love of fuck, stop using this meme template with canadian douchebag/pedo
As a Canadian, I agree.
So many different alternatives
To be fair, Patagonia is more ethical than some of the EU ones, all things considered.
(Although it’s absolutely ridiculously expensive)
Its not any more expensive than some of the European stuff haha
Petzl is missing, they are French.
Scarpa is another good euro outdoor equipment brand
I absolutely love Scarpa. They make the only footwear that really, really, fits my weird feet off the shelf. I just wish they made ski boots for the sane.
The last time I needed to get a jacket, I did some Internet searches and asked in three different stores, one name kept popping up every single time: Vaude seems to take this whole sustainability thing quite serious, manufactures part of their collection in Germany and guarantees fair conditions for work they outsourced.
What's with Vaude?
Decathlon is French I think?
Decathlon is involved with child and possibly slave labor through it's Asian suppliers, also the company still operates in Russia under a barely disguised name.
Yes but a lot of their stuff is made under poor and toxic circumstances by people who get paid very little. Not the best imho
Yup
Correct. I can recommend it, their home brands are cheap, and the quality is generally good.
made in china all over the place
Haix shoes are made in Serbia, iirc. I'm wearing nothing else since years. Once had a problem with the lace holders on a pair, they told me to send them back and actually repaired them. I'm kinda convinced.
Or Taiwan.
Here's a directory of backpacking/hiking/outdoors vendors that I have bookmarked and have used a few times.
You can filter results by country( to exclude US) but also check out the cottage industry filter. Those are the little guys who are going to be hurting the most and they make the niche and better quality gear.
A notable omission from that list is Montane. I think they’re UK based?
It seemed like every second person in Amsterdam had a fjall raven pack when I was there.
That's true for most of Netherlands, really.
Also common at hipster/expensive coffee shops in the US.
We bought our bag on a visit to NYC 17-18 years ago, now they’re everywhere. It’s is still working fine though, just little dirty
Some Fjällräven stuff is nice, but the kånken backpacks that are so popular are overpriced garbage. Pretty much any other serious brand offers better features for a lower price.
They did seem very well marketed for a very basic design of backpack. There was a camp supply store on Rozengracht near my family's place that had a full window display of the backpack's in a rainbow array of colours. Thinking back on it, it did feel a bit like the Stanley cup saga USA saw more recently. Seeing so many of them around town and that IIRC they were still around 100euros it seemed more of a fashion item. As a semi-tourist I thought I should get one as a practical keepsake of my trip but in the end I felt happier with my reusable Jumbo and HJ shopping bags.
Vibram is also in the list (IT), and it makes rubber soles (or shoes) that are used by many other brands. I love Garmont for hiking shoes.
Don't get anything made of GoreTex as that is produced by American company W. L. Gore & Associates. Fjellräven has decent cotton products that lasts. Personally I prefer Norwegian brand Bergans. You also have Härkila (finish) and Klättermusen (Swedish) last one primally focuses on light weight climbing gear
Don’t get GoreTex because it’s using PFAS chemicals which are harmful to the nature we’re out there to enjoy.
Isnt Arc'teryx Canadian?
Would explain the Canadian flag in the picture over their name.
Tenaya is a Spanish company that makes some of the most comfortable climbing shoes I have tried.
Not a recommendation, but just for completeness sake: Supedry Japan is British!
I was surprised by this when I first learned it back in the day, perception make me think it was Japanese (paired with the fact their sizes tend to run small).
I used to love the quality of their t-shirts and jackets; but have struggled to find anything that appealed to me from them over the last few years..
..sad reading their Wikipedia page to see they’re seriously struggling financially, and this one quote really felt like a kick in the ‘nads: “A 2023 Observer article referenced critics suggesting that Superdry was a “dad” brand "beyond redemption”.
a “dad” brand "beyond redemption”.
So it's not Instagram-cool anymore, gotcha
/j
Decathlon!
While I sometimes buy some sport equipment here and while they have some very accessible products, you can get much better quality for a bit more expensive. Worth saving money for a month more but have really good hiking equipment (or whatever you are looking for).
Also, I worked for them a few years ago and their policies were very questionable. E.g. sometimes they were throwing away some products but always smashed them (like, with a hammer) so "it cannot be used if anyone finds it".
can't believe you about better quality elsewhere, decathlon is absolutely my go-to sports store for any equipment, I've been using them for about 15 years without a single product that hasn't met or exceeded my expectations, and that's not smoke.
the first rucksack I ever bought still looks and feels new 15 years later, like not a single buckle has even broken, the hammock I bought lasted for a decade without any tears, and that is a super lightweight material, the day bags last for years, I don't think I've ever got something from decathlon that wasn't great.
shoot I've only worn decathlon quick dry ripstop pants for the past 15 years haha, I love them.
I did try a couple different brands while I was visiting the states, but North face and Columbia quick dry ripstop pants are dog shit compared to decathlon products.
shoot I still have the sleeping bag I bought with the rucksack, haha.
"sometimes they were throwing away some products but always smashed them (like, with a hammer) "
well that sounds bananas.
= Aldi Sports!
true, Aldi is the most impressive grocery store in the US(low bar, but still): better quality food, cheaper price.
I've similarly never been in a sports store with better quality items than decathlon, and I visit a lot of outdoor equipment stores.
Using the same trekking boots from salewa for years, still in very good shape.
Yeah their stuff is pretty good in my experience as well. I have an external shell for at least 8 years, still looking new.
Mammut is top notch. I love their gear. I never see them in the US.
Mammut is fairly common in shops catering to non-tourists. Some of the American brands listed (Mountain Hardware and Columbia) are not brands people entrust their lives to.
SOURCE: I live in Wyoming. Only tourists wear Columbia.
PS: My wife should be sponsored by Rab. It's all she wears in the winter.
Agree, I'm in Colorado and Mammut is well loved here (I own a Mammut jacket myself). Haglöfs makes top-notch backpacks and I wore exclusively Salomon shoes for over a decade before switching to zero-drop.
Most of these European brands are pretty easily found here if you know where to look. As for the American brands, Columbia is utter trash and Marmot isn't much better.
I'm switching a lot to mammut. Their clothes are like nothing i have ever worn before. Their ultralight clothing line is like wearing nothing.
Polish 4F!
I see ads for FjallRaven from time to time and usually I get skeptical of products in ads. Has anyone here used their products?
Very good gear and they don’t use chemicals harmful for the environment (such as Gore-Tex / PFAS).
Yeah, awesome durable gear
Yes, It's basically the foundation of outdoor gear in Sweden / Norway.
Very popular and durable
Silly me ... always thougth Patagonia was from Argentina .... but its based in Ventura, California.
I get buying European, but ditching a responsible brand like Patagonia seems misguided.
If there's anything like an ethical brand, I'm pretty sure it's them.
Agreed, it's much better to ditch "European" brands like Salomon and Arc'teryx which fall under Amer Sports which is owned (besides being 45% Chinese) in part by billionaire/premium asshat Chip Wilson:
In his book titled Little Black Stretchy Pants, Wilson wrote that he is not necessarily opposed to child labour, as "working young is excellent training for life.
In October 2024, a sign went up at Wilson's home in British Columbia, which is the most expensive home in the province. The sign criticized British Columbia premier David Eby, reading "Eby will tell you the Conservatives are 'Far right' but neglects saying that the NDP is 'Communist.'"
In early 2024, Wilson expressed concern over Lululemon's diversity and inclusion policy saying in a Forbes interview: "they’re trying to become like the Gap, everything to everybody." He also criticized an advertisement made by the company featuring plus-sized women models, whom he said looked "unhealthy," "sickly" and "not inspirational." These statements were seen as offensive, with Time reporting them to be "fat-phobic". Lululemon was quick to distance themselves from Wilson's comments, saying, "Chip Wilson does not speak for Lululemon, and his comments do not reflect our company views or beliefs."
Buying ethically is not as easy as avoiding most American brands. Sometimes you have to dig a little deeper.
Good that you didn't include Jack Wolfskin. Had a few things, really shitty quality.
For hiking boots, I cannot recommend Hanwag enough. I've had their Alaska model for years and I'm very happy with them.
Orthovox is missing as well. They are German.
I can only recommend La Sportiva hiking, trekking and mountains shoes. Great quality.
Vaude is missing too.
I thought the north face was a niche podcast group when I first saw the logo (I live outside of USA and EU) and was REALLY disappointed when I learned it's just the same thing as Gucci or something
North Face used to have good products, then got big and especially during COVID when a lot of middle class took up outdoor activities during travel restrictions it went the way of patagucci
What happened to Trangia? I never see them anymore, its all gas stoves now in outdoor shops in the UK.
I normally use a kelly kettle, but those are quite large.
I got a few Rab down jackets. When something damaged them I could send them over and for 20-30 euro including shipping back&forth they fixed them!
I really like this instead of buying a new one.
Are there other brands who do the same I wonder?
Patagonia does. But it is American.
Haix did for my shoes.
My Swedish Didriksons jacket is still holding strong since I bought it in 2016
My kids Didriksons winter suit lasted two long seasons (6 months of snow) of constant abuse until she grew out of it.
Husky is missing on that list
Although quite expensive, I like Jack Wolfskin. Or how I prefer to call it Jacque Peaudeloup.
Just bought the oldest kid their first sleeping bag: From Nordisk rather than Marmot.
Also if you're in the market for a new tent, Bergans makes a decent one
As a Norwegian, it hurts to say this but Hilleberg also make excellent tents.
Pricey buy you buy once and cry once.
Jesus 10000,- for a 3 person tent? Bit rich for my blood. I can recommend the one i linked to. It weighs very little and has served us well on several camping holidays in Denmark, Hordaland and Sogn og Fjordane. Equally good for wild camping as campsites and easily put up by one person. There's also enough room in the bag to just stuff it in if you're in a rush.
Also, Huppa is Estonian and makes good jackets.
Idk about their new stuff but I can say my dad's 30+ years old mammut jacket is absolutely unkillable. Really well made with some kevlar pads on the shoulders, elbows etc. It did lose some insulation over time though
