Patagonia Brilliant Neon Colors in Outdoor Gear – Woohoo!

the problem is that for certain activities … you can be on yr way to be a statistic anytime …

a climber can fall anytime … someone in avalanche territory can get buried anytime … etc …

while hiking may not have too many instances where you may suddenly be incapacitated … other outdoor activities do …

IMO i dont really care if someone likes the colour of my jacket or not … its what keeps me alive that matters to me … and if yr around a well trafficked mountain, its to be expected that people will have bright shiny gear …

…

If I didn't dress my girlfriend in bright neon colors… I'd never find her.

I figured it couldn't hurt, and maybe it will help. They said they would forward it to their design team.

I once accidentally camped way too close to a guy who had a tent that blended in with the surrounding landscape. By the time I noticed him it was too late in the evening to change campsites.

So, oddly enough, brighter colors in tents and gear give me a better chance of obtaining solitude when I backpack. If I can easily see the person or their gear from far away I can avoid them.

I'd have to say the author is missing the point.

I don't really dress for anyone on any trip. And if you're tired of staring at other people's clothes, you're probably on the wrong trail.

And most of all, those garish colors have valid safety uses.

I probably should just let the thread die but this has been running in my head for the past four days in Shenandoah. With apologies to Mick and the gang:

I see a red tent and I want it to be black
Bright colors everywhere on jackets, pants and pack
I see some folks hike by in their fluorescent clothes
I'm ticked off 'cause those aren't the colors that I chose
Dye it Black!

OK, thanks for letting me get that out of my system.

And I go for earth tones or neutrals, unless there's a clear safety issue – or it's on sale. You can wear whatever you want, though.

Ill stick with my bright orange Houdini and not getting shot! seems like I've read too many story's in the news lately about people out hiking and being mistaken for wildlife.

Plus it looks awesome in pictures:P

"if you are walking around pot country, do you think it's better to wear bright colors and be seen or not be seen?"

In the woods, or in your casket? ;)

I think it's pretty juvenile to make negative assumptions about people just because of a color they chose to wear.

"To me it seems like people that like them are sort of saying, "HEY, LOOK AT ME, CAN YOU SEE ME?" "I'M RIGHT HERE, THE ONE THAT LOOKS LIKE A GECKO ;)""

I can understand judging people like this in junior and high school, but to see an adult – especially in what I deem to be a very accepting community – with this type of mindset bothers me.

can we win them all?
should we simply stop trying?
bottom line: why do we play outdoors to begin with?
trace the common threads (dual pun there)
and keep it real.
leslie

Well, I just got a Down Sweater for 64 dollars, not even a blem, at REI on clearance. I attribute the presence of this gem on the rack to the searing, neon yellow/green color with contrasting blue zippers. I think folks that remembered to take off their sunglasses in the store couldn't get close to it. I, on the other hand, saw the glow and moved to it like an intrepid moth. Viva neon!

Okay, and viva my OD Green Marmot that goes over it, but still…

Will, that's fricking hysterical! Fits perfectly with the tune too! Good on ya!

I imagine it would be difficult to see Will and I hiking down trail together at dusk, you could maybe make him out if you looked closely enough and I would probably have to smile or blink to be seen. ;-)

I prefer neutral colors or earth tones. I'm not really into bright colors for any of my personal things (clothes, truck, backpacking gear, etc.). I don't really want to stand out or draw attention to myself. At the same time, I don't really care what others chose to wear, etc. Whatever floats your boat.

I find having a dull green pack, tan/gray clothes, gray sil shelter, etc., I blend in to my surrounding area very well. Makes for easier discreet camping without drawing attention to where I'm camping.

For those instances where I'm hiking during hunting season, I do have a couple of brightly colored items that I could use instead of my normal gear (like the BPL absoraka pack instead of a ULA) to get a little visibility. In the event that I got hurt while out hiking, I think I could find any number of ways to "signal" for help even with my mostly drab gear/clothes selections. For isntance, my NeoAir pad seems plenty bright for flagging someone down.

With respect to the original comments on Patagonia's selection of only bright colors for their clothes, it seems to me that they usually offer at least one or two neutral color options. Almost all of my clothes are Patagonia and I could probably count on one hand the number of items I own from them that are brightly colored. It may not be offered every year, but the basics like the houdini, down sweater, etc. are offered in non-neon colors from time to time…

"I prefer neutral colors or earth tones."

:=)

I prefer neutral colors too. However, seems that the super good sales are always on some fluorescent color :(

That being said I have a bright blue Houdini and a an orange R1 Hoody. Since I got them at around 50% of MSRP, I'll live with them.

Oh, and…

"I see a red door and I want it painted black
No colors anymore I want them to turn black"

– The Rolling Stones

Funny. My favorite piece from Patagonia is my R1 hoody. My NEON GREEN/YELLOW R1.