8 European Backpacks Brands for Traveling, Hiking and Outdoor Activities

8 European Backpacks Brands for Traveling, Hiking and Outdoor Activities

The backpack is undoubtedly the best ally for hiking lovers and outdoor enthusiasts, an indispensable object for those who love adventure.

To be a truly excellent ally, the backpack must have some basic features, including size, comfort, and, why not, aesthetics.

Hiking enthusiasts prefer wearing a backpack because it is very large and easy to carry.

In fact, there are some criteria, some of which we mentioned above, that a travel or hiking backpack must have: the type of opening, waterproofness, backrest, laces, sturdy zips, and, as we said before, capacity, comfort, and aesthetics.

When choosing the model, you must evaluate each of the aspects listed above to understand if the model you are buying is suitable for your needs or if you have to look at something else.

Today we will talk about brands that make good backpacks, with all the above features, for traveling and outdoor activities, and that have one thing in common: they are all from Europe.

Many of these companies design other outdoor products also, so you will have the opportunity to purchase all your outfit in one place.

We will look at their history, their main backpack models, and their materials.

So, without any further ado, let’s begin!

Read more

6 Brands like Moncler but Cheaper (+ Jacket Suggestions)

6 Brands like Moncler but Cheaper (+ Jacket Suggestions)

Moncler is a famous Italian brand founded in 1952 in Monestier-de-Clermont in Grenoble, France, and then in 2003 purchased by an Italian entrepreneur.

They started by making tents and sleeping bags, and later they created their first quilted jackets which quickly became very popular and were used in many expeditions.

In 1968 they also became the official supplier of the French national team of downhill skiing.

Nowadays their products include jackets, parkas, knitwear, and many more, but are mostly known for their down-insulated puffer jackets.

As we have seen here, Moncler is a luxury fashion brand with jackets that can reach prices as high as $2000. In that article, we talk about the reasons behind such high prices and if you want to learn more, definitely take a look at it.

Today’s article is a bit different though, as it’s a selection of 6 brands that are similar to Moncler in terms of designs and jacket performance, but with cheaper prices.

This way you will have a wider range of options to choose from on your next purchase.

We will start with a brief description of each brand and continue with a jacket suggestion.

Let’s begin!

Read more

Kathmandu vs The North Face: Which Brand is Better?

Kathmandu vs The North Face: Which Brand is Better?

We are sure that you are just as much of an outdoor enthusiast as we are.

And because we are like you, we know how hard it is to make a choice between different brands of jackets and outdoor gear.

It’s challenging to pick the perfect product, but as your experience grows, the process becomes easier and quicker. At least, this is what has happened to us.

It’s for this reason that we make these comparisons between brands, to help you choose the best gear for your personal situation.

And in the same time, by doing so, we all learn about new brands, products, and technologies.

Today we will compare two popular outdoor brands, The North Face, which we have featured many times here, and Kathmandu, which makes its first appearance on our site.

Let’s try to find out which would be the better choice between the two!

Read more

Helly Hansen vs The North Face: Which Brand is Better?

Helly Hansen vs The North Face: Which Brand is Better?

You have probably heard of at least one of these two brands, if not both. These are two famous names in the industry of outdoor gear, clothing, and jackets in particular.

Many outdoor enthusiasts may be confused when choosing the brand which will provide them with everything they need before an adventure.

We can’t blame them, though. That is because Helly Hansen and The North Face have dominated the market lately.

Helly Hansen, a Norwegian brand that specializes in water and mountain gear, has more experience than The North Face if we were to count the years they have been in the market.

On the other hand, the American company, The North Face has a wider range of products.

Today, as usual, we will be talking about each brand separately and then we will compare them to see which one would be the better choice.

Read more

8 Quality Brands like Arc’teryx: Our Top Picks

8 Quality Brands like Arc'teryx: Our Top Picks

Arc’teryx is a Canadian company established in 1989 providing a variety of high-end outdoor clothes, backpacks, footwear, climbing gear, and accessories.

Whether you like mountain climbing, hiking, snowboarding, skiing, or everyday outdoor sports, you’ll always find something from them to treat yourself to.

Waterproof, highly breathable Gore-Tex is their material of choice which also stands out in terms of durability.

Reducing their carbon footprint and supporting projects standing for positive social change is high on their priority list.

We have featured Arc’teryx in many of our reviews, selections, and comparisons because it’s one of our favorite brands. We have also discussed why it’s so expensive.

Are you curious to know other companies similar to them?

Continue reading, as today we are going to take a look at 8 quality brands like Arc’teryx!

Read more

8 Sustainable Brands like Fjällräven: Our Top Picks

8 Sustainable Brands like Fjällräven: Our Top Picks

Today we will continue with our “Brands like…” series of articles, where we take a popular outdoor brand and suggest 7-8 other brands that are similar to it.

They may be similar in terms of the types of products they offer, materials and technologies they use, activities and sports they cater to, manufacturing processes, etc.

The brand we chose this time is Fjällräven, the Swedish outdoor company with a rich history of success that offers products that are very popular, especially in Europe.

In other articles, we have seen some of Fjällräven’s best jackets here, and we have discussed why its products are expensive here and its sustainability programs here.

In this selection, we will focus on 8 sustainable outdoor brands just like Fjällräven.

Sustainability was introduced into the outdoor industry years ago. As a result, there is an increase in the number of sustainable companies nowadays.

These 8 brands use eco-friendly fabrics and recycled materials in many of their products and have put in place sustainable production processes.

Let’s take a look at them one by one.

Read more

9 Outdoor Brands like Columbia that We Love and Why

9 Outdoor Brands like Columbia that We Love and Why

Columbia Sportswear is a popular and widely known brand for its large number of various and high-quality outdoor products. The company produces innovative and technical clothing and gear, at affordable prices.

Their technologies are great for harsh weather conditions with waterproof, windproof, and insulation features.

We have written many reviews and selections of Columbia’s products, and we have also compared it to other outdoor brands.

Today’s selection is a bit different though, as we are going to take a look at some outdoor brands that are similar to Columbia in terms of product quality, performance, and focus on sustainable means of production.

We will talk about their history, their products’ features, and the materials and technologies they use.

This way, you will not only have more options to choose from, but you will also have a better understanding of these brands when the time comes for a new purchase.

Let’s begin!

Read more