Three of the Best Brands?

[ghostdog]

I am a big fan of Western Mountaineering. They use the lightest, fluffiest, fine grade down in their products. It is the good stuff. Both of us have two of their bags, an Ultralight and a big warm Sequoia each, and those bags are over ten years old now. They still have their entire loft and have held up to the years of desert and mountain travel. Both of us also have their Flight jacket. Those we have worn during our wilderness travels for seven years. Mine finally had a zipper failure. I sent it back to Western Mountaineering with a note saying that my sandy adventures wore it out and I will pay for the repairs. I gave them a CC#. They would not charge my card and put in a brand new zipper at no charge.

I have a Patagonia jacket that is a light fleece on the inside with a light, breathable supplex nylon on the outside. It is 18 or 19 years old now and still looks good and performs well. I am wearing it a lot this winter. The only base layer I wear for any season is their Silkweight Capilene That stuff works and lasts for many years as well. They have similar customer service as WM does. I bought a pair of Marl Walker boots for some high action surf fishing down in the Sea of Cortez years ago. Those boots had a finish on them that started falling apart after a few years. I sent them back and they gave me full credit on them as I asked.

I don’t buy a lot of things and when I do buy I tend to wear and use my things for many years so I buy what I think is the best.

There are other very good brands that are not mentioned here but the practice of buying quality and customer service is in my opinion a good policy.

[Lamebeaver]

If you factor price as a factor in "best" (and IMHO you should), the brands like Campmor become attractive. I have a pair of TNF pants with zip-off legs, but a lot of my clothes are not name brands, and they work just as well.

I'll use tents for example. You can purchase 10 cheap lightweight tents for the price of a really good name brand model. The expensive tent may last 5 times longer than the cheap one, but you will end up coming our ahead, and you won't cry as hard poking a branch throught the screen of a cheap tent as you will the $$$ model.

[ghostdog]

Originally Posted by Lamebeaver

... a lot of my clothes are not name brands, and they work just as well.

Absolutely

My pants are REI store brand, their Sahara pants(another good customer service outfit). I got them at a very good sale price and like them more than other expensive brands I tried on. Pants only last so long as they take a lot of abuse. Same with shirts. Also I'm not as flush as I was at one time. Bargains and true need are the only things that might get me to buy now.

I think in recent years that some of the less thought of brands have gotten closer in the quality that I expect. These days I only tend to buy at times of deep sales. Even those WM Sequoia bags we got years ago were on a hefty sale at our local outfitters spring sale.

[ppine]

Personal favorites include CC Filson, Helly Hansen, and Schaefer Outfitters. There are a lot of small companies that make specialized clothing and equipment that you can really depend on. I have had Pendleton shirts and Filson pants for decades that I wear all the time. They cost a lot but outlast even quality stuff like the companies mentioned above by as much as 2-5 times.

[briansnat]

I think TNF has gone waaaay downhill over the years. Once they became popular urban wear the quality suffered. My TNF backpack was comfortable but didn't last 3 years before it needed serious repair. Life is Good? I'm not familiar with them beyond their log Tshirts. Patagonia makes darn good stuff for the money. Columbia is also in the same category but you need to pick your spots with them. I love their jackets, but have had bad experiences with their footwear.

As far as expensive brands Marmot, Helley Hansen, Lowe Alpine and Mountain Hardwear have been reliable for me.

[briansnat]

Originally Posted by Lamebeaver

If you factor price as a factor in "best" (and IMHO you should), the brands like Campmor become attractive. I have a pair of TNF pants with zip-off legs, but a lot of my clothes are not name brands, and they work just as well.

I'll use tents for example. You can purchase 10 cheap lightweight tents for the price of a really good name brand model. The expensive tent may last 5 times longer than the cheap one, but you will end up coming our ahead, and you won't cry as hard poking a branch throught the screen of a cheap tent as you will the $$$ model.

But spend one night sleeping in a puddle on the floor of your cheap tent and you will wish you bought a better one. I'll take the chances of a branch poking through the screen. I can fix that in 5 minutes.

[Newanderthal]

there are a ton of good brands. I've found North Face to be a bit pricey when compared to gear of similar/identical quality. I've found a Columbia jacket almost identical to a North Face. The NF was more then double the price. If you don't think Columbia is just as good, you've never worn Columbia.

My REI brand backpack is incredible, and cheaper than the closest competitor.

That said, your big brands (North Face, Osprey, GoLite, Marmot, Patagonia, Granite Gear, etc.) are all great brands and most of your decisions will be made based on price, clearance sales, personal fit, and whether or not that rain shell matches the trim on your backpack