Outdoor gear for multi use?

[Paul_B]

These days outdoor clothing and kit gets used off the hills. Indeed patagucci micro baffle down jackets made it the in fashion outerwear one year at the Kendal Mountain Film Festival.

I myself wear fleeces, synthetic jackets, softshell trousers, etc a lot at the weekend about. Going to work I'm fleece and paramo hi viz velez lite. I wear trail shoes all the time except safety boots at work.

This got me thinking what other outdoor kit and clothing might be good from work commute to mountain? I'm two weeks away from a new job and I'm kitting up. Office clothes and shoes (used to scruffy jeans and cheap polo shirt as old job you could trash clothes in any day) mostly but I'm not adverse to new commuting clothes. Better overtrousers and longer jacket instead of short smock waterproof. Perhaps a better commuting rucksack (I got a cheaper alpkit Gourdon as I needed I save money). New job equals more spare cash. So I'm hoping to read about other POVs on multi use outdoors clothing.

What kit do use or wear for outdoors activities through to town or work / office?

 

[Van-Wild]

What's the de rigueur fashion in your new job?

 

[Paul_B]

Apparently big co but small units on a huge site. That means depends on where I go. Assurance it's clean office so smarter end of smart casual. If engineering side it can go smarter or more casual end of smart casual. Apparently I might be issued two sets of overalls! However I'm in engineering / quality engineering so I'll be smart casual, but my usual trainers into work as I'm on my Brompton either end of the train journey.

I'm likely to wear waterproofs head to toe commuting as it's a wet part of the UK. On the train and bike.

 

[Paul_B]

I see commuters with rucksacks of a business / laptop type but you also see ortlieb rucksacks that may or may not become panniers. Also other dry bag style rucksacks.

Also I see a lot of outdoor clothing on commuters. Plus the smart businessmen with patagucci puffer jackets. You can treat certain outdoor brands as smart due to their brand snobbery appeal. Patagucci are good, outdoor down jackets and waterproofs, technical in nature and design. Yet I situations where suit and posh macintosh is normal You can get away with these brands. I reckon anyway. Canada goose brand down too. Perhaps the expensive Scandinavian brands too.

Me I'm more low rent than that. However I'm curious about cotton analogy garments. They're not cheap at £395 + but perhaps the extra salary of this job means I should treat myself.

I'm more berghaus, montane, rab and paramo perhaps. I wear buffalo dog walking in the cold but not too work. I have a tidy haglofs barrier II jacket for cold, dry commutes. It's a sober blue and smart enough for smarter work places. My waterproofs are not very businesslike. Bright orange or black and red berghaus (which is a little tight on me now). Rucksacks I have loads of big ones but only really alpkit Gourdon 30l of work bag size. I'm don't use elsewhere.

That's the thing, I don't like consumerist purchases with only one use, so I'm looking at a good at all things purchases. Leisure outdoors through to work outdoors/commuting. What this needs I'm not completely sure.

 

[Decacraft]

Normally I will wear 5.11 trousers. I do want to try some fjallraven but I'm unsure of the fit and hesitant to spend on them to find they don't fit well. I have some varusteleka trousers that I like the fit and durability of.

I do buy the plain black screwfix special site hoodies, there a little bit forgiving in the size and a looser while still fitting size. They don't shrink or loose the colour.

If it's not pouring with rain I'll wear a waxed smock/ helikon smock/ ridgline fleece. If it's dire I have the ridgeline evolution or a poncho.

I dont work in an office and am outdoors most of the day, so what I look like doesn't bother me. I have picked the kids up from school and noticed iv stank of campfire which is the only downside.

If I need to dress better with swmbo or some other occasion then it's jeans and a flannel shirt of some description and timberland 6 inch boots.

Until I invest in some decent boots I normally wear karrimor cheetah until they decide to fall appart and ill replace them. Unless I need to wear wellies and there muckboots

 

[Van-Wild]

Maybe you're overthinking it. It appears that the general office wear is the smarter end of smart casual?

Nowadays, smart casual means dark chinos/jeans and a shirt tucked in, no tie, and leather footwear (this includes barefoot style/trainers/skate shoes). You can go smarter by adding a sports jacket or wool single breasted blazer, or a nice wool jumper! Suits are no longer mandatory unless you're a cop or over 60.......

I work outside all day everyday, in all weathers, but I don't wear obviously outdoor style clothing. My wardrobe consists of clothing that is durable but can easily transition from work to restaurant/bar/supermarket or an office meeting with no effort. You could call it smart casual. I like a brand called Kuhl. Their trousers fit the smart casual x outdoors very well. Think jeans cut but flexible and durable. For shirts, I am always in a flannel or brushed cotton, long sleeved. Brands like Carhartt or Kuhl again. I carry a montane goretex jacket for inclement weather, which never gets a second glance in the office environment.

I've worn a plain shirt, chinos, and a pair of black vans high-tops, presenting to CEOs and MDs of so called 'blue chip' companies. They were wearing a mix of typical dark blue suits, or jeans with trainers.....

Maybe your 'work clothes' should be for work, and your 'outdoor clothes' should just be for the outdoors? Unless of course, you intend on climbing a mountain before or after work, or the journey to or from work is such a distance that an overnight camp is required......

 

[Paul_B]

Tbh I'm more thinking of the commute than work / office. Cumbria can be pretty wet even going from car to office, inside info from someone working where I'm going. I'll be train and bike into work. Opportunity to upgrade full waterproofs I think.

 

[neoaliphant]

Last time i worked in an office, i travelled to work on bike and had a pair of PLCE pouches and yoke and army surplus poncho strapped underneath, and army surplus boots....those boots lasted me decades and looked absolutely fine visiting clients hosues as well....

so id say the boots were the most multi purpose that had no problem working in civi life

i carry a molle belt and molle pouches to hold knife, flashlight tools but thats more of an outdoor belt that has edc items that i need for work....

 

[jcr71]

saw a fella wearing a great coat recently, complete with handlebar moustache.
was an impressive looking garment and i imagine would last for decades being pure wall.

 

[neoaliphant]

saw a fella wearing a great coat recently, complete with handlebar moustache.
was an impressive looking garment and i imagine would last for decades being pure wall.

i wanted one of those, someone at uni had a german ww2 one, evry well made...

 

[jcr71]

i wanted one of those, someone at uni had a german ww2 one, evry well made...

im a shortie so unfortunately would look comical in one, same problem with full length stockmans coats.
i might get away with a peacoat though

 

[neoaliphant]

im a shortie so unfortunately would look comical in one, same problem with full length stockmans coats.
i might get away with a peacoat though

i had a really nice backman australian coat, very high quality that i got for £10 at a charity shop, fot me icely when I was 17...then i grew a bit more and it ended up being short and my arms sticking out....

 

[Navaja]

saw a fella wearing a great coat recently, complete with handlebar moustache.
was an impressive looking garment and i imagine would last for decades being pure wall.

Very heavy though.......

.....I'll get mi..... Oh, never mind.