[Echo]

Being able to make your own clothes is ideal, but may not always be feasible. Not lending any weight to style, what is the most rugged clothing (specific brands please, if possible) out there. Like, is it possible to buy 10 pairs of pants and hope they last you 15 years or more? But I'm talking all clothing...top to bottom, inner to outer layers, etc. And of course, the less it costs, the better. THANKS

 

[dirtyape]

Im kinda partial to 5:11 myself. Has yet to fail me in any way. It can be a bit pricey but I had a coupon code that worked for 45% off...

 

[Caribou Hunter]

Carhart canvas work paints have lasted me years.

 

[jfountain2]

Carhart, Dickies, and Walls work clothes.

 

[silentmaster101]

Carhart, Dickies, and Walls work clothes.

+1 to that. dickies is running a special on pants right now for a $5 rebate per pair you buy this month off their website.

i have a carhart and a dickies jacket and they have both lasted years. the dickies has some holes in it around the one wrist cuff on mine from use but thats it, just tiny holes after three years working in it everyday for three months a year.

 

[texjen]

we totally took advantage of black Friday for ourselves. Wrangler jeans at walmart were only $8...no limit. Dickies t-shirts were $3.
Bass Pro had Red Head jeans for $9- stocked up on these as well.
Whenever you can find great denim on sale for these prices, buy all you can afford.

 

[PrairieGirl]

I love clothing from Mountain Equipment Co-op here in Canada. Their clothing is "pricey" (compared to other "outdoor" clothing) but is so worth the money. I've bought a few items there over the years, as has hubby, and being pretty rough on our clothing, we see minimal wear after a few years of use (+3 or more; and when I say minimal, I mean 99.9% nothing at all!).

They really are a great place to get top notch quality outdoor clothing and equipment :thumb:

Come to think of it, I'm going there today to pick up some winter boots....and maybe some other goodies I happen to *stumble* upon :

 

[Mountain Man]

First off, to all who say to wear denim. This is not a good Idea, period. Its heavy, even when dry. And forget it if it gets wet. I would reccomend 5:11. The shirts and the pants are not that expensive. Maybe 25 dollars for a pair of pants, and about the same for a shirt. I've worn it on several of my contractor jobs in Iraq, and it has yet to fail me. Matter of fact, I've worn one of two of the pairs of pants on three tours over there. I reccomend Kahki cloth for pants. And cotton, or synthetic button down shirts. They are the most functional over all

 

[Vanishing Nomad]

Look especially at the BDU's for pants.

http://www.foxoutdoor.com/catalog.asp?sctn=Clothing

 

[Guerrilla]

get a few pairs of oversized bdus wear them over your clothes when doing the gritty stuff. Nothing lasts for me. I have split crotches in levis, worn holes in wranglers, and actually had a carhart jacket literally disintegrate on me from drymix concrete. Largely depends on what you do for a living I guess, now I go with cheap and replacable for work clothes, and durable yet nice for everything else.

 

[pete7469]

I still wear my old BDU's and DCU's, They don't fit as well know, but they've lasted 4 years of hard use. You can get then at surplus stores pretty cheap I think.

 

[Prof. Cecil Feio]

I love clothing from Mountain Equipment Co-op here in Canada.

Les uses MEC! Gotta be some good gear! :thumb:


I'm a fan of Arcteryx! But if you plan on buying 15 pair of let's say the Beta ARs for instance, you'd better bring the bank too. At $350 bucks a pair you're going to spend just over 5 LARGE on just pants. But as far as clothing goes (pants, jackets, etc) you're not going to find that there is much better gear out there!

 

[Dano62]

I have no a$$ and couldn't hold up a pair of pants if my life depended on it, so I wear inexpensive sweat pants (Starter or Fruit of the Loom) with a good elastic waist. I'm a commercial fisherman, so they are always protected by oilskins. I get a couple of seasons out of a pair. I also use them for working around the house. If I'm doing something a little dirtier, I'll throw on a set of coveralls. As far as jeans go, used to wear Levi's when I was younger, but they are way too expensive now as far as I'm concerned, so I've switched to Wranglers. Seem to be just as durable, fit the same, and can be had for $10 to $12 a pair at Walmart.

 

[ClovisMan]

Carhart and Dickies make indestructible coveralls and bibs. They also make good workshirts. Wranglers brand work shirts are also pretty resistant. All these items can be picked up at Academy and Bass Pro Shops. Even Walmart sells the Dickies on a seasonal basis.

 

[MOS19K]

I have to add my endorsement of 5:11, it's what I wear everyday as my duty uniform. I've had them for over two years and with the exception of a little fading they still look great. For boots, I've always appreciated Red Wings, they're tough and well built, should last you for years.

 

[PrairieGirl]

Les uses MEC! Gotta be some good gear! :thumb:

I'm a fan of Arcteryx!

Yes he does and there is a reason why :

I dont think I've ever had the pleasure to buy anything from arcteryx but I've seen their clothing and packs in stores. Everything looks very well made. Great suggesion!!

 

[zuren]

Carhartt and Walls! Just bought another pair of double knee pants that I use for working outside, in the garage, in the basement, hunting, etc.

 

[Maurepas]

You cannot destroy those double knee Carhartt's. I wore the heck out of them when I was up North but they are too hot for middle of summer in the South. Never found anything as sturdy.

 

[ken]

bargains

Good suggestions.

Like you I have been buying extra clothes, blue jeans, socks, shoes, the works. Wrangler jeans, and those heavy duty work clothes are very good. I really do expect that the current mess will be much worse that expected. Regardless of the directions the economy goes in the near term, buying clothes now will probably save 15-20 percent off their price next year. I do expect to find some bargains next year, because everything in the world will be on sale by then. I am disappointed in the cheap wal-mart shoes durability, so I bought 4 pair and will try to find better.

As far as durable goes military surplus clothing (gloves, mittens, shirts, pants, jackets and parkas), may be a good option for the price. You will surely get some looks wearing them in the big city, but for outdoor work, cutting firewood, and outdoor work they are worth considering. You can buy a European camo army shirt as surplus, cheaper than you can buy a single t-shirt from china inc. Just consider how many guys have and wear their old M65 jackets, it is very hard to wear them out.

I am also making weekly trips by the second hand stores to pick up bargains. Paying 3-4 dollars for an almost new pair of hiking boots is like discovering buried treasure, ha.

 

[HotPrepper]

Can't speak for the pants, but www.wearguard.com is good for T's and sweats. Their coats are good, too.

I would recommend *against* carhartt carpenters jeans. The light (12oz?) denim just doesn't hold up like levis or other "regular" denims. Trust me on this, I own at least a dozen pairs.