The best outdoor clothing doesn’t necessarily mean paying the highest prices. It’s what suits your requirements and fits you best. Here’s our advice.
FIVE TOP TIPS
1 – If you can’t get to a specialist shop, order online. But, choose a retailer that offers a fair returns policy. That way, you can order two, three or more products you can inspect more closely, returning the ones you don’t want with no further financial penalty.
2 – Fit for purpose? But before you order anything, do ensure what you’re looking to buy is suitable for what you want it to do. Weight, weather resistance versus breathability, even washability are all key factors.
3 – Check out sustainability. There’s a race to be seen as the most environmentally-friendly right now. Check product details and look for labelling relating to fair trade practises and sustainability credentials.
4 – Other features to check out range from quality of zips, pockets and their useability, ventilation, hood styles, and more.
5 – Feel the comfort. As well as overall performance, comfort is a key factor in determining what clothing is best for you. Here in the UK, we have an adage: “Any fool can be uncomfortable.”
Three of the best…
Keela ViralOFF
As well as the usual outdoor performance attributes, there’s another dimension to clothing that we need to consider these days – ability to fend off viruses, bacteria and more.
That’s where ViralOFF products from Keela come in. It’s a small range of clothing using a treated fabric that reduces the viruses that come into contact with it.
Pay no more than £9.95 (Neck Tube)/£59.95 (trousers, men’s and women’s)/£24.95 (long-sleeve tops) www.keelaoutdoors.com
Snugpak Arrowhead
Snugpak is a well-known brand in the UK, and – as you’ll know – we like our outdoor clothing to be warm and breathable, windproof and water-resistant. Just like this Arrowhead jacket, which uses Snugpak’s Paratex fabric with Softie polyester insulation and has a 0oC comfort rating.
It can be worn as an outer garment or, in more extreme weather, a mid-layer. Features include brushed polyester-lined neck warmer, insulated zip-off detachable hood, hand warmer-style pockets, internal zipped pocket, hook and loop adjustable cuffs and additional zip pockets on the arm and chest.
Colour choices are Olive, Black and Multicam. Sizes are unisex, S to XXL.
Pay no more than £130 www.snugpak.com
Craghoppers Kiwi Pro II Trousers
These trousers have long been a popular UK seller for Craghoppers, with latest versions boasting a high level of sustainability.
They’re available in a wide range of men’s and women’s sizes, using a PFC-free stretch fabric that’s both splash-resistant and has a high UV protection rating, with up to 280g of recycled materials.
Also, Craghoppers was voted Sustainable Fashion Brand of the Year 2020 by trade publication Drapers here in the UK.
Pay no more than £38.50 www.craghoppers.com
Nick has been a fixture in the camping, caravan and motorhome market for over 30 years. In that time, he's been the editor for a number of key publications. For the past 12 years he's been working as a freelance, contributing to a wide range of publications, but always writing about his love of the outdoor lifestyle. He can't wait to go travelling again... across Europe and beyond !
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