gear

like are u climbing a mountain right now?

i think he goes by omar little now

gore-tex couch

gore-tex crouch

i don't understand this thread

me neither

u guys have never had someone come up to you and talk abt all the stupid layers of hi-technology what keeps the rain out of his stupid jacket

This is what happens when the camping gear industry convinces people they need hundreds if not thousands of dollars of stuff to pretend to be homeless for the weekend.

worst is traveling and theres all these goobers walking around in hiking boots and $500 jackets while the locals style flipflops

I don't know anyone who wears "gear" (besides maybe gbx) so this never happens.

removable, reversible moisture-wicking ventilated codpiece with attatched carbon fiber d-rings and adjustable nylon webbed belting, for maximum support and breathability

^^ like this?

The Patagonia Guidewater Jacket or Guide Water keeps you fishing comfortably long after other anglers have headed for the barn. This jacket combines our best knowledge of fabrics, design and technology to create a full-featured, highly technical piece of angling equipment. Waterproof/breathable, 3-layer stretch nylon, along with a 2-inch longer cut make this the shell of choice for skiff, bay boat and jet sled guides. Although the design ethic is minimalist, ergonomically placed pockets and custom-engineered "fish pulls" (which vastly improve waterproof reverse-coil zipper function) put everything you need at your fingertips. In other words, you can retire your vest. The tuck-away hood won't flap in the wind, and the brushed-fleece-lined collar provide decadent comfort. More fishing-specific details: glued-in waterproof zippers; drain holes in hem and pockets; attachment patch; rod holder; forceps/glasses loop; modified reversed StretchCoat® cuffs. The Guidewater is our longest jacket, 4 ¼" longer than the Deep Wading.

yeah this is abt techy clothing, which is obv not only abt utilitarian matters but is def a style in itself, e.g., vancouver/victoria 'style' eegh. but damn, a well-designed piece of tech clothing or 'gear' is a wonder to use/wear/behold.

if you're using that clothing for its purpose. instead of just like driving around drinking coffee.

Going to Whole Foods on top of K2.

a well-designed piece of tech clothing or 'gear' is a wonder to use/wear/behold.

this is OTM, although I try to avoid wearing my tech gear around town (bike stuff aside) as I like to keep it good for doing stuff outdoors when I need it.

I was in REI in seattle on saturday and it was a cave of wonders and had to restrain myself from buying a new technical gore-tex (I really don't need a new one) some really nice stuff there. Also some good stuff in 3 quarter length gore-tex for round town wear which I was also tempted buy but then I also have my lovely brown mackintosh for smart rainwear.

i've always wondered why there aren't more stylish raincoats made out of gore-tex and similar breatheable waterproof fabrics - it's really silly. years and years ago a friend of mine, whose mom is in the fashion industry, had someone make her a raincoat out of gore-tex, based on a fashiony crappy-material raincoat she had. she even had it remade a couple years ago. it's really nice.

or maybe they have made them but i haven't lived in rainy land for several years, so have never seen them?

its sort of cowardly guy culture base materialism at its worse

I seem to remember that Gore-Tex only sheds water until it gets dirty, and then it stops both shedding outside water and also allowing inside vapor to evap. So there are probably better choices for reliable around-town waterproofing of your wardrobe.

http://nate.vsu.ru/umbrella/umbrella_small.gif

There was a really nice ladies' one in REI which my girlfriend was sorely tempted by. I think it was their own brand.

Gore-tex is a funny material, it is most breathable when it is cold and dry and what Laurel says about dirtyness is true. However there is great wash in cleaning/reproofing stuff available called TX-direct and it kept my last technical gore-tex going for the best part of ten years.

http://www.nikwax.com/cmsdata/Products/image1_25_en-gb.jpg

stfu gear-man

heh, you found one

i hope you are joking.
xpost

yeah that nik stuff does work for extending gore-tex life. i know there are other fabrics too, but i srsly haven't investigated at all. i'm ok with umbrellas in the city, i guess, but there's something nice about just wearing a raincoat and not having to carry an umbrella. and i mean obv yr not going to carry an umbrella in the forest, when hiking, in the rain.

I went hiking in Pisgah National Forest a couple months ago and brought this hot-pink umbrella I found in the car instead of buying some $200 bullshit high tech jacket.

you are welcome to wear whatever sort of silly jacket you like in the deep forest

The Patagonia Guidewater Jacket or Guide Water keeps you fishing comfortably long after other anglers have headed for the barn. This jacket combines our best knowledge of fabrics, design and technology to create a full-featured, highly technical piece of angling equipment. Waterproof/breathable, 3-layer stretch nylon, along with a 2-inch longer cut make this the shell of choice for skiff, bay boat and jet sled guides. Although the design ethic is minimalist, ergonomically placed pockets and custom-engineered "fish pulls" (which vastly improve waterproof reverse-coil zipper function) put everything you need at your fingertips. In other words, you can retire your vest. The tuck-away hood won't flap in the wind, and the brushed-fleece-lined collar provide decadent comfort. More fishing-specific details: glued-in waterproof zippers; drain holes in hem and pockets; attachment patch; rod holder; forceps/glasses loop; modified reversed StretchCoat® cuffs. The Guidewater is our longest jacket, 4 ¼" longer than the Deep Wading.
i love this kind of stuff but its usually out of my price range and besides, a 10 dollar rain poncho along w/ a wide brimmed hat and fishing waders usually does about the same job. usually

hi jhosh!!!

lol hi

Yes, rrrob, but when would I ever be hiking in the forest, in the rain? ;)

leather jackets will keep the water out even if they're dirty

can we use this thread to discuss the style merits of gear choices?

army surplus vs. north face vs. patagonia vs. fuck it I'm hard like Mike Rowe

No nonsense rainwear, totally not breathable but very waterproof. I love my chocolate brown one for around town:

http://www.mackintoshrainwear.com/

haha laurel yes

i would never even wear a silly jacket in the forest, for the record. i mean i really don't understand why like 90% of tech clothing/gear has to be in awful colours and patterns and lameness. yes sometimes it is good to be brightly coloured so that you can be seen but i don't know. my snowboard jacket is grey, completely. day-hiker boots or sneaker-hiker combo shoes are culprits for this too. why so ugly. so unnecessary.

ok you went hiking with an umbrella? you held an umbrella up for 4+ hours? going uphill while wearing a backpack?

I didn't time myself but yes.

My gear style choices:

Around camp - High Viz Orange Railway surplus gore-tex 'RAILTRACK Westcoast Route Modernisation'
Skiing - Yellow Sprayway Ice climbing jacket from over ten years ago, not really waterproof any more, but windproof and comfortable, several stains that just won't shift, seems to attract hot barmaids in ski bars.
Cycling - lightweight orange gore-tex, packs into it's own rear pocket, retractable bum shield, not dirty enough yet.

Trousers are some grey Macpac salopettes for most activities bar cycling. I still mourn the death of the sprayway ones that went with the yellow jacket. They had some serious crampon damage in the built in gaiters.

I like a certain amount of grime on my gear it helps make me look less of a pantywaist.

i just like to be comfortable when hiking and be able to use my hands if necessary. that said, the idea of spending $300+ on a jacket for hiking in the rain has always blown my mind.
xpost

And completely unnecessary. There is plenty of good stuff in the $100 -150 range and even cheaper. Thing to watch out for though is durability under rucksack straps, cheaper stuff can die quickly due to the rubbing or loose waterproofness due to the pressure of the straps. (I lead kids groups on hiking holidays and have often had to replace inadequate waterproofs).

u live in abject fear of aesthetic considerations

You know what raingear I really miss are the preppy coats with rubber on one side bonded to cotton fabric on the other, usu with like whales or something printed on it. Who made those?

since I don't rust or melt I just get over it.

I mean I think some of them had eyelets punched in for ventilation but basically you'd sweat like a bitch in them if it was too hot. But for fall rain they were perfect with a sweater underneath, and completely waterproof.

See the Mackintosh link above, Laurel. No whales but they do have some nice patterns.

no one hikes with an umbrella i know you are trolling get over yrself

Ed that website makes me fairly certain I can't afford a Mackintosh product. Maybe they just have very good web designers but let's be realistic. Plus they don't have utilitarian cut with a hood and patch pockets that I'm thinking of.

You are probably right, Mackintosh is k-expensive but I have seen cheaper similar stuff, at Muji for one.

yeah on the west coast i would never wear a true raincoat like that tho totally cute b/c most of the time it's just too warm/humid, whether in the city or not, and being sweaty inside it is blargh. i guess it's more of an eastern states piece of clothing?

First of all I think raincoats are for places where you have gales. Gales and thunder and downpours. From what I'm told about Seattle and the PNW it's not that kind of rain...?

http://i36.tinypic.com/bdqwkh.jpg

hero

really for wearing on boats! and in newfoundland!
xposts

safari vest is the granddaddy of all this shit and friend to creepy old traveler dudes everywhere http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/417RApcBlaL._SL500_AA280_.jpg

well i'm glad your pink hiking umbrella worked out for you. it is just not my way.

obv

Yeah! The coats I'm thinking of were unabashedly owing their existence to New England fishing boat apparel.

carrying an umbrella while hiking wld be like renouncing my nationality

or the stereotype of my nationality

That's the only time I've done it, and I only did it because my hiking cohorts kept freaking out about me not bringing "rain gear." It worked out alright, but I don't plan on making a habit of it.

u live in abject fear of aesthetic considerations

^^ my life in short; i get panicky if i don't have "options"

It's an adult version of this, which I'm wearing about age 3:

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/LimitedLiabilityGirl/LaurelCrocusSmall.jpg

omg cuet

love that photo :)

yeah people do freak out a bit on this subject - if you're going into the wild wilderness and might die of the elements, then hey, justified, but if you're just going for a short hike, no big deal, you'll get wet. i just wouldn't want to keep being frustrated at my umbrella getting hooked on trees and stuff. i'm mostly abt trying to minimize frustration here.

i've been wearing running shoes hiking for a few years b/c i didn't have the cash for a new pair of hiking boots and i've been just fine. but for anything longer than a day hike i'm sure my feet wld be unhappy.

fuck i wish i had some "rain gear" right now b/c it is about to thunderstorm and i am wearing a skirt and tank-top and gotta ride home

All three-year olds are cute, pretty sure. But see that raincoat is yellow rubber on one side and blue fabric on the other AND IT'S REVERSIBLE. I know there were adult ones because I can remember people having them. I think I want a white or red one with like ladybugs inside it.

i move through the forest like wind

a lot of serious hikers wear running shoes

i'm more of a lolhiker but me too.

to be clear i have nothing against gear itself - its those werdios who think its fascinating and essential embodying the materialism and cluelessness of our age

Look, guys, when Mt. St. Helens erupts or the car slides into a ravine or you get stuck in a Saw sequel or whatever, you're not gonna have time to run home for the right jacket

That is why one must consider one's activities very carefully and dress accordingly before leaving the house.

That same problem also makes it v v hard to pack for more than one day at a time if one is not going to be home again soon. Probably why I don't travel more.

like dudes who wear a leatherman and a flashlight in little holsters on their belt.

VOLCANOES ARE NOT AN ACTIVITY, LAUREL

WE LIVE IN CONSTANT DANGER

SCIENTISTS ESTIMATE THAT AS MANY AS .05 LIVES A YEAR MAY BE SAVED BY SPECIAL MOISTURE-WICKING VEST LININGS

You're being ridiculous. I think if you lived anywhere in the vicinity of an active volcano, you'd consider it a possible activity.

I consider the possibility of subway trains getting stuck underground or buildings collapsing. I just don't always choose to dress for those eventualities ahead of other considerations such as "having drinks after work" or "meeting boyfriend's parents" or etc.

"Yes she's very pleasant, son. Is she... a firefighter?"

i keep a rainsuit and a rain poncho in the trunk of my car at all times. you know, just in case one of them fails :|

ride home in the rain ruled - not cold, no other cyclists to contend with, super fast, very very soaked, nothing a warm shower wldn't fix. if it were colder of course i wld want a rain jacket. or a pink umbrella.

but anyway, my dad is a total gear realist and minimalist who goes hiking every wkend (and doesn't own a car, so no stuff-in-the-car fallback scene) and wld take us hiking from a v young age, so this is where my whole world-view re: gear comes from. when i was 16 he bought me high-quality (but not super $$) hiking boots for this week-long hike i was going on and told me how to take care of them re: waterproofing and cleaning and i wore those boots for 10 years! i also still have my gore-tex raincoat from 1993. just in case it comes back in style and becomes waterproof again? god i don't know b/c those things are just not gonna happen.

Rrobyn still OTM. I treasure my aging gear like old friends, boots especially as finding the ideal comfortable pair of non-blistering boots for day on day wear with heavy loads on the back is a challenge and retiring a pair is like burying and old friend.

pitiful

See, look at me smiling and drinking a beer, in my gear:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/145/364339233_66a6623ba0.jpg

Happy with underarm zips and articulated elbows.

happy and dry

You know what raingear I really miss are the preppy coats with rubber on one side bonded to cotton fabric on the other, usu with like whales or something printed on it. Who made those?
i have one of these (friend gave it to me instead of giving it to salv.army)
green on the outside, navy on the inside
no frogs though

i like how the pink umbrella pic fails to point out the piece of technical clothing prominently displayed on the right of the photo

Oh man, Ed, do you carry a pint of beer around with you in your pocket? I imagine you having some picnic basket fill of fine ales & prep for a seven-course gourmet meal that still cooks beautifully over Sterno canned heat, along with fresh fruits and cheeses.

haha i have worked in 3 different patagonia stores over a total of 6 years of my life and had to talk like this for my JOB

gabbneb: it's not mine. The carbon-fiberglass-nanotube-unicorn-whiskers hiking poles it's hanging on aren't mine. The only things that belong to me in that photo are the poly tarp (which was total overkill but what I had on hand), the pink umbrella, and the hanging backpack (a gift), which is covered with a black trash bag. You can't see my badass camp pimp hammock hanging under the tarp, behind the tree.

Abbot, my pockets have gyroscopic stabilisers to cover ever liquid carrying eventuality.

LOOOOL never ever with the umbrella while hiking, jesus!

I camped a few weeks back and my boyfriend lent me his uber fancy "gear"-like rainjacket (part of his work uniform.) It hit just around my knee, I wore fake crocs (laugh all you want, but my feet were always dry & happy unlike my friends with socks and shoes) and shorts and a long sleeve sweater and was sooooo dry and warm and content. Bonus: my boobs glowed!

http://photos-f.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v308/224/57/516053577/n516053577_706605_9118.jpg
http://photos-g.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v308/224/57/516053577/n516053577_706614_2124.jpg

Yay gear, even if I don't know what fancy super fibres they were!