hiking on flat land vs hillwalking

electron

hi! as we know there are plenty of hillwalking groups in ireland, as well as climbing and birdwatching. but does anyone here ever go walking or camping in a safer way (compared to climbing), with no birds in mind?
one thing that puts me off with hillwalking clubs is the high requirements they have for the gear. no jeans for example, even though i ain't a big jeans fan myself but sometimes i might want to wear them anyway. all the same i will probably need to join them if i don't find any better, so could someone please give me information on what kind of trousers are allowed... i understand they need to be waterproof etc :mad: but that's expensive!

hmmm

Trousers should be anything but jeans basically. They don't have to be waterproof. What you should bring is a set of waterproof overtrousers - go to any outdoor shop and buy the cheapest pair you can find (they are not expensive). Many people just wear quick drying trousers, depends on how willing you are to deal with cold and wet.

The reason you are asked not to wear jeans is that cotton like this gets very wet, heavy and cold against your skin - it's for your protection and means you aren't going to get hypothermia and screw up everyones day out.

If you're on a budget I'd recommend
- spend proper money on boots and rain jacket - they will stand to you
- wear tracksuit trousers and buy waterproof overtrousers
- any old rucksack will do
- hat and gloves (any as long as they're warm)

You can replace bits of gear with better kit over time.

That's about it (for a start)

Alun

Agree 100% with what 'hmmm' says. Jeans get very heavy and wet, and worse than that, they retain that wetness. Add a brisk wind to the occasion, and you have all the ingredients for hypothermia ... not pleasant, which is why most clubs, including the one I'm in, will refuse to take anybody out wearing them.

Many manufacturers now have some kind of quick-drying material which they make their walking trousers from. Craghoppers, for example, have a material called Solar-Dry. They're not waterproof by any means, but they don't get waterlogged like denim, and as soon as the passing shower has passed, they dry out again in no time at all, even quicker if there's a bit of sun. Whilst waterproof rain trousers are handy, I only ever wear them if I'm out in continuous lashing rain, which is actually less often than you might think, even if I'm out in the Wicklow Mountains practically every weekend. Most of the time it's just showers, and these kind of quick-dry trousers work just fine for those conditions.

electron

alright but is it obligatory to have a pair of overtrousers with me? and what's the jacket got to be like?

hmmm

electron wrote:

alright but is it obligatory to have a pair of overtrousers with me? and what's the jacket got to be like?

Depends what the club's policy is, just ask them. The jacket should be rain/waterproof and not the showerproof ****e you buy in ordinary stores. Goretex or similar materials are the ideal. As a hike leader I would have no compulsion in turning someone away if I felt they were inadequately equipped, it's for your own safety and saves me having to stress out if you become a casualty.

You could get away with cheaper coats on low level walks (not hillwalks) as you're generally close to a road or a nice warm pub if needs be. Get a group of friends together and buy one of the easy walk books you can find in places like Easons would be my suggestion.

Evil Phil

Where are you based electron? There are a number of outlet stores in the country, well three that I know of but I'm sure sporthouse have one as well. That's where you can buy jackets and the like at reduced prices. For Dublin Great Outdoors or the Outdoor Adventure store are good but a bit pricey. Millets are good too and cheaper than some of their competitors.

electron

hi hmmm, how do you know if someone is adequately equipped, do you throw a bucket of water on them just curious. anyway, sounds like i'll have to go professional.

Evil Phil

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