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swisscross
06-11-2014, 12:32
Been out of backpacking for 15 years or so.
Coming back fast and hard.
My breif time on WB has brought me into the modern age of equipement.
Cannot believe how light equipment has become.

Please riddle me this...why are rain gear so freaking bright.
I am not looking for camo but good Lord...it does not have to be bright blue, orange, red, yellow and God forbid black.

My research has brought me to two specific jackets, the Mica and (preferred) the Helium but I cannot bring myself to wear the offered colors.

Insight on colors is greatly appreciated.
Have read most prefer muted colors (myself included).
With all th positive reviews of these jackets what was your intended use?
Or do you just overlook the color as function is the main concern.

Sorry if this came off as more of a rant. I did not mean for it to.

Is it the limited color range of these specific fabrics?
Do any of you guys or gals wear bright colors in the woods?
I do understand the use of bright colors in winter wonderland.

Thanks

Tipi Walter
06-11-2014, 12:44
I love the color of my Arcteryx Alpha jacket for two reasons---it lets me be seen during hunting season (and I can drape it over the pack if need be), and it's the Hindu color for sadhus and wandering sannyasins---swamis and monks.

http://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpacking2011/Tipi-Walter-Warriors-Passage/i-qgqfZrN/0/M/TRIP%20128%20164-M.jpg


http://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpacking2011/Tipi-Walter-Warriors-Passage/i-q6w9Zd7/0/M/TRIP%20128%20171-M.jpg

rocketsocks
06-11-2014, 12:55
Here's just a couple, but I'm sure you'll find others colors that suit you with a little lookin around.

http://www.rei.com/product/859278/marmot-precip-rain-jacket-mens

http://www.ems.com/product/index.jsp?productId=22274926&pageType=product&akURL=http%3A%2F%2Fems.imageg.net&cp=3707807.12019738.3690144&cid=1242782

Sarcasm the elf
06-11-2014, 13:00
The quick answer is that Hiker Chic is in style right now. I work in a building where hundreds of people come in dressed in some if the most expensive clothes that REI or EMS have to offer. Most of them wouldn't even know how to setup a tent, but they have disposable income and are currently the target audience for alot of gear manufacturers.

The positive side of this trend is that it means a lot of high quality backpacking clothes end up at thrift stores and on the return/clearance racks at outfitters, I'm gotten a couple of great deals in the last few years because of this.

illabelle
06-11-2014, 13:06
I have to laugh at myself. My husband found a sale on down jackets a few months back and told me to pick a color. The choices weren't all that wonderful, and I'm normally pretty conservative with colors, but somehow I managed to pick the green. Except it wasn't grassy green, or mossy green, or pine forest green. No, it's bright lime green.
Funny thing is, I've gotten so many compliments on the jacket, that now I love it! And he got me gloves to match. :D

colorado_rob
06-11-2014, 13:07
Really, I think the quick answer is simply that you want to be seen out there; like Tipi says, especially during hunting season (I think I have his identical Arcteryx Alpha orange jacket). Or if you get into trouble and need to be found. Bright colors aren't any sort of a fad; been this way for what, 20 years or so? More? Camo is great for hunters, I suppose, but regular hikers??????

Deadeye
06-11-2014, 13:09
makes for more interesting pictures!

BobTheBuilder
06-11-2014, 13:34
My coats are bright for the two logical reasons above (hunting season and in case I get lost and am looking to be found), but also for the less intuitive reason that the ridiculous colors are often on sale on gear website. My bright orange Marmot Precip was 60% off.

Dogwood
06-11-2014, 14:10
Most of my hiking clothing and my hiking gear is specifically chosen to blend as naturally as possible into the surroundings. I have a Mica(not the Super Mica) in all black and a pr of GoLite Tumalo rain pants in all black for example. I'll often be aware of reflective trim, logos, etc on gear and amend some of these things to be stealthy. There is no need to look like a Broadway Neon sign in the woods or on hikes.

soulrebel
06-11-2014, 14:10
I had ask my friend several times to remove the hi vis orange pack cover he always puts on rain or shine...It ruins so many pictures...I eventually stopped taking them anytime he'd come into frame.

I have an orange jacket. I sure as hell hope that people don't think I'm religious or philosphical.

RockDoc
06-11-2014, 14:29
I've always used the philosophy that you don't want to be seen out there. You want to be able to stealth camp and avoid attracting the attention of drunken yokals at road crossings. Wear an orange vest during hunting season, yes. But generally, drab is the plan. This helps avoid a lot of needless hassles.

Tipi Walter
06-11-2014, 15:15
I've always used the philosophy that you don't want to be seen out there. You want to be able to stealth camp and avoid attracting the attention of drunken yokals at road crossings. Wear an orange vest during hunting season, yes. But generally, drab is the plan. This helps avoid a lot of needless hassles.

This is excellent advice when camping illegally or living homeless in a treeline around a city---drab is valued. I used to carry an old Army poncho/tarp just to cover my tent and stay hidden. But heck, those days are over and now I like to be "legal" and backpack and camp at places wide open for my activities. Living in stealth mode gets old. And there's nothing much better than a red Hilleberg tent in the snow---

http://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpacking2010/15-Days-with-a-Red-Hilleberg/i-vMtQ9Xc/0/M/TRIP%20105%20102-M.jpg

Feral Bill
06-11-2014, 15:22
LL Bean has some less intense colors, as well as tall sizes.

colorado_rob
06-11-2014, 15:25
I've always used the philosophy that you don't want to be seen out there. You want to be able to stealth camp and avoid attracting the attention of drunken yokals at road crossings. Wear an orange vest during hunting season, yes. But generally, drab is the plan. This helps avoid a lot of needless hassles. This seems so very strange to me, I just don't get it, but I sure saw a lot of Camo and similar back east on the AT. Perhaps it's an east vs. west thing (even though you're from the PNW); I rarely see drab/camo hiking gear in Colorado, except of course hunters. To each his own! I want to be seen. Never had any reason not to be. Well, the occasional poach of a peak on private land..... Or stealth camp....

Tipi Walter
06-11-2014, 15:28
This seems so very strange to me, I just don't get it, but I sure saw a lot of Camo and similar back east on the AT. Perhaps it's an east vs. west thing (even though you're from the PNW); I rarely see drab/camo hiking gear in Colorado, except of course hunters. To each his own! I want to be seen. Never had any reason not to be. Well, the occasional poach of a peak on private land..... Or stealth camp....

Isn't is true that some places out west like California require tents in subdued colors? I heard of rangers telling campers with bright tents to move or leave.

Pedaling Fool
06-11-2014, 16:24
Yeah, I don't think this is an east/west thing.

Stop ruining my wilderness experience, dude:)

http://www.leavenotracedude.com/considerate-of-others.shtml




http://www.leavenotracedude.com/i/considerate3.jpg Colors - Neutral colors help minimize the visual impact you have on others. Instead of bright yellow tents, use grey, green, or blue. Use a tan backpack cover and save the hunter orange one for hunting season. Consider the colors of your clothing and plan to wear earth-tones. This will help your group seem smaller and less noticable, especially in open areas where there is little forest cover.

rocketsocks
06-11-2014, 16:37
Isn't is true that some places out west like California require tents in subdued colors? I heard of rangers telling campers with bright tents to move or leave.
I remember back in the 80's a big push for climbing equipment, ropes, slings and such to be of a earthy tone. A guide/instructor that I climbed with in Yosemite was a big proponent of this, I had no problem with it as those are my favorite colors anyway (though I'm not married to them)...here nor there....interesting though.

Another Kevin
06-11-2014, 16:40
I'm with Sarcasm the Elf. I buy clearance gear, and it's in whatever color it comes in. At least my tent (which I bought new) is gray-green, so I can camp unobtrusively. And most of the stuff I buy turns out to be in subdued colors, because those aren't 'hiker chic,' and wind up on clearance. An exception is that my larger pack is royal blue, as is my 20* sleeping bag, and my 0* sleeping bag is turn-it-off neon yellow because that was the color Marmot made it in that year.

In deer season, I rock the orange! And that means that the pack cover for my smaller pack is orange, because I was too cheap to buy a second cover to use outside hunting season. I don't use it unless the pack is likely to get wet without it. But that means that in bad weather you may see the incongruous sight of Kevin wearing a blaze-orange pack cover and a camo rainsuit.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-olTj22Smlig/UsGqRVMc8eI/AAAAAAAAZbE/sSadolfSkBw/w850-h567-no/DSC_5076.JPG

rocketsocks
06-11-2014, 16:53
I'm with you's guys (I hate that phrase) on this, clearance and price supersede my wants and needs for colors....most of the time. My back pack is iron oxide (just say freaking orange companies:rolleyes:) it was not my first choice, but the price was right.:-?...So, Orange it is. :) fer now!

bamboo bob
06-11-2014, 18:02
Black and green for tents so everyone doesn't have to be hit over the head with the fact that I'm camped. In the Whites I consider it part of LNT. When hiking I might wear a blaze orange at certain times.

Ricky&Jack
06-11-2014, 18:04
they probably think...... If you need a rain jacket and it is probably dark. Bright clothing could help you if problems arise.

kidchill
06-11-2014, 18:27
Yah, I don't get the crazy colors either. I think of it as a safety kind of thing. It's funny you bring this up, 'cause jsut a few months ago I was looking at skiing jackets and I was like, "Why the hell are they so damn bright and crazy non-natural colors!?" Well, if you're half buried in an avalanche, or unconscious, or whatever, you're probably easier to see with SUPER-HYPER-BRIGHT-LIGHTER-ORANGE! I tend to go more with natural colors to blend into the surroundings. Most of the time I'm on trail, I don't necessarily want to be noticed.

Ricky&Jack
06-11-2014, 18:59
Most of the time I'm on trail, I don't necessarily want to be noticed.

My thoughts exactly... But even if you trip and end up in bushes/off a cliff even just 5feet from a trail, you can go a long time un noticed in cammo or dark colors.. But its hard to hide from neon etc.

SunnyWalker
06-11-2014, 22:37
Well Swisscross, my Marmot Precip is black. So that would be ok. However, my down jacket is a dull (real dull )orange type of color. My t shirt is Camo. My long sleeve is tan. It is possible to stay away from bright colors. You're right about the new equipment though. I think back to a long 6 week trip we did in 1969 and the weight of the equipment and clothing and how much clothing we took! Nowadays, it would be unheard of. Wow! Changes changes!

Dogwood
06-11-2014, 22:58
Yeah, I don't think this is an east/west thing.

Stop ruining my wilderness experience, dude:)

http://www.leavenotracedude.com/considerate-of-others.shtml




http://www.leavenotracedude.com/i/considerate3.jpg Colors - Neutral colors help minimize the visual impact you have on others. Instead of bright yellow tents, use grey, green, or blue. Use a tan backpack cover and save the hunter orange one for hunting season. Consider the colors of your clothing and plan to wear earth-tones. This will help your group seem smaller and less noticable, especially in open areas where there is little forest cover.

For me, being stealthy is not about being legal or illegal it's about what PF is saying here. Unless, I'm in a crowded campground with say a party of children, which is rare, or say winter camping in snow I prefer muting visual tones and impact.

illabelle
06-12-2014, 04:57
One of our tents is a shade of orange (one of the Big Agnes tents). I thought the orange was going to be hideous in the woods. I remember one time camping in the fall, and we were setting up the tent. I couldn't find the bag for the stakes. It took a moment to realize it, but it was the exact same color as all the autumn leaves scattered on the ground. I did finally find it, but I don't throw it down carelessly anymore.
We have a dull green tent also. It looks like a moss/lichen covered rock. Both tents blend into their surroundings at times.
I gotta say, though, Tipi's red tent is awful pretty in the snow. When you're looking for a refuge, it's nice when you can easily see it.

Pedaling Fool
06-12-2014, 07:24
For me, being stealthy is not about being legal or illegal it's about what PF is saying here. Unless...
I wasn't saying anything, really. I was just commenting about the east/west thing and a little on where this issue of people being irritated by bright colors may be rooted in, i.e. LNT principles -- personally I'm indifferent. To the OP's question, as to why stores sell bright colored jackets, I have no idea -- A wild guess is that girls drive the clothing markets, so much so that it bleeds into men's clothing:D.


If it were not for the LNT principle that I copied in my previous post, I wonder how much of an issue this would be?

rocketsocks
06-12-2014, 07:45
-- A wild guess is that girls drive the clothing markets, so much so that it bleeds into men's clothing:D.


No doubt a payback for.....never mind,;) I'm blaming the whole fashion fuchsias and faux pas on John Daly.

27377But he sure can knock the spit out of a ball.

rocketsocks
06-12-2014, 07:48
Now lets talk about how difficult it can be to find a pair of sneakers that doesn't make one look like a gang banger.

truth be told it has gotten better, but between 5-10 years ago...OMG fagetaboutit!

ChuckT
06-12-2014, 07:51
Well I keep remembering that John D. MacDonald wrote that fishing lures were made to catch anglers (PC) not the fish.

Sent from my Samsung Note 3 using Tapatalk.

rocketsocks
06-12-2014, 08:17
Well I keep remembering that John D. MacDonald wrote that fishing lures were made to catch anglers (PC) not the fish.

Sent from my Samsung Note 3 using Tapatalk.
so true27378

colorado_rob
06-12-2014, 08:31
Yeah, I don't think this is an east/west thing.

Stop ruining my wilderness experience, dude:)
Yeah, I should have excluded California when I said "west". All humor aside, I do think there is a different take on stuff like this in the crowded east (and west coast!) vs. the wide open spaces and solitude of the west. Tents are a completely different matter IMHO, except mountaineering tents, where again, being seen is sometimes pretty darn important.

Mags
06-12-2014, 08:39
I think the theory is that for technical pursuits, bright colored garments are easier to spot. Be it SAR, being out in inclement weather (so your partner can spot you easier..or you can spot your tent) and so on.

The actual, real-world reason is for reasons stated above: The outdoor look sells. It is what people want. :)

Pedaling Fool
06-12-2014, 08:55
I think the theory is that for technical pursuits, bright colored garments are easier to spot. Be it SAR, being out in inclement weather (so your partner can spot you easier..or you can spot your tent) and so on.

The actual, real-world reason is for reasons stated above: The outdoor look sells. It is what people want. :)
So, if I'm understanding you correctly, people want brightly colored gear for when they are in the wilderness for safety reasons, but when they are walking around town they want the outdoorsy natural/camo/manly look... makes sense:D

Coffee
06-12-2014, 09:02
I have been thinking about making a set of black guylines for my hexamid for use while on the AT. The AT has a number of shelters close to roads. The closer you are to a road, the higher the probability of encounters with troublemakers or drunken idiots. The best approach is to avoid camping near roads but that isn't always possible. I care more about blending in while camped than while moving. All of this is less of a factor when far from roads which may be why western hikers don't care so much about blending in.

Mags
06-12-2014, 09:07
So, if I'm understanding you correctly, people want brightly colored gear for when they are in the wilderness for safety reasons, but when they are walking around town they want the outdoorsy natural/camo/manly look... makes sense:D

Maybe. But I was thinking of the plethora of brightly colored technical shells and jackets people wear in Starbucks or similar! :)

(I confess to liking my soft shell for around town use,however. Great all-purpose jacket. It is black, though!)

Dogwood
06-12-2014, 11:30
Ever notice someone's stealthier color dyed tent say like a Big Agnus or MSR orange tent dyed a somewhat brownish color? Kinda funny looking figuring out what gear manufacturer makes that color tent until one notices the logo labels.

Kingbee
06-12-2014, 11:50
My Marmot jacket is also black.27383

July
06-12-2014, 12:07
[QUOTE=Coffee;1885024]I have been thinking about making a set of black guylines for my hexamid for use while on the AT.


Even though most of the tarps/tents I use are muted, blending colors, I have went from dark guylines to yellow. I have found this really helps me {and others} from "walking through" the lines. Especially in low light.

rickb
06-12-2014, 12:20
My dilemma is that I bought a day glow jacket to be a bit more visible on my bicycle (those new mothers with the strollers on the bike paths need to see me coming) but I just can't bring myself to wear it in the woods this time of year.

Just Bill
06-12-2014, 13:13
I think the theory is that for technical pursuits, bright colored garments are easier to spot. Be it SAR, being out in inclement weather (so your partner can spot you easier..or you can spot your tent) and so on.

The actual, real-world reason is for reasons stated above: The outdoor look sells. It is what people want. :)

The basic premise is more fact than theory. Most modern folks recommend a safety piece, while that term has been morphed into UL terminology for a way to get warm in an emergency, the more traditional use has been to signal for help. In scouts we were also taught that carrying a brightly colored item was a be prepared requirement to assist SAR efforts and no good little eagle leaves the nest without something bright. The yellow rain slicker or bright orange poncho the preferred items at the time.

I still feel it makes sense to carry at least one brightly colored item, of a decent enough size that it can be seen. A shell jacket has always been my desired choice to implement that bit of safety preparation. Generally for the areas I visit- this is an item I don't have to wear all the time, so it's color is not a constant visual offense, but I do have to carry it anyway so it is always available.
As mentioned- besides being a health hazard, most areas east of the Miss. legally require you to wear blaze orange during hunting season.

After that- either spend the dough to buy the colors you want, or reap the benefits when this season's banana sawgrass is discontinued for next seasons meadow sunrise.
No different than 10 years ago when the hot colors were Spruce, Hunter, Pine, Vine, Lichen or Moss (green) or the infinite varieties of Khaki- all popular with the North Face wearing outdoor looking towns-folk of the time.

If current trends have ruined your day, comfort yourself in the fact that in a few seasons your favorite color palette will be back and some poor Ultrarunner will be lamenting the lack of colors extreme enough to support their outdoor assaults.

JumpMaster Blaster
06-14-2014, 13:53
I personally like bright colors. I wear enough muted tones and camoflage in my day job. If you see me on the trail & don't approve of my clothes or gear, feel free to avert your gaze. I'm not walking for a fashion show, nor to please any other person. When it's time for me to be stealthy, I have a few hunting outfits for that.

Who is so self centered that they would complain about someone's clothing ruining THEIR hike?

Geez, get over yourself.

Wise Old Owl
06-14-2014, 13:59
Here's just a couple, but I'm sure you'll find others colors that suit you with a little lookin around.

http://www.rei.com/product/859278/marmot-precip-rain-jacket-mens

http://www.ems.com/product/index.jsp?productId=22274926&pageType=product&akURL=http%3A%2F%2Fems.imageg.net&cp=3707807.12019738.3690144&cid=1242782

The quick answer is order it on line and have it delivered. When I got to the REI store all the bright colors were there and green was missing.

Another Kevin
06-14-2014, 14:42
More on east vs west. Where I hike in the Northeast, the brush is dense enough that my stealth sites have near zero visual impact, even if I display neon colors. In the wide open spaces of the West, your campsite can sometimes be seen for miles, and muting the colors might help not to spoil someone else's photograph.

Note that by 'stealth', I mean 'low impact', not 'unlawful'. Most of my hikes are in places where dispersed camping is lawful as long as you're 50 yards from a trail or a water source and more than a quarter-mile from a trailhead.

I actually do sometimes jot down in my little notebook the compass bearings from my campsite to (a) my bearbag and (b) the spot that I left the trail. Because I can't always track myself in the morning, and I typically can't see either from where I'm camped. I also sometimes tie my white pack towel to my bear bag line, the better to find it.

Wise Old Owl
06-14-2014, 15:00
I remember a very funny article of Teenage Condors in Grand Canyon lands destroying brightly colored tents. Bears will also investigate neon colors from a distance, in spite of poor eyesight.

squeezebox
06-15-2014, 06:05
I wonder if a lot of the bright color issue comes from road cycling?
Where being seen on a cold wet day is a good thing.

Wise Old Owl
06-15-2014, 09:24
You may have something there, but bright colors were available to cyclists in the 80's I wore bright red and black combinations, now there are more options.

wormer
06-15-2014, 10:43
I try to stay away from red because I have been told it attracts biting mosquitoes.

rocketsocks
06-15-2014, 13:28
I remember a very funny article of Teenage Condors in Grand Canyon lands destroying brightly colored tents. Bears will also investigate neon colors from a distance, in spite of poor eyesight.A similar article ran in "Backpaker" Magazine.

http://www.backpacker.com/october_2000_threats_wildlife_bears/nature/1647

Traveler
07-17-2014, 15:53
I wonder if a lot of the bright color issue comes from road cycling?
Where being seen on a cold wet day is a good thing.

Or be mistaken for a Mighty Morphin Power Ranger....