I was having a bit of a sort out this afternoon, and came across a pair of climbing / walking breeches. I can't be accurate but I suspect I last wore them when I was about 18 i.e 1978. After that, drink and takeaway food became too regular and they got on the tight side.
Now 42 years later they fit perfectly. I'm doubly happy, one that I kept them (for sentimental reasons) and more; that after all these years and now 60, clothes fit me better than when I was a teenager!
Some Aldi cycling tops, must be 15 years old.
The piping has gone, but apart from that, perfect.
Everything else has been replaced years ago.
Buffalo Super 6 mountain shirt. 26 years old and just coming into its prime. Been used constantly through all the years for biking, canoeing, trekking, dog walking, camping and general adventuring. Cost me £65 then so awesome value. I love it.
Best I can do is a 22 year old montane smock bought just before I went to uni. Still used every winter. May even have been washed.
My outdoor gear generally gets used for outdoor work / workshop once its either worn-in or superseded by something- only tends to last a year or two once that happens.
Oldest thing and most continually used is probably a Concurve N2S wind-proof jacket thing bought around 2003 - supposed to be for running but I wear it on the bike - it seems to be the right garment somewhere in the layers for just about any scottish ride. It did momentarily make the move to workwear but I decided I'd miss it if it got ruined so came back to bikewear even though its got a big splodge of green paint up the sleeve.
A pair of Reebok tracksuit bottoms bought at the Uni shop when I was a student back in 1990.
Pace Racing smock from, I think, 1994. Elasticated waist draw cord has failed but otherwise its still spot on (I think they were actually made by Mountain Equipment).
I have my granddads lederhosen from his alpine adventures in the 50s. Not sure why, they certainly wouldn't fit.
Wearing some Polaris shorts from 1996 currently.
Love them
31 year old Scarpa walking boots. Almost smooth underfoot now, but my word how they have lasted! I bought some new ones 15 years ago anticipating their demise but haven't used those yet. Guess they'll be going to my son when I die.
Have a few things from my teens, still have my first pair of proper shoes from my first pay packet, they are now over 40. But the best of my outdoor stuff is a Patagonia light weight top, poss 35 years old, packs to about baked bean can size, iron it to make it more waterproof, crumple to make more breathable, worn on a Cheddar Challenge in the rain and mud, has been worn on the top of each of the UK’s tallest hills, been above 10,000’ a few times else where. The really cool bit is I still wear it to run now both in winter, as top layer and as waterproof in the rain in spring/summer/autumn. So probably worn a few times every month and just as good as when I bought it. Plus some similar aged Scarpa boots and some Brashers that are going on and on.
gore zip off sleeve jacket, it must be 20yrs plus its falling apart slowly ☹ Not seen anything suitable to replace it with
My Lowa walking boots. Got them for my 18th birthday and survived 17 year's of hiking some of the world's largest mountain ranges
Berghaus Gore-tex paclite smock, think I got it when I was 16, so that makes it 16 years old.
Still waterproof. Elastic waist drawcord has perished a bit. A little short in the sleeve for me now but fine with gloves.
A pair of those Answer MTB SPD casual shoes, from about 98-99, and a pair of Sportiva climbing shoes, similar vintage.
Not clothing, but a Macpac Celeste tent I bought in '92, which is still waterproof, hole-free and still gets used 3 or 4 times a year.
I still have my original Endura MT500 jersey, 94/95ish. Also have my roadie Gatorade jersey and PDM jersey too 90/91 maybe,they appear to have shrunk though. Have a purple North Face bumbag from the first time bumbags were in fashion poss 93. Lowe Alpine rucksack as well,94 I'd reckon.
I have a Lowe alpine safari hat which is getting on for 20, it's in a state now so I looked to see if they still made them, sadly not. That and their alpine hat were great pieces of kit. I had a cull last year of outdoor clothes that were not used....there were a pair of forty year old Rohan breeches that were still in quite good order, but I couldn't see myself wearing them.
A 1992 RAB down jacket, lost a bit of down and a few thread pulls but it still does the job, no rips in the pertex.
been back to Sheffield for a few cleans over the years but it’s just had a wipe down and airing since then.
Not worn it for couple of years but waiting to donate it to the homeless coat collection thing they do in London rather than bin it.
Now have a Canada Goose for standing around on set and a thinner lightweight RAB for general insulation/layering.
Think the old jacket was £100 with staff discount when new so expensive compared to today’s prices but worth it for over 20 years of use!
I have a pair of Rohan salopettes from about 1974. I think it was one of the first items they produced. I still use them for gardening!
1983 Rohan Hyde polycotton jacket. I have an earlier blue label windshirt but I can't find the name of it.
Not sure which is oldest, but the first fleece I bought - a Mountain Equipment Ultrafleece pullover, and my first pair of "my feet have stopped growing" walking boots by Berghaus.
Both must be 29 or 30 years old. Both are "fixing the car/gardening/trail building" only level now (the fleece is covered in burn marks from ill-advised angle grinding), but they're still perfectly functional.
1990 Lowe Alpine Bum bag and 1992 Mountain Equipment Ultrafleece salopettes.
Buffalo Mountain Shirt in blue from the early / mid 90's.
I have a pair of socks that I still wear regularly from 2001.
I've still got a rather fetching purple Pace 'waterproof' jacket, which I always remember being wetter on the inside that out, however heavy the rain, also the overhead fleece, again in purple. neither get any use these days but can't seem to throw them out.
Also have some of the original Nike ACG gear, a long sleeved top & a thermal gilet, which I still wear & look more or less like they did 30 odd years ago.
Fav piece has to be the original Primal Wear 'Don't hurt the dirt' jersey, with the frog wrapped around the Ringlé seat post.
31 year old Buffalo jacket. North Face fleece salopettes of a similar vintage. They both get an occasional outing. The latter are particularly hande for wearing beneath a drysuit when packrafting in colder times.
Breeches you say? I still have a pair of heavy corduroy ones from early 70s. There is a waxed cotton jacket hanging around in the garage somewhere.
Somewhere I have a purple Berghaus Trango Extrem, as worn by Joe Simpson, Simon Yates and pretty much every other British mountaineer some time in the late 1980s. I think I probably also still have ME Ultrafleece salopettes from the same era.
Anybody want to join me in a Bring Back Ultrafleece campaign?
https://hilltrek.co.uk/clothing/smocks/lochnagar-fleece-smock/
Pace Racewear smock/jacket, must be at least 25 yrs old. Acquired in a clearance sale by Pace IIRC reduced from £150 to £50. My favourite waterproof top although not as waterproof as it was despite several reproofings.
Endura jacket, can't remember which one, which is older, still wear occasionally. Also been reproofed several times but has a couple of small 'war wounds'.
Older still would be a waxed cotton drovers mac for horse riding. Stopped riding some years ago and not worn since, before that was in regular use on long distance trail rides.
For those of you with antique walking boots - do you never use them?
The most I get out of a pair of 5-6years of solid use
@scotroutes - ultrafleece was way ahead of its time. Fantastic kit, some bugger nicked mine in a pub.
Ooh, forgot.
A Karrimor barbag and panniers from the 80's.
Still used by various family members, mostly to carry chickens if social media is to believed.
Year 2000 I bought a North Face Guide jacket when "working" in the Dolomites. Can't find a better ski jacket (without paying very silly money).
@scotroutes – ultrafleece was way ahead of its time. Fantastic kit, some bugger nicked mine in a pub.
It was kind of the progenitor of soft shell, sort of. Somewhere I think I have an early Montane hoody made from the stuff, though they branded it Karisma I think. Edit: as per the Hilltreks link above 🙂
I have a Pace fleece from about 1990, maybe 91. Elastic have gone, most of the reflective piping has gone and the chest pocket zip is broken but it still fits and is worn a few times a year.
These are my favourite threads, i moved back to England in 98 from 5 years in Arizona and was permanently freezing so bought a rab down jacket for walking around in, lusso thermo bib tights and a Pearl Izumi jersey for riding - all still going strong. Also got a ground effect Baked Alaska from around the same time. Still look to those brands before any others when on the look out for new kit
Silva compass & Swiss Army Knife 30 years.
Lowe Alpine daysack (walkabout) 25 years
Jack Wolfskin Polartec100 fleece smock (now demoted to kayaking thermal) 25years
Lowe Alpine large rucksack 20 years
Zamberlan MountainLites - awesome boots - 3 resoles - still used regularly. 23 years
ME Lightline duvet jacket 22years
Macpac down sleeping bag 22 years
Think that's all the really old stuff.
Just remembered the Ron Hills - 22 years old - still have them in a drawer but probably not worn for 15 years - why were they so popular?
I dont think ive any actual clothes from years back except gear in the form of my Karrimor discovery 75, I think I got that early 80's. Its been all over Europe with me and is as robust as ive found of any.
Oldest item is a Buffalo mountain shirt which is 24 years old but it only gets worn a handful of times a year as it's too warm for biking and I don't really do much walking/hiking these days. I have a Ground Effect sub Merino that must be about 15 years old and has been used a lot, getting a bit threadbare but I reckon it's still good for another 4 or 5 years.
I still have a Submerino too Stwvn. I bought it on your recommendation😉
The Baked Alaska I got on eBay gets more use these days as it's such a versatile bit of kit but it's probably only half the age of the sub Merino.
I've got some walking tops that were my fathers, he had them before I was born... so at least 35.
Last year I bought a 1977 Mountain Equipment snowline sleeping bag. Still very warm and packs reasonably small, and very cheap!
I still have my Koflach plastic winter climbing boots from the late 1980s and a kerosene stove from the same era.
All of it!
phoenix goretex jacket 1993 gardening /winter work duties only now
loads of mid 80 javelin thermals polyprop i think still got that whiff about them
other kit
vango beta tent 1987 fjallraven tent 1978 both useable in fine weather stubai wooden ice axe 1977 ideal for getting weeds out of drive joints, whillans sit harness 1976, 10 pt crampons '76 had some tweed breeches around that time aswell and one of those itchy woolen balaclava/hat combos( in brown!) best bit of kit was blacks icelandic sleeping bag lasted from 76-88ish regular use and abuse. I like to get me moneys worth :0
The oldest item still in use is a Berghaus Cyclops Roc rucsac from around 1990 I think.
I have a cotton smock with fur collar used for several months in Antarctica in the 1950s by a friend of my dad's who wad there as safety backup to the scientists. A couple of short wooden shafted ice axes about as well from the days of step cutting and bailed boots.
