Ramblers Way gear

mectavba

Hi folks,

I was in Ramblers Way today looking at their backpacks and general travel clothing. They seemed to be quite good value.

The backpacks were a brand called Sporthouse Ireland and most of the cothing was Regatta.

I have no clue regarding the quality of these brands and I was wondering if anyone has had any good/bad experiences or could offer some alternatives.

Cheers

sparrowcar

Depends....

Both those brands are perfect for school kids and good weather recreational users. Walking home from school, summer showers out hiking, going to the shops etc.
I most certainly would not use them in bad weather or over a long days hike/outdoor activity as they would just not stand up to the abuse.
I had a sporthouse bag for years and i loved it but the thing is not designed for the activities I do.

What will you be using them for?

a148pro

I have bought a number of Regatta items, two skiing / outdoors jackets and one thermal shortsleeved top (made from bamboo fibre).

I have found them all to be excellent and unbelievable value. One jacket was only 50 euro and has accompanied me to 5000m plus and on multiple skiing trips. Ten years on and its just beginning to pack in. The shortsleeved top is also excellent and very odour resistant.

Both jackets were quite heavy, in terms of weight, which is a concern if youre trying to be ultra efficient.

Basically, if money is no object to you or you are doing something where every little piece of efficiency you can get out of clothing is very important then buy something more high end.

If not then I'd happily recommend you to save your sheckles and get the Regatta stuff. It'll usually be about 1/4 to 1/3 the price of the brand name stuff, and most of them are more about fashion and bullsh*t marketing than actual quality.

mectavba

Many thanks for the replies.

I am going travelling through Africa in January so I'm looking to get some gear for that. Most important are the backpack and a decent paor of walking shoes. I dont plan on doing any extensive hiking or mountain climbing.

I suppose my question boils down to whether the brand names you can buy in shops like great outdoors are so much more expensive because they are a well known brand, or is there a substantial difference in quality?

catbear

I have had Regatta footwear before and they fell apart too quickly. I pay more for berghaus or brasher because they do last longer. For your trip a good pair of light weight hiking boots or even xcr shoes would do.

I do have a very comfy €50 regatta fleece and I wear it around a lot but I'd never bring it hiking, too weighty.

Sev

I have a "Highlander" back pack that I bought in Rambler's way about six years ago (70L + 15L, the type with the little daypack that zips on, intended for travelling trips). I consider it retired now though (it has a tear in it, but it's a burn, not due to wear and poor quality fabric).

It lived through a lot of abuse, I have taken it all over the world - Interrailing, Africa incl. Kilimanjaro, India, hiking in Nepal, Tibet, hiking the Inca trail in Peru, the Galapagos, Patagonia, Antarctica. I've also used it to carry loads of sharp and heavy climbing equipment on the plane for trips to the Alps.

It may not be a "high quality" brand, but it's done it's job.

I recently bought a new Highlander bag (~ 65L different style, more rucksackish and with more pockets) for a trip to SE Asia. I had no problems at all, it did its job excellently, I would recommend this bag.

Basically, from my own experience, these bags are fine for general backpacking and travelling around, incl. the odd bit of hiking. I have a much more expensive branded bag that is lighter, and more weather resistant and has more a few more zips and features, I use this for climbing or hiking in Ireland.

paddler1974

Hi being from waterford the home of sporthouse I have grown up with the brand. Back in the 90's they competed with lowe alpine with their bags and were as good, more recently the kids use sporthouse bags for school and they are indestructible rugged bags. I think they come with a lifetime guarantee also, which is handy as they are Irish based. My experience with the sporthouse bags is excellant, Ive spent about 2 years living out of my bag and it never let me down and remained comfortable, waterproof and solid. I've now become civilised and use suitcases or canoes to carry gear!!!!

Roen

Another +1 for sporthouse from someone who got his first one direct from the factory about 25 years ago.

I use lighter more specialised packs these days for most of my wandering and climbing.
But for day walks and weekends away in the car I still use one of two sporthouse packs I own.

*Edit*
Just remembered I did the annapurna circuit with an old sporthouse I had backpacked about Europe with!

a148pro

mectavba wrote: »

I suppose my question boils down to whether the brand names you can buy in shops like great outdoors are so much more expensive because they are a well known brand, or is there a substantial difference in quality?

I think there can be a difference in quality, but its only at the high end of usage that you'll really need it. And the price disparity is much greater than the quality disparity. But if I was going to Africa I would be willing to spend more on an ultra lightwieght breathable top or something like that. If you're going somewhere with weather extremes it really pays off to have good gear, i.e., something that performs its task very well and weighs relatively little when youre not using it. It'll really improve your experience of being out there.

Shoes are very subjective also, I think you should be really careful in chosing them as if they don't suit you will get blisters and cuts and they are not the kind of things you want in Africa. Whatever you choose make sure you get them right, again, it'll make a big difference to your experience out there.