Some thoughts on brands all from gear I own:
North face: I have a great older north-face sleeping bag, but over the past few years they have really dropped in quality, and are much more of a label than a gear manufacturer.
Mountain Hardware: used to be the top of the heap $$ wise, but all of the gear I've seen of theirs recently has been decent and reasonably priced (My wife's thick bag is a MH, and it does very well)
MSR: One of my favorite brands. they very rarely change designs, and usually with good reason. The founders used to design with field repair in mind, and to a large degree it seems to still hold. Its not the sexiest, or lightest gear. But it works, and it works well. I mean, they make a spoon that doubles as a tool for all their stoves!
Outdoor research: I only have a couple of OR compression bags, but they seem to be well designed, if a little over-thought.
Sea-to-summit: I have a couple of bits of their gear, and it seems alright. Not worth the sticker price thought. they are like really expensive cohligans stuff. they make literally everything, and some of it looks really cool, but do I really need square mesh boxes to organize my suitcase?
GSI: simple, reasonable, not overly flashy. The fare-share mug is a great eating utensil.
Snow-peak: well built, pretty good designs.
Therm-a-rest: there is a very good reason why they are the standard all are compared to. might not be the best in every category every time, but good value for the dollar.
Gregory: I have a smaller hydration/day pack, and its pretty good, (although I can never get small packs to seem like they are fitting right... not sure why) But one of my best friends has a larger gregory pack that he fully regrets buying. hates everything about it. so, try before you by.
HelleHanson: very solid gear with a decent warranty even. I got a zipper replaced on a fleece that i've had for several years.
Buff: I have three buffs right now, a normal, a UV and a wool. All have their place, but the wool really shines in cooler weather. amazing how much comfort you can gain just from having a warm neck.
When you are looking at any gear, really compare and decide if the price is worth it. Are you paying for features that you don't need, or even understand? This is most common in soft goods, cloths, tents, bags, and other stuff with a reasonably high replacement rate. Lots of companies change things for the sake of change, so always ask, does this feature work for ME? and is brand x just half the price because its crap, or is it half the price because I'm buying less marketing. And no brand is immune. right now I'm looking at packs from my favorite brand, who just did a big re-vamp. some of them look good, and some have HUGE design flaws. So yeah, its always caveat emptor.
and another bit of great, simple gear? mesh bags. it is nice to be able to just reach into your pack and grab the things you want. I keep clean stuff in a dry bag, and dirty in a mesh bag. also handy if you need to add a garment or two to someone else's wash cycle in a hostel or such situation.
