In reply to G1STQ:
So there you have it John. 40 replies.
The salient points being:
Just because it’s expensive is no guarantee it’s that good.
Just because it’s cheap doesn’t mean it’s rubbish.
Layering is important.
High-wicking is good, Cotton is bad. Denim is a killer!
Breathability is important.
Materials that are warm when wet are important.
Confused?
Well there’s more. Not only do you need the right clothes (for all definitions of right) but you need to consider how to keep it all dry in you rucksack. And getting the right rucksack!
Modern stuff tends to be much better than traditional stuff. But there’s old style stuff that is still good. One thing which does tend to be thought about on the more premium gear are things like seams. The more you pay the more likely you’ll find that seams are designed so the don’t rub or irritate etc.
On items like Goretex jackets, the more you pay then the more likely you will find zippable ventilation slots, map pockets, secure key pockets etc. Little touches than improve the whole experience. Not essential but nice.
I’m built for comfort not speed and I seem to leak moisture so it sounds like you’re in a similar position to me.
Stuff which is reasonably cheap which I’ve found to work well:
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Highwicking T-shirts from Mountain Warehouse. Around £7 each.
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Highwicking walking trousers from Berghaus and Regatta. The Berghaus ones were priceyer but work well in the summer. The Regatta ones were cheap (about £14) and are better for the Winter. They also have 9 zipped pockets!
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Microfleeces. I have 2, a Craghopper with zippable neck (£12) and a slightly thicker one from M&S Outlet (£5).One is normally enough even in Winter. But if it’s windy or well below zero both can be worn.
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Fleece gloves. £2.50 a pair from ASDA. Unbelievably good value. Thinsulate lined. They aren’t windproof so they breath well. They’re warm when wet. I have a pair with a water proof layer that normally make the hands too sweaty.
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Hats. A 50p Beanie hat from ASDA is enough when actually walking. Sometimes I wear a Buff under it. I have a Peruvian super warm hat that the boss got me. It’s Alpacca lined. Far too hot to walk in but great for when you stop.
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Buff. A real Buff is £14 for a tube of material. Unbeliveablly expensive but really useful. I bought a clone from a Korean company on eBay for £1.50 inc P&P. that’s just as good! Used as a hat, scarf, hat liner.
The other items I have are all more expensive branded fashion nonsense. 
As a diabetic I can’t take chances with my feet so I have some expensive boots and socks. Bridgedale liner socks (no seams) and Bridgedale Summit Extreme socks. Lots of padding etc. You may find other socks for less. I know these work on my feet and as I’ve said I can’t take chances finding out if other stuff works or not for me. Remember, socks wear out. Given the possible problems I could have with my feet I replace the socks with 2 new pairs every 2years. Comparing how my lardy weight as squashed the life out of them is quite suprising. Also I seem to do about 45 summits/year and over 500km/year so if you walk less they’ll last longer.
As to whether expensive is better… In 1998 I bought a Mountain Hardwear fleece jacket reduced to £90. Sarah, my XYL, was outraged at the price for a fleece. I still wear it now and after 13 years the lining of one pocket is wearing thin from car keys etc. It gets a huge amount of use and is worn nearly everyday from Autumn to Spring. In the same time the boss has had many supermarket fleeces in the £10-15 range that had fallen apart with use. She borrowed it once and was amazed how much warmer it was than her similar jacket. So it was painfully expensive compared to just a fleece but it does seem to have been worth it. Sadly a sample of 1 is not statistically valid.
If you want a waterproof that breathes and works then Paramo is the answer. Goretex does work but it can’t really cope with the sweat output when you climb hills. It’s better than stuff that is 100% waterproof. Farmers gear like waxed jackets work well for farmers as their activity to sitting about ratio is very different to walkers. Walkers tend to do more continuous walking. SOTAists do the walking then long periods of sat about which pushes clothes to the limit.
Layers, breathability and avoid cotton and you should be OK.
Andy
MM0FMF
