Noticed while sorting through my outdoor things that the majority of it and the most used is made by Rab, im not a gear nut, but also noticed the things that were dumped at the back of the wardrobe (mostly TNF gear from when i first started and thought it was cool)
After realising im very concious of looking like a walking advert for Rab gear on the hill.
Its berghaus for me and jo my wife, sad really as we both have a "harold and hilda" waterproof set, exactly the same garment except the sizes that is !!! <gulp>
But the jackets and troo's work tremendously well and we are very happy with them.
Interestingly, I noticed recently that I've inadvertently acquired a lot of Lowe Alpine gear, so I must like it subconciously! I know it's not the 'coolest' brand (on the hill or the high street!), but I must confess that I haven't been let down by a single piece of LA kit.
I've got a few bits of TNF kit (nothing too technical), and I can't complain about that either...
Im with Cruxterman, BERGHAUS for me too pants,coat,rucksack,gloves,fleece,baselayers..
Only noticed on the last walk i did(Helvellyn) that we too both dress the same,identicle colour but only diff is her pants are Lowe Alpine,time for a new jacket me thinks and not red this time...
Another vote for Berghaus or Montane generally, but to be honest I don't go for brands for the sake of it, I will "mix and match" as the needs dictate!
I buy stuff that fits and / or that I like. I've got a fair amount of Lowe Alpine kit cos it fits well and I found a (now defunct) site on ebay flogging it off cheap when I was kitting myself out just over a year ago. I love Montane and have quite a lot of that though their legs are too long.
Funny that 15 years ago TNF went from nothing to massively the new must have kit. At some point, right at the start of that, I really wanted a TNF jacket, I mean really wanted it. Unfortunately for me, I must have scraped the money together about 6 months too late, when I then realised that absolutely everyone else had TNF kit already, so it suddenly became the must not have kit to me (I'm vain). Since then it's been a naff brand to me, but I actually bought my first bit of TNF kit about 2 weeks ago, 15 years later.
PS I'll always be a Macpac boy and I have a lot of karrimor gear (the old factory shop was near my work place). Oh, and Black Diamond for bling.
I too was a walking berghaus billboard (unintentionally) but I'm giving paramo stuff a go this winter, so will be a walking/climbing advert for the aspira kit. My berghaus stuff could soon be hitting ebay...
Combo of berghaus, rab montane, vango and scarpa with a odds and ends thrown in from other companies like rohan, extremities, alpkit etc.
I did feel a bit silly when i relaised that alot of my gear was berghaus (baselayer, fleece, couple of jackets and my rucksack) and again when i bought some rab gloves as id just got a new rab softshell too.
My fave pieces of gear are definately my berghaus x-static baselayers, montane trousers and rab softshell.
Like Ben, and others, I just look for stuff which will do the job, fits well and I can afford.
The oldest peice of gear there is probably the ice axe. I got it when I was 12. Bought it slightly bigger than I need so I didn't have to fork out the money again, and because it'd be one of the few peices of kit I didn't need to buy again as I grew. As I got older and grew I had to buy more kit/clothing to fit. Have stopped growing now so I've begun to stockpile equipment!
In the 90s I was head to toe in karrimor, and still use my old sacks. Nowadays I ridgidly stick to Haglofs, Montane, Icebreaker, Smartwool, Scarpa, Mammut, Kayland, Montrail, Mountain Hardwear, Rab, Marmot, OMM...:o) Mixing and matching is the only way, being sponsored must be rubbish. "Yes I love these midlayers and rucksack, but your waterproofs are mince can I wear someone elses?"
Cruxter man-can identify with the "Harold and Hilda" scenario! :-) One of us sometimes has to make do with an item of our second choice to avoid the "his and hers" effect-but we both have Paramo short gaiters in black! For the rest,it's Berghaus,TNF,Scarpa,old Karrimor,Rab,Mountain Hardwear,Terra Nova/Extremities,Montane,Patagonia and,increasingly,Paramo!
My gf has the matching clothing problem when we go walking with her sister and hubby, they both have the same trousers, similar baselayers and the same waterproof much to our amusement.
We also share the same taste in basecamp tents but my budget wouldnt stretch to a hilleberg for wildcamping so i have a vango tempest which does the job.
No Rab - not overly impressed, and XL tops just too small for me. No Montane - XL tops too tight, XXL (when you can find them) are a little baggy. No Arc'teryx - too pricey! No Marmot, Mountain Hardwear - just haven't tried.
I can echo the bit about the reduced gear...id have said almost all my gear has been bought reduced too. Dont think i could have afforded most of it otherwise.
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