Clothing ---> (1 Viewer)

Hello All,

Just had a look around and i do not see any forum headings to do with Outdoors Clothing? i.e. Suitable for Bird Watching.

I have been into hill walking for many years now and i have tried and tested a lot of outdoors clothing most of which i would say is suitable for bird watching.

I would also have to say now that i have never used Ventile mainly because i feel it is too expensive and i also read it wets out in prolonged rain, to me this basically means it gets heavier (breathablity aside) which is a no go for long walks, also if its that good why arent all the outdoor manufacturers using it? I think i found about 5 companies using it?

So does anyone want to here what jackets etc i use? And why? And also what other gear i have used etc?

Cheers

Neil

Hi Neil
I do a fair bit of walking myself,Dartmoor,Black Mountains.
The problem I find with most serious walking clothing is that it is invariably brightly coloured.So that you can be seen easily in case of emergency.
Not something that you would want as a Nature/Bird watcher as you want to blend in with your surroundings.

Stranger said:

Hi Neil
I do a fair bit of walking myself,Dartmoor,Black Mountains.
The problem I find with most serious walking clothing is that it is invariably brightly coloured.So that you can be seen easily in case of emergency.
Not something that you would want as a Nature/Bird watcher as you want to blend in with your surroundings.

Click to expand...

There is quite a lot of subdued kit out there my mountain equipment gortex is a subdued grey colour, ultra-light and great for birding, although is wasn't cheap.

When it gets cold I put on a down jacket, can't understand why more birders don't use them.

Steve

hi gent how goes it.
i find a visit to the local government supplies usally has something to offer and it's cheap(not a pun).

Gortex jacket kept in a backpack every time I have walked, Cycled, Trained for marathon's in winter & nothing comes close ot Gortex 100 % waterproof not cheap but looked after will last a life time.

The problem is that hill walking and birding are generally two very different activities.

I was a keen hill walker until joint problems slowed me down a bit. I had (and still have) a lot of gortex / triple point ceramic style breathable gear - ideal for activities where you are working up a sweat.

Since I've started birding, I spend much more time being totally static, or walking relatively short distances. Breathability is therefore less of an issue, but warmth / waterproofing much more so.

Ventile is popular because it is warm, very waterproof (it might wet out eventually, but so does Goretex in my experience), and above all - quiet. Most -tex style materials are decidedly noisy to move it. Paramo is also very popular with birders for similar reasons. Even Barbour-style wax jackets have their supporters - lousy if you're walking, but great if you're hunkered down for an hour or two!

As I've read on someone's marketing material recently, there's no such thing as 'the best' outdoor material. They all compromise in one respect or another. Until I can find the perfect replacement, I'm sticking with my triple point ceramic jacket - with plenty of layers underneath.

Any thoughts on how to circle these squares are always welcome.

Thanks for all your replies.

And yes i have used them all myself: Triplepoint, Gore-Tex etc.

I now only use Paramo Jackets in late Autumn, Winter and early spring (in Forest Green, they also do Olive) and in Summer a RAB event jacket (in Black) because its lighter than the Paramo, and most of the time will not be worn.
So as you can see from the colour selection i will not be standing out like a sore thumb ;-)
The trouble with DPM gore-tex etc is when you have to wear them in built up area's or where there are tourists about - tend not to go down to well.

I also agree with Steve, for winter there is nothing warmer than Down. And if you can get a waterproof down jacket then thats even better, because with down you have to watch it doesnt get wet, if it does it just turns into a soggy mess with no insulation.

I reckon just carrying a light weight down in winter for when you are not moving is the way to go.

I love my Paramo's though, if anybody knows of a warmer, rustle free, waterproof jacket that doesnt cost more than £200 and will last at least 7+ years (i know they last this long because i have one that is that old) then fire away.

Cheers

Neil

I am a big fan of North Face Tekwear line. It is extremely durable and has a variety of clothing for numerous weather conditions. Their heavy fleeces are very warm for winter birding. They also make some lighter weight fleece shirts which enable you to operate in colder weather (32ºF or above) for long periods while retaining mobility. I have a fleece lined windbreaker that I am able to wear comfortably in temperatures of 20ºF with just a single long sleeved T-Shirt underneath. In hotter weather the water-wicking fabrics keep you dry and comfortable. They also make rain gear that can be stowed in its own pocket and takes up very little room in a pack. Also, much of their line looks like typical casual clothing.

Gregory Sargean said:

I am a big fan of North Face Tekwear line. It is extremely durable and has a variety of clothing for numerous weather conditions. Their heavy fleeces are very warm for winter birding. They also make some lighter weight fleece shirts which enable you to operate in colder weather (32ºF or above) for long periods while retaining mobility. I have a fleece lined windbreaker that I am able to wear comfortably in temperatures of 20ºF with just a single long sleeved T-Shirt underneath. In hotter weather the water-wicking fabrics keep you dry and comfortable. They also make rain gear that can be stowed in its own pocket and takes up very little room in a pack. Also, much of their line looks like typical casual clothing.

Click to expand...

Hello Gregory,

The trouble with North Face gear at the moment is that their are a lot of fakes knocking about, i have seen many buyers falling for fakes on e-bay and the truth is they do not know that what they are buying is a load of rubbish (and in the case of waterproof clothing) will not be waterproof and fall apart in a few months. Here is a tip for anyone thinking of buying North Face Gore-tex gloves on e-bay:
If the gloves come with (send a message to the seller and ask if you cannot see this in the ad picture) fleece liners made from Thinsulate (look for a tag on the inner gloves that says it) then they are fakes, the reason is that as far as i know The North Face have never made any gloves with Thinsulate liners.

I myself fell victim to this from a seller in the Channel Islands, the picture only showed the outer gloves and they looked genuine, however when i received them they were obviously not gore-tex, were full of holes, the inner fleece gloves were very thin and made of thinsulate, in short they were absolutely useless! I was lucky in that i managed to get a refund from the seller.

Its a shame because authentic North Face gear is quality outdoors clothing.

Neil

I to am a Paramo "believer" superb gear and should last years and years.

POP

Hello,
North Face is a popular and fashionable brand so you can expect a lot of knock-offs. Be sure to shop at reputable merchants. I buy all my stuff at the North Face factory outlet (big $$$ discount) or EMS so I haven't had a problem.