There is also m and m direct they do a few walking style brands at reduced prices and the website is easy to negotiate around.
I'm lucky enough to be able to get a discount from one of the UK manufacturers and that tends to reduce my kit by about 40% but as I have specialist clothing I don't have much of it.
Waterproof jacket paid £80 rrp of £150
Trousers soft shell paid £35 rrp of £75
Baselayer paid £17 rrp of £40
Summer trousers x2 paid £60 rrp of £110
Jumper paid £25 rrp of £45
So for my day to day clothing kit I paid £215 for £400 worth which I think is a bargain. My theory is you can only wear one item at a time and I make the same items cover a couple of things, i.e. I don't have a windproof I just wear my waterproof and vent it.
Saying this I have bought from a couple of internet stores before but I think my best bargain was my Kimmlite 30L sack from www.backpackinglight.co.uk for £30 (especially as it came with free jelly babies - or was an expensive packet of jelly babies and a free rucksack?)
Certainly seen some good footwear bargains in TKmaxx but unfortunately my size 12 feet never fit the small size shoes
My theory like others is, do I care about the colour if its last years because I want to spend the money going places and seeing places just as long as the kit does the job.
Join the BMC and / or a BMC affiliated group to get discounts from shops by showing your card.. quite a few clubs and associations have some amazing "trade deals" with gear maufacturers. Similarily, supporting your local outdoor charity as a trustee or volunteer would be very ethical of obtaining avery substantial discount on a whole range of outdoor gear.
Very unethically, I used to know some people in the eighties living in one of the major connurbations up north, who had a transit van with very big bull bars. They quite often had a very fine range of big name brand fleeces and jackets available at real knock down prices... (DEFINITELY ILLEGAL!!! And not reccommended at all)
Well boys and girls that was interesting reading, certainly seems to me there are bargains to be had out there and i have bagged a few myself but in the context of budget, it took some saving, and even then i made sure i purchased end of season or Jan sale.
My Jackwolfskin jacket rrp£195 , i got for £160 with a free t shirt rrp £20
and yes that is still expensive but i know the jacket will last a good 10 years (same time as my previous Patagonia smock) if looked after and reproofed properly,(nice one nikwax with the free samples (www.nikwax.com) a bargain to me at just £16 per year and as its a 3 in 1 i can take out the fleece for 2 jackets and use these independantly as a lightweight waterproof and windstopper or together when its really demanding.
When buying kit i gennerally follow that principle, is it quality? and will it last? i.e. is the cost per use value for money. My tent is a north face bullfrog and cost arround £300 12 years ago, its still going now!
If its a need it now and its only got to do 1 or 2 seasons the cheaper stuff gets the job done but i would think longer term and replace this kit further down the line when you have had a chance to save up.
Getting family and friends to join up on Birthdays and Christmas is also a good idea , ok its only one present to open but its better than the 4 pairs of socks you got last year and the year before and the year before yawn!
But at the end of the day you find what works best for you and stick with it, I plan long term because i have been cold, wet and hypothermic and all i can say is NEVER AGAIN!
would i tackle the Cullins in winter wearing a jacket from ALdi costing £24.99........ NO!
My interest in this post was because i struggle to get into the hills because of costs in travel and accomodation but i have ranted long enough so ill start a new post on that one.
Crux are selling off old stock from their direct sales section. There're Flak jackets in carbon sizes M & L for a measly £80 (less than half price I think). Great if you are of a wiry climber's build. Brilliant price for an eVENT jacket.
They are also selling the old Crux A70 at £35, in a dirty yellow colour called "acid" (but who cares if it's a quality bit of kit?). Mine's just arrived and it's a monster but looks really well made.
I contemplated the A70 and drew attention to it on another thread, along with posting Chris Townsend's review. But when I contacted Crux, they didn't have the size 3 back length. May I ask which one you got?
Added up (VAT & Delivery) it came to a little under £50 if I remember correctly. I wasn't really looking for a pack that big, and when Crux offered me the AK57 for £58 I snapped it up. Now I am wondering if I should get an A70 anyway (just don't tell my Macpac Glissade that I am looking at a younger, slimmer model...). My big concern is comfort under load. My Macpac is much heavier, but has been a loyal companion for a decade or more and makes load carrying almost enjoyable. I get the impression that the A70 wouldn't be comfortable under particularly big loads. Any first impressions?
Think about what people have used historically... The first Munroists were completing before most of the current recommended kit even existed, but they still managed okay. And if they could, you probably can too.
Any jacket that keeps the worst of the rain and wind out will do, it doesn't have to be super-high tech breathable (nice if it is, but not essential). Can't aford a new "technical" fleece? Wear an old wooly pully (or two, if it's cold).
Most of the stuff suggested is highly refined, rather expensive "best of breed", and if you can afford it's nice to have, but you don't need that, in just the same way that a top of the range Merc might be nicer to cruise up the motorway in than a 4th hand Escort, but the Escort will still get you where you're going as long as you look after it.
We do get overly obsessed with gear (and I say that as a terminal gear junkie), but you need to draw a distinction between what you need (enough to keep you warm and on your feet, and that's really about it) and what's merely nice to have. As long as you've got a decent sole unit on your footwear and clothes that will keep you warm while allowing you to move, you've got what you need in terms of clothing. Add suitable navigation equipment and turn on your brain and you have everything you need.
Nicely put pete! I agree completely. I still strive to build up my gear though, as you say its 'nice to have'. There are always bargains out there. You just have to look
Perfectly put Pete and kind of where I was aiming when I started this thread. Nevertheless it has made interesting reading. By the way Lidl have some "running tops" in, long sleeve coolmax tops, think they are about £5 might be worth a look.
Good thread, have only had a quick look, as I am about to hit the hills this morning.
A couple of things spring to mind though. I use 500ml and 1L fizzy drinks bottles to carry water, as they are free (once you have drunk the contents), and are lighter than alloy or nalgene/laken bottles. Also i use pepsi stoves, as they are the lightest stove, and yet again free (once you have drunk the fizzy). My trekking poles are from Aldi £7.50 each, with anti stock. And some of my favourite tee shirts are also from Aldi, £2.99 each and they are as light and comfy as any of the top brand names (100% polyester, with flat seams). My trousers are often oswald bailey zip off types, with multi pocket at £16.00 (zip offs, so that the bottom bits can be waterproofed.
Also I always check out car boot sales, best bargain (although heavy) so far, is a peak one stove, complete with fuel, waterproof match container, peak square cooking pots and pot grab. All for £1.
Oh yes, my standard cooking pot is an old Camping gaz "globetrotter" 500ml pan, I got a set of those for £3 at a car boot, and they are lighter than most Titanium pots on the market size for size.
Joining this thread a bit late. But, another recommendation for Ebay. But Gaynor Sports in Ambleside is always worth a look, factory outlet in the basement. Prices and variety change but I've picked up some bargains over the years. I've also picked up some cracking bargains from Blacks when they're getting rid of summer stock, so you need to be planning a few advance in advance. Then again, I'm also a great fan of Keela kit. My Keela Spectrum jacket cost £90 new 3 years ago and has never let me down. The downside is it's heavy but bomb proof. Having just read reviews of the new Gore Tex range from several different manfacturers, and prices just under £300 I am getting just a bit depressed about outdoor gear and it's crazy prices.
