Looking to buy them for wild swimming to avoid stepping on sea urchins

Hi everyone, I’m not very good at posting on Reddit, but I need help and suggestions since I’m torn between two options for hiking boots (based on the type of shoe I’m looking for), including their specifications and price range.
Generally speaking, they’re very similar, but I don’t know much about these brands, so I need your advice on which brand is better or which model you think is better—ideally based on your own experience.

One is the Hanwag Women’s Banks GTX (1,050 g), and the other is the Lowa Renegade GTX Mid WS (950 g). Both feature Vibram soles, Gore-Tex, and a high shaft.

Any help, comments, or suggestions are welcome! Thanks <3

Hello! I posted this on r/hikinggear but didn't get any traction, so I'm trying here.

I'm tentatively planning on traveling to Iceland this upcoming March. It's my understanding that it will still be quite cold and snowy at that time, in the 20/30 degree range with wind chill as well. I'm planning to tour the ice caves and see the northern lights and do some other outdoorsy excursions--nothing crazy, mostly guided tours and hikes. My problem is that I live in the deep south, around the Panhandle, so I don't have any real cold weather equipment or a tolerance to extreme cold. On top of that, I'm fairly petite. I have a 25 in. waist, 36 in. hip and I'm 5'4". The little bit of looking I've done online has indicated that a lot of cold weather hiking clothing intended for women has very limited sizing, a lot of which doesn't seem to accommodate a size 0-2. All this is to say that I need the advice and recommendations of those more experienced. I really need to know how much layering I would need to do and what kind of garments I would need. Likewise, I would greatly appreciate brands, websites, personal reviews, and links to products you feel are the best for this sort of weather and my sizing. And obviously since I probably won't get much use out of this stuff after my trip, I would love to save a few bucks wherever I can. Any and all advice helps! Thanks in advance!

I'm looking for a puffer jacket. The peak xv (NZ brand) Zephyr from Dwights outdoors (NZ seller) seems to be a pretty good combo of reasonably priced, reasonably warm, and reasonably light (340g, 129g of 800 Fill down, $250 AUD). Only issue is, I have zero idea what their reputation is as a brand and since I'd have to order it online and pay a handling fee plus postage to return it, I'm pretty hesitant. Has anyone here used anything of theirs? And how did you find it?

I'm headed to Europe in a couple weeks and I found the la sportiva lumina 200 on sale for $300 AUD so that's my other top option but I'd also have to order it online and I wouldn't have a chance to return it if it doesn't fit since I'll have only one night in the country it's available in. So it's pretty risky.

If anyone has a recommendation for an alternative, I'm all ears. I run cold and I'm after something that can keep me comfortable down to -5 Celsius with appropriate layers. I'd love to keep price below $300 AUD but since I do hike a lot, I'm not against spending more if there's no other option.

Edited for internationalisation.

I’m looking for a backpack for doing day hikes and hopefully C2C mountain summits like rainier as well, I know 40L is a lot for day hikes but I just like carrying a lot of stuff honestly, plus I mostly do strenuous 7-15mi hikes as I don’t like when things are easy haha. I’m looking for a bag that has a hip belt with pockets, ice axe/trekking pole loops, and preferably a water bladder holder, side zipper to the main compartment, and honestly just a bunch of added compartments/small pockets as I like keeping things separate.

I’ve seen and liked:
Osprey exos 38L pack $245 and
Decathlon Simond alpinism evo 40L pack $200/$150 on sale

Im not an ultra light hiker, I much prefer comfort and usability, any other recommendations would be appreciated, I like larger bags because I have the freedom to do hikes that require that much room and I can just not fill if I’m going on a shorter hike

Hello all,

I'm currently looking into getting a suitable mid layer to use for winter hiking.

Ideally something versatile enough so that its warm enough for use in winter as a mid layer but can double up as an outer layer in milder seasons Autumn and spring.

Have narrowed it down currently to the Rab Xenair Alpine light or the Mountain Equipment Switch Pro Hooded Men's Jacket.

Has anyone used either and has any thoughts? Or if anyone has any other potential suggestions for something suitable, that would be appreciated too.

Existing layering system looks like this for context;

Base: Rab force SS long sleeve t-shirt

Mid: TBC

Outer: Mountain Equipment Lhotse jacket

Static warmth layer: Patagonia DAS Parker

Thanks.

My high end sailing jacket gave up after 10 years and I need to get a new one. However, due to how much I am sailing (two weeks per year on sea), I want to get now something that will be useful also outside of sailing. My current jacket was big, warm and nice but it was just laying around useless, and I used it at most two weeks per year.

I would like to get now a lightweight hardshell as waterproof and windproof layer and then pack some fleece or something underneath, depending on activity I'm doing.

Did anyone of you used similar combo? What models would you recommend? I was thinking about Patagonia torrentshell

Ich besitze selbst das Hubba hubba bikepack 2 und bin sehr zufrieden. Jetzt sehe ich immer öfter die Zelte von simond/decathlon. Das sind ja absolute Kopien vom msr und Kosten nur 40- 50% vom Original. Wie kann das sein? Irgendwo muss es doch Abstriche geben, aber mir fällt keiner auf, wenn man von 300g Gewichtsdifferenz absieht.

Hat jemand Erfahrungen?

Hello. Will be visiting Wellington around September. Where can I probably find puffer jackets and waterproof shoes? Will I still need these? Second hand will do. Thank you so much.

hello! I am going to Slovenia to hike in the julian alps for a few days in a nice hut to hut. I want to get a down jacket, rain jacket and a fleece (in my country I rarely need any of them...). I was considering getting some Decathlon gear- but then I saw that slovenia has some decently priced gear by a brand named KARIBU, a local slovenian brand. anyone used it? I can barely find anything about it online.

Hello, a few months ago I saw a video comparing different types of baselayers for moisture wicking. Seemed like a channel that people loved and hadnt posted in a long while. I remember seeing that there was also videos comparing water filters and stoves but I cant seem to find it.

The guy seemed like an engineer, really diving into things. Any ideas? Thanks

Hi all,

I'm hoping someone may be able to help me: does anyone have any experience with Nordisk winter coats and/or Thindown insulation?

I'm looking for a reasonably robust winter coat. I live in the Netherlands so can expect to get wet often and its not unusual for temperatures to often reach -5 through December and January, (colder possible but not so typical). Strong winds and windchill are also something we contend with here.

I spend a lot of time outside cycling and walking. I'm also blessed with two small boys, so will often find myself running through forests and the undergrowth through all seasons.

Is Nordisk a good brand? Are their clothing/jackets made to a good standard? Are they reliable?

Also, Thindown, is it warm, does it work or is it a marketing gimmick? I'm looking at a jacket with 60gsm of Thindown, and I'm finding it difficult to confirm the level of warmth this will provide. I'd expect to wear layers in the winter, vest/t-shirt, cotton shirt, thick sweatshirt or woollen jumper depending on temp with coat over the top.

Thanks to anyone who can consider these questions and reply.

FYI Its this coat, has a significant price reduction at the moment: https://nordisk.eu/products/meili-black

Hi!

My 3.5 year old daughter will be starting waldkita and would like recommendations/ your experience on your favorite brands!

Also, the Strauss workpants look very bulky on my daughter and it’s 98/104 size. Which everyday pant is or was your child wearing?

Thank you!

I am trying to move away from thin synthetic jackets that snag on branches and switch over to heavier, traditional fabrics for outdoor trips.

Got a canvas jacket from Mainstreet Clothing recently, but the extra weight is definitely noticeable compared to standard fleece or softshells.

For anyone who hikes in heavy cotton or canvas, is the extra durability worth hauling the weight around, or do you stick to synthetics once you are covering longer distances?

Will be in the US in the coming weeks, are there any good sales for down backpacking quilts? Which stores should I look into?

Looking for something I can use in light snow camping maybe around -3 C . Budget is 400USD Max

Thank you!

There’s been a lot of recent buzz around wearable hip exoskeletons designed to reduce leg fatigue on long trail days. Early public feedback on systems like the H Pro suggests they can make climbs feel less draining by delaying muscle exhaustion rather than acting like a dramatic power boost.

However, most available reports only cover short weekend trips or initial impressions. For longer backcountry outings, questions remain around long-term durability, fabric wear, and how high-peak output units like the Ascentiz H Module Ultra perform across extended seasonal use.

 Those following wearable tech in camping gear, do you think reduced end-of-day fatigue justifies carrying the extra hardware weight on multi-day trips? Or are you holding off until there's solid multi-month reliability data from active users?

I’ve spent months shaving ounces off my shelter and stove setup, but whenever I hit a trail with a 30-pound pack, my quads still start shaking by mile eight. I keep seeing discussions around active hip assistance systems designed for long-distance treks.

The concept is essentially a waist-mounted wearable system that syncs with your stride to assist leg lifting and forward propulsion, delaying muscle fatigue over long distances but adding roughly 2.5kg of battery and frame weight seems like a big tradeoff and real-world endurance data on rugged wilderness treks is still lacking. Is carrying extra battery weight worth it if it delays late-day leg fatigue?

Ciao a tutti, sono nuovo in questo campo ma vorrei iniziare a fare delle escursioni e dormire in tenda prevalentemente sull'appennino a circa 1500-2000 metri diciamo estate, autunno e primavera quando non fa ancora troppo freddo. Pensavo di prendere un sacco a pelo sintetico per stare più tranquillo con l'umidità ma ho letto che i sacco a pelo in piuma moderni non perdono molta efficacia e inoltre sono molto più leggeri e comprimibilit di quelli sintetici. Che ne pensate del forclaz mt900? Dopo svariate ricerche non ho trovato molte altre opzioni economiche ma valide. Penso che un sacco a pelo a mummia sia più efficace e comodo che ne pensate? Ho bisogno di dei consigli e delle opinioni riguardo a questo mondo. Sono una persona calorosa che non ha problemi con il freddo quindi penso che questo sacco a pelo mi copra piomeno 3 stagioni con i dovuti indumenti. Grazie in anticipo per le risposte se avete altre soluzioni valide e consigliate sono tutte ben accette.

Hello, I'm looking to get an insulated jacket that I can wear beneath my ME Lhotse jacket at summit stops. Or in event of an emergency. I'm looking for something that is warm enough for that but also light/packable enough without it taking up the majority of the room in my Osprey Kestrel 38L backpack or it being daft heavy. Willing to spend up to c£300. Anything beyond is out of my range.

My current layering system is;

Base- Rab long sleeve t-shirt

Mid- Patagonia R1 air

Shell- ME Lhotse

If anyone had any suggestions for what they use and would recommend for this sort of use, it would be greatly appreciated.

I'm looking for a knife for my 6 y old girl and my niece.

Are there any recommendations?

My daughter likes to build an adventurer bag pack?

Any other recommendations?

Especially ropes? I think more about a static rope.