Best outdoor work clothes

[HorseGuy]

Over the past year or so I’ve been on a bit of a spending spree buying new, good quality outdoor working clothes to replace the cheap, low quality stuff that I had previously been using. My selections were based on a considerable amount of advice and suggestions provided from this forum (thank you everyone) as well as a fair bit of research and trial and error by myself trying out different items to see what works best for me. Below is a list of the standout clothes that I have found to perform really well when working outdoors in the countryside in a wide range of situations and weather conditions.


- Keela Munro jacket (hard wearing and ideal for wet or windy conditions).

- Buffalo Belay jacket (ideal for wearing underneath the Keela Munro in chilly conditions).

- EDZ 200g merino sleeveless vest (long, warm and really really comfy, by far the best vests I’ve ever tried)

- EDZ merino fingerless gloves (comfy and warm even when wet).

- Army surplus extreme cold outer mittens (the non-insulated goretex mittens are ideal for popping over your main gloves to keep them clean and dry whenever you need to do something messy).

- Keela Lightweight Incline socks (comfy and cool).

- Altberg Samarkand shoe (best outdoor summer shoes).

- Altberg Malham boot (good wet weather/winter boots which are not too heavy).

- Keela Gators (much better quality than army surplus gators).

 

[HorseGuy]

So that’s my list of standout items. What are your favourite outdoor clothes and why? Any really good items you swear by that are worth highlighting and sharing with us?

 

[Jagged77]

For trousers my standout for many years are Hagloffs rugged mountain pant - think I’ve got 4 or 5 pairs. Recently I’ve started wearing Swazi fleece pants which lack the pocket space but more than make up for in comfort and performance.

For an outer shell I do love my Buffalo smocks but prefer the now discontinued Montane for purely fit and comfort. They both perform well. Paramo make some fantastic jackets and smocks too and I particularly like the Velez.

I’ve been out in some of the worst UK conditions in the above with MR (not the Swazi) and it holds up.

Underwear - Rohan, Paramo, Montane, Odlo

Socks - quality wool like Smartwool

Base layer - Swazi Marino Wool

 

[HorseGuy]

Recently I’ve started wearing Swazi fleece pants which lack the pocket space but more than make up for in comfort and performance.

Interesting. The Swazi Micro Fleece Pants look like just the thing I need for when it gets really chilly and want a third layer of insulation in between my merino wool base layer and New Forest Trail outer trousers.

 

[dnarcher]

I loved my russian gorka jacket, now worn through to holes, over a fleece. Windproof, reasonably water resistant ( though I scotchguarded it), very breathable, quite tough. It was very cheap, though I suspect they may have become more difficult to obtain over the last 5 years.

 

[Ozmundo]

I have a Ridgeline waterproof that survives the thickets.

If I had the cash a Buffalo vest would be nice to have but I have a couple of very cheap fleece gilets that I double if needed.

I have a vest with heating elements in it. Battery also works as a power bank 3-4 hours on the lowest setting and that is still quite effective. It’s pretty essential for me when I am working underwater in the winter.

Simple any brand fingerless wool gloves. I still find them very “handy” for warm and dexterity. Quite good to add over a thin glove and under the goretex mitts mentioned by others.

New Forest clothing shooting trousers with waterproof liner. They don’t feel that warm, they have been waterproof so far but very effective windproof.

Decathlon/solognac fleece hunting top and bottoms. Warm, bit of stretch, quick drying. Good autum or layering for the winter.

 

[TLM]

I loved my russian gorka jacket, now worn through to holes, over a fleece.

I have friends that think the same though lately apparently there have been some voices that tell him that maybe something less Spetznaz might be in order, just that you would not get mixed with the "wrong" side.

I do like my Haglöffs trousers but I think the main reason is that they fit me well, which led me to the idea that maybe the fit is more important part of clothing performance than usually thought. It also means that the make that fits one does not necessarily fit others, kind of negating the discussion what is "better", still see the value of well made.

 

[Ozmundo]

I think Spetznaz wear Regatta when shopping in Salisbury.