One thing that should be pointed out is that something being made in china is not necessarily a bad thing. Everything is made to a price, the chinese can make good stuff if they want to, they can also make crap. So can we. The macbook that I'm writing this on is a high quality bit of kit, it was made in china as are iPhones iPads etc.
So for any given piece of clothing you have the cloth, taped seams etc, stitching, its all in the design. If the person who stitched it is on £2per hour or £10per hour the quality should be the same...
If you think that any modern synthetic DWR treated garment is going to stand up to the kind of day in day out abuse that a shepherd or forester will give it then you are mistaken. For these people old school fabrics will work better, but they might not stay dry all day. They will however go home to a nice warm house and a hot bath and dry it all out ready for the next day. North american hunters on the other hand may only hunt a couple of weeks a year, but they will likely be sleeping outdoors, and drying wet kit in a tent is not fun, so for them the fancy synthetics are a massive benefit. They dry quickly and keep water out much better when in good nick.
Tom D, some good points well made. 100% behind you on this. It is always about the right kit for the right job for the right environment.
All the best
Andrew
Rugged & Tough
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