Outdoor gear for newbie hillwalker?

bobjim

Hi,
I've recently done a couple of hillwalks and enjoyed it so want to get into it more often. I've been looking at getting some appropriate gear but am a bit confused by the variety of stuff on offer - plus I don't want to spend a fortune in case I only get out a couple of times a year!! Nor do I intend to be out in extreme weather conditions, although I realise the unexpected can happen.

So what are the basic items I should be looking for? Legings, boots, gaiters, hat, gloves, rain jacket? And, once I know what I need how do I identify the "good" gear from the "not-so-good"! For example, I realise Gore-tex is a good type of waterproofing but are their other types that are just as good? I presume I should be looking at gettng layers of clothing? And whatever I get should be breathable?

The wife buys stuff from LLbean and I noticed the following jacket on their website, would it be suitable for me?

http://tinyurl.com/3a2cox

Any advice or pointers to useful websites would be appreciated (and might be a good addition to the FAQ).

Cheers,
bobjim

Evil Phil

Get yourself into Great Outdoors (If you're not in Dublin then travel) and get fitted for a good pair of walking boots. These are vital. Join the MCI and you'll get 10% discount in GO.

Dunno about the jacket, I only wear goretex and I'm not familiar with TEK2.5. That's not a reason to buy it however. You seem to have everything else pretty much covered. A 30 or 40L backpack would be a good addition.

fergalr

If you read just a couple of posts down on the forum, you'll find this thread:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055214586

where some of your questions are discussed/answered.

So what are the basic items I should be looking for? Legings, boots, gaiters, hat, gloves, rain jacket?

Depends on what you're going to do...
Walking off easy trails, a lot of people recommend boots. Boots are expensive.

Gaiters are useful, but not essential.
A hat is useful to keep warm, you lose [insert completely rubbish made up stat here] percent of your heat through your head.

Gloves are good when it's really cold, otherwise optional.

A rain jacket is fairly essential in the Irish hills, or something equivalent to stop you getting wet and freezing to death when it rains, which it will on days you don't expect it.

I like thermal leggings for extreme conditions, they keep you warm well. Rain trousers and something that dries fast (*not jeans*) will also work as a trousers.

And, once I know what I need how do I identify the "good" gear from the "not-so-good"! For example, I realise Gore-tex is a good type of waterproofing but are their other types that are just as good? I presume I should be looking at gettng layers of clothing? And whatever I get should be breathable?

Read the other post for some info on goretex, when looking at a specific piece of clothing google for reviews.

dogmatix

Agree with Evil Phil - get yourself down to the great Outdoors and throw yourself and your wallet at their mercy.

If your on a budget then spend the most money on essentials like boots, backpack/daysack and a good quality windproof fleece.

fergalr

If your on a budget then spend the most money on essentials like boots, backpack/daysack and a good quality windproof fleece.

Certainly don't buy cheap boots, if your going to invest in boots get a quality pair.

If your on a budge I'd advise putting your protection from the elements above things like the daysack, make sure you at least have a cheap rain jacket and rain trousers, ideally use fabrics that won't cling to you and wick heat away when wet (dont use jeans, cotton t-shirts etc).

Like the guys say, if you have plenty of money, head into a shop like the great outdoors and ask them to kit you out - expect to spend a lot on a full set of good gear though...

pirelli

bobjim wrote: »

Hi,
I've recently done a couple of hillwalks and enjoyed it so want to get into it more often. I've been looking at getting some appropriate gear but am a bit confused by the variety of stuff on offer -

So what are the basic items I should be looking for? Legings, boots, gaiters, hat, gloves, rain jacket?

Cheers,
bobjim

Dont go to the great outdoors and empty your wallet. First join the Mountaineering Council of Ireland on a basic course its cheap. You will get a Mountain skills dairy and you put each climb you do into the dairy and advance. There is no limit to what you can achieve.As for clothes. Gators and boots are a good start but you might have everything you need already. Bad fabrics are Cotton and linen retain moisture (sweat etc) while good fabrics are polyester and wool and nylon are the best fabrics. There is also polypropylene which is meant to be the leading fabric and a popular thermal. Wool is traditionally the best material and is just as good. Keeping dry is vital to your survival when exposed to the extremes. The fabrics above are also breathable and pump the moisture from your body to the athmosphere. Gore-tex jackets (expensive) and a fleece ( cheap ) are popular as they are warm and breathable. IN ORDER TO SAVE money check your sports tops for the fabric (nylon,polester,wool even mixed is perfect) like rugby jersey's and football track suits. You will find that they are already perfect materials. This way you can save alot of money. Even a cheap light wind and water proof jacket and pants for like 20 euro and your old sports clothes are all you need for the first 50 climbs dont spend milions on a jacket which will wear out. When walking you are best to wear layers and add or remove them depending on how you feel. That is why a bag is useful also.You probably dont need much equipment to start just figure out a set of clothes you already have and check Tesco who have walking socks for very cheap..Some survival gear is recommended like a surival bag and a whistle which only cost 8 euro and the sas handbook. You dont need really good boots although I realise ireland is a very wet country so those leather boots might be a good investment as would gators. I have a pair of water proof gore-tex runners for 70 euro and I climbed over 3200 meter in them they have great grip. Anything over 3000 meters you will need crampons and the boots designed for use with crampons are extremely stiff and not recommended for general mountain walking and climbing. The mountain clubs also offer free rock climbing using ropes etc.

fergalr

I agree with most of what pirelli says about fabrics and so on.
Couple of things I'd differ on.

Some survival gear is recommended like a surival bag and a whistle which only cost 8 euro and the sas handbook.

A survival bag is no bad thing to have, might be better with a group shelter aswell though especially if your travelling in a group, also not very expensive.
Wouldn't recommend the SAS handbook as your first mountain skills reading, something like:
Hill Walking: The Official Handbook of the Mountain Leader and Walking Group Leader Schemes, might be more appropriate.

Regarding the boots vs runners thing, a lot of people say to use boots because they offer more ankle support (and lower leg injuries is a big cause of accidents). It's from this perspective that many would recommend boots, rather than just because they are waterproof.

Not sure the OP is after rock climbing advice as opposed to basic hillwalking - that said, something Pirelli said is a really good idea - either joining a club or going on a course is no bad idea as an introduction to hill walking, if for no other reason than for safety's sake.
As always, depends what your after.

BeardyGit

fergalr wrote: »

A survival bag is no bad thing to have, might be better with a group shelter aswell though especially if your travelling in a group, also not very expensive.......

Regarding the boots vs runners thing, a lot of people say to use boots because they offer more ankle support (and lower leg injuries is a big cause of accidents). It's from this perspective that many would recommend boots, rather than just because they are waterproof.

A bivi-bag, whistle, map and compass (and the knowledge of how to use them) should be first on any novice hillwalkers lists of procurements.

Regarding boots (and socks), buy the best you can afford. Good boots will last, and last. 26% of mountain rescue callouts are for lower leg injuries, and very many of those can be clearly attributed to incorrect footwear for the terrain underfoot.

I know there's a whole magazine and manufacturer driven push to move people away from boots and into Goretex lined runners instead, but ask anyone with more experience than a few strolls around Glendalough on a fine Sunday and they'll tell you just how vital warm, waterproof and supportive boots are if you walk in Ireland. Vital I tell you.

Next, raingear. DON'T leave home without it. If you don't want to splash on a full goretex and layering rig-out, buy a Buffalo smock instead. Google it. You won't beat the Great Outdoors price (assuming you're a student or otherwise qualify for their 10% discount), not once you factor in delivery etc from other suppliers. I won't bore you - read all about it on the Buffalo site, and trust me, it's not all spin and hype - The buffalo/montane/paramo Pertex smocks are truly outstanding for our climate....

later,

Gil

Evil Phil

I can't stress enough how important boots are. Even if you don't buy them in GO go there and get them fitted properly. I bought boots in there for IRL£175. A lot of money at the time but there still going strong 8 years later. I've had them refitted twice. Every year I'm thinking 'I should really replace those old boots' but when I go out in them they're great, the heel is getting very worn though - I'll probably buy a pair this year.

fergalr

I know there's a whole magazine and manufacturer driven push to move people away from boots and into Goretex lined runners instead, but ask anyone with more experience than a few strolls around Glendalough on a fine Sunday and they'll tell you just how vital warm, waterproof and supportive boots are if you walk in Ireland. Vital I tell you.

I recommend a good pair of boots as a purchase to anyone starting off in the mountains. The warmth and waterproofness are great for hiking, especially in winter conditions. And the support can be a big plus.

I disagree with the absoluteness of Gil_Dub's statement though.
I think there is a place for the lighter weight runners in the hills too, and not just while doing races.
I think it's quite an individual issue. I personally make use of both types of footwear in the hills, and there are tradeoffs. Sometimes a flexible soled runner feels more secure and surefooted than a hiking boot, and sometimes the dynamic balance feels better. Sometimes it's better to try and keep the water out with a good boot, and sometimes a lightweight runner that dries quickly after being wet is better. What I'm trying to say is that boots are great, but I wouldn't say they are vital for all mountain activity, as is sometimes what you hear, it's not as black and white as that.

If you're starting off, stick with boots, the extra support they provide could be very handy.

Alun

fergalr wrote: »

I disagree with the absoluteness of Gil_Dub's statement though.
I think there is a place for the lighter weight runners in the hills too, and not just while doing races.

If you're starting off, stick with boots, the extra support they provide could be very handy.

It depends a lot on the type of ground you're planning on going over. If you're sticking to forest tracks or some of the more frequently travelled 'unofficial' mountain tracks then, yes, you could be fine with runners, but if you get off the beaten track and start going cross country, you can end up in terrain where anything without adequate ankle support could very easily result in a twisted or sprained ankle or worse. The terrain typical of many parts of Wicklow where you get steep slopes with a mixture of high heather and small boulders with huge (and sometimes wet and boggy!) unexpected holes appearing from nowhere is a good example, and I certainly wouldn't want to be bog-trotting across the Barnacullian ridge in the winter in anything but leather boots and gaiters, thank you very much.

Ask Gil_Dub what the most frequent type of injury is that results in MRT callouts, and he'll tell you it's lower-leg injuries, mostly ankles.

I'd say if you're planning on hillwalking as opposed to any kind of mountain racing, then stick with proper boots.

BeardyGit

Don't get me wrong lads - I have Columbia and Nike ACG Gore-Tex trainers, along with Merrell something or other boots (hmmm....a possible compromise?)...and I regularly wear them when I'm out and about on fire breaks and forestry pathed wanderings....

I also have a well worn pair of 7 or 8 year old Meindl Borneo's and a 1 year old, still being broken in pair of Meindl Himalayas. As Alun says, so many parts of Wickow and elsewhere in this fine outdoors we have in Ireland demands nothing less when it comes to suitable footwear. I value my time in the outdoors too much to risk a silly and debilitating ankle or foot injury by not equipping myself with a trusty pair of leather wraps.

Remember though, I'm not ruling out the part a pair of lightweights can have in the walkers arsenal. All I say is that each type of footwear has its pro's and con's, and I'd humbly argue that the staple component with regard to footwear in any aspiring hillwalkers car-boot or wardrobe should be a sturdy pair of boots. Complement them with some lightweight trail shoes by all means, but don't substitute them....they're just not up to the job that a pair of hiking boots will do.

Cheerio for now,

Gil

Hermy

Thanks bobjim for starting this thread and the rest of you for your replies. I was going to start a similar thread myself but now there's no need. I'm no stranger to hill walking but haven't done much for a few years. This year I'm determined to get back into it and like bobjim am keen to get some proper kit.
Great Outdoors and Meindl seem to be synonymous with boots so I'll definitely go down that route myself.
EvilPhil, you say you've had your boots refitted twice. May I ask what you mean by this?
I'm o.k. for basics - socks, hat, gloves, gaiters etc. but any hints/ tips regarding fleece tops, weatherproof jacket and trousers would be very much appreciated.
Thanks,
Hermy:)

Evil Phil

Basically what GO do when you get your boots refitted (or fitted for the first time) is pad the boot out with various insoles and other stuff until it fits comfortably with no movement or slippage of your foot inside. Its not expensive to get done and well worth it.

Hermy

Thanks Phil, that makes sense.
Regarding fleece tops and weatherproof stuff, I see that there is already a lot of useful info in previous posts so I'll wait till I've got through all of those and then if I have more specific questions I'll post them.
Thanks,
Hermy:)

pirelli

Hermy wrote: »

I'm o.k. for basics - socks, hat, gloves, gaiters etc. but any hints/ tips regarding fleece tops, weatherproof jacket and trousers would be very much appreciated.
Thanks,
Hermy:)

Check these out. Schoeller and buffalo are interesting.

http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=DoACZH2N9gE

http://www.traditionalmountaineering.org/FAQ_SteveHouse_Clothing.htm
http://www.markseaton.com/pack.htm
http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=oIkmYiwbZWg&feature=related

http://www.buffalosystems.co.uk/prodmain.htm
http://www.schoeller-textiles.com/default.asp?cat1ID=0&emotionstate=1&emotionID=1&langID=2

http://www.santiamalpineclub.org/downloads/Mountain.Climbing.School.Manual.pdf