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Top 3 Brands
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- This topic has 26 replies, 25 voices, and was last updated 6 years, 7 months ago by Gerry B..
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Sep 11, 2017 at 6:23 am #3490318
What are your top 3 favorite gear brands?
Sep 11, 2017 at 6:35 am #3490320Personally:
1. Arcteryx
2. Patagonia
3. Mountain Hardwear
Sep 11, 2017 at 6:53 am #3490322For apparel
Montbell
Arc’teryx
Patagonia
(Outdoor Research close behind)
Gear
Zpacks
Katabatic Gear
Enlightened Equipment
Sep 11, 2017 at 7:19 am #3490325Aleve, in terms of being essential and superior to its alternatives.
Sep 11, 2017 at 9:11 am #3490334Zpacks for sure.
Enlightened equipment
Western mountaineering
Sep 11, 2017 at 9:37 am #3490344- Patagonia
- Dutchware Gear
- Snow Peak
There’s a lot of cottage vendors I could have mentioned (Hammock Gear, Warbonnet, ULA, FlatCat, Zelph, Batchstovez) which are doing great work – most very specialized based on what I have from them. The three vendors above are so consistent in a notable regard. Â I really love the gear I get from them over years and years, which is why I keep going back to them for more.
Sep 11, 2017 at 10:26 am #3490358Elemental Horizons
Western Mountaineering
Cascade Designs (Thermarest, Platypus, etc.)
Sep 11, 2017 at 10:31 am #3490359Enlightened Equipment.
Tarptent.
KS Ultralight.
Sep 11, 2017 at 10:43 am #3490362Patagonia. Say what you will about their pricing but they are a tremendous value on sale and they’ve always cheerfully patched up my worn out, beat up old garments for free.
Knowing that I can walk into any Patagonia store and drop off a torn jacket for professional repair is a huge ease on my mind and an important distinction in the buying process. The fit is usually good too.
Honorable mentions is Outdoor Research and Arcteryx, whom have both offered exceptional warranty service for free despite my insistence to pay for repairs. The quality of their products is top notch too.
Sep 11, 2017 at 10:53 am #3490364Clothes:
Montbell
Patagonia
Darn Tough
Gear:
MLD
ULA
Trail Designs
Sep 11, 2017 at 12:42 pm #3490391MLD
Inov-8
Arcteryx
Sep 11, 2017 at 12:59 pm #3490400Pop Tarts
Snickers
Zpacks
Sep 11, 2017 at 12:59 pm #3490401- Mountain Laurel Designs: bivy, backpack, tarp/shelters, rain mitts, etc
- Katabatic Gear for quilts: pricey but solved all my complaints/issues with my prior quilt
- Montbell: Lightweight and warm jackets/clothing, but fragile fabrics
Sep 11, 2017 at 2:40 pm #3490416Gear
Hammock Gear
MLD
Trail Designs
Clothing
Patagonia
Under Armour (Underwear, shorts, t-shirts)
OR
Sep 11, 2017 at 6:09 pm #3490446There are favorite brands and there are brands that I buy and then buy again. My go-to brands. In my case, the difference being price.
The ones that work for me and I go to regularly:
EMS – clothing
INOV-8 – shoes
Darn Tough
Everything else is based on scattered about. I have and enjoy…WM, EE, ZPacks, Arc’teryx, McHale, and OR to name a few.
Sep 14, 2017 at 10:53 am #3490914- zpacks
- ZPacks
- Zpacks
I’m not sure how they spell it anymore.
I freaking love my Zero and Duplex. However, nothing beats Enlightened Equipment for quilts!
Sep 14, 2017 at 5:16 pm #3490974Zpacks
Enlightened Equipment
Montbell
Sep 14, 2017 at 6:25 pm #3490991Clothes
PatagoniaGear
Locus Gear
Hanchor
Enlightened EquipmentAll the Zpacks love continues to surprise me – as it has for years. Their stuff is okay and light, but not very well put together. Functional but mediocre. Light years ahead of Bear Paw.
Sep 14, 2017 at 7:12 pm #3490999GooseFeet Gear
Patagonia
Zpacks
in any order… not just alphabetical!
These choices are based on where I have spent most of my money, and continue to live in my pack. There are lots of other great companies too, but I guess I would put these as my top 3.
Sep 14, 2017 at 8:57 pm #3491011I wonder about Zpacks too Dan. I splurged on an Altaplex this year but don’t really like the design (except for the weight). Seems impossible to get a good pitch and even at 5’10 and 1/2″ my bag usually touches the wall. That said I do use it because of the weight and maybe it’s just the nature of weight savings and having a single pole.
Sep 14, 2017 at 9:04 pm #3491015Hilleberg * Western Mountaineering * Icebreaker
Sep 14, 2017 at 9:36 pm #3491018Hyperlite Mountain Gear – Packs! And my Tarp
Arcteryx – CLothing
MLD – Bivy
Sep 14, 2017 at 11:20 pm #3491032Sep 15, 2017 at 12:59 am #3491043Budget oriented:
Borah Gear – tarp & bivvy
Granite Gear – Virga 2
Enlightened Equipment – quilt [when on sale]Sep 15, 2017 at 1:13 am #3491045I currently use products from Zpacks, HMG and Seek Outside. I want to like them but have too limited experience in them to make it to a top list for all year backpacking in the Scandes.
Today my answer is similar to Julie’s.
Norröna, Houdini, (Arcteryx is close)
Hilleberg
Western Mountaineering
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