No more new gear for me…

My weakness is jackets – 5 softshells, 2 windjackets, 3 shells (edit: + 3 insulated jaackets). I'm only up to 2 tents, 3 backpacks(and 1 is an old EMS 4500 that weighs 7 lbs I'll never use again – and it could well be 4. I have an Ohm and a GG Gorilla on order, theoretically to pick btwn the 2. But if I like them both . . . ), 1 stove (not counting my home made cat can experiments) and 2 sleeping bags (summer and winter).

Of course, I only started buying stuff again last year.

My girlfriend will happily tell you that last year, when I decided to recommit to backpacking, I said "I just don't want to become one of thos people that gets obsessed with gear."

Oh well.

I too have decided to go "cold turkey" this year. I have enough gear to make 5 different set-ups and honestly, I haven't even USED all of the gear I have. It first hit me when I got my REI dividend this year. It was about 198 dollars… That means I spent AT LEAST $1,980.00 on gear last year. (That doesn't include at least 500 bucks worth of gift cards either, which doesn't count towards your dividend OR other purchases from campmor.com, sierratradingsupply.com, or various walmart and other "mega-sports-mart" type stores…) I too have a gear addiction…. I also have the added motivation of being a father this july as well, so its either clothes and food for my baby OR more gear for me…. oh decisions decisions…. ;-)

Oh yeah, and as for my dividend??? I have approximately $11.20 remaining…

Nice one Justin.

Now there's two of us.

Good luck and may you be strong and resilient against those who will tempt you, as they have tempted me.

; )

Lushy

You are very close to breaking Ryan's First Law of Packs,