What are the considerations we make before opting to buy a piece of outdoor kit? Well, the first thing should always be: do I need it? The best and most environmentally sustainable hiking gear is the gear you already own. After this, brand reputation, price, performance, eco-creds, how it looks, how it fits and how it makes you feel will all come into play.
So, say you wanted to buy a waterproof jacket from one of the world's outdoor superbrands – there's a lot to consider. If you were thinking of choosing between The North Face and Columbia, we've asked one of our hiking gear experts to provide the lowdown on both, comparing two trail heavyweights.
