Birding Trousers;
In the 70s we all wore jeans to go birding because
1- they were cheap
2- they were hard wearing
3- there wasnt much else!
4- maybe we thought the smell of four guys in soaking wet jeans in a car was rugged!
Nowadays there are alternatives - craghoppers seem to be a fave alongside rohan north face regatta etc, they also have more pockets . Personally I can't think of anything worse than wet jeans to bird in :))
S
Thats right, cotton is the worse fabric for outdoor pursuits, it holds water and takes hours to dry out. Another tip, you can waterproof just about any of your outdoor clothing ( fleeces and trousers) using Nikwax or isotex. The wash in stuff is better than the spray you end up with a more even finish to the garment, some of the sprays are solvent based too and they stink.
Hi Seymour
Exactly about the Jeans. I wore Jeans when doing all my Wildlife conservation work all those years ago. Now, I cannot remember last time i even wore jeans now as they are off my fashion list.
Do you know if you go out for any daily walks with the 'Rambler Groups' they will not allow people to wear jeans at all. I think it is incase of an accident and if jeans get wet they are a nightmare to remove from your body.
Since the Ramblers have graded walks (some easy and some hard), I can see clothes becoming an issue and it is better to be prepared incase of any emergency - so the same rules need to be added to a bird watchers outdoor gear too. No jeans
I have Regatta Jacket and it is useful too. Too many clothes to mention here at the moment
The Jeans issue is just a thought to consider
Regards
Kathy and Dave
Hi,
I wonder if wet jeans might put you at risk of hypothermia in extreme conditions
Hi a further comment-
Rohan Goas are great if it's warm and will take lightweight waterproofs over the top in rain forests
I like my winter lined Craghoppers trousers. Didn't really expect to still be wearing them in June though!
When will you be covering birding skirts, S? ;)
Hi-
even in the 1970 s we didnt wear birding skirts so I'll leave it to the gals.
:)
seymouraves said: Hi, I wonder if wet jeans might put you at risk of hypothermia in extreme conditions S
I'm a big fan of Craghoppers Kiwi trousers or some of the similar Regatta ones in fact they suit most occasions for me having taken over from jeans even for pub visits.
I recently started using black craghopper kiwis for work/socialising . Terrific and only £25.
For birding in summer I am currently trying Rohan *** Trailblazers.
A bit pricey but they look like they'll do the job.
*** Rohan seem to have moved back towards proper outdoor stuff rather than trendy yuppie 'pretend' stuff to go shopping in.
I'm a great fan of the Craghopper trousers and find the Kiwis do a great job for most of the year. I save Rohan stuff for best but we are lucky in the fact we have a Rohan shop in the Dales that has clearance items and the return to outdoor gear is a great move for us.These are the two makes that have a big enough range in sizes to fit me.
recently got some lined craghoppers in my size and frankly they are brilliant! Good price , comfy fit ; I like a 36 waist by 29 leg in winter because I normally tuck at least 2 layers into the waist band - it's cold here!