 To start with I have started walking again after a few years break ( kids getting older and getting out of the way!) and was wondering about my gear. I went out last week and did Whernside and ingleborough which was wet,windy and cold and my gear gear held up pretty good. Base layer was a wicking vest that i have had for ages, next was a craghoppers t-shirt(old) next was my trusty grizzly fleece. That was the top now for the bottoms. Brasher socks,craghoppers trousers. Karrimor boots (old but loved). Outer layer was all ex-army Gortex waterproofs with gaiters and and a nice fleece scarf and polartec gloves. Nice 16 mile tramp and pretty knackerd at the end but i was dry warm and not very moist, easy girls..... So is my gear ok ? not doing the big stuff yet so do i go out and spend a fortune on new gear if i am happy with the gear i have now. I know the gear now is more advanced ect, but do i need it........? Discuss.......
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 If it works that well for oyu there is no need ot replace it. Save yourself the money and onyl replace thigns when you need to (or jsut want to). But I would say there is no need for a complete overhaul of your setup
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 Your gear is all rubish! Rubish Rubish Rubissssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssh! Get some new shiny stuff! Loose that camo, eek er - Only kidding Well ok you answered the question yourself really Just replace stuff as and when you can or need to or want to. If the t-shirt is cotton I would change that first.
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 you need to change nothing whilst it works for you. with more outings under your belt you'll start to see what you would like to change. then prepare for penury as the kit monster takes over.
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 Ian, Running through your list: - Wicking vest that i have had for ages - good
- Craghoppers t-shirt(old) - as above: if it is cotton then maybe replace with something more wicking
- grizzly fleece - good
- Brasher socks - if the sock fits...
- craghoppers trousers - presuming these will be decent, if they absorb water easily then you may want to consider something better such as scholler fabric, then you could consider ditching the waterproof trousers in better weather
- Karrimor boots (old but loved) - wear them untill you run out of tread, sadly you won't get any more where they came from
- Ex-army Gortex waterproofs - sounds good, out of the kit you've listed this is probably where you may get the biggest benefit from recent inovation in terms of getting a comparable product at reduced weight
- gaiters - if they're waterproofish then don't worry, superlight and breathable gaiters aren't essential - they get covered in mud, occasionally kicked by the opposite foot and are covering areas with so many layers underneath that they won't breathe anyway
- fleece scarf - good
- polartec gloves - good
You don't mention any carried kit, obviously it's not just what you're wearing that will matter. Somewhere between 1980 and 2005, rucksack manufacturers collectively lost the plot and created heavier and heavier packs with a bewildering number of pointless straps on them. This is the place I've made the greatest single saving on my kit, over a 1kg saving in weight. I would also suggest that you don't buy anything immediately, but it's a good idea to look and try to work out what you want and then maybe see if you might get people to buy them for birthdays and Christmases, beats socks and hankies  .
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If it ain't bust don't mend it.If it works and you are happy with it no problems.There is a lot of emphasis put on expensive named gear and a lot of that could put people off taking up outdoor activities if they cannot spare the cash for so called top line gear.I must admit that I do spend quite a bit on gear but I am a bit of a gear freak and I hope that I have enough experience to know what to expect from my choice of kit.
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Forgot to mention carried kit. Travelling light rucksack 15ltr North Cape and for that little bit extra a Web Tex 3/4 size rucksack. 90 ltr includes, spare sox. waterproofs, which are light and modern army issue and pack small. spare fleece.food,water.firstaid kit. whistle and led light. map,ect. and not forgetting to mention .....the mobile phone.... you know when you have just got to the top and the wife rings to say...dont forget the milk on the way back........
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 Survival bag of some description? Other than that it all sounds fine. Id only replace thing graduallly as nd when you feel like it. Like everybody else has said if it aint broke, dont fix it
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 Unless you want buying new gear to become an all consuming obsession stick with what you've got and replace it with similar stuff when you need to.
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 buying kit leads to the dark side........ new kit leads to desire.....desire leads to obsession.....obsession leads to suffering learn you well young padawan, beyond that, help you I cannot... seriously though, if it works etc.......just build up bits as you find a new requirement through experience and use. The more you walk the more you will test your kit in all conditions and the more you will learn what bits work well and what bits need tweaking and if you do get obsessed you can always come along to the KMA meetings I attend
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KMA? Kit monsters anonymous?? If I buy just one more top I think I'll have to join. Bought an Alpkit Filo yesterday - don't really need it, but it was a good price!
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ahhhh, the secret is out..... yes kit monsters anonymous indeed..... <ahem> my name is Dave and I am a kit monster......it has been 12 hours and 12 minutes since I last bought some kit
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 You could wash the Craghoppers trousers in Nikwax TX Direct, gives them a water resistant coating that`ll shrug off a light shower and keep them a bit cleaner and drier when negotiating bogs.
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Its usually toilet paper that i need when negotiating bogs mate.......Clapham carpark toilets.....one of the cleanest i have come across...... But thanks for the tip mate............. Talking about more kit , just got a new polartec fleece ...lol
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and bidding on a pair of asolo ridge boots
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<sucks teeth> Ian, seems like you are following in the footsteps of more than a few people on here....the kit buying bug, once released, is a powerful beastie!
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Craghooper trousers are probably Kiwi's? Then they polycotton and best to use Nikwax cotton proof rather than Tx Direct. Does make a difference. One think you might like to get is a windshirt. Noticably more breathable than the best gore-tex jackets, you are generally much more comfortable in it, and only need the full waterproof in prolonged or heavy rain. Popular ones here include Paramo Fuera and Montane Featherlite. Around £40. You do not seem to have a Buff. Clearly a man of taste and discernment.
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No i seem to have resisted the temptation of a buf I think you only look good in one if your about 17-21... The craghoppers are smart-dry i think,,, cant be arsed to look @ the moment... I quite like walking in shorts but its a bit parky at the moment...
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 I think you only look good in one if your about 17-21... I don't really think I look particularly good in anything, but wear Buffs at age 41 because they're very good bits of kit, with flexibility to be one or two layer hats or scarves. If I thought I looked cool that would just be a bonus on top of the excellent functionality. Pete.
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