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Gear in “Tough Times”


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  • #1494722
    EndoftheTrail
    BPL Member

    @ben2world-2

    Nope, I don't see any overlap. None at all.

    Ben.
    The Gear Enabler.

    #1494747
    Zack Karas
    BPL Member

    @iwillchopyouhotmail-com

    Locale: Lake Tahoe

    hey–I said I was totally guilty. So so guilty. I could put together a much larger list of gear that I am currently lusting over.

    #1494781
    Joe Clement
    BPL Member

    @skinewmexico

    Locale: Southwest

    I have way more than I could ever use, and have trouble walking by a really good. A LOT of trouble. But in tough times, you can always buy used, I see people put a WTB ad on here all the time, and someone with one chimes in. It's funny, I was looking at a used gear ad on here the other day, and was shocked at the number of guys posting on it who have sold me gear.

    #1494792
    Sarah Kirkconnell
    BPL Member

    @sarbar

    Locale: Homesteading On An Island In The PNW

    Because my husband's hobbies cost way more than mine. ;-)

    What he spends on one rifle or handgun for competition shooting….well, I could buy a whole setup with that!

    And in truth…I like new shiny items. Some stay forever, some get banished not long after. I like having options as well – so my gear can match that outing of choice.

    ;-)

    #1494795
    EndoftheTrail
    BPL Member

    @ben2world-2

    Yeah, and the really crappy stuff, you unload onto innocent, unsuspecting fellow hikers on the forums! (wink)

    #1494798
    cary bertoncini
    Spectator

    @cbert

    Locale: N. California

    almost all my gear i bought used (sometimes unused but tried out in the backyard) from here, ebay or a couple other forums

    most of the rest was purchased on sale or 2nds

    #1494801
    Joe Clement
    BPL Member

    @skinewmexico

    Locale: Southwest

    >What he spends on one rifle or handgun for competition shooting….well, I could buy a whole setup with that!

    Yeah, but I do that too. Losing my job at the end of the month, so I'm gonna reform.

    #1494813
    Brian UL
    Member

    @maynard76

    Locale: New England

    Most of my gear is used or an Ebay find.
    I have used the same quilt for years ( a converted Mountainsmith wisp bought on Ebay).

    But, I have gone through many packs and shelters for two main reasons:
    1- I dont always know what will work best for me until I try it first. this happens a lot until you can figure out how light is light enough for you and what features you really want.

    2- The cottage industry gear and most lightweight gear is not available at local stores so I can't try it on and compare in person. I think every one would buy a lot less stuff if they could see it and try it on in person, this cant be underestimated.

    -and I second the comment that backpacking is one of the cheapest activities you can do. Especially if most of your hiking is close to home and you can save even more if you don't need to buy gear for more extreme weather. I love a winter day hike but for me winter is best enjoyed from inside a warm home with a hot chocolate.

    #1494821
    Russell Swanson
    Member

    @rswanson

    Locale: Midatlantic

    Something has certainly seeped into our collective psyche that causes us to equate spending with happiness, hasn't it? Lets face facts: you can outfit yourself for lightweight three season backpacking for less money than many here will spend on one sleeping bag….and hike the PCT, CDT, and AT with that gear, likely replacing only shoes and socks in the process.

    On a trip just a week ago, I took a friend who is an amateur photographer out for a long weekend on his first backpacking trip, to snap some photos in West Virginia. When he raised an eyebrow at the price of my Western Mountaineering sleeping bag, I asked him what he spent on the 70-200mm telephoto lens he was carrying on the trip. So, I agree with all the sentiments posted here that as far as adult hobbies go backpacking is on the cheaper side.

    This budget-friendly activity extends into the realm of travel too. If a family wants to take a cheap vacation, what do they do? Go camping, of course! My wife and I traveled for nine days in the Sierras, spending just over $1,400 including all transportation from the east coast. If we weren't camping, we'd have easily spent twice that sum. Can you imagine what Roger Caffin and his wife would have spent on the trip he wrote about here in his GR5 articles, had they done it in typical tourist fashion? Four months in French hotels? Hoboing is cheap!

    #1494844
    Sarah Kirkconnell
    BPL Member

    @sarbar

    Locale: Homesteading On An Island In The PNW

    Bawhahhah….

    Hey, some of it isn't junk. LOL! Some one did buy my bargain of a brand new Ti mug the other week ;-)

    #1494846
    Sarah Kirkconnell
    BPL Member

    @sarbar

    Locale: Homesteading On An Island In The PNW

    Joe, last month the company my husband worked for folded. So he took a heavy look at his collection and did sell two of them. Both sold for profit so that was good. He sold one of our AR-15's though. A border officer bought that one – due to the waiting time to get one new. The rifle was in new condition. As the husband sighed, those two sales were 2 months of mortgage payments.

    The good news is my husband accepted a new job this week :-) So that been good news.

    Since I "need" new gear for an upcoming trip and it is my American duty to buy stuff. Or something.

    #1494856
    Nate Meinzer
    Member

    @rezniem

    Locale: San Francisco

    It's very easy to come by some of he main items for very little.

    1) Tarp — just buy a 5×8 piece of silnylon from thru-hiker and some grip clips from shelter-systems. No sewing required!

    2) Bivy — You can easily make one with Tyvek or polycro and DWR nylon. Sewing is good, but not required if you use adhesive.

    3) Backpack — If you're truly going cheap, just use the old Northface you had for school. It will work fine for a weekend UL trip.

    4) Sleeping bag — Ugh. Have to spend some money on this. REI has great bags on sale often.

    5) Trekking poles — you can get a pair on ebay for 20 bucks or just use sticks like Mike Cleland advocates.

    6) Stove — we all know how easy these are to make.

    7) Clothes — Go to goodwill and salvation smarmy and fine some Merino wool or old fleece. Then take it to a tailor if it is too big to cut it down and save some weight. Depending on your metro-area, you can find some great stuff (SF is really good for outdoor gear in thrift shops.)

    8) Shoes — cheap cheap cheap online deals. No more than 30 bucks needed.

    Everything else can be found for pretty cheap.

    I have tried all these techniques at one time or another and was generally pleased with the results. This works well especially if you want to try out the tarp/bviy combo before spending money on a set-up, I recommend just "making" your own tarp for a few close-to-home trips.

    #1494870
    Tad Englund
    BPL Member

    @bestbuilder

    Locale: Pacific Northwest

    Some of my Scouts use old ski poles-
    You can get them at a garage sale for under $5 and sometimes $1.
    Most of the boys get them for free from neighbors by just asking if they have any they want to get ride of.
    If you take the baskets off and trim the excess plastic off the handles, they are pretty lightweight.
    The boys like the graphics also.

    #1494885
    Joe Kuster
    BPL Member

    @slacklinejoe

    Locale: Flatirons

    Sarah,

    Oddly, I've found guns to be an unusually secure investment. I'm sure your husband doesn't want to part with them, but many retain their base value indefinately with light use and many go up significantly over time. Customizations however, typically do not increase the selling price much, perhaps only 10-15% of the amount spent on modifications increases the sale price (just my observations).

    Handed down in my family I've got two rifles that were used by my family in the civil war – I have no idea what they are worth, but they still shoot well. Of course, I'd probably be disowned if I sold them. The 22 rifle I got when I was six is now valued at something rediculous like 7x what my dad bought it for.

    While some have posted contrary, I haven't had nearly the luck re-selling backpacking equipment. If sold locally, it doesn't carry nearly the same value retension – too many new advances and marketing hype for as each season makes adjustments to gear.

    #1494948
    Hendrik Morkel
    BPL Member

    @skullmonkey

    Locale: Finland

    I agree that it should be easy to find gear on the cheap if one looks at Ebay/ Gear Swap/ Sales.

    On the other hand I am a proponent of "Buy something of good quality once instead of buying something of poor quality many times". I add in there normally that I am "too poor" to buy cheap crap. That of course doesn't mean that something cheap is necessarily of poor quality (for example if you buy it used you can get good quality for cheap), but usually something cheap does not have the same quality standards of something expensive.

    Because it fits so nicely in here with the discussion, have a look at this: http://storyofstuff.com/

    #1494964
    Laurence Beck
    BPL Member

    @beckla

    Locale: Southern California

    Tents: Eureka 6.5lb tent –> Eureka 2XEO 4.25lbs –> BA Seedhouse SL1 2lb 10oz

    Packs: Kelty Super Tioga >7lbs –> Gregory Whitney 7lbs –> Osprey Aether 85 4.75lbs –> (Thanks to BPL forums) Granite Gear Vapor Trail (2lb 3oz)

    Sarah: I also don't feel guilty…my wife's hobby is scuba diving and she spent more money in one day than I have EVER spent on backpacking gear!

    #1494965
    Dave Heiss
    BPL Member

    @daveheiss

    Locale: Pacific Northwest

    As with any recreational activity, I think a person can spend as much as they want to. In the backpacking world there seems to be no shortage of $500 tents and bags, expensive electronic gizmos, and specialized gear for any situation – real or imagined.

    For people who can afford to pursue the law of diminishing returns, the incremental gains in performance or fractional reductions in weight that the newest gear offers are irresistible lures. Most likely our competitive natures play a role in this pursuit too. Look no further for proof than the moving goalposts that mark our achievements: Ultralight, Super Ultralight, Extreme Ultralight, You’ve-Got-To-Be-Kidding Ultralight, and so on.

    I admit that I bit the bullet and bought a pricy Western Mountaineering bag a few years ago, but the rest of my gear investments reflect a rather modest budget. And I still have a great time because to me it’s the experience of getting out there that’s important. My first backpacking trip was at age 16 when I convinced my Dad to take me on an overnight hike in the Angeles National Forest. I remember carrying a cheap, heavy backpack with shoulder straps that lacked any useful padding, had a tent that was no more than a piece of plastic tube you strung a rope through to hold it open, and slept on a blow-up pool float/mattress inside one of those Coleman flannel sleeping bags we all remember from our youth.

    “Comfortable” is not a word I will ever associate with my recollection of that trip, but I had a great time anyway. And now, 36 years later, I still go for the experience. My gear is better and lighter now (and more comfortable too), but the fact that it’s not the best or the lightest doesn’t bother me in the least. I’m out there doing something I love, and if others can do it for less or choose to do it for more, we can all be thankful because we’re a lucky bunch to have chosen an activity that is as rewarding and as broadly accessible as backpacking.

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