Barbour Garments

[Allmi]

Hi there!

Over here in Germany the Clothing from Barbour, mainly the Thornproof Waxed Cotton Jackets, do have a good reputation as outdoor garment with best resistance to unsevere weather conditions. Waterproofness and breathability as well as durability of the fabric are praised.

So i'd like to ask, if there was anybody on the "Island" that had first hand experience with those products in rough outdoor use, such as trekking with a pretty heavy backpack, survival training during autum and winter, camping etc.

The price tag on those isn't what i consider low, therefore any comments and recommendations are welcome. Appreciate your replies.

Cheers
Allmi

 

[MartiniDave]

I use a Barbour jacket when out rough shooting, and when serving as a beater on a local shoot. It sees lots of brambles, thorns and thick cover on a weekly basis through the shooing season and still ends up water and windproof. I have tried a cheaper copy but that only lasted for about 6 weeks before it ripped, and a particularly heavy rain storm actually washed the wax off it! I expect I will need to re-proof the barbour about every second season. It's certainly saved me ripping myself to shreds over the years.
When I did my intro to bushcraft with woodlore it was my instinctive first choice of coat to take along.

Dave

 

[ChrisKavanaugh]

I used a Barbour jacket for horseback riding until I outgrew it and passed it on. The concept of waxed quality cotton is also used in the Australian drover coats and the American Filson line of "tin" clothing. With care these garments will last a lifetime. I would buy the proprietory reproofing along with the garment.

 

[mike the pike]

Hi Allmi,Ive used Barbour jackets(and trousers)for 15 years or so and i thoroughly recommend them,i've used mine when beating,shooting and fishing,i can also recommend Barbours repair service as excellent and inexpensive,unforetunately i found virtually the only way to ruin a Barbour,at the end of a night's lamping some battery acid spilled onto my Barbour military jacket(sadly no longer produced),a week later the jacket was completely riddled with holes!I replaced it with a Barbour Northumberland jacket which is also very good,particularly the 2 big poacher pockets!One other good thing about Barbours is that you can reproof them yourself,and if you finish the process with a hairdryer your jacket becomes virtually as good as new! The only small drawbacks i have found is 1.They are quite heavy.and 2.They don't"breathe"as well as many others.But if you are after a truly heavy duty jacket,and don't intend to use it for fell running then they could be for you .Hope that's some help. Mike

 

[bigjackbrass]

You might want to take a look at www.johnnorris.co.uk for Barbour. They have a clearance section, and depending on the time of year there are serious bargains to be had.

My oilskin is a Filson Tincloth Packer, which is frankly far too heavy for typical walking and camping (but perfect for the rough treatment it had to endure when I worked in Maine), but Barbour-wearing friends swear by their own coats. I seem to recall that Chris Townsend reviewed a lightweight hooded Barbour - the Durham, possibly - in TGO magazine a few years ago and gave it favourable reviews. It's worth considering just how much of a serious beating the coat is likely to get, because for typical bushcraft wear I would suggest one of the lighter weight garments. Many of the Barbour jackets look rather similar, so it pays to get hold of a catalogue in order to review the differences, usually in weight, type of finish and pockets.

Barbour also make first-rate woolly jumpers, too.

 

[Gary]

I recently designed a vest for Barbour and sons - it is a multipockets field garment aimed at all outdoors folk from riders to shooters to bushcrafter. The head of Barbour's design team tells me it will be on the shelves with the spring and summer range 2004 - hopefully it will everything I designed it to be.

Keep your eyes open for confirmation.

 

[tenbears10]

Barbour's are an institution. They may come into and out of 'fashion' but you will find that there is a large number of people who always have had and always will have a Barbour.

My favorite are the heavyweight ones (I have a moorland) this is due to the fact that they are bombproof. The weight makes them wear resistant and warm. The only drawback is that they are too heavy to cary in a pack. Barbour do make lightweight models but Goretex is probably better in that situation. I would choose the classic range as some others are too fancy. You would be amazed what uses you can find for removable washable game pockets!

The price may not be cheap but when you consider that with a bit of care and attention they can last for decades then their value becomes aparent.

You can often find Barbours on ebay.

Bill

 

[Jamie]

I've always thought there to be a business opportunity with Barbours...buy them in brand new, tie them to the back of a Landy and drive around for a couple of weeks and when they're finally broken in, sell them to townies so they dont stick out!

Just a thought....and if anyones interested in giving my financial backing for this plan!!??

 

[Jack]

Nice one Jamie.........which one worth more money, the Landie or the Barbour?/

On a serious note, having had my fair share of Barbour through work on the land and in the woods, I must say that they are, to me, the most impractical peice of clothing that any man could work in. They are first in their field and thats where they should stay, in the field! They are great if you are walking ( very very slowly) or fishing but are terrible for working in, to thick and to heavy. They have been branded well and have been placed in a market where I feel the 'costume' counts!

Now of have got that of my chest, I can get on with the rest of my life.

Best wishes.

Jack. :AR15firin

 

[Allmi]

Hi!

Thank you for your replies. Lots of good comments with pros and cons, Think i'll consider a Barbour Border Jacket to use in camp and for walking during the colder times of the year. The new lightweight goretex and other synthetic garments seem to be endangered by campfire heat and sparks, though they might be the better choice for the warmer periods.

Thanks again and have a good one

Allmi

 

[tomtom]

I recently designed a vest for Barbour and sons - it is a multipockets field garment aimed at all outdoors folk from riders to shooters to bushcrafter. The head of Barbour's design team tells me it will be on the shelves with the spring and summer range 2004 - hopefully it will everything I designed it to be.

Keep your eyes open for confirmation.

just found this thread.. whats the news on this gary.. is it out? whats the modle?
i'd like to see it

 

[beachlover]

I have owned Barbours for well over 25 years.
I love the older models, but even the new classic models seem cheaply made and nowhere near as robust as the older, even second hand ones. I bought a new border two years ago and the poachers pockets tore the coat lining after the first rabbit. A Durham stowaway had sleeve linings longer than the sleeves that protruded at the wrists and one of the new Berwick endurance models (plastic, so no use for bushcraft really) had lining so thin it wore through in weeks. I even bought a Barbour bag to carry my laptop and the leather loop to the D ring that the strap attached to tore busting the laptop and further disillusioning me.
The older barbours in heavyweight egyptian cotton are the best. My all time favourites are the original Solway Zipper, Northumbria and Border (tho a bit longer) and the Lined Durham.
What a shame that Barbour didn't stick with their original designs and quality instead of trying to become a far eastern designer fashion label.

 

[faca]

Hi Gary, Which is its name? link?
Enjoy

 

[bambodoggy]

I don't use Barbour but I do use a similar "Keeperwear" jacket for bushcraft and find it's fab. I also use a full legth "Drizabone" jacket and hat for very wet weather (usually walking the hound!) and can't fault that either.....however, I wouldn't advise hiking in waxed jackets if carrying a bergan (sorry...rucksac) as I have found the shoulder straps rub the wax off and then when you get to camp, drop your pack and it starts to rain...you get wet!
Can't beat them for milling around the camp fire though

 

[MartiniDave]

You can reinforce the proofing on any wax jacket by rubbing the shoulder areas (and any other that get a bit more abrasion) by rubbing the area with a simple houshold wax candle. Warming the area a little helps this process too.

Dave

 

[Selous]

I love my Barbour "Border" jacket. But it certainly isn't perfect. You sweat buckets if you do anything remotely strenuous. I can cope with that. They are after all, designed for chaps standing around drinking from hip flasks while shooting beaters, or something, rather than walking or climbing. But, in my view, they have significant design faults, too: they are always too short in the arm. Barbour clearly recognise this, as you can get them altered at the factory. Why not just get it right in the first place? Then the "handwarmer pockets..". What's that about? The only real selling point oiled cotton has, is it is completely waterproof, and windproof. So they cut two great big holes in the chest to let in the rain and the wind, and call them pockets. The neck gaurd is never big enough to cope with a roll-neck sweater, or a fleece done up to the top. The hood won't stretch far enough forward to keep rain off your face...

Apart from that, it's great. No, seriously, I love it. It is so solid and dependable.

 

[walker]

www.britishwaxjackets.com