Edit: really? Downvotes? Hiker gear is half neon colors and colored in reflective tabs. Easy visibility for SAR purposes is a design criteria for most hiking gear.

Photographers, hunters and people who's taste in clothes doesn't run to the garish?

I’ve never noticed a correlation between photographers and clothing colors. I tend not to be in my own photos, so it’s not something I select gear based on.

Obviously not every bag is bright, although my wife’s bag is a nice metallic teal, but every hiking bag I’ve ever seen has reflector tabs built in. Ditto with our tent and rain flies, and quite a few of our tops. They help in a SAR situation, and improve safety if you ever need to come close to a road at night.

Taste is subjective, but outdoor gear trends towards the bright for safety reasons.

I have never seen a hiker wear camo, all of them have reflector tabs, and a large percentage have tops, bags, and hats in bright colors. And that’s not even getting into inclement weather gear, which trends towards the super garish. There’s a reason why Everest has a “rainbow valley”, and it’s not because heavy coats are designed to be subtle.

I pointed out that hunting isn’t hiking (opinion, but they do have different names), and that regardless hunters regularly wear gear that is anti-camouflage by design, making any distinction there moot.

I then proceeded to point out that hiking gear has reflective tabs and bright colors for similar reasons. The more extreme the gear, the more intense the visibility features on average.

I then made an observation about what I’ve seen.

At no point did I say that any of those groups aren’t “real” hikers. Therefore, not a true Scotsman argument.