Boots:
I recommend leather boots over Goretex for Irish conditions as they are tougher and more waterproof. I have heard of Goretex boots leaking after only a few months. It is possible that thorns can puncture them, their advantage is that they are lighter. When trying them on in the shop your boots should NOT be snug! Be sure to try them on with a pair of thick socks. Wear them for at least a day around the house before venturing out onto the hills. The Great Outdoors are usually quite good about exchanging boots that were bought too small (and are still clean).

Jackets:
Decide if you want to buy a "shell" jacket or one with a lining. I personally prefer a "shell" as they are cooler in Summer or when climbing uphill. You can always wear a fleece under your "shell" jacket if it gets cold. Remember that only a car or a house are genuinely "waterproof".

Rucksacks:
Buy one with a chest and waist strap for comfort. After that the only difference is size. Note that NO rucksack is waterproof. Instead, people put gear in plastic bags within the rucksack in order to keep stuff dry, you can also buy a rucksack cover.

Trousers:
The best and most comfortable option is to get dedicated walking trousers. They are light and well suited to the sport. I prefer the type with zips that enable you to remove the bottom half of the legs from above the knee on hotter days. Failing that a pair of tracksuit bottoms are ok. But jeans or cords should never be worn on the mountains.

Torn Trousers:
It is a fact of life that trousers will get torn on barbed wire etc. If this happens the best solution is to buy an iron-on patch which can be bought in a fabric shop. I use one made by "Pronty".

Waterproof Leggings:
Light waterproof leggings are better than heavy ones when you are going uphill. Due to friction the water-proofing of most leggings has a short life span, and eventually lets water in. I find leggings are more useful as a wind-break and for warmth.

Fleece, hat, scarf, balaclava:
All much of a muchness. Note that a full zip fleece is handier for taking on and off during a walk.

Gloves:
Genuinely waterproof gloves are very expensive. Normal hillwalking gloves will get saturated in rain. So the best advice is to bring a 2nd pair and put them on just as your hands are about to fall off or dissolve!!

Walking Sticks:
The use of a pair of walking sticks will greatly prolong the life of your knees. Most knee damage is done when going downhill. They take a bit of getting used to but are worth the effort. Please note that a pair of walking sticks gives the best protection, the use of one stick on its own can result in back or knee alignment problems. If you do a lot of walking I recommend sticks that have shock absorbers in the handles as they can prevent "tennis elbow". Finally, learn how to use the hand straps!!

Water: Bottles can be a nuisance, stopping taking off your rucksack, opening it, taking out your bottle etc.etc. I recommend you invest in a "Platypus". The best one I have come across is called "Source Clear" or "Source Widepac", they even have a plastic cover for the mouth piece!

Underwear:
The big advantage to thermal underwear is that they keep you dry and therefore warmer. I wish I had discovered them about 100 uncomfortable, wet walks ago!! Somewhat pricey, but I'm worth it!

Gaiters:
Gaiters help to keep your feet dry, which is vital in Winter time. The problem with most gaiters is that the strap under the boot snaps after a while and the gaiters ride up past the top of the boot allowing water in. The only gaiters I have found that overcome this problem are called Altitude gaiters from Mountain Hardwear. They are expensive about €50, but you'll never buy another pair.

Insect Bites:
You will need an insect repellent in Summer. The active chemical ingredient in repellents is "diethyl-m-toluamide" or "Deet". The milder repellents contain only 20% Deet which is why people often find them ineffective. The more powerful ones such as Ben's (which I bought in a chemist) or Expedition Plus (Great Outdoors) contain up to 95% Deet. But you must be careful not to get it near eyes, mouth or cuts. Spray it onto your hand first before applying and the wash your hands. Boots Chemists do a repellent that contains 50% Deet. A herbal option is Bioforce Herbal Insect Repellent which contains oil from the Neem tree but would not be as effective. Other club members swear by "Citronella". Waspeze is a good after-bite solution if any of the buggers (pun intended) get thru your defenses.

Torch:
Get a light-weight head torch with halogen bulb. I would recommend the Petzl Zipka Plus (€40 including discount) and don't forget spare batteries.

Compass:
I recommend the Silva Ranger 3.

Map:
You should always have a map with you and learn how to use it. In Wicklow we use the Discovery Series Sheet 56 (laminated). Harveys Maps have more detail but are not compatible with our compasses as they use a scale of 1:30,000.

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