Friday, 23 October 2026
International edition · English
How to choose gear wisely: buying guides, comparisons by product type and technical explainers. We never publish tests we have not done.
8 articles · RSS
Gear Buying guide
Dressing for the mountains is not about fashion, but you do not need to look like you are in costume either. Six practical combinations by type of route and time of year, item by item, with ideas on where to buy them.
Gear Buying guide
The mountains do not have to be expensive. We go through the options for kitting yourself out on a budget —big sports chains, online shops, sales, second-hand and rental— and the items where saving money can cost you dearly.
You do not need everything in the shop window to get started. We suggest three kits —minimal, comfortable and complete— with the buying order we recommend and what each item brings.
It is not about wearing lots of clothes, but the right clothes, and knowing when to take them off or put them on. This is how the layering system used by mountaineers all over the world works.
There is no such thing as the best mountain boot: there is the best one for your foot and the kind of routes you do. We explain what to look for, how to try them on and the most common buying mistakes.
Sleeping in the mountains completely changes the experience of a route. We tell you which gear is essential, what you can leave at home and how to pack it so your backpack weighs no more than it needs to.
A '-5 °C' bag can leave you shivering at 2 °C if you misread the label. We explain the European temperature standard, down versus synthetic, and why your mat matters as much as your bag.
Polyester fibres above 8,000 metres, particles raining from the sky in remote Pyrenean valleys, plastic in Antarctic snow. The mountains are not safe from plastic, and part of the problem is what we wear.
Our store · NMshop
Hiking footwear, jackets, backpacks, camping and climbing gear chosen for the mountains. Shipping worldwide.
NMshop is the outdoor gear store run by the publisher of Altavia.
