No more new gear for me…

[Andrew Lush]

I have decided that I will not purchase any more new gear this year.

My base weight is a very comfortable 4kg and that is light enough for me.

I have 6 backpacks, 5 sleeping bags, heaps of sleeping pads and too many stoves to count. In short I have an addiction.

So I am taking a break from all the shopping and I'm going to spend more time actually bushwalking.

There – I feel better already.

[Miguel Arboleda]

Know exactly how you feel and tried doing it myself. But somewhere along the line you get caught up in it again. It's really weird how UL enthusiasts probably have more gear than most traditional walkers… they're light on the trail, but beasts of burden at home.

[joe w]

nm

[Andrew Lush]

I just realised that I have 7 sleeping bags and 8 backpacks.

I'm sicker than I thought!

NO MORE NEW (or old) GEAR FOR ME!!!

(I can do this, I can do this….)

[joe w]

nm

[twig .]

Andrew,
All the best with your goal of buying no NEW gear, I have some SECOND HAND gear you can buy if you feel the need!

[Andrew Lush]

Oh my god, Joe – I forgot about my shelters!

Let's see. I have:

* TT Contrail
* Gatewood Cape
* GG The One
* 2 BPL Tarps
* 3 assorted other tarps
* and 5 other tents (not lightweight though)

I think that's it. But stand-by for a future edit… :p

And as for you Brett: Get thee away from thine own bushwalking gear cupboard, evil tempter!

[twig .]

Sorry to take away from the post for a minute, but what is your verdict on the one vs the contrail. Cheers!

[Lynn Tramper]

Andrew, perhaps instead of going cold turkey, you can make a pact with yourself. If you want a new XXXX, you must first sell one of your existing XXXXs. This is less painful than just saying NO!

[Andrew Lush]

Right: The One vs Contrail.

I'd take the Contrail every time. It so much easier and quicker than The One to erect.

The One is lighter than the Contrail, but its lightness is not enough to outweigh its fiddly nature.
At the end of a long day, when you're buggered and keen to hit the sack, the Contrail is a joy. It's up and you're cosy in two minutes. Not so The One.

At least that's my opinion.

[Andrew Lush]

Good point Lynn.

But I am going cold turkey. Now that I've made my intentions public, I will let y'all know if I remain true.

And I may even sell some stuff as well.

[Boozer]

Gear rotation – yes it is a beautiful thing, but can be terribly time consuming (at least in any quantity). Be careful what you wish for…You might have to sell some great gear to get it.

[joe w]

nm

[twig .]

Thanks for that Andrew, good to hear some first hand comparisons,I've got a contrail and have been thinking about dabbling with the one. Bought any new gear yet?!

[Dan Cunningham]

"No more new gear for me…"

The less a man makes declarative statements, the less apt he is to look foolish in retrospect.

-Quentin Tarantino

[Nick Gatel]

Here is the US, we owe it to ourselves to make 2009 the year of gear acquisition. So this is my strategy for explaining the need to purchase more stuff to my wife. Hey, if I don't buy it… she will use the money to buy more shoes. :)

[Sarah Kirkconnell]

Lol…yes, it your PATRIOTIC duty to spend :-D

[EndoftheTrail]

Not only is it the PATRIOTIC thing to do, it is also the HUMANE thing to do!

Thousands of Chinese are now forced back into subsistence farming and would DO ALMOST ANYTHING for another chance to sew you a pack or tent so they can put their kids through school.

Ben.
The Gear Enabler.

[Denis Hazlewood]

Ben2,
This whole slump could play right into the BS business plan. "I'm in China trying to get workers off the farm and into the factory."

[EndoftheTrail]

nm

[Lynn Tramper]

We have a system that requires us to sell enough old stuff to completely finance the new stuff. It's not necessarily always UL gear we sell, but it works really well as it prevents impulse buying. It always takes ages to sell enough stuff to buy 5 yards of cuben….

[Unknown abc]

Andrew, I hope you have more dedication than me… otherwise you'll give in before the years half over…lol

cheers

[Denis Hazlewood]

I may faint from laughing out loud. Sell Stuff! You've got to be kidding. I've only got half as many tents as Franco. Got to get on line and buy, Buy, BUY. Maybe pre-order a Scarp2 and Hogback.

[Lynn Tramper]

What about a laser comp, a pre-ordered Neo-Air, a Gorilla pack and a couple of Valandre bags to go with those?

It's sacrilege to admit this, but I've actually given away a few stoves and packs, and thrown a Vargo triad out in the rubbish! We've pretty well dialed in what we need, and I don't actually like the clutter of all that unused gear lying around.

[Denis Hazlewood]

Lynn,
I've already pre-ordered a Neo-Air. I ought to throw my Vargo Triad out (doesn't work worth cr*p) but I simply can't bear to. I must have 20 Alco stoves, which I'll never use. Help me, Please.

[Author]

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