Another thread about......

[GlenV]

Hello everyone. I am relatively new to camping and the outdoors etc and i seem to have everything covered so far......apart from clothing. I would like suggestions on trousers/jackets/undergarments etc

The cheaper the better of course but i dont mind paying more, basically what is the best you have used and what will you not leave at home ?

I will be climbing Munros and wee overnighters all around Scotland.

Thanks in advance.

GlenV

[Ben Nachie]

Welcome to the forums!

Clothing is one of those personal things that tends to evolve over time before you find something that works for you.

For me, the things that work are Merino wool, and Buffalo clothing. I now have a short list of items which cover 95% of my days on the hill-

Lightweight waterproofs (Haglofs jacket, Montane pants)
Icebreaker ultralight Merino tee shirt
Icebreaker 260 long sleeved top
Fleece with half-length zip
Buffalo Special 6 shirt (with hood & mitts)

Merino underpants (only used for camping or bothying. Regular ones most of the time)
Haglofs trousers (run-of-the-mill single layer trousers)

Hat & gloves

The Merino layers and the fleece suffice down to "chilly". Colder than that and I wear the Buffalo over the tee shirt and dispense with the layers.

That covers the 95%

In colder winter conditions I may end up wearing my Buffalo trousers as well. I also have Buffalo salopettes, but I rarely wear those as it's never cold enough.

[GlenV]

Cheers for the reply. Fair few items and ideas to search out. I should of narrowed my question down tbh so will try and do a better list.

Waterproof jacket
Fleece
Baselayer
Etc

Thanks again

[EileanB]

I tend to go for cheap fleeces, which in my case have always been Mountain Warehouse basic, bought in sales.
Having said that, I have a couple of Rab ones which are much nicer, warmer and have hoods which work well, but I am never sure if they are really £40 - £50 nicer. But there is a lot to be said for starting cheap and basic, and working out what you need to spend more money on as you go.
Merino base layers are great but expensive. They do last well though, and you can sometimes get cheap ones in Aldi and places. But again, alas, Icebreaker are warmer and more comfortable.

[andypanda]

Check mandmdirect for a cheap goretex waterproof. I got a Berghaus goretex one for about £70 last year which was much cheaper than Tiso etc.

I wouldn't bother with goretex for trousers as they're easily ruined.

For a base layer I have a cheap Lidl one paired with Adidas tracksuit bottoms and that keeps me warm in the wind and snow.

[GlenV]

Cheers for the replys. Another batch of good info, though i feel i entered a minefield now

[tenohfive]

The one item of hillwalking clothing that I don't think I'd be without is my Rab Vapour Rise Light Alpine. It looks and acts like a jacket but it's really a midlayer on amphetamines. Micropile inner fabric with a Pertex outer means that it'll wick sweat away when you're working hard, but the shell fabric - and some of the design details - mean that when it starts raining you don't need to reach for a waterproof straight away. It'll shrug off heavy winds, showers, moderate rain. I only sling a waterproof on top when it's heavy enough and of a sustained duration (as it will wet out then.) The technical details like a peaked, multi-adjustable hood, velcro sleeves etc make it much easier to lock out the elements. It's just a wonder-layer that I've got a lot of use out of.

Base layers I don't worry too much about when walking - merino has never quite agreed with me, so I tend to wear whatever weight layer the forecast merits - a lot of the time that's just a running tee. Although for summer the Rab Aeon tops are excellent (they're my go to for running too.)

[kaiserstein]

For waterproof in summer the marmot precip jacket and berghaus paclite trousers are worth looking at. After a bit of web searching I got them for around £50 each which is pretty good.
For heavy duty winter gear have a look at keela for reasonably priced stuff. Especially if you can get to their outlet store in Glenrothes.

[St Pedro]

Got to be Paramo
trousers cascadas for spring/autumn/winter - waterproof, cosy well ventilated
base layers - cambia long sleeved, zip neck
top velez adventure light smock
in winter will have mountain pull on as additional layer option
carry a torres bodywarmer as layer for putting on over top when at summits/breaks etc
and paramo boxers with bridgedale socks to break pattern
summer wear convertible columbia trousers as lightweight option and don't bother about getting wet

covers all weather options flexibly
Paramo Pedro...

[davekeiller]

M&S do men's underwear in Modal Blend (a bamboo fibre) and Micro skin (synthetic) which I find dry quicker than cotton and keeps me more comfortable.
I'd go into a shop and try lots of jackets and trousers on to find the ones that you find most comfortable. Set a budget and think about what you want (e.g. lots of pockets or just a couple? Longer or shorter length? Slim fit or a bit bigger so you can wear more layers underneath? thin and lightweight or happy with something a bit heavier and which takes up a bit more room in a rucksack but might be cheaper and more robust?). It all comes down to personal preference and what you can afford. My preference is for a paramo waterproof, but not everyone likes them. Equally, I like Montane Terra trousers and find craghoppers too baggy, but you might prefer the cut of the craghoppers.
Cheap fleeces and baselayers are fine if you're just starting out.
Don't feel you have to buy lots of expensive gear all at once. You can wear the t-shirts, jumpers, trousers etc. that you already own and gradually get replace things over time.