Clothes

[Raz]

Hi everyone,

Hoping to pick a few brains regarding clothing.
I am pretty clueless at presant; the Mrs picks me up what's cheap, when and if she sees it. But, I'm starting to appreciate the need for quality clothing, after destroying clothes the way I do.

I want to set myself up with a new wardrobe, get a few of each layer to mix and match, I am hopefully going to be traveling New Zealand later this year - top to bottom, so my wardrobe has got to be tough and able to handle all climates!

I don’t really know where to start. As far as I can gather, one wants
A few: wicking layers, thermal layers, heavy-duty cotton layers, then a lightweight waterproof layer, I think that’s right?

I've been looking at an Artkis smock, but they have so many options on just that product I gave up and posted this!

 

[Tony]

What are you going to be doing in NZ? If your going this year then you are going in their spring/summer so unless your high in the mountains it is not going to be too cold :mrgreen:

If I were you I would be tempted to wait until I get there to buy some stuff. They have some excellent clothes there that are suited to the climate and work well over here.

If you are not going to be messing with fires and lugging logs about, sawing things up etc then go for semi technical stuff. Unless you’re a serious climber or some such the technical stuff is a bit too much. Some of the companies are producing excellent base layers and mid layers. If you’re into bushcraft I would go for wool as much as possible, have a look at Swanndri http://www.bushcraftuk.co.uk/reviews/review_Swanndri.html
which are a NZ company they have some excellent kit. If you’re going for cotton then Ventile is a good fabric to look out for. If it is not so bushcrafty then you can look further afield to companies like Paramo, Karrimor etc IF your on a bit of a budget then Keela have some excellent kit which is very well priced.

Anyway, I’ve waffled on for a bit and it's all just what I prefer. Lets have some more opinions! :super:

 

[alick]

Hi Raz, Tony's point about local gear is pretty good, you wouldn't look out of place when you're in NZ and you'd have all this way cool stuff that no-one else has if and when you decide to come back :-D
But if you do want to pick up some stuff before you go...
Of all the clothes I've bought, i've been most impressed with pertex shelled fleeces. Tough - took me ten years to wear the first one out and 4 years into the second (I ain't tryin to be trendy). Windproof = warm. Dries quick. Warm when wet. It'll stand a shower.
T-shirts made out of a wicking fibre are warmer than cotton when you sweat and quick drying - I use Lowe.
If you're doing anything strenuous, breeches are too hot for me, Rohan bags in light polycotton work great but look naff (sorry to any devotees, I was once ) now I just wear Ron Hill tracksters or Fjallraven.
I've done the big boots routine too, now, unless I'm heading for long term snow and ice, I prefer something light and flexible - salomon exit 2's or my old scarpa gortex/suede walking boots. Wet feet every time but who cares.
I'll pass on the jacket because I use a goretex technical ice-climbing jacket that cost £££ and is totally unnecessary if you're not going high in lousy weather. Anyway - who'd wear yellow in the woods out of choice :mrgreen: Have a great trip. Alick

 

[Raz]

Cheers guys!

It’s really difficult not being able to try these things on for size, and feel what they are like.

I am hopefully going to visit the mountains, do whatever I can up there. However I can proboly hire some snow gear (I hope) So lets stick with a Temperate climate.

The plan at the moment is to go from November to February, but I'm running out of time to organise it, so whether it happens at all is on the rocks.
I'm planning to be out in the rough as much as possible, so i will be lighting fire's, chopping wood, preparing food, all the usual. It's got to be hard use clothing, and in bland colours.

Here’s what I have got worked out so far-
The items with the “?” after are items I really need some suggestions on, but if you can think of anything else to add that would be great. Budget is limited, the more I spend on stuff, the less time I can spend away.

Base Layer:
Underarmour Boxer Briefs
Underarmour Tactical Full T-Shirts

Thermal Long Underwear:
Underarmour Tactical Leggings and top

Warm / Normal Wear:
Royal Robbins 511 Shirts
Royal Robbins 511 Pants
Royal Robbins 511 Shorts
Oakley Si Desert Boots
Danner Acadia Gore-Tex boots
- Sandals?
- Aussie Bush Hat?
- Liner Socks?
- Boot Socks? (hot and cold weather)

Warm - Midlayer / Windproof:
Swanndri Bush Shirt
Artkis windproof Smock
Hatch KFG1000 Flight Gloves
- Hoodie?
- Pertex Zip-up Fleece?
- V-Neck Thin pullover?
- Hat?
- Trousers?

Waterproof:
Sealskinz socks
- Lightweight Goretex Rain suit (poncho, trousers)?
- Long Parka?
- Trousers?
- Gloves?

 

[Tony]

pushed for time so here's a quick opinion :mrgreen:
You seem to have most things covered, all I would say is..Keep all man made stuff away from the fires! If it comes to it put your swanni over your waterproofs - if the weather is bad and you are still having a fire -
alick's advice is very sound, the pile pertex stuff is very good, I’ve read numerous accounts of it saving peoples lives...just watch out for heat and fires!

 

[Martyn]

I think I'd add a british army issue shemagh to that list. Too many uses, warm/cool/scarf/balaclava/sling/sunshade etc...

 

[Raz]

I picked up one the other day, wonderfull things.
Stops the knats and mossys eating me alive while I'm fishing!

 

[bigjackbrass]

Despite being a fashion-hating dinosaur I must admit that I've found the Buff hat/scarf/neck gaiter/etc very handy. Very expensive, and they have a distressing habit of being printed with pictures of penguins and the like, but extremely versatile. I wore one on Skye last year when high winds and heavy rain made my customary Tilley hat unwieldy and found it to be a perfect weight. Generic polypro tubes are far cheaper but on the whole they are heavier and suitable only for late in the year. Mind you, Buffs suffer for their lack of thickness because they don't take a lot of abuse, but they do at least dry very quickly indeed. Worth the money? Well, they cost a wince-inducing ten quid or so, and I reckon they're something to look for in the sales.

 

[Martyn]

shemagh £6.99 from here:
http://www.silvermans.co.uk/Silver/docs/home.html

...mossi-net/towel/sweatmop ...any more?

Paid £5.00 for mine, I must have a cheap one.

 

[alick]

Smile!
I had a buff once, just like you Jack.
Then visted A&E after a rather long slide off a motorcycle.
Now I have this nice handkerchief....

But they cut 500 quids worth of leather and carbon fibre off my bottom too, that rather puts it in perspective.
I'm glad they did too. They had to keep me strapped down for most of a day until they could prove that I've naturally got a neck like an ostrich.
The whole team, Manchester motorway patrol officers, ambulance, hospital A&E team, girls on the ward, were great.

Now a nice cheap shemagh's just what I need

 

[alick]

Useful find this weekend:
Though not as cheap as some of the mail order places, a little shop in Chester called "Soldier of Fortune" had several useful bits and pieces under the one roof. Traser glowrings, shemaghs, krill lights, british army black plastic water bottles, steel mugs (surplus?) to fit the water bottle and hexi block cookers to fit the mug. Gerber exchangeable blade outdoors / hunting saws etc etc. Picked up a spare large size firesteel for a tenner. I thought they deserved a post for not kicking me out when I dived into their place only 2 minutes before closing on Saturday

 

[bigjackbrass]

Not a bad little shop, SoF in Chester, and I think they're part of a chain with a website too. The Chester branch also stocks Buffalo clothes and much of the Snugpak military range. This includes some very decent insulated tops designed to pack small and be relatively resistant to the wet, which might be handy for a warm jacket in New Zealand. Wouldn't get one near to a fire, though. I'll stick to my Swanndri for that. At least the Snugpak stuff is mostly green, rather than some of the garish duvet jackets I see looming out of the woods now and then.

 

[Raz]

Thanks for that guys.

It's really difficult looking for stuff, everyhtings "extreme" "alpine" "performance".
what I need is "Bland, but cosy" "specialy built for ambling" etc..

I'm still looking for a few things, I think I'll proboly just go with the cheapist though!

 

[bagman]

I wwas at Finmere market on Sunday and there was a stall there selling quite a range of Swandri stuff but the only jacket they had was a size medium. t was £125 but I dont know how that compares?

 

[Raz]

The Desert boots begin production in november.
I'm guessing it's military and tac teams who will get first look-in.
There are 2 versions, Leather or Cloth, price hasn't been released.

I'm remaking the list at presant. The oakleys can wait; to much money for too little cloth.