Value?

[Kerne]

I have used Rohan gear for many years and still have some shirts and trousers that I bought about 20 years ago

I have to echo this - I have Rohan and TNF and Berghaus gear that is 20 years old and still going strong. I think it's more a case of changing modern gear due to fashion rather than need - much of it is superbly durable. I also wear a 30 year old silk thermal shirt though...

 

[scrogger]

I must admit to owning a number of jackets though I must admit not bought for fashion.
Some have maybe not been what I thought they would be and where demoted to dog walking gear. Some I have grown out off ( and who knows if i have enough green days i might get back into them)

I do tend to hoard things and have recently reproofed a 20 odd yr old Ultimate Sympatex jacket and its working fine. So I do agree Some of my purchases if they had been better researched miught have led to a less full garage. Also maybe a healthier bank balance too.
But im older and wiser now and not so easily led...... I hope!

Andy

a good interesting thread this though.

 

[trail2]

Some twenty years ago I purchased a Columbia Quad parka.It came in two colours then. Woodland and Marsh.As I used it to hunt geese I got the Marsh.I have worn it every winter and a lot of Springs since then. When it gets to around -10F and below I wear it "to town"
Was it worth the $200 I paid back then? At a guess I would say I got value for money!
That being said there are a lot of lighter shell parkas out there for the same money. In all colours and fabrics. Would they give the same value over the same period of time. Who knows? Me I'm going to stick with old "Faithful".
Wheres all this going? I don't know but IFWIW.
Jon R.

 

[Wayland]

That's the level of value I look for in my gear.

Sometimes it does mean buying "expensive" kit, but if it lasts twenty years of good service then it's money well spent.

Often it's difficult to find kit of that quality though and perhaps that happens because kit that needs to be replaced more often, generates a better income stream for manufactures and retailers than once a decade or two sales.

It seems that redundancy is often built into equipment these days either through fashion or durability.

 

[trail2]

Wayland
Guess you Vikings and us Saxons are not that far apart after all
I know what you mean by the built in redundancy. The new Quads go for near $500 and do not seem to be made as well as the older ones. Of course now they have been outsourced
cheaper (not retail by any means) seems to be the watch word.
Jon R.

 

[Barn Owl]

Well all I can say is that my goretex withered and got me wet within 3 yrs and i still sweated like a pig in it.

So give me cotton,be it ventile or lighter in my pack' cos i like it better.

Have to say some of my mentors strode the hills in old nylon suit/blazers..and laugh at hillwalkers nowadays.

They just got wet and dried off at the end of the day...with fire,alcohol and tent or whatever shelter they could.

I'm talking sw Scotland,S Uplands,maybe not the Highlands but still rough and ready.

To me it doesn't matter what I carry or wear,I'd end up soaked with sweat anyway (even when I was fit).

 

[andybysea]

Barn owl wrote
''To me it doesn't matter what I carry or wear,I'd end up soaked with sweat anyway (even when I was fit).''
__________________
Yep happens to me to, ive got two 10yrs old plus goretex jackets still look brand new,because i never hardly wear them{except in all but the heaviest down pours) , i get wetter with sweat than rain in the damn things plus i feel restricted in them!

 

[Kerne]

It seems that redundancy is often built into equipment these days either through fashion or durability.

Funny you should say that...

I bought some inov8 trainers back when they were a small company and they lasted 6 years and four LDPs - not long but they got some REAL hammer. I replaced them recently and the new ones are already looking 6 years old.

 

[Wayland]

My old Gortex just gets used for crawling under the van to fix it on wet days now.

 

[treadlightly]

Last year I was looking for a lightweight waterproof jacket because my Berghaus aquafoil gave up the ghost after about 6 years. I chose a Montane Atomic which is light, waterproof and breathable. It does what it promised to do so I can't fault it. Except that I managed to put a hole in it after a few weeks which was no big deal as I patched it with a bit of gaffa tape.

The only trouble is: I don't wear it. I haven't put it on for months. Instead when it is wet I find myself content to wear wool and to accept that while not "waterproof" in the way synthetic shells are, it deals with rain well enough to satisfy my needs and is much more versatile.

I didn't really make a decision to favour wool over synthetics, it just happened that way. The other thing in wool's favour is I find I can buy what I need from charity shops for a fraction of the price.

 

[mayobushcraft]

I think its about being in the woods. Does it matter if kit cost £5.00 or £500.00. Just use common sense and be safe. Some people camp some bushcraft some both depends on your definition. Just get out and enjoy, A bad day in the woods is allways better than a good day at work

 

[mayobushcraft]

Bye the way I from Florida never had any wool untill I moved here now I love it have several wool sweaters Most of the time that is all I need. I carry a light waterproof and a cheap ponco for wet weather.