UKH

Hello everyone,

I'm new to this interesting forum, looking for gear advice. As you can see in my short profile, I'm a (Dutch) hill & mountain walker, now living in the French Pyrenees, born 1960, nowadays primarily doing day-walks @1500-2000m with a full day-pack (for me and my wife) or, more often, a half-full bigger rucksack (because of the a very comfortable hip-belt), as well local 1-hr walks several times a week (@550m).

My current hardshell (Arcterix Theta AR, from 2003, free warranty replacement of similar de-laminating 2000 model) is falling apart (seams, zips) even though still water-proof, and my windstopper fleece jacket (Mountain Hardwear Mountain Jacket, from 2000) is wearing thin (have replaced the main & pit-zips). First priority is replacing the hardshell, but thought it'd useful to see that with a needed replacement of the windproof in the nearish future.

I bought this combination at a time when I still did multi-day backpacking trips (UK, New Zealand, Patagonia, Himalayas) as well as day-walks (UK), to be well-prepared for all weather. Nowadays, in Spring/Fall in the mountains, I often find the MH windstopper becoming quickly too warm over my mid-weight base-layer, in spite of the very useful pit-zips. So I sometimes find myself putting the hardshell on in stead, with pit-zips open, but not a very comfortable 'solution'. PS: For local walks the MH is fine, as I won't carry any pack, so don't get as warm - so I'll keep it for that.

Thinking about a quality hardshell, maybe a bit lighter than the current Arcterix (700g) and definitely less expensive (max £250, but preferably less), as it's much more in my pack/rucksack than when I bought it - becoming a bit of a fair weather walker these days - but still hard-wearing enough for a pack/rucksack for many years.
Secondly, thinking about a light(er), more breathable, wind-resistant/proof, preferably with pit-zips, that should be hard-wearing (because often with pack/rucksack on) and not cut too snugly (so I add a thin fleece under it, over the base layer).

For the hardshell replacement I've been looking at, for instance, MH Shivling http://www.blacks.co.uk/mens/273632-mountain-equipment-men-s-shivling-water... or MH Janak https://www.nevisport.com/mountain-equipment-janak-jacket, where the Shivling is 40D and the Janak is 80D. In fact, there seem to be many capable option around £200. Main question/concern would be whether a lighter denier (40D) would last as long as a heavier (70D/80D)?

For the windproof fleece replacement (by something more breathable, less warm) it less clear for me. Weights vary from 100-400g, it seems, depending on features and materials. My main concerns ware (again) how long they'd last and breathable they are while still wind resistant/proof. My current jacket is very hard-wearing (with shoulder and arm reinforcements), but you'd expect that for a 700g jacket.

Any advice very welcome - thank you!

In reply to strawbale:

If you can make your question (much) shorter, you will be more likely to get an answer.

In reply to strawbale:

For a light windproof which layers beautifully over just a baselayer or fleece midlayers, the gold standard is the Arcteryx Squamish.

http://www.arcteryx.com/product.aspx?country=gb&language=en&model=S...

For a warmer windproof with lots of useful pockets I recommend the Montane Dyno stretch

https://www.montane.co.uk/mens-c1/dyno-stretch-jacket-p390

The good news is the former can normally be found for around £100, the latter as low as £70.

For a hardshell, the choice is so bewildering just wait for an end of range bargain to appear on the internet. Light is more comfortable but definitely less durable.

In reply to strawbale:

The ME Shivling is quite short. We bought one and it's perfect for climbing but might be short for just hillwalking.

In reply to BnB:

Thank you - will look into that!

In reply to Y Gribin:

Apologies - just tried to give some background info, as I've got no other posts or profile to serve as a reference.

In reply to olddirtydoggy:

Good to know - thank you!

In reply to strawbale:

The Alpkit Definition got a pretty positive review on here some time ago - 490g (in M), £210. Maybe something to look at?

In reply to strawbale:

If you hadn't given such a detailed post somebody would have criticised you for not providing enough information.
This is UK Climbing, it's how some people work.
Good luck with your search.

In reply to baron:

Thank you - that was my (original) idea:

Q. Looking to replace my hardshell and windproof fleece?

A. Which one(s) did you have and why do they need replacing? What do you need it for? Which ones have you been looking at already? What are you priorities? Etc etc.

Anyway, zooming in on a hard-wearing hardshell first. Looks like virtually anything will be lighter and less expensive than my old Arcterix Theta AR, so enough choice within my budget (max £250). I'll go for a more durable one even if it's, say, 100-200gr heavier (but still under, say, 550gr), so a ME Janak (80D) or Lhotse (40/80D) in the sale is still on my short-list.

Main problem is fit: I'm 185cm (6'1) but slim (76 kg/12st), so need L for arms (and hem), where M would largely suffice for chest... Hoping that an 'alpine/slim' fit (rather than 'mountain/regular') will be OK...
I cannot find a shop within 100 miles here in France that sell ME, but may be able to fit some in Holland, where I'll be for a week in a week's time, at the ME-wholesaler (as shops there don't seem to have them in stock either, only online).

In reply to Removed UserFuchs:
Thank you - looking good! Like it has a chest pocket (though not essential). The athletic cut may suit me well, even though I'm no athlete at all
But/how where am can I fit it?

The ME pocket zips seem to be fatter (so stronger?) than those on most other jacket - can anyone confirm that?

When I say "I'll go for a more durable one even if it's, say, 100-200gr heavier (but still under, say, 550gr)", I mean that even if I'll replace my windproof fleece jacket with something (substantially) lighter, more breathable. The hardshell may stay more often in the rucksack than my current one, though.

Two large pockets are needed too (one for map, for camera) - high enough to use with hip-belt; chest pocket would be nice, but not essential.

PS: the weights mentioned are for a L(arge), which I think i'll end up needing/buying.

Reading up on "Best Outdoor Shop" - https://www.ukhillwalking.com/forums/t.php?t=648420&v=1#x8375230

Unfortunately, I'm dependent on shops that do on-line (too); Needle Sports and V12 don't have the hard-shells I'm looking for, nor Joe Brown (in my size).

Anyone experience with this Outside (in Hathersage): http://www.outside.co.uk/our-stores/hathersage
Edit: reading that Best Outdoor Shop thread again I guess I'd better avoid Outside...

And what about Nevisport?

In reply to strawbale:

alpintrek.co.uk (the UK version of the German bergfreunde.de) seems to have the widest range out there. For some reason, they don't have Alpkit though, but a good selection in general. They have a very good reputation, I've bought from the German site before.

In reply to Removed UserFuchs:
Thank you - will check them out!

Edit: they seem to be very expensive for ME jackets (due to converting their euro prices in pounds?): even with 10/15% off they quote prices very near or even above ME's own RRP ?!

In reply to strawbale:
ME seems to have very odd pricing themselves - their own website sells the Lhotse jacket for £330 in the UK, and €500 (!) in Germany (you can toggle the region on the ME website to check for different RRPs in £ and €). That's way beyond the exchange rate, which currently would be €382 for £330, so €118 more expensive than it should be. The last time the official exchange rate was anywhere near that was over a year ago ...

So looks like a very ME specific problem. In any case, you don't need to buy from Alpintrek, you can use their site as a guide to what's available, and then hunt for the cheapest price around the web

In reply to Removed UserFuchs:

Thank you for that clarification - will keep searching :=)

In reply to strawbale:
I wouldn't think you'd need to avoid Outside. If some people, who can seem like a minority to me, have had iffy service in person, that needn't apply to buying online. I live not far from Outside and have always excellent service from them.

If Outside have online what you want to buy, I'd buy it from them as readily as from any other shop.

In reply to strawbale:

I'd be inclined to go on a day trip to Toulouse and pop into Decathlon. I only wear hardshells if I have to, adn Decathlon do a decent 'mountain' one of those. Similarly, they do nice soft shells with pit zips (i have one of those that does sterling servcie dog walking and cost less than £40. I was Ice climbing in Gavarnie a few weeks ago and a Decathlon soft shell worked perfectly too.

No brainer in my humble opinion.

In reply to Timmd:

Thanks - good to know!

In reply to nniff:
Good idea! Foix is slightly closer-by and need to go there tomorrow anyway, so will pop in and have look what they have. I had a look online and compared them with the UK Decathlon online and in seems the UK one have a better/wider choice (?).

Got a fleece with pit-zips already (Mountain Hardwear, 15 years old, with shoulder and arm re-enforcements - indestructible, but not at all wind-resistant let alone wind-proof). Than I've got the (similarly aged MH) wind-stopper fleece jacket (with pit-zips), indestructible too - very wind-resistant, but a bit warm/clammy when active, I find. Ideal for local/dog/whatever walking, less so for 'just' wind-protection over a (thin/mid, depending on the season) base layer.
I'm not a climber, just a hill/mountain walker, and not a fast one at that... But do tend to carry a well-filled day-pack or even a half-filled rucksack (for my wife and myself), so hesitant - rightly or wrongly so - to go for too thin a windshirt/jacket if that would mean fragile/not-hard-wearing-enough. But if I could fine a more breathable, less wind-proof softshell (ideally with pockets and pit-zips), that'd be great.
What soft shell did you get from them?

PS: when I say "more breathable, less wind-proof" I should probably look more into tight-woven fabrics without a membrane

In reply to strawbale:

Not sure that they do either of them any more, but each is simialr to a Quechua windwarm 500 and a Simond Alpinism. The Simond one is stretchy and tough as old boots. Bothj are completely windproof and shed water really well.

In reply to nniff:

Merci!

In reply to strawbale:

After having tried various jackets (in shops back home in Holland, where I'm now for a week), the Arcterix Theta AR (current/new version of my old jacket) and ME Janak came up top (for having: good fit, a longish body, good hood, pit zips, 80D Gore Pro, around 500gr for L, ánd available in the sale - both at Nevisport). Bought the Janak, in Holland in the end, as, at 266€ (£230), it was about £90/105€ less expensive. That can be put aside for the future softshell replacement

Thanks everyone for their input!

In reply to strawbale:

A good choice. Hope you enjoy many great adventures with your jacket at the ready.

In reply to BnB:

Merci - looking forward to it already!