from KOM. One of my better purchases ever. Does not fade and it still shows minimum wear.

This year I wore my Fratske sweater quite a bit. It's nice, but worthless in the wind. And that's what separates SI, KOM, and Grey Wolf form other wools. A tighter weave.

I love the wool but in a 20 MPH wind, not so much. It's still OK if you're moving. NOTHING beats it for quiet.

Bowmania

A polyester sweatshirt makes a fine windbreaker under wool, especially a hooded one. I have no issues with wind when I use it for a second layer under my Codet, Woolrich or even my Fratzke. Frankly, I've come to like wool sweaters more than anything for second layers, and if heavy enough an outer layer. Keeping wind out is easy when you layer.

We have tons of it, bought from KOM when they were just down the road in Loveland, Colorado. They used to sell returns at the "showroom" and they were a good price. King Cavalier gave us a shirt for our son one time when he was there. Pricey then and now but deals could be had in person. My Bowman with a puffy is my go to extreme cold weather coat, wore it on my cow bison hunt on NER in Jackson in below zero temps. Toasty warm. My stuff fits great, but is heavy for the pants. The lightweight pants and shirts are great for archery season. I agree a fleece under layer solves the wind issue.

I bought all of mine used over the years. Got the bowman, a vest, and the pullover. I never understood why they did not put a kangaroo pocket on the pullover. No where to warm your hands.

I have a graywolf coat that I use more than any of it. Also have a swandri pullover and two longcoats. Some of the very tightest wool you'll ever find.

Funny thing is, I have all this cold weather gear, but so ole that I don't hunt when it's below 28. :)

Here's a pic of my regular swandri and the pullover. The pullover doesn't have a kangaroo pocket, just like the KOM Trapper. I wish I could find someone with a worn out swandri in the Brit camo, so I could use the material to craft a pocket on my pullover.

I won a Bowman jacket on a $20 card raffle at a banquet back in 2003. I wear it a lot, and it still looks brand new.

Bought the pants , jac shirt and the sweatshirt style jacket many yrs ago , at least 20 , and it is still going strong . It a go to for me here in New England when cold hits . I wear it bow and gun w/ a blaze vest . KOM has exceeded my expectations and in the long run saved money .

I have used most of the wool products - I much prefer the newer wools (merino & alpaca)I find them far more warm and wind proof then reg wool.

KOM is the best of the best! I have probably 5,000.00 in LOM stuff. Like you said if I had to buy now forget it unable to.

You have to know how to use it though. No cotton under it or you will freeze to death.

Fond out silk underwear from wintersilks was the key.

The blow down pattern is nearly invisible to critters.

I bought KOM parka, bibs and vest about 20 years ago in the blow down pattern. It was pricey back then but I didn't have good cold weather clothes. I can get lots of layers underneath which is good because I often hunt in temps well below zero.

But I will admit it is heavy and bulky and with lots of layering I always felt like that kid Randy in "A Christmas Story." I still use mine but after last season I decided try something different so I bought a First Lite Sanctuary jacket. I didn't hunt in it because season had ended but I did go out dressed for hunting and practice with my bow in really cold temps, e.g. -10F. I found it to be much warmer than my KOM and I can get by with fewer layers when wearing the First Lite jacket.

I have the coat that was called the ten rings, very heavy and impossible to get cold while wearing it. I also have the bun warmer pants but pretty worn out. I have there fanny pack that is still going strong, really like it and is nice and quiet. Great stuff but so over priced today compared to gray wolf.

I bought KOM one piece or so at a time over several years....still use the pieces that fit....it's fine for what it is....I do have newer under and mid layers made of wool but none of the new outer layers....I also like Day One--have some wool pants from them that are great.

I have bought 2 Bowman jackets and a vest used in the classifieds used for less than 1 new jacket. They are all like new. I wear them a lot when cold here in WV. Love them.

A good friend of mine bought first lite this year. It's warm I will give you that but he also tore it when we were putting up a stand on a snag. They will send you the material but you have to repair it yourself. Its more of an outfit to sit on stand and not for hard use. I don't think it would hold up to the abuse over the years of going through brush, briars etc nearly as well as KOM or other wool garments for that matter. wool is much easier to repair.

I have Silent Predator. I like it a lot

Jack; I was looking at SP as well and seriously considering it.

I bought the trapper pullover and hat for both my wife and I over 20 years ago. After reading these posts I went to the KOM website and almost dropped when I saw the prices now. I only use KOM when hunting in really nasty weather. Ninety nine percent of the time I use an Asbell wool pullover and Johnson wool bibs. I wear llbean wool union suits and am never cold. I wear a Stormy Kromer woolover under the Asbell.

Bowman jacket and bibs KOM. Here. Like a lot of you got mine early 90s still in great shape and very warm

I'm sure it is great stuff. I'm too cheap though..lol

I have a pullover wool sweater that I bought at a thrift store for $10. Still plenty of wear left. Recently bought some insulated pants for $27 shipped that are good quality. Nothing wrong with spending lots of money if that's what you want but I can't afford it.

I was aware of KOM, but I have to say WOW! on the price. I'm sure they have great products, but STARTING at $690.00 for a "jacket" is out of my range. As others have pointed out, you can find lots of quality wool products (used and/or new) for considerably less.

Yep.

Had loads of KOM back around 2001. Sold it all. Bought even more Sleeping Indian gear. Sold it all. Is anyone spending the big money to buy complete wool outfits these days?

Looks like good quality stuff, but I cannot believe the price of the stuff. Maybe if I was wealthy man that is what I would wear. A pair of those bibs cost more than all my clothing combined.

Besides the price, wool always seemed heavy and bulky to me. Lots of other options that I like better.

I am been using a KOM shirt for 20 plus years hunting in the Rokies it is always my outer shell when warm it is just above my T when the temperatures drop I layer accordingly. I find it absorbs the light in any conditions and I had some many elks few yards away that never saw me. Instead I am been busted many times from far away with synthetic.

If we all waited around to buy things we could "afford", or sounded like a good deal, we'd be living in lean-to's rather than stick-built homes...yet I'm willing to bet 99.9% of you took out a mortgage.

I couldn't technically afford it at the time, but my KOM has given me my money's worth for close to 30 years now. Not too many products can offer that kind of reliability. Life's too short to go through it pinching every damn penny you make...sometimes you gotta splurge, and if you do KOM won't let you down.

Took a partial trade in for a KOM coat a few yrs ago and comes in handy on some of those wicked sits.

I have had my Filson cruiser, mackinaw pants, and vest for over twenty five years. Best clothes I have ever owned. I wear them whenever it dips below. 32 degrees. Above 32 degrees I just wear a pair of gray Filson whipcord pants, Pendleton outdoorsman wool shirt and Filson vest. I top it off with a classic bowmen hat which replaced a Stormy Kromer. The clothes are sized so I can layer under the wool depending on the conditions. Here is the vest in the gray black pattern that matches my cruiser and pants. Sadly Filson discontinued the Gray/ Black pattern. I like the plaids as they can be worn incognito in the many places where todays bunny huggers may roam. TLM

Here is the exact Filson cruiser that I have. If I didn't have one already I would have bought this! https://www.ebay.com/itm/Filson-Mens-Mackinaw-Wool-Cruiser-Jacket-Gray-Black- Plaid/113143330826? ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=413449406740&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l 2649

I have a KOM Bowman and shirt I have worn them a lot but usually in weather above 25 degrees . My blow down jacket has been washed a number of times I wash it in cold water and then stretch it, last week I washed it again stretched it and hung to dry ...it shrunk, I ended up giving it to my boy I have another bowman in the brown camo I think Ill dry clean after this. . I have a Gray Wolf vest and I love it it fits nice is longer in the back than the front and is more wind proof than the KOM. I think KOM wool is made by Pendelton .

Wool is great to wear from head to toe.

$1,000+ for a treestand jacket - NOPE, there just is not that much difference, if any, over other quality wool 1/2-2/3 the price. The warmest wool I have ever used was an original Hidden Wolf jacket with wind blocker. I now use merino and alpaca wool almost exclusively.

IMHO overpriced, I use Columbia Gallatin wool about 75% less !

I picked up mine used at Denton Hill in 1992 and use it a lot every year. Still looks like new. My friends have gone thru a bunch of hunting gear while my wool still keeps going strong. I like the wool sweater from cabela's with windstopper too.

What George said.

I also bought my KOM at ETAR back in the 90's. Wasn't the guy's name Bernie? I have a Kuiu jacket for mountain hunts and light rain, but wear my KOM hooded sweatshirt more often when it gets below 40. I can tuck my bow under my arm and stick my hands in the pockets. That keeps everything warm. I wear a Filson duck hunters hat, and put up the hood when I get cold. I can't fit in the KOM ultralight wool pants anymore. They shrink more than the standard wool. There's a set of bibs and a Trapper pullover, but they don't get much use here in Texas. I'll take them to Alaska next year on a moose hunt.

I also use a Hidden Wolf wool vest that I got from Dean Torges at ETAR, as well. I love the Predator Fall Gray pattern, and it has a windstopper lining. I wish I had a pair of pants to match.

I bought the Bowman's jacket, Bunwarmer pants and Bushman shirt all in Blowdown and Trapper Pullover in Timberline in 1989 for a trip to Canada. I bought a vest too but don't use it anymore since I prefer an underlayer with a higher neckline I've used it every year since when the weather gets cold. It's still in excellent shape and I definitely got my money's worth from it. I use the pullover in the late fall when mornings are cold and days warm up. Like bluesman said, the blowdown pattern blends in well in most any surrounding.

I have no regrets in buying it but I wouldn't spend what it costs today if I didn't have it.

I have always liked the Blowdown camo pattern. The KOM gear that I bought in the 80's is still my favorite and the most durable camo gear that I have ever owned.

Wow, reading everyones replies brings back alot of good memories. Like most here I bought piece by piece back in the early nineties. I had the Forest Green before it was discontinued. Seems like the sleeves shrunk a good bit on my jackets. They have seen many all day rains. probably tried to dry them out too fast too often. Was a good color for these Pennsylvania ridges of Hemlock and moss covered boulders. Wool doesn't glow in the woods.

I love the stuff, have used it for years. Most of mine was purchased in the early 90's, they don't even make Blowdown anymore and to me, the new stuff is stiff and I don't care for the new camo pattern.

That meat pole looks like it's been used a few times! Nice buck!

If I was going to pay over $1000 for wool it would be Weatherwool. From everything that I have seen and read it beats the competition hands down.

I use Swandri and an Asbell jacket. Matter of fact I scored an archers shirt off here a few months ago and I wear that and a Remington fleece under it and was plenty warm at 20 deg. this is sitting too. I've got a pre Swandri Egmont bush ranger pull over too. KOM is decent stuff with the wind blocker as folks attest to. I found the Asbell wool very good too and I think the Swandri is very good as well.

More testimony,

In the mid-1900's I picked up a Stormy Kromer hat in autumn brown while on my way to Montana. Impressed by the quality, I ponied up for a matching Bowman jacket(w/wind barrier lining)the following spring. Taking advantage of a 25% off coupon, I still paid around $275 for the coat. Years later I purchased a Fanny Pack in the same pattern from a member of this site. The pack was in great shape and was big savings over the retail price. Years later they are all still in good shape and I love the quiet protection they provide. Have since acquired a Gray wolf Woolens hooded pull over(predator fall gray)that is even warmer than the KOM coat. I don't often need this level of warmth. Not the best choice for backcountry hunts, as these items are far from what I would call packable. However, when day hunting from the camp or truck in brutal cold, these garments are hard to beat. I'm also found of the light weight merino wool from FL for early season and for layering.

LaGriz

for affordable wool at retail. asbells and codet/big bill are hard to beat. i have codet merino pants that are my gotos. with fleece base theyre good to low single digits with ease. i have grey wolf mountain parka too thats excellent. but its not ‘affordable’. actually if i just bought one of those and not the dozen hunting coats ive had over the years id have saved $. but it takes time to know what works for you. used stuff from ebay and thift stores can be great too. ive gotten sone nice woolrich and llbean pieces like that. woolrich runs some wicked sales too. i wear a woolrich shirt so much its become a running joke around the house

If you have already registered, please

sign in now

For new registrations

Click Here