Walkers/hikers/outdoor types

[lastqueenofscotland]

I love hiking and have for years but haven’t replaced any of my gear since I was in my late teens and I’m finally having to concede it’s pretty knackered.
Going to treat myself to some good stuff and happy to invest if I’m going to get over a decade out of it like I did my last stuff. All my old gear is berghaus, is their quality still as good?
Any other brands worth looking into?

My outerwear is mainly Rab, Mountain Equipment, and TNF. Current boots are Meindl. Love my Açai walking trousers. Base layers are mainly from decathlon.

I think it depends so much on what brands fit you well. But I haven't found anything better than paramo for waterproofs and they have a lifetime guarantee. Other than that I wear uniqlo thermals, comfy bamboo leggings with waterproofs in a bag in case it rains or gets windy, meindl boots and osprey bag (I had a mountain warehouse one which was very comfy but wasnt made to last).

My Columbia walking trainers have done well but over Christmas my feet got wet in a muddy field so I'm back in my Meindl boots, nothing else went wide enough for my clown feet. Good ankle support and tread so I feel very secure in them.

For clothes I like Regatta and Craghoppers as they both seem to fit my shape quite well, I'm ... err ... rotund. That said I got some skinny walking trousers from Regatta that struggle to go over my calves and an equivalent pair from Craghoppers that are so comfy I wear them casually!

@lastqueenofscotland- look on eBay for Paramo- they have an outlet shop on there. You still get lifetime guarantee and the stuff is new.

I love my Paramo coat. It was £175, as opposed to £300 from the main site.

Icebreaker base layers are great for regulating your temperature too.

Any recommendations for wide fit walking boots?

Eider (t-shirts), Millet (shorts) and The North Face (fleeces and coats) for clothing - Merrell for shoes. Whilst I find Decathlon stuff OK for running gear, their hiking gear is much less good in my experience (excessive bobbling, poppers coming off, ...)

@TowandaForever

Any recommendations for wide fit walking boots?

I have really wide feet and find the US brands like Merrell and Salomon tend to fit better. My current boots are Salomon and they are the most comfortable pair I've had!

I have comedically wide feet and Salomon are far and away the most comfortable for me.

How does Alpkit sizing come up. You've gone and got me tempted now

Mostly Montane and Rab for me. If I had more money I'd be in Patagonia from head to foot though, or possibly Arcteryx. DH has some really good stuff from Alpkit - I like their kit too but it doesn't fit me very well.

@countrygirl99

How does Alpkit sizing come up. You've gone and got me tempted now

TTS verging on a little large, but quite short in the leg.

I would recommend Alfa boots for really wide feet. I struggle with merrell and Salomon

Could anyone recommend any lighter hiking "trainers" for summer hikes?

I like berghaus. they have a lifetime guarentee!

But also agree that you can't go wrong with trespass.

Not a Jack Wolfskin fan personally, they've gone a bit fashiony.

@Dugee- I wear trail running shoes. They’re waterproof and have great grip. Mine are ASICS, so also support my flat feet well.

Keen lightweight walking boots and approach shoes are excellent for wide feet.

@BikeRunSki- my walking boots are Keen- the toebox is lovely and wide. I did need to try a few of theirs though, because some of the more trainer-y style boots had a much narrower toebox. I find reading the reviews tells you a lot about fit.

Thanks all. I've got narrow feet.

@Imissmoominmama I found Keens by dedicating a whole morning to trying on every shoe in (Scottish chain of big outdoor shops).

Haha! I found them after buying a (new) pair of their walking sandals from a dress agency in Arnside (mid very hot walk), for £7!!!

They seem to suit my oddly shaped feet very well, and are the most comfortable walking boots (and I still have the original sandals) I’ve ever had.

Ha! I also now have sandals!

@Dugee
If you want trail shoes for walking in the summer, New Balance have them in AA and B fittings.
I like NB for trainers, but I have recently bought some Propet trainers for the gym from one of the narrow fitting specialists.
They stock walking shoes but not sure how robust some of them are , they look more suitable for walking on pavements or in parks rather than footpaths and a bit of walking through fields.
Thanks to PP who have suggested brands of walking boots for narrow feet. I will have a look.

Berghaus new gear is a whole lot better than the old stuff.

Berghaus hydrodown jacket with waterproof over the top makes a good year-round combo.

When it comes to waterproofs, you do get what you pay for. Look for taped seams and a good hydrostatic head.

I second the Acai trousers - I live in the thermal trousers all winter. And the mid-weights the rest of the year.

For boots, you're best off waiting till the shops are open and getting a decent boot fit with Cotswold or Snow + Rock. Cotswold, back in the day, were so knowledgeable and would do so much to make your boots perfect. I think their business model changed about 10 years ago. The training and knowledge doesn't seem to be quite so good anymore. But it'll still be better than anything you get in Go Outdoors.

Do you work in the outdoor industry at all? Allegedly there's 40% off Arc'Teryx for anyone with a connection to the outdoor industry. Worth a google.

Osprey bags have always been and continue to be the very best in the business. As noted by PPs.

@Thisonemaybe

Osprey bags are the best I've found. Smartwool for socks. Jackets, I have a Patagonia Goretex pro shell which is really good. I had an active shell marmot before that leaked, so would definitely recommend Goretex pro shell. My favourite thermals are Rab and Icebreaker. I also have a load of M&S ones that are fine. I get a lot from sites like sport pursuit, tkmaxx, ekosport and alpine trek. Also stores like cotswold outdoors, wiggle, blacks etc have some great stuff in the sales. Boots you really need to try on as foot shape makes a big difference. Mammut or meindl I can recommend on longevity. I'd avoid berghaus for shoes, my dads didn't last long at all. No idea on clothes. For cheap but actually pretty good, also look at regatta ( they also have an outlet store so good for fleeces etc), trespass waterproofing is terrible, I had some trousers that were really bad, regatta for the same price was much better.

Second the boots comments here.

Berghaus are good for clothing (and their new bags are pretty good too), but they've never been committed to footwear.

I have Meindl's which are now... 12+ years old and still good as new. Cotswold stretched out the toe box for my wide feet and they are super comfy. Would definitely recommend (but different brands are different shapes and what fits one person may not fit another)