Follow These 6 Tips to Help You Choose the Right Outdoor Gear

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So you've chosen to eschew the easy life and opt for a rigorous life of outdoor adventure in the great unknown! Or you've simply decided that you want to get off the sofa and head outdoors a bit more to enjoy the fresh air and approach summer weather. In either case, good for you, but regardless of your reasons, you will need to kit yourself out with a few of the basics to ensure that you can maximize your enjoyment and reduce the risk of injury. Here, we're proffering six tips to help you get started when it comes to choosing the right outdoor gear from your feet to your head. 

Consider Opting For Ethical Companies That Promote Sustainability

If you're genuinely interested in the great outdoors, you likely also have the desire to see that it remains intact for your pleasure and that of future generations. If so, then it pays to research companies that have an ethical bent to their mission other than simply looking to turn a profit above all else. If you head over to manggear.com, which is but one such ethical business, you'll see that they have a passion not only for high-quality outdoor gear but also for protecting the ecosystems they call home. Admittedly, it's not as easy as it ought to be when searching for companies that offer both incredibly high-quality outdoor apparel and also have an ethical mission statement, but they do exist, and with a bit of research, you will discover enough to make a difference.

Think About Where You Will Mostly Be Exploring

The locations you plan on exploring will have a considerable impact on the type of clothing and equipment that you ultimately end up with. For instance, an avid outdoorsman primarily interested in Florida will have vastly different needs from those hiking the mountains of Montana. Although there will inevitably be some overlap, different climates and ecosystems involve the use of various products. In most cases, you should equip yourself for those locations you know you'll be visiting the most, and if you do plan on traveling further afield someday, you can cross that bridge when you come to it.

Choose Gear That Is Lightweight And Easy To Carry

The days of having to be a manly man who carries cast iron cooking pots and thick canvas tents are no longer, and unless you believe that this somehow impresses other people, you should look at products that are lightweight by design. Not only will it make your life much easier when on longer trips, but you will have a far more enjoyable experience than if you had to lug around monstrously heavy equipment. Moreover, because of new materials science, lightweight doesn't mean poor quality or durability. In fact, some products today are not only lighter but far more durable than their counterparts were even just a few decades ago.

Research Gear Material Durability

To follow up on the point about durability, if you plan on making this a long-term hobby, look for items that are made to last. The more robust you can invest in, the better. As noted, this doesn't mean you always have to choose between weight and durability since most things now have been designed to combine both. However, just be aware that if you want the very best combination (lightweight and as robust as it gets), you will have to pay for the pleasure, but we'll cover that later.

Ensure Gear Fits Well For Maximum Comfort

Heading outdoors shouldn't be a chore, but if you find yourself questioning your life choices as you yomp through the snow, your fingers cold to the bone, and your feet feeling as though they're about to fall off, then a chore, it will undoubtedly feel like. Instead, shop for comfort, and you'll never look back. The main items you probably want to put the most effort and money into are a decent pair of trail boots. Again, make sure they're designed for the climate you're operating for maximum comfort.

Budget For Quality Over Quantity

Our final tip is to shop for quality over quantity. This can be a bit of a tricky issue if you don't have too much money to spend on your new outdoor hobby, but it is better to wait and save up than to invest in lower-quality stuff. If you opt for the latter, you will end up paying far more over a set amount of time as the gear deteriorates than if you spent an initially higher upfront cost and opted for the better quality stuff.

Opting to spend more time in the vast wilderness that we are so lucky to inhabit is always a good thing. But to make it an even better experience, you can follow these tips so that you end up with equipment and apparel that suits the locations you most explore and remain happy and comfortable throughout.

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