I rarely buy gear based on a brand type. But looking over my gear and clothing, there are three brands I do have predominately:
- Military Surplus. Of course, not a brand per se. But a large umbrella made up of different manufacturers. Some would not look out of place in REI (Polartec thermals), others fit the look of what most people think of in surplus (boonie hat, BDUs). I use a variety of items in all four seasons for ski trips, backpacks, day hikes, or remote car camping: Boonie hat, glove liners, balaclava,  puffy pants, flyers kit bag for hauling gear to and from trips, Bunny Boots for deep winter, ECWCS GEN 3 Layer II thermals,  P51 can opener that does a variety of things beyond opening cans, BDU pants for trail work
- ULA packs.  Solid, no-frills, durable, workhorse packs that are affordable. The ULA CDT (stripped down) is my solo, three-season pack of choice. Off-trail, scrambling, bushwhacking (I swapped in a robic pocket), and on trail jaunts, it serves my needs well. I’ve squeezed in six days of food.  The CDT also serves as my day ski tour pack of choice.  The ULA Catalyst is for everything else beyond 3 season solo trips.  Guiding, winter backpacks, overnight climbing trips I’ve done on rare occasions, hauling gear for others as needed
- Six Moon Designs shelters: I’ve had excellent use of their shelters over the years. Be it multi-month thru-hikes with a minimalist shelter, something for a little more camp time, Â or sharing a shelter with a partner, SMD has made a shelter I use for each of these trip types.
