Not sure if this is the right place to post - send me elsewhere if not - but Winter’s coming up and I’m looking for some 21st century lightweight wet weather gear to go running/hiking in. Breathable and waterproof shells with quality thermoware underneath is a rough idea of what I want. The sort of thing that will keep you warm and cool.
I know I could go to one of those cool little outdoor stores by Taipei Main station and pay 10,000 plus for what I’m after but I’d like to find it way cheaper. Any suggestions? Places to go in Taipei?
Basically anything “21st century” will cost you the same here or OS, so go to REI.com and mail order, or go to an outdoor store like you have already found. i like the store RFO (run far outdoors) whose slogan is “naughty monkey coming wildly”… and yes, they do actually get the ‘spank the monkey’ reference. their english is pretty good, they have a lot of marmot and similar stuff. they are on civic about 150m east of FuXing rd. walk from ChungXiao FuXing MRT (blue and brown lines).
there is also meant to be a store closing down on shida road near the taipower bldg MRT exit. (on the way to JBs, not the uni side) maybe they have already gone, but they could have a bargain or two left. i must go there and get some thermals myself.
a lot of the top-line stuff is generally not priced much different anywhere in the world. a lot of it is snob value here so people do not mind paying more than OS either! go figure. you CAN get some cheaper good-quality stuff by ATUNAS, made here but ‘styled’ etc in germany…
beware of the generic GORTEX etc labels, especially inside gloves and boots and hats…Gore can’t find all the copycats.
i have also found some considerably cheaper skiing stuff in hong kong in stanley market… if you are going there it might be better, especially for some Korean and Japanese made-in-HK brands.
BTW, how exactly do you feel warm AND cool simultaneously?
[quote=“Dial”]Not sure if this is the right place to post - send me elsewhere if not - but Winter’s coming up and I’m looking for some 21st century lightweight wet weather gear to go running/hiking in. Breathable and waterproof shells with quality thermoware underneath is a rough idea of what I want. The sort of thing that will keep you warm and cool.
I know I could go to one of those cool little outdoor stores by Taipei Main station and pay 10,000 plus for what I’m after but I’d like to find it way cheaper. Any suggestions? Places to go in Taipei?
Thanks.[/quote]
I’m afraid you won’t find cheaper. As there are many mountain/outdoor sport stores in Taipei, maybe you just have to find one which offers some discounts…
Thanks urodacus and engerim, seems you’re both saying much the same thing. I might put up with my more 19th century styles until I catch a sale.
As to how I stay warm and cool at the same time. Well, resisting the easy double entendre its all about having to ride my scooter up into the mountains and then get off and run. That ride can be very cold - the run is much warmer. I can rug up for the ride but then what do I do with all those clothes when I get there? There isn’t that much room under the seat. Plus I lack the patience for all the taking off and puttin on of garments that’s required.
Its also about good design and traveling light. The idea of riding up there with with only a shell over a couple of thermals then taking off one of the ‘thermals’ for a nice run in the cold and/or rain appeals. Nice and simple. Tho, I hear that rain is acid as it comes.
i personally freeze on the scooter in any weather except summer time… no body fat. so i can not speak from experience! but i don’t mind running in the hills with a camelbak on as they strap on pretty well, so perhaps you could put your thermals and/or windproof-rainproof in the camelback and stay cool that way… and keep a scarf and gloves under the seat or the ride home when you WILL get cold if its been raining.
or carry a small plastic bag and stash your riding clothes just off the start of the track to retrieve later. if it looks like a bag of trash, it’ll be well disguised and probably stay there forever.
Does anyone still have the wahing instructions that come with goretex gear? My jacket is filthy but I have a feeling I’m not supposed to throw it in the washer.
you can wash goretex in a washing machine in warm water and about half-strength standard detergent, or down soap, but no bleach, and not on a rough cycle if you can select. rinse well, don’t spin for more than a minute or so if possible, as crushing the material leads to premature delamination of the backing fabric and the layer of teflon. hang out to dry on a hanger without using pegs. you may even find that a very light iron with a cool (maybe 60-70degrees) iron helps to preserve the look of the outer material, which is usually some kind of nylon. remember most nylons melt above 70 degrees! some backing fabrics do not like to be ironed, though. usually the tougher 3-layer sandwich constructions like heavy duty rain jackets and mountaineering clothing appreciate it. lighter laminates like in some tents, and 2 layer constructions (where you can see the white surface of the goretex teflon layer on the inside) don’t (must be due to the fabrics ability to withstand heat, but not sure really)
i generally wash mine in plenty of water with not many other clothes in there… just rain jacket, pants and maybe a bivvy bag in a full machine of water. let the detergent do the job for you rather than rubbing the crap out of the fabric as that again leads to premature delamination (the glue holding the protective outer fabric and softer inner fabric to the central teflon layer breaks and first you get bubbles apperaing, and then eventual separation of the layers).
yearly (or so) washing of all goretex material is recommended as it opens up the pores in the teflon again, allowing it to breathe properly and vent that water vapour away from you. body oils tend to accumulate in the teflon layer (liquid water is repelled by teflon, but oil sticks to it) and block the holes so it becomes pretty much like wearing a plastic bag after a while. mind you, a plstic bag is cheaper.
the same instructions apply to many other hi-tech breathable fabrics like fine-tex, etc.
