There are mamy here in Minnesota who also eschew modern materials and go with wool layers with cotton anaraks. This works wonderfully in really cold weather where rain is not an issue and also works better than modern materials if you are using a fire to keep warm because your clothing doesn't melt and stands up well to wood gathering and cutting. Having said that, I prefer modern materials with wool mixed in. I got caught a couple of years ago in northern Minnesota in late December in an ice and freezing rain storm. If I had not had a gortex jacket and pants, I'd either have had to leave all my gear when I bailed or seriously risk hypothermia.