Recommendations for boots, books and tents

[rbannocks]

Hi, I am new to this, I currently have a simple and fairly cheep set of boots from Decathlon, and a tent from Millets.


I am looking for some recommendations for new purchases of Boots, tents and and backpacks.


Boots:


Can you recommend the things that I should look for: materials, style, height, treads.  And then any recommendation on brands.  What kind of cost should I expect for a reasionable pair of not too specialists boots but above the current cheep option.


Tents:


Essentially the same as above, which types, what characteristics should I look for.  What price range, should I consider.  I am looking for a tend that will be ok down to about -5 and nothing more.


Books,
Please make any recommendations for good books on these and general hiking topics.


Backpacks.


Really the same set of questions, what characteristics am I looking for , what price range for a just above beginners back pack that is getting more serious and light (but not expensive light).  Which brands?  Do you have any recommendations?  what price range should I consider.


Sleeping bags and ground liners or sleeping pads


Really again same set of questions, characteristics, recommendations on brands, price ranges for better than ASDA, i.e. getting serious but not hard core serious.


Any other equipment I should consider


Positive comments appreciated.


Rob

[rbannocks]

And I should have asked about underwear and walking trousers!

[Southwester]

Welcome to the forum Rob. A big topic and I expect you will get numerous answers. Buying kit is a personal preference depending on budget and the type of walking you will be doing. There are numerous walking magazines that undertake reviews but a good start may be to look at a website such as
www.livefortheoutdoors.com where you will find a wide variety of reviews on all sorts of walking kit and accessories.   

[richardh1905]

Welcome to the forum Rob.


It would help if you told us what sort of walking/camping you plan to do. Short trips or week long or more? Summer or winter? Mountain or lowland etc.


Having said that, I am very pleased with my Osprey Rook 65 litre rucksack, for short wild camping trips on the fells in the Lake District.

[windyrigg]

To start the ball rolling with a simple reply : Craghoppers Kiwi's have been the best selling walking trousers in the UK for years, down to the shops or Himalayan trek, and they are cheap. You do not need 'special walking' budgie smugglers, whatever is comfortable works. For a favourite author I keep going back to HW Tilman, any of the mountain travel books but 'Nepal Himalaya' is a classic. 

[wbmkk]

Regarding tents ... take a look at the range from Naturehike


Cloud Up 2
Cloud peak 2
Mongar 2


The above tents are all popular and each is actually a copy (well near copy) of a famous branded tent.


The Naturehike tents can be bought directly from China at quite a saving, over UK prices .. check out AliExpress

[richardh1905]

For a favourite author I keep going back to HW Tilman, any of the mountain travel books but 'Nepal Himalaya' is a classic. 

One of my all time favourite books. 
Must have read his mountain travel collection about a good dozen times - the book is falling apart.

[richardh1905]

You do need to tell us more about your plans before we can give worthwhile recommendations on boots tents etc, Rob.

[Sevenup]

What’s your budget whether we like it or not, money and its availability is critical. There are dozens of videos on YouTube of guys and girls backpacking/hiking and showing off their kit. Snowymatrix, Paul Messner, Always Forward are 3 that spring to mind but you’ll find many more.


I prefer an Exos 48 rucksack. I’m using a Nordisk Telemark 2 tent (because I like extra room and I sometimes take a dog). I have a light alloy poo shovel, I use Alpkit down sleeping bags (200 for summer, 400 for spring and autumn and both together for winter. I prefer synthetic boots unless I’m walking in snow or cold wet wintry conditions. I prefer Hoka for boots because my knees and hips are decrepit and need protecting. I am reviewing sizing because of a bad blister experience and I’m considering using trail running shies in the future. Altra and New Balance along with Hoka are all under consideration. I use poles (recent innovation) and I have just bought some lightweight alloy Black Diamond Z poles that I’m itching to try (I confess to losing one of my wife’s poles somewhere on the Pennine way 😱)I use gas with a lightweight stove. I have Lixada 650 and 350 titanium vessels. I am using a relatively light Trekology inflatable pad and I’ve just bought an OEX dry bag that doubles as a pump. My clothes that I pack change to suit the seasons but I have a Patagonia lightweight synthetic down jacket that packs in its own pocket and I have bought a shed load of Isobaa merino tops with and without hoods from Sportpursuit in the past 2 years. I prefer wool (merino if possible) socks. I use Rohan boxer pants and Odlo long sleeve baselayers. I have a Rab Goretex hard shell but want something a bit lighter. I have a smattering of Alpkit stuff because it’s relatively inexpensive but very functional. Petzl head torch is rechargeable and I have an Anker battery pack to recharge technology on the way. I use a Garmin Fenix watch (reconditioned and discounted at Amazon). Berghaus Paclite Goretexm overtrousers are lightweight and functional. Rab shorts for sunny and warmish days. Rohan trousers (sales) for dreich days. Montane lightweight down gloves for that moment we all recognise as being necessary and some Berghaus wind stopper gloves when on the move in the cold. I’m planning on an Outdoor Research Runners hat with neck cover since my solution wasn’t successful in wind this year and some lightweight fingerless gloves from the same company to prevent me burning the back of my stick hands again. I use SOS electrolytes in commercial water bottles (highland spring sparkling water is a vice and once it’s empty the bottle doesn’t crackle). I use a hydration pack from Osprey for multi day hikes because it’s wide mouth let’s me fill up quickly from streams and a Platypus with a narrower fill on day walks. The electrolytes always go in the bottle never in the hydration packs.  
I’m retired. I’m not skint and I haven’t spent a penny on going out for much of the past 18 months so I’ve had free cash to refine what I use. I started out with a 2 man Coleman tent. Bought a Force Ten tent in a sale that was 500g lighter and sold the Coleman after 4 years. I bought the nordisk because it weighs less than a kilo. I sell kit I don’t want on gumtree. I am working hard at getting my base weight down for my comfort.


I hope this will help but I’m fairly sure, since you might not have the same taste, you’ll not like some or all of my choices.

[steve271]

I think the best advice must be to use the things you have already, and then find what is wrong with these, and hence what *you* are looking for in a replacement.
You have some Decathlon boots - what is actually wrong with these? A lot of Decathlon stuff is pretty good, especially for the money. What is wrong with the boots you have?

Some questions you should ask yourself maybe are: Are they waterproof? This depends on the type of walking you want to do, mainly in the summer on good paths then this might not be that important. If you want to walk on moors or in winter, it becomes very important. Is the sole tough/stiff enough for you? Do you often feel uncomfortable stones through the soles as you walk? If you do you might consider stiffer, less flexible soles.
In the end, only you can decide what you need your equipment to do.
Most people started with cheap stuff, used it and then found what they really needed for the use they want from it. It's really hard for others to give advice that helps you shortcut this process, I suspect.

[rbannocks]

currently not done much walking, one hill walking course at plas menai some years ago.  Little kit other than an old tent from millets costing 20 quid and a pair of boots which I use for everyday use from decathlon 45 quid at purchase now over a year old.  Any backpack I have is way too heavy for this kind of stuff new one needed


ambitions:  Walk sormlandsleden and then first stages of kungsleden in Sweden.


budges not too big.  Good pair boots 200 quid, tent 100, sleeping mat 50.  cloathing - tend to the cheeper.


Back pack, budget unknown, would have though 100 would be enough and looking at trying traveling light, but could be pursuaded to go up to 200 if I can see value.


hope that answers the questions.


My idea was to focus resources on the important items i.e. boot, then tent.  I may even avoid tent altogether and save for that fo rnext year and stay in mountin huts if possible,


sormlandsleden is quite easy hike, as is the first section of Kungsleden, but later sages, which  hope to do in subsequent years.

[richardh1905]

"Sormlandsleden"


Nice. You piqued my curiosity so I did some searching online. The mountain huts that you refer to only have room for four, so you need to ask yourself what would you do if you arrive and you find that they are full.


I'm not going to recommend boots, as everyone's feet are different, and I have no idea what the surface is like on the Sormlandsleden. My instinct would be to go for leather boots with ankle support, but that is personal preference, and may be overkill for the trail. Important to try on before you buy, and to do a fair bit of walking in them before you set out.


Tent - a good tough little tent for £100 is the Robens Arrowhead. Not the lightest, and not everyone is a fan of tunnel tents, but it looks like a tent that you can rely upon when the going gets tough.


Rucksack - I mentioned the Osprey Rook 65, which I purchased recently. Can be had for around £100, which for a rucksack of that quality is a bargain, money well spent. They do a 50 litre version as well, but for multi day carrying your provisions etc better to be on the safe side and go for 65 litres - not as if there is much price difference, and the weigh difference is negligible.


Sleeping mat - if you are going in summer, then pretty much anything will do. Inflatables can be had reasonably cheaply and are very comfortable. Cheapest and lightest of all (and all but indestructible) are closed cell foam mats, but they are not as comfortable.

[forgotmyoldpassword]

It's quite tempting to put together a 'budget 2021 hiking gear list' just to see what you really need and how much quality you can get for a small outlay.  I suspect I will take a look at it and wonder why on earth I have so much stuff - but it's also very useful for those new.  Decent socks, tech base layer, fleece, hiking trousers, light hat and gloves, boots - you'd probably manage a full hiking set of gear for below £100 if you buy smart.


Re rucksacks, bit like shoes everyone seems to 'get on better' with one brand or the other.  Some people love Lowe Alpine packs, others love Osprey - personally I like Montane packs or Crux packs for routes I'll be scrambling about or climbing. Try looking at Decathlon for some cheap packs, they used to do a great selection of 50L packs for a fraction of the cost you'll pay for the established brands.

[gunwharfman]

What I now use -
Boots - For winter, Berghaus Superlights, for summer, Saloman Ultra X's, both fit my feet perfectly. I've just completed the Pennine Way in my Saloman's, no problem and not even a whiff of a blister. I wore Superlights when I hiked across the Pyrenees in 2015, they did cause me a problem in the last week, an area of leather cracked above my toes inside my boots and my toes became sore. That has only happened to one of the three pairs I've owned. I also owned a pair of Decathlon boots for a year, they were good (tough soles) and I hiked for two weeks in the Pyrenees in 2018 wearing them.

Rucksack - My best rucksack is my Osprey Exos 48L, for me the perfect hiking size and a great carry system.

Tent - Marmot Pulsar 1P, no longer made but I like it. My criteria for tent buying are, good headroom, side opening, near-vertical sides, and lots of space! My tent has it all, I've looked at other tents but cannot find anything comparable in this price range, about £250 maximum.

Wet weather gear - a rain skirt (less than £10 from Amazon) a full zip Vaude poncho, (zip organised by my wife's friend) and it covers me and my rucksack. I have a normal hip-length waterproof jacket. It feels good but in hindsight, I shouldn't have bought it, I just wasted my money. I took both items with me on my recent hike, it didn't rain but I could tell within a couple of days that the jacket was redundant and I was just carrying dead weight.

My 'dorky' Sunday Afternoon Adventure sun hat was wonderful, protection from the sun, both face and neck and when blasted by high winds it just covered my ears to protect them as well.

My gloves are from Decathlon, £1.99 and were great. I don't need waterproof gloves, I use a couple of light homemade waterproof Silnylon tubes to keep my hands dry.

My only problem was the socks I chose to take, two pairs of Bridgedales (or are they tyres?) similar name anyway, for the first few days they made my feet 'burn' and when I got to Hawes I had to buy another brand. They helped (a lot of merino) but were still not likeable, my feet kept feeling damp. They will be fine when I srtarted to run again.

[weston.front]

Boots are very much a personal matter depending on the shape of your feet.  You'd be best to go and find a good boot specialist who can measure up your feet as different makes suit different widths of foot / height of arch etc.

With tents I think I can point you in the right direction which is an article I wrote on tent design.  This will help you narrow down to the design you think will best suit your needs and preferences.
See https://westonfront.wordpress.com/2021/01/21/backpacking-tents-a-comprehensive-design-review/

I followed this up with a review of the pro's and cons of different flysheet fabrics - see https://westonfront.wordpress.com/2021/01/30/tent-fabrics-an-objective-summary-of-the-21st-century-options/

Key questions to consider : What time of year do you plan to use the tent and what weather are you expecting?  How many people is it for?  What is most important to you, space / headroom or low weight?  People tend to undervalue what they think is reasonable to spend on a tent.  Considering that a night in a B&B is likely to cost you at least £70 in the UK, more in Scandinavia - how many nights are you planing to use it for each year and compare that to the cost of fixed accommodation.  If you consider the three characteristics of a tent : Cost, Quality/Strength and Weight - you can pick two to prioritise and have simply to accept the third.