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Stuff like the North Face is genuinely considered a pretty poor quality brand here in Denmark Superdry ruined the outdoor jacket market in the UK. They make st

Stuff like the North Face is genuinely considered a pretty poor quality brand here in Denmark Superdry ruined the outdoor jacket market in the UK. They make stuff that looks technical but just isn’t, for posers who live in cities to ermm pose in. But now the (formerly) genuine brands have realised there is money to be made from people who will never actually need proper outdoor clothing but like the look, so they have cut quality and increased price to match. Here in Wales we chuckle at the English setting off for a days hiking all wearing Superdry and so on. When the weather turns they will be miserable.

pbowyer 7y ago
Which brands do you rate? I've had a Karrimor eVENT jacket for 4 years, and despite regular Nikwax tech washes is now letting water through between the shoulders - and I'm not a frequent pack wearer, so it hasn't abraded.
- goatinaboat 7y ago
  Karrimor went bankrupt and the brand has been owned by Sports Direct for the last few years. Draw your own conclusions! Arcteryx is still good, but expensive. Brasher, Snugpak, Arktis and Keela are all worth looking at. Alpkit is surprisingly good for the price. Paramo kit is decent.
  - pbowyer 7y ago
    Thanks - I bought my jacket from Sports Direct but assumed they were a stockist, not the owner! My Brasher boots have lasted 15 years and only failed due to younger me being too lazy to look after the leather properly (it's cracked at the crease). Thanks for all the names, will see which I can find stockists for. My wife wouldn't be seen dead with me wearing Paramo. If they'd only do better cut garments!
    - goatinaboat 7y ago
      Look after your kit and your kit will look after you ;-) Altberg and AKU are my go-to brands for boots at the moment.
    - arethuza 7y ago
      My first pair of Brasher boots were superb - possibly the comfiest boots I have ever owned. They lasted about 2 years before the leather cracked and they were unrepairable - but that's with constant (ab)use - my fault not theirs. I purchased what I thought was a direct replacement pair recently only to discover that what they now sell (following an acquisition) is a poor copy of the boots I had before.
  - trumpanzee 7y ago
    Rab, Mountain Equipment and Montane are good UK brands. I find ME tend to have a more athletic alpinist fit, whereas rab jackets are more voluminous so you can pull them on over everything else e.g. on a belay. Rab Photon Pro is a well known synthetic insulated jacket for Scottish winter conditions. I agree on Acteryx - good but over-priced and becoming the outdoor poseur's garment of choice. You can also get some real bargains for perfectly adequate clothing in Decathlon.
    - goatinaboat 7y ago
      agree on Acteryx - good but over-priced and becoming the outdoor poseur's garment of choice. I always wonder why people who aren’t at all spend so much to look outdoorsy, maybe it’s to impress Tinder/Grindr dates. Woe betide them if their date wants to go hiking or climbing or something! Having said that I am wearing jeans right now, but I’m not pretending to be a cowboy... Oh almost forgot Berghaus, used to be a big fan of their kit but not so much now. Same quality drop-off issues that have affected some of the others mentioned on this thread.

pbowyer 7y ago

Which brands do you rate? I've had a Karrimor eVENT jacket for 4 years, and despite regular Nikwax tech washes is now letting water through between the shoulders - and I'm not a frequent pack wearer, so it hasn't abraded.

goatinaboat 7y ago
Karrimor went bankrupt and the brand has been owned by Sports Direct for the last few years. Draw your own conclusions! Arcteryx is still good, but expensive. Brasher, Snugpak, Arktis and Keela are all worth looking at. Alpkit is surprisingly good for the price. Paramo kit is decent.
- pbowyer 7y ago
  Thanks - I bought my jacket from Sports Direct but assumed they were a stockist, not the owner! My Brasher boots have lasted 15 years and only failed due to younger me being too lazy to look after the leather properly (it's cracked at the crease). Thanks for all the names, will see which I can find stockists for. My wife wouldn't be seen dead with me wearing Paramo. If they'd only do better cut garments!
  - goatinaboat 7y ago
    Look after your kit and your kit will look after you ;-) Altberg and AKU are my go-to brands for boots at the moment.
  - arethuza 7y ago
    My first pair of Brasher boots were superb - possibly the comfiest boots I have ever owned. They lasted about 2 years before the leather cracked and they were unrepairable - but that's with constant (ab)use - my fault not theirs. I purchased what I thought was a direct replacement pair recently only to discover that what they now sell (following an acquisition) is a poor copy of the boots I had before.
- trumpanzee 7y ago
  Rab, Mountain Equipment and Montane are good UK brands. I find ME tend to have a more athletic alpinist fit, whereas rab jackets are more voluminous so you can pull them on over everything else e.g. on a belay. Rab Photon Pro is a well known synthetic insulated jacket for Scottish winter conditions. I agree on Acteryx - good but over-priced and becoming the outdoor poseur's garment of choice. You can also get some real bargains for perfectly adequate clothing in Decathlon.
  - goatinaboat 7y ago
    agree on Acteryx - good but over-priced and becoming the outdoor poseur's garment of choice. I always wonder why people who aren’t at all spend so much to look outdoorsy, maybe it’s to impress Tinder/Grindr dates. Woe betide them if their date wants to go hiking or climbing or something! Having said that I am wearing jeans right now, but I’m not pretending to be a cowboy... Oh almost forgot Berghaus, used to be a big fan of their kit but not so much now. Same quality drop-off issues that have affected some of the others mentioned on this thread.