In reply to sgiand:
> Nonsensical price for a pair of walking trousers when you can usually buy the time tested Craghoppers Kiwi trousers for under £30 and their stretch version for not much more. As with most of their kit Arc'teryx seem to be relying on brand snobbery to sell items not appreciably different from or better than lower priced offerings from the likes of Berghaus.
Craghoppers and Berghaus operate in more competitive segments of the market and at much lower margins. That’s good for low prices but a disaster for the viability of the business model which means that corners are regularly being cut. Arcteryx’s higher margins afford it the breathing space to put quality first. The latter’s customers appreciate the no compromise ethos and derive a lot of satisfaction from the extra details that improve fit and/or performance. The price differential is nonsensical to you, but widely embraced by Arcteryx’s many supporters.
I take it you don’t own any Arcteryx gear? I have yet to retire any of mine. Buy cheap, buy twice - though, to be fair, you could afford to, and still have change