UKH

What's up with that? I feel, although I have no figures to prove it, that the majority of people heading into the UK mountains wear black. Strolling into any UK outdoor gear shop seems to confirm these suspicions, and I recently had to get the jacket I was after from Spain, as there didn't seem to be anywhere in the country stocking it in anything other than black. I'm not attempting to offer myself up as a racist here, but I was always taught that its good to not do your best impression of a rock when you're out in the hills, as you may be difficult to find in the event of an emergency. Moreover, I was also told that the fashion police would not be in attendance on the hill, so I could pretty much get away with wearing anything bright. My experience spans some decades and this feels like a relatively new development, restricted to the UK and makes photos look cr*p. I know its been talked about before but I'm having a bit of a rant, as I appear to have picked up a chest infection of some kind along with corresponding cabin fever.

In reply to Mark Collins:

Do trolls wear black?

In reply to timjones:

Fair point, I suppose I do wear my fair share of black in the trouser department. Not that surprising when you consider even less colour choice available than in tops, UK wise. However, I challenge you to find a single picture in my gallery of me wearing a black top, or all black ensemble. This isn't a troll though, I expressed in my op the true feelings I have on the matter and am not attempting to orchestrate a back lash from those dressed in black. Perhaps I'm more interested in a Mountain Rescue perspective, and wonder if current thinking makes colourful clothing a priority.

In reply to Mark Collins:

I prefer not to visually pollute the hills. If MR come looking for me then I have a nice bright foil blanket that can be seen a mile off, and I wouldn't buy a black group shelter. Jackets in black are more useful for day to day wear as well as proper use.

In reply to Mark Collins:

Because people want to wear it down the pub

In reply to Reidy:

Yup, clothes that are specific mountain wear don't mind in bright colours, but having a waterproof jacket that I wear on and off the hill, black is better as not so garish for day-to-day wear.

In reply to Mark Collins:

I'm so hoping someone with too much time on their hands digs through your photos and finds one of you in black so this can become a big controversial bickering thread

More seriously, yeah I get you. I have bought dark (navy blue/black) things before but mostly because that's all that was there or I've been getting second hand on the cheap so that's all that's been available. If I was spending a reasonable aomunt of money it would be fit for purpose - ie. not black.

In reply to JayPee630:


Yeah that's a good point I hadn't considered. The cost of buying 1 jacket is serious enough, but having to get two for different purposes is scary territory.

In reply to marsbar:


Yeah, visual pollution another thing I hadn't considered. I'm starting to get a handle on this now, thanks.

In reply to Mark Collins:
Black?

I often wear camouflage gear. I often prefer not to be a highly visible walking beacon, and I don't worry about having to be rescued either.

In reply to Mark Collins:

I want to be a rock ninja so I have to wear black.

In reply to marsbar:


In the case of softshell jackets they are not so useful if they have bright red zips and fecking hoods ;(

In reply to Dave Perry:
Me too. Camouflage gear makes you far less visible when hiding from other walkers.

.and I don't worry about having to be rescued either.

I never used to worry about being rescued , until last year when I came quite close to needing a callout. I had serious cramps affecting my legs and arms. Fortunately, I always carry a bright orange bothy, and would have managed to get in it.

In reply to JayPee630:

I'm completely the opposite. I don't care what colour I wear on the hills, black would be fine. However, in town I want colours! I like things to be bright and colourful! However, being a girl, it's all purple anyway, there are few choices if you are looking for small sizes and the one that is in the sale!

In reply to Mark Collins:

Mainly red and orange, but I have plenty of bright green, blue and yellow too. All my trousers are black or grey though. Can't imagine being so dull and staid as to wear the unofficial uniform. The brighter the better.
It's mountain walking, not dogging.

In reply to Dave the Rave:

You carry a bothy ??!

In reply to Mark Collins:
I spoke about this to a retailer recently and his response was that the majority of his customers only wanted black, and in general only black, red, dark green, and dark blue sell. For brighter colours look to the continent or be prepared to pay premium prices.

In reply to Anoetic:

It's worse than that, due to the globalisation of the outdoor industry it's becoming harder to find nice gaudy colours in European shops too

In reply to Mark Collins:

You are only allowed to wear bright trousers if you climb VII upwards. Fact.

In reply to Gordon Stainforth:


And coal

In reply to Mark Collins:

I am currently replacing a lot of black and camouflage gear for the more bright reds / blues. My main reason for this is to go lighter as its all pretty heavy kit however on my initial shop around I only wanted blacks to use for dual purposes (Hill & town).

I have since got to the point of going for whatever colour is available at the time of purchase, if its the right item and has a good price to it . In terms of being rescued I have always had something bright in my bag, be it a torch/FAK/sleeping mat now i just have multiple items to point out where I am (never needed to use any for this, thankfully).

Reluctantly to get a new jacket for town I am now on an 8+ year old O'neill bust zip but the velcro still works! On a side note has anyone replaced a zip? bought the better half a sewing machine to repair my tired kit.

In reply to Mark Collins:

Black / Navy thermal layers are the thing that bug me. When you strip down to thermals - presumably because the sun is hot - you want light colours, not dark, in order to keep cool

In reply to Mark Collins:

After years of grandad dark and tactical ninja pattern recently i.e. last five years I've come over all Euro day glo bright 'good with colours' in the hills. Its not good to be grey.

D

In reply to GrahamD:

I might be wrong, but I am sure I once read that navy blue polyester was the optimum for keeping cool.

As for black, I used to buy everything in black, until I realised I looked like an ageing goth gone astray. I'm gradually replacing it with coulour. Blue Buffalo windshirt, red Tilak waterproof so far. Black Montane Terra trousers are probably next for replacement, but they seem tougher than anything so it might be a while.

In reply to Mark Collins:

I think it's about time 80s style lycra made a come back.

In reply to Doad13:


I've replaced several zips on jackets and many rucksack zips and patches over time. Replacing zips is fine - you might struggle to find suitably robust zips in average haberdashers in town though, internet is your friend here. New (ie sharp) needle and go slowly on the machine, particularly if it has to go through several layers of fabric at hems etc. Pins are good for keeping zip in place but remember that every pin hole is where water can get through, so try to either limit pinning or put them where there is a velcro flap over it. Same for why go slowly - if you do it wrong and need to unpick and re-start, the needle holes could cause you problems.

In reply to Mark Collins:

Totally agree with the OP! I always try to buy a brighter colour, red or orange. And whats the problem wearing a red jacket to your local? I usually take it off within 5 minutes anyway! Admittedly I am yet to own a pair of brightly coloured trousers and might be hesitant to wear those in the pub!

In reply to james.slater:


Yeah I don't have a problem with wearing my red jacket in the local either. In a previous life I may have struggled with the idea, but I'm all for it these days. Also agree on the trouser front, can't help thinking wearing bright coloured trousers down the pub would send out the wrong message.

In reply to DubyaJamesDubya:

Wait no longer:
http://www.so-solid.at/shop/product-category/kletterleggings/

Increasing amounts of nausea-inducing lycra down at our local wall...

In reply to hollie_w:

Thanks Hollie!

I'll take a look online for a decent zip. Its a softshell with a storm flap so I won't be to bothered about a few extra holes but like you say take it slow. More worried about taking the zip off and screwing up the jacket more than a few holes.

In reply to Mark Collins:

I wouldn't have thought that the search dog is going to be bothered about bright colours. The guy in the back of the SK is probably looking through a thermal imaging camera (but this is a guess) and does it really mater what colour you are wearing in the dark?

In reply to aultguish:


I reckon you're right on the dog front. Once saw a Jack Russell with no eyes in the Old Inn, Carbost he was acting just like a normal dog, attempting to get some free crisps. Can't comment on the next bit, but I guess someone will be searching with a torch and so therefore I think colour would still help there. That said, a colleague raised the point earlier, that a lot of modern clothing, black or otherwise has reflective markings which is perhaps more helpful in the dark than what colour the garment is.

In reply to Mark Collins:

The dog sounds like a few people I've met in there....although they were just blind drunk
The only colours that have ever stood out for me when viewing hill goers from the sky, was anything dayglow, it was usually in your peripheral, which then drew your complete gaze.
The obvious dark colours always blended in. Reds, blues, greens etc, would especially blend in with the likes of heather in bloom.

You'd be very surprised, how many people (m+f), sunbathe naked in their gardens and they stand out like a sore thumb against bright green lawns!!

In reply to Mark Collins:
I might get some of this new volvo paint. Best of both worlds. Spray your black/dpm clothing, and show up in torchlight

In reply to Mark Collins:

Dark colours are a right pain in the Alps or other high altitude mountains, you boil after 09.00 in the morning all that UV, give me light coloured clothing anytime.

In reply to Mark Collins:

I'm wearing black until they make something darker. Never had a heat problem

In reply to Mark Collins:

I believe Berghaus are currently testing their new cagoule of invisibility......

In reply to Mark Collins:

d'oh!

In reply to Mark Collins:


I've been to several mountain rescue team fundraising talks over the years and one thing that was always stressed was not to wear clothing that blended into the background colours. Their rescues were generally easier when the clothing colour was highly contrasting to the background.

Once one team member lectured at length of the amount of time that can be wasted in looking for lost people/casualties which can be enough to tip the balance of the outcome between life and death in some rescues. It was pointed out that bright clothing also helped to rule out other hill goers in the same area, again saving valuable time and resources.

I've changed over the years as a result of those talks and now particularly when by myself have tended to go for bright red jackets.

In reply to Mark Collins:

Of course, clothing is used for communication (non-verbal) by different people in different cultures. The black waterproof with the bold white brand logo probably says: "I don't stand out but I don't disappear, either..." Besides resolving an important tension, or attempting to, that fashions often impose on people, black clothing has its practical uses.

Obviously, as clothing for the 'outdoorist', it fails miserably in one important aspect of situational communication: when you must, by all means, be recognised in order to be saved, whether you are conscious of it at the time or not.

Europeans have often been more colourful and I'm not sure why that is.

https://www.silversirens.co.uk/joan-greenwood/man-in-the-white-suit/i-hate-...

In reply to Mark Collins:

I've got 1 black/grey softshell - it comes in black and "other colours", but that was the combination I could get it in at the time and I actually think the coloured variants don't look as good.

I don't have any black walking trousers, just shades of khaki and grey. I'll probably end up with black waterproof trousers, though, as that's all there seems to be.

Something that makes my rare trips to London and riding the Underground more enjoyable is being about the only person there wearing any colour. I just have the one bright red jacket for hill and town use.

In reply to Mark Collins:

Whilst in Costa Blanca I was the victim of friendly abuse regarding my bright red trousers, bright blue top and bright orange helmet ensemble from colour fascists attired in a motley collection of drab and uninspiring garments.
I stand out like a beacon in the essential action shots from Tai Chi whilst the others just blended in to the rock.
I can be frequently seen sat in my office in highly colourful CAC T shirts.

Get your colour on people! You may not climb better but you will look better which is pretty much the same thing anyway.

In reply to freemanTom:
I agree, back when I was new to mountaineering/hillwalking I did the classic British thing of wearing all black but I have since seen the error of my ways It can be very difficult to find bright coloured clothes with some manufacturers and retailers, expecially in waterproof trousers. Still I suppose if the majority wear black then the people have spoken and that's what they want. I wear colourful clothing for 3 main reasons:

1 - I often lead groups of people on the hill I have never met before and may never see again (charity/3 peak groups/school kids). I want them to be able to spot me easily and distinguish me from others from distance. If you have a group of people all wearing black, with their hoods up in poor weather then it can be hard to spot who is in charge as everyone looks the same. Try working on the Ben during the summer season and see what everyone wears and then you will se my point.

2 - As mentioned earlier, should anything happen to me then I should be easier to spot from a distance depending on terrain, conditions, time of day etc

3 - Pictures - it's a typical dreich day, grey wet rock, grey clouds and everyone in black or grey clothing equals a boring picture. It's amazing how much bright clothing can lift a picture and make it interesting.

In reply to Mark Collins:

I find the great benefit of selecting my items in different, often bright, colours is that I can quickly identify them on a shelf, rack or in a kitbag. Or in the rucksac for that matter. It's amusing to watch bleary-eyed partners try to distinguish one black item from another.

In reply to Mark Collins:


It's just fashion, which affects all areas human activity. There are always logical arguments for and against any trend in fashion. Perhaps you should seek out whoever 'told' and 'taught' you those things in the first places and ask them? Seriously, it's always good to revisit your base assumptions in life from time-to-time. But one thing's for certain - fashion ain't never going to go away, and florescent colours will be back to visually pollute our landscapes one day, probably not that far away.

In reply to PN82:

All good reasons. For me though I make no attempt to hide the fact that it's pure vanity. I like standing out in photographs.

In reply to Mark Collins:

You're lookin' at it the wrong way round... first look into the shops and then at the people in the mountains.

If nothing else than black or dark grey is available, that's what you get.

In reply to HeMa:

Hmm, this raises more questions. Like is there a dye shortage in the World, or more worrying, do they want us all to look the same.

In reply to Mark Collins:

Shops are scared of ordering x amount of bright colored troos and jackets, because they only sell to hc crew (which are already spancered). Where as your dog walking average Joe is not willing to buy a neon green jacket, but prefers a dark grey or black jacket.

Hence over time, orders on bright colored jacket and troos have declined and limited the available selection.

In reply to HeMa:

Black may be a poor choice of colour for the hills, but as most folk wear outdoor gear when they walk down to the pub it's a terrible colour to wear walking beside a road at night! Many years ago my neighbour hit and killed a pedestrian walking beside the road due to a combination of being part blinded by oncoming headlights (it was also raining) and the pedestrian wearing a black cag. He just didn't see him.

In reply to Trangia:

Reflectors help a lot more in the scenario you described than colorful jacket, to be honest. Either built-in or something you attach to the sleeve.

In reply to Mark Collins:
Bright is right. Check Norrona, they use good colours.

Col.

In reply to Mark Collins:

I worked in a shop a few years ago as a student. We had an absolute nightmare because two thirds of the kit we had in stock was black and displaying in a nice way was incredibly difficult. Problem is that we simply didn't sell much of the bright and slightly garish colours and if we did it would only be in medium. All the other sizes ended up on sale to try and shift them.

My current gore tex jacket is black but only because I got it for about 75% off. Quite annoyed with it actually

In reply to Mark Collins:
I think wearing the colour Black is a phase we go though, I went though this phase and still have a black jacket for work but all the rest have become un-serviceable.

New clothing I buy will be colorful again

In reply to John Simpson:


Me too, goes with the helicopter.

In reply to Ridge:


Sometimes I think you live in a Walter Mitty Fantasy world, here's a question for you; Mr Fly boy 'Maverick' Ridge, do you wear your flack jacket or sit on it?

In reply to John Simpson:

Armour has moved on from 'nam.

In reply to Ridge:

Transport within the Secret Shaddow government has moved on too, the only folk who use black helicopters these days are stabs and wannabe stabs. Current tech are cloaked antigravity vehicles

In reply to John Simpson:

<applause>

In reply to Hannes:



I'll have it if it annoys you.

In reply to Doad13:


You could try sewing it by hand instead? If you follow the sewing pattern by noting where you unpick the thread from, and carefully sew back and forth a couple of times before putting a little bit of superglue somewhere unobtrusive onto the thread to stop it all unravelling if any of the thread gets snagged and severed, you can do quite a tidy job. It can take a while but it's worth it.

A thimble can be helpful.

In reply to Mark Collins:
My ex Mrs went black, and never came back