Outdoor clothing?

i like the military second hand stuff for most bumming. one thing is for sure ,if its going to get chilly nothing & i mean nothing beats merino wool .[if you can afford it]
dennis
 
I guess it depends most on where you're at and what you're doing. I too thought synthetics were the way to go. In some cases they may be better than natural fibers. Sometimes all you really need is an umbrella and bandana.

I remember reaching for a coffee pot and have the bail score a line across the fingers of my brand new Capilene gloves. Melted them I mean. Not to mention how quick and ember can go through an ultralight shell garment. That's my main concern, they melt too easily. Still, I have one.

I usually wear a wool vest. I've come to like the Filson's quite a bit. Their cotton surveyor's vest is nice when it's warmer. Also the guide sweater and whipcord pants. That old auction site is where I got most of this stuff. Good stuff I think. The only thing bad is if you hate that 1930's look, not ultralight.

For me gussetted crotch on mountain khaki or similar pushes them way ahead of carhardt heavy duck. those are everyday kinda pants for me though, and carhadts just didnt seem to last as long as I expected. If its too warm and dry for wool pants I like nylon hiking pants(they all fit different, personally and having a vest, I like pants to just be pants without a lot of extra pockets) and I also use Icebreaker "everyday" socks; pretty much everyday. For me they outlast Smartwool .

My loyalty to Patagonia though, has served me well. After being prompted by the local backwoods shop guy, i returned a jacket that may have been 15 yr old for repair/credit/ see what they could do. Most of the damage likely occurred in the first few years; later I was still carrying it stuffed in my vehicle (still a good windbreaker) I think it was $105 new. They gave me one hundred dollar credit. seemed fair.

When the economy is good; There can be lots of this same kinda stuff "clothing stuff" at thrift stores. Consignment shops better especially when times are a bit leaner. You'll never know what you will find, huh? I always look for cashmere sweaters. I've found enough to use as undershirts all winter long. these are also great if you have kids. If you wash and dry one they get small. really lucky for whomever they may fit. Thick, extra warm and soft as any. so I get them as big as I can find and try to shrink to fit. I also get the right size as they are cheap enough and it is not so easy to get and keep one shrunk just right:rolleyes:
 
Merost said:
Over the years I have grown to like high-tech fabrics more and more and recognize their benefits. As much as I like BDU/ACU pants, they are not the great for extended outings. I know because I wear them a lot while at work. Nylon pants are superior because they are light, comfortable, and dry quickly. If you guy good quality nylon pants, they will last longer than ACUs. Railriders makes very high quality nylon pants that are guaranteed for a long time. I normally wearing North Face, Mountain Hardware, Columbia or the REI Sahara pants. I normally wear the convertible style.

Wool, just like Down, is a superior natural material. I prefer merino wool socks, and there is no manmade material that will insulate when wet, better than wool. I would like a nice wool anorak, but they aren't cheap.
Click to expand...

How do the railrider nylon pants compare to other name brands (TNF, White Sierra, etc.) nylon pants? Are they thicker and have reinforced stitching?
 
I still love BDU pants, even for backpacking, but I get them in solid colors -- tan or olive. They still blend into a natural environment, but don't occasion the same sheeple response. I combine them with Smartwool socks and merino wool Ts (usually Icebreakers). I still have a lot of technical fleece and nylon upperbody layers, but anything new I buy is wool. I still haven't found anything that beats good old 65/35 BDUs on the bottom though.
 
Why is this off topic? Depending on your skill set, clothing is one of the most important pieces of gear you can have in the wilderness, doubly so when your in a survival situation.

With that said, wool, wool and a little more wool. It's naturally flame retardant, keeps you warm when wet, durable, quiet and doesn't hold the stink.
 
Dumped the BDU's years ago. Wore them long enough and the side pockets are too bulky (want fast and light).
Substitute with a little Filson and Sitka below during hunting season.

Outdoor Research Motto Jacket over the jacket below when its gets really cold, wet and windy
Icebreaker Woven Wool Jacket (can't remember the model)
Icebreaker Knit Wool Mock-T Sweater 320
Smartwool Knit Wool T-Shirt
Smartwool Knit Wool Beannie
Icebreaker Knit Wool Gaitor
Smartwool Knit Wool Socks
REI Mistral Pants (converted them into convertible's) heavier weight nylon and ultra durable
Looking into new gloves, don't like my current Seirus
Merrell Intercept shoes
Danner Striker boots with side zip
Looking into NEOS overshoes boots for winter hunting. Like the concept of a boot that insulates and goes over my favorite shoes http://overshoe.com/recreational/products/detail.php?s=N5P
 
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razcob said:
How do the railrider nylon pants compare to other name brands (TNF, White Sierra, etc.) nylon pants? Are they thicker and have reinforced stitching?
Click to expand...

There are well made, but not necessarily superior to TNF, REI, etc, but they will probably stand behind their product better. Years ago I bought a pair of Railrider weather pants, but they fit really weird so I sent them back. A couple years later I tried a different model when they were having a great sale (apparently they have sinced redesigned the fit of their weather pants) and had better luck. They have some nice features that make them worthwhile.
 
I don't live where you do....

For me out door wear has got to be functional, fairly quick drying and (waterproof for the outer shell) doesn't cost too much when you rip the arse off your trousers on rocks or the sleeve of your jacket on barbed wire (or treble hooks).

Crikey think what Shakelton and his crew did dressed like they were almost 100yrs ago!

Yes I own a Goretex Berghaus jacket, it cost about £160 but I use it as an every day coat, not for fishing or crawling around fields and farms with an air rifle. I use a Goretex copy for that and to be honest it's far better for the job. It's massively oversized so I can get lots of insulated layers underneath, plus it comes down to almost my knees. The thing only cost £40 from an ex-military store so if I knacker it I won't cry.

I've got a £50 pair of North Face trousers but my £20 pair of Crag Hoppers are just as functionally good. British ex-army trousers are comfortable but tend to be slightly more disposable....
 
If something rips, I'm not above trying to repair. I've sewn up some sock holes, but Ive not darned yet:) handsewn bar tack works good for rips that want to keep ripping-that's my only trick. Worsted wool whipcord is pretty tough, but what stands up against sharp rocks and barbed wire?
One of the big advantages to synthetics is their wash and wear utility;(most all outdoorish merino is the same, but very expensive) There's lots of merino wool sport shirts and sweaters in thrift stores. Makes pretty good underwear/layers if you pick the right ones:)But you usually have to hand wash; sometimes not very durable. Using the sleeves as long johns makes #2 simpler, and the resulting vest eliminates motion limiting arm bulk:rolleyes:

I think RJardine is pretty cool so I often carry an umbrella.
 
I wear BDUs for everything.

BDU shorts in the summer, BDU pants in the winter.

Hard to beat them. I can get Proppers for about the same cost as most jeans, and half the cost of Carhartts.
I like having ripstop material.
I like having buttons instead of zippers.
I like the extra leg room.
I like the thigh pockets.

Oh, and keep in mind, they also come in (the cotton ones) black, Navy blue, khaki and OD, so wearing BDUs doesn't necessarily mean wearing camo.

Things I do to modify them:
Cut off those stupid size adjust buckles on the sides. Wear a belt.

Remove the ties used to tie the cuffs of the pants, and replace it with shock cord that's tight enough to keep the cuff against my leg, but no more (so as to not cut off circulation, but keeps things from crawling up as well.)

Sew a strip of Velcro between the buttons and button holes on all of the pockets. This gives me quick access in day-to-day living, but if I have something I want to make sure I keep in them (like a survival kit or FAK), I can still secure them with the buttons.


I prefer the 100% cotton. No melty-burnies when near a campfire.

Even up north when it gets freezing. If you're in snow, or high humidity, the pants will absorb water and freeze, forming a wind barrier, keeping it 30-32 deg F inside, despite the outside temperature. Then a wool/polypro base layer keeps YOU dry and warm.
 
I tried the poly cotton BDU's and they're okay. I prefer the cotton ones because they breathe a lot better. Waiting to try them out this winter. Maybe I'm imagining it but the rip-stop weave seams to dry really fast even on the cotton.
 
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