I am fairly new to mountain biking. I got a used bike with Shimano XTR disc brakes and the pads are getting worn down.

It seems there are multiple brands and types and I am trying to figure out what to get.

I ride XC and almost always in the wet.

So, with that can you offer me any suggestions as to what type of pads to look at?

Check out MTBR dot com or dot net or whatever they are. You won't find any help here. Wish I could help you myself, but I don't use XTR calipers.

i've been using Kool-Stop pads for the past couple years with my Hayes brakes. i'm pretty happy with the kool-stop's, they work well even in wet sloppy conditions and they last pretty long.

For your riding conditions I'd be aiming at sintered/metallic pads rather than organics, and not so much brand but availability. Kool Stop makes great pads, so does Galfer (but harder to find).

+1 on the sintered.

If you want decent pads at super cheap prices, check this place out: https://www.discobrakes.com/ They have a bunch of different compounds available for the XTR. They are generally a lot cheaper and I have found wear to be similar to some of the name brands.

Go to Price Point and get a set of ceramic pads; I'll never run anything else, unless they either stop making them or make something even better.