Does price matter?

[sandbender]

"...Best advice I think we can agree on is "get 'em now and wear 'em hard" - anything that doesn't take it, chuck 'em here whilst you can replace them!.."

+1

That pretty much goes for all the gear you plan to take, I'd also suggest that you try to 'live' out of your chosen bag using the gear you plan to take in the months before you leave, you should try to move about your home town/city with it, catching buses, going to work/school etc.

 

[david1]

TBH I was wondering about that myself. Doesn't seem logical they'd have two different production lines, but maybe the models they market might be different?

they might even have two different countries making them, like usa for you and china for us :-( it happens

 

[rik_uk3]

TBH I was wondering about that myself. Doesn't seem logical they'd have two different production lines, but maybe the models they market might be different?

The same but Red like tacticooooool trousers lol

 

[tiger stacker]

I own three pairs of tnf trousers 2 grey 1 green. The first grey lasted five years alternating with the green for work. Great trousers for the price, roughly same as Rohan whose trousers no longer fit around the waist The first grey are now shorts, still in use for those rare scottish summers.
Choose well saves buying second time or something like that. Not a fan of boilersuits or bibs braces but then depends what you need them for.
Working abroad n warmer climes though you do tend to prefer loose fitting clothes. If that helps any

 

[PeterH]

TBH I was wondering about that myself. Doesn't seem logical they'd have two different production lines, but maybe the models they market might be different?

They almost certainly will be, both designs, ranges and manufacturers even if the names are the same. If my wife wants something the same in M&S not only does it have to look the same but the coding on label has to be same style, colour and factory, you would be surprised at the variations in those on the same rail of "identical" items.

 

[PeterH]

No that isn't what I meant squidders - what I meant was - wear the clothes others who work there wear, not tourists or those on two week "expeditions". You may find craghoppers okay - that's cool - I have tried them several times (over ten years or more) - they have been flimsy carp without exception - fabric weight, zip quality, reinforcements, multiple stitching are all way beneath other brands - indeed I am happy to publish pictures to prove it

Bear in mind the OP is not going on a couple of weeks "expedition" (holiday), he is going to live and work for two years. Different job, different requirement.

We can disagree, that's okay though.

Although I buy craghoppers, but never full price, for serious use however you define that IMHO they do not measure up. My lad took two pairs their trousers and two shirts to Ecuador in Andes and Amazon. On his return they had to replace all four due to manufacture/design faults including all green buttons breaking but not the others. These days CH could not produce trousers with straight, parallel non puckered seams in my experience. Having said that I wear them most days, go figure!

 

[adestu]

I picked up a couple of pairs of work trousers from adli and they're very tough.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 2

 

[rik_uk3]

The only problem I've had with Craghoppers is the fastening button being poorly stitched and needing a bit of re-enforcement on a couple of pairs, perhaps due more to my expanded waiste size than a quality control issue. For £20 a pop from TKMax they are perfect everyday/camping trews

 

[Clouston98]

Price doesn't but quality and longevity do. However in general if you pay more what you get is generally of better quality. For example a maglite torch will be better than a poundland one and will probably last a lot longer aswell.

 

[ozzy1977]

I have a pair of crag hoppers from 2002, the colour has faded but thats it, the new ones I have a carp though

 

[santaman2000]

The same but Red like tacticooooool trousers lol

LOL. Dickies makes those too (uniform clothing for paramedics and security personnel)

 

[John Fenna]

Over the years I have tried various trousers on expedition to places like Thailand and South Africa, West Africa and other remote areas - if I was going again and wanting to return in the same gear I went in I would plump for 5.11 cotton trousers - perhaps even their BDUs. They are superb quality and not too expensive in real terms as they last far longer than cheaper alternatives - and they have sensible features!

 

[Shovel]

Whats the advantage of cotton in a tropical climate?

 

[Dano]

I have lived in the tropics and middle east for a number of years and can offer some advice, it's not about price it's about fit and style, opt for long sleeves, you want to be able to roll them down to protect against sun and bites, loose fitting to let air circulate. I have never noticed much difference between linen and cotton other than linen looks horrible and creased, they wear differently also, linen seems to thin and Cotten holes...go for shirts with a collar

511 are good and tough, the shirts are vented and have loads of pockets, but the silicone coating is nasty, they don't wick sweat initially, you need to wash them loads before they feel ok, if you wipe your forehead on the sleeve it doesn't mop, they are ripstop and will probably last ages though, my white ones have taken a yellow hint from washing in less than clean water in the tropics and sand in the Middle East, nothing you can do to whiten them. Interesting I got them delivered to the UK and brought them back to indo only to find out they re made there and there is a 511 shop in jakarta....what a fool I felt....

For trousers I use cargos to like crag hoppers etc although they are synthetic, again always have long pants for bites and sun, always travel on aircraft and boats in long pants, avoid jeans in fact avoid any heavy cotton

When you watch backpackers they all wear Tshirts shorts and flip flops, they really are fine, not my thing though and you are susceptible to bites and sun asi have said plus you want to keep you wallet, cash and passport on you so swimmers are not a great idea in my opinion,

If you really want to stay cool use string vests under shirts, not sexy but they work, loose fitting underwear also unless hiking etc when I advise cycle type shorts

Someone mentioned Maglight, I still have mine from 1986, it's been used to bang in pegs and all sorts of other tasks, it still works and is the nuts as far asi am concerned, I have a whole load of them in different sizes, they are bullet proof


Dano

 

[Uilleachan]

A vote for sensible clothes in the hot places. Long sleeves and long breeks, keep covered.

In my opinion go faster brands are to be avoided, another vote for working kit.

I've a gortex cag I ware on the hill when climbing, I've a ventile cag I ware in the field, but my best wet weather jacket for general knocking around is a pvc oilskin I bought as part of a set for £7.50, the set before that was £3.50 (a set = trousers and jacket).

 

[rik_uk3]

I have lived in the tropics and middle east for a number of years and can offer some advice, it's not about price it's about fit and style, opt for long sleeves, you want to be able to roll them down to protect against sun and bites, loose fitting to let air circulate. I have never noticed much difference between linen and cotton other than linen looks horrible and creased, they wear differently also, linen seems to thin and Cotten holes...go for shirts with a collar

511 are good and tough, the shirts are vented and have loads of pockets, but the silicone coating is nasty, they don't wick sweat initially, you need to wash them loads before they feel ok, if you wipe your forehead on the sleeve it doesn't mop, they are ripstop and will probably last ages though, my white ones have taken a yellow hint from washing in less than clean water in the tropics and sand in the Middle East, nothing you can do to whiten them. Interesting I got them delivered to the UK and brought them back to indo only to find out they re made there and there is a 511 shop in jakarta....what a fool I felt....

For trousers I use cargos to like crag hoppers etc although they are synthetic, again always have long pants for bites and sun, always travel on aircraft and boats in long pants, avoid jeans in fact avoid any heavy cotton

When you watch backpackers they all wear Tshirts shorts and flip flops, they really are fine, not my thing though and you are susceptible to bites and sun asi have said plus you want to keep you wallet, cash and passport on you so swimmers are not a great idea in my opinion,

If you really want to stay cool use string vests under shirts, not sexy but they work, loose fitting underwear also unless hiking etc when I advise cycle type shorts

Someone mentioned Maglight, I still have mine from 1986, it's been used to bang in pegs and all sorts of other tasks, it still works and is the nuts as far asi am concerned, I have a whole load of them in different sizes, they are bullet proof


Dano

A good post from someone out there and not just guessing, many thanks.

 

[Old Bones]

If you are going to the tropics, look at what the locals are wearing, and think of the conditions when you are going. If the area is hot but dry, then cotton works well, but if its very humid, cotton will tend to suck up sweat. Wicking T-shirts work well (some better than others), and the £5 Aldi 'bamboo' t-shirts worked very well for my wife on a recent field trip to the Philipines.

However, Cotton is generally fine, but obviously loose fitting, and thin cotton trousers (the Regatta ones from TKMaxx, for instance) can work very well - I got something years ago from M & S's sale, and they were really comfortable when I was in Central America. Primark's cargo's also do well. I can personally vouch for the fact that a polycotton mix does not work in the tropics, or even a decent English summer - British Army light trousers are not a good idea when its hot!

To be honest, you can probably buy cheap clothes in the tropics when you get there, to allow for wear and tear. Don't get anything fancy here, just the basics, and certainly don't get any offensive T-shirts - they might look funny in the shop, but the local police might be less amused, and that goes for nervous flyers on the plane http://gothamist.com/2013/01/23/princess_bride_t-shirt_causes_alarm.php

 

[Uilleachan]

If you are going to the tropics, look at what the locals are wearing, and think of the conditions when you are going. If the area is hot but dry, then cotton works well, but if its very humid, cotton will tend to suck up sweat. Wicking T-shirts work well (some better than others), and the £5 Aldi 'bamboo' t-shirts worked very well for my wife on a recent field trip to the Philipines.

However, Cotton is generally fine, but obviously loose fitting, and thin cotton trousers (the Regatta ones from TKMaxx, for instance) can work very well - I got something years ago from M & S's sale, and they were really comfortable when I was in Central America. Primark's cargo's also do well. I can personally vouch for the fact that a polycotton mix does not work in the tropics, or even a decent English summer - British Army light trousers are not a good idea when its hot!

To be honest, you can probably buy cheap clothes in the tropics when you get there, to allow for wear and tear. Don't get anything fancy here, just the basics, and certainly don't get any offensive T-shirts - they might look funny in the shop, but the local police might be less amused, and that goes for nervous flyers on the plane http://gothamist.com/2013/01/23/princess_bride_t-shirt_causes_alarm.php

I'm sat cowering in front of my hotel air-con as I type, 44ºC out there this evening. Light cotton is ideal in perfect circumstances but not all circumstances are ideal. As long as you can keep covered I agree, buy local to where you are but remember westerners aren't local to anywhere other than home. I ware heavy denim trousers and long sleeved cotton shirts and a hat plus fully welted shoes and long cotton socks, even then I'm still picking up the odd mozzie bite.

 

[santaman2000]

Whats the advantage of cotton in a tropical climate?

Wool and most synthetics are just too hot. And ALL synthetics will stink to high heaven. 100% cotton will rot fairly quickly though.

 

[santaman2000]

.......my white ones have taken a yellow hint from washing in less than clean water in the tropics and sand in the Middle East.....

For trousers I use cargos to like crag hoppers etc although they are synthetic, again always have long pants for bites and sun, always travel on aircraft and boats in long pants, avoid jeans in fact avoid any heavy cotton.......

On the first point about the yellowing I know what you mean. Be advised that you'll get that same effect by drying them in a gas (rather than electric) clothes dryer.

While I agree with most of the rest of your post, the second point is completely in error. I too have travelled in the Middle East (nearly a year in Saudi) and wore heavy denim jeans whenever I wasn't in uniform. They performed great. On a more tropical experience, I wore them EVERYWHERE in Panama (TBH it didn't really get any hotter or more humid there than Summers here; it just stayed that way year round there) Again, they performed just fine. However, thin anything will simplt not provide any protection from briers, rocks, scrapes, or bugs. There is nothing better than jeans. Nothing.

I also wore a poly/cotton blend shirt in both cases (60% cotton to 40 percent poly for durability and wrinkle resistance) and in both cases the shirts worked fine.