The Gear
I have lots of outdoor gear - from 10 year old + gear I got in Aldi to top of the range ‘Rab’ brand stuff I handed my wallet over for. I have learned quite a bit over the years, not so much the technical stuff about synthetics and fabric denier, permeability and R-values etc but rather what works for me in the different outdoor environments I have found myself in. You know, in spite of the large quantity of gear that I have, I generally find myself wearing the same few items over and over - gear I know and trust.
So. I am building this page where I will, over time, record the gear I have, how I got it and how effective it has been for me. I won’t be focusing on brands or price but purely on my experience of the items - good and bad - and what situations I use it in. I will start with the feet up - boots and socks, then lower body, top half and then gloves and then other accessories including bags, tents and all the paraphernalia.
Hopefully you will find some of the info useful.
Shoes and Boots
First off, I have a bog standard pair of trail runners. They are showing their age as you can see and are not a particularly fancy brand. I used to do a bit of trail running, but haven’t for a few years now, so really all I did was repurpose these to use on certain walks and hikes to get the value out of them. I would generally use these on reasonably easy and dry terrain - forest paths, way-marked trails etc. If I am going to be out for multiple hours I probably would not use them as I bump up to the approach show below. Typical places would be Killiney Hill, Bray Head, Tibradden, Fairy Castle, St. Kevin’s Way in Wicklow etc. If it is going to be very stony, wet or muddy, then these are not my go-to.
This is a pair of Merrell approach shoes that I got a couple of years back. In general, these are my go-to hiking shoe unless conditions dictate otherwise. They are light and comfortable and heavily used (I do need a new pair as the soles are worn and there a couple of splits) and as you can see I am not great at keeping them clean. Tougher than the trail runner, I wear these where it is generally dry but perhaps stony, rugged and dusty. In particular I have worn these in the Atlas mountains and Kilimanjaro and countless places throughout Ireland where it is not too boggy or wet. I have used them extensively in the Alps on dry ground.
These are my primary hiking boot from La Sportiva - I ordered them online a couple of years back and just went up a size - they fit me like a glove. These are my go-to when I know I may be going off-trail, conditions are boggy and wet or in situations where I don’t know what the terrain is going to be like or I know it is going to be quite varied. Again, you can see that my attention to their upkeep is poor! I must note that they have split a little bit at the seams and are only 2 years old, but to be fair they have got a lot of use. I use these extensively including multi-day treks to Island Peak (Nepal) and in high mountains in Norway.
I assume everybody has a soft spot for their oldest remaining boots and these Hi-Tec boots are where my soft-spot is. These were (until I got the La Sportivas above) my go-to and whilst I don’t use them much now, I have full faith in the job they will do if called upon. A no-fuss boot and even though they are a few years old show no real signs of wear and tear, bar a bit of scuffing. I would use these in the same situations as the La Sportiva and have had them on trips to Nepal, TMB and every wet and boggy hike you can mention in Ireland!
These are the new kids on the block - La Sportiva Trango Pro mountaineering boots. Bought specifically for a trip to the Alps in 2026. As per my other La Sportiva boots, I bought them online and went up a size and they appear to fit well so far. These are exclusively for climbing, touring and expeditions where a rigid and tough boot is required and there is likely to be glacier walking with crampons, with which they are fully compatible. I’m not an expert, but they are probably more a 3 season boot and if I was mountaineering in true Winter conditions they may not be sufficient. They are not a high-altitude mountaineering boot either, but worked well for me up to 4500m in the Alps.
Socks
What can you say about socks - well quite a lot actually if you look at some of the gear test and review sites online. For me I keep it simple - I have 3 types of socks - merino, liner and waterproof.
Merino wool socks - a variety of light, medium and heavy. They can be a bit pricey but are usually seamless and are great for getting the moisture away from your feet and so helping to prevent blistering. The density I wear is driven by the weather and the shoe/boot I am going to wear as the heavier they are then generally the better the insulation. I always carry a spare pair of socks with me just in case the feet get wet.
Liner socks are for wearing under your regular hiking socks for added comfort and warmth. I have never worn them like that but rather if I just need an ultra light sock when on a fairly easy trail with my trail or approach shoe. Indeed I have even worn these socks as regular socks as they are seamless, light and very comfortable. I got them for a high altitude trip to Nepal, but the weather and conditions didn’t warrant me wearing them.
So I have one pair of water-proof socks that I was given as a present. These feel like regular merino socks with some sort of impermeable layer in the middle of the fabric. I have worn them a couple of times when I knew I was in for a day on the hills and it was likely to be very boggy and wet. They work - my feet remained dry - however they run hotter on me and my feet got a bit sweaty. Not a sock I would wear on every hike.
Lower Body
I don’t tend to run cold on my lower body, yet I have a large collection of layers and types of clothing that cover all eventualities - don’t judge me, but decide for yourself based on how your body functions, where and when you go as to what kit you need.
I never thought that I would be posting images of my boxer shorts on the internet! These are merino wool boxers manufactured by Icebreaker. I have a few pairs of these (not cheap) but they do a tremendous job down there in wicking away any moisture, keeping me cool and remaining in position - they don’t ride up my legs when hiking and trekking like I find normal cotton boxers do. Common theme here - cotton bad, merino wool good! I wear these pretty much on every and any hike and trek.
Base layer (long johns!) are again Icebreaker merino wool. I said I wouldn’t get into the technical stuff, but the warmth is based on the material thickness - mine are 200 g/m2. You can get them at higher and lower warmth - 200 seems to be the most common. Not exactly flattering on me as they show every bump and blob but they are worn under your hiking pants. I have only ever worn them once - summit night to Island Peak in Nepal (6200m) when it was a bit chilly. As I say, I don’t run cold in the lower body so they are generally left behind!
Standard hiking/trekking pant. Nothing fancy, I have several pairs of these all from Decathlon. All I look for are removable legs, so that I can wear them as shorts (which I actually rarely do) plus a few pockets - one or two with zips. 99% of the time I will be wearing these when out hiking including summit of Kilimanjaro. Made primarily from polyester they usually have a slight stretch and dry rapidly if they get wet.
These I guess are my 4th season (Winter) hiking pants - they have a fleece lining. Again, nothing fancy, I got them in Decathlon, but if there is a nip in the air or some wind chill I might throw these on although base layer under the normal hiking pants would likely do the exact same job. Horses for courses and whatever your personal preference is.
These are an insulated down (manmade) pant that I don’t think I have ever worn for any long period - I just overheat in them. They are Rab Photon, so not cheap, with fully zipped legs, so easy to get on and off, as you may likely have big mountaineering boots with you when using these. Made for extreme cold conditions - high altitude mountaineering and arctic or severe alpine conditions. I’ll hold onto them just in case!
These are my standard waterproof layer. Three-quarter length zippable legs which make them easy to get on and off. When you are recommended to bring waterproofs, these are what you have in mind. Give good wind protection also and are somewhat breathable so that you don’t sweat a lot in very humid conditions. These were my go-to waterproofs until I purchased the pair below! In my case they are Craghoppers.
These are my Rab Phantom waterproof pants - they are like skin. Got them a couple of years ago and are my absolute go-to now for waterproof leggings. As you can see they fold really small and weigh grammes. They don’t have zips leg complications but are stretchable, so generally you can get them on over a standard hiking shoe or boot. They keep you dry and are very breathable. Can’t recommend these enough! Sadly, not the cheapest but worth the investment in my opinion.
These are a hard-shell layer from Arc’Teryx. Fully zippable legs, so easy to get on and off. I do not believe I have ever worn these - they certainly are spotless! Suspect these were on a kit list for one or two expeditions I did, but never had the extreme conditions that would require me to go beyond normal pants and waterproofs. Offering strong protection against snow, wind and rain in more extreme places - like the insulated pants, I will hold onto them just in case! They are very light and probably useful in some of the sideways rain conditions we get sometimes in Ireland.