Friendly expertise on camping. Please READ!!

I'm sure he's gone by now..However,

Ahren,

Regardless of your expertise, its pretty rude to go onto an existing forum (especially BPL) shouting about all of your experience. I think you failed to realize BPL is extremely technical and offers some of the best information around. Regardless of how much you think you may know, you will learn more. If you went onto most backpacking forums and posted the exact same post you posted here, I almost guarantee you will get the same results.

So rather than coming onto a new forum and telling everyone you are an expert, sit back and read, and soak in all of this great info.

I remember when walking into a big REI storm was fun and you were excited to see what they had, but now I typically dart in for some Esbit, a pair of socks, or maybe a new item like a balaclava or .5 oz. Deet spray.

But I've always wished for a store (similar in feel and staffing to REI) that showcased the items we use and like to talk about on BPL. Imagine being able to look at a display of packs from MLD, SMD, Zpacks, Gossamer Gear, McHales, etc. (models and show pieces — you would still need to contact the companies themselves to place the order) and try on and see for yourself which ones fit best for you.

And then you could move on to shelters and see what the Tigoat bivy felt like under the MLD Cuben Pro solo or whether a Hexamid or whatever else made more sense. This store would enable all of the smaller owners and innovators a chance to show their goods in the right type of comparison — and we would have the "REI" experience trying on and examining in person the type of gear we love.

This alternate universe would be heaven. I'd fly to Portland or Boise for this.

I dont think the cottage industry could wholesale low enough to see this happen. I believe most gear stores buy at about 50% of their regular prices at the least so Henry would have to let that contrail go for about $100

I've been hiding in the shadows reading the responses to what seems to be one of the biggest mistakes on bpl. I understand that there is a wealth of knowledge on this site and no matter who the person, I'm positive there is always more to absorb and learn. However, does it really matter who you get an observation from? Each new person provides interesting view points that maybe even the most well versed person might have overlooked. Now I know it's doubtful, and for those of you who feel it continually necessary to point out that I messed up, I get it; I need to take a step back and observe. What you all don't know is that I left REI six months ago. I'm going back to school. I was a pretty good employee there, working with people who have just as much experience as I'm sure many of you have. I've learned a lot from them and from customers like you coming in and correcting the often times lame ideaologies and misguided information that REI puts out. Well now that I've been out of there for a while, I really miss being able to talk with people about great gear, informing them about products and "proper" ways to fit or find things, just the whole ambiance of the place. Hence finding bpl and being excited to want to talk with others about the stuff we love. Again, I know I was overzealous. I'd rather think of it as too excited. However, some not all, have made it clear that this is not acceptable. I said before, i merely wanted to answer questions that people might have, not come in here saying I was better at UL packing or that I wanted to show people how to do it; only to answer questions about some of the potential gear that some of you might have wondered about without having to travel to a store. There was a lot of product coming in, vendors coming in, customers coming in who all had a great deal of information I could absorb from. The "experts" on here may only be looking at 5 of 40 headlamps. We got to see all 40 and know why they were good or bad choices. And for those who think we just read the box, yeah some did. I didn't. I actually played with it all. Learned why it was a good or bad idea. Yeah it was just my opinion on all that stuff but that's all I was going to give people on here, my opinion. No matter what, due to my love of gear and the outdoors, I'm sure I'll stick around. I appreciate those who have been understanding and accepting of the noob I am, and for those who got so uptight about it, Andy I'm looking at you, well let's just say, I got it and thank you for being so welcoming. I just wanted to help people and talk about gear.

P.S. I know many of you dislike rei, I Don't Work For Them Anymore! I don't like a lot of things about them either. So please stop being a hater of me because of that. Santa doesnt like haters.

hey at least you came in w/ a splash!

Hey Andy I know more about cuben than Richard, Rodger and Dan put together so there :) I never do know when to shut up…. Did I spell cuben right

Hey Ahren,

I don't think people on this forum hate REI, they just wouldn't go there for advice and probably wouldn't consider buying 95% of the items they stock.

They do have a small percentage of gear for light backpackers. Some clothes, one or two backpacks, trekking poles, shoes and lots of supplies.

People just get miffed when they think of all the heavy gear that gets recommended to people for backpacking and rarely do salespeople recommend that the customer may want to go lighter because REI doesn't carry much in the way of lighter/serious backpacking gear.

I know I had a salesman telling me I may want to think about getting a lantern and hatchet for backpacking:-(

Many people in this forum have worked or still work at REI, EMS, Campmor, … so you are not alone.

Have we passed the cuben thread yet Does anyone know the record for posts in 24hrs

Ahren,
It's not an REI thing. It's ANY single source. There isn't one, or even a combination of several, stores that comes close to the array of UL stuff and info hashed on this site.

Ever heard of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally?

Imagine walking into a bar, at about 10:30 pm (or am), standing on a table, and opening with your first post. (Change REI to Honda)

Ouch!

So, sit back, watch the fun, and the seriously great support, to be had here.

Welcome!

I think he got it. How about we now give him a chance to "sit back and learn". Unless we like to give just one more kick, "for good measure"..

Ahren, there was no hate; some humor and sarcasm, to be sure. You touted yourself as an expert because you worked at REI, which we found laughable. I invite you to sign up at Whiteblaze.net and post the same message. They will serve you up with fava beans and a nice chianti.

As to not getting it, you wrote "The "experts" on here may only be looking at 5 of 40 headlamps. We got to see all 40 and know why they were good or bad choices." The denizens of these fora see far more product than anyone on the floor at REI, and on an international scale. We get to play with them all too. There are a lot of people here doing product testing for manufacturers, and the staff goes to the industry shows and reports back as well. Many others are making their own gear and others are manufacturing some of the best ultralight gear on the planet. There are people here who do actual engineering-level testing on fabrics and insulation. We have found what works and doesn't work the hard way, with leaky tents, flapping soles, broken stoves, failed zippers, bent poles, dead batteries, sore body parts, bugs, heat, cold, storms and mis-planned provisions.

Your heart is in the right place, but your presentation didn't fly, that's all. REI is a well run organization with good quality products and world-class customer service. We shouldn't hold you responsible for any of their marketing issues, but the consensus is that REI is not on the bus to Ultralight. BTW, I have been a member since 1965.

So hang around, do some reading, ask some questions, and please do add to the collective knowledge here. No one wants to run you off, but you did show some ignorance of the community here, in a way I haven't seen in the years I've been on line.

Would you like a little more c-c-c-hianti? :)

This is pitiful. Let someone offer advice. Not like it has to be listened to. All this made y'all look like a bunch of pretentious know-it-alls who have there cup overflowing with backpacking knowledge. Just because you have a low base weight, does not mean you know what you are doing out there. Not saying it doesn't either but there are always questions to be asked.

Ahren,
Up until your very last response, I believed you were deliberately playing a game to get a response out of people and I was happy to play along. My apologies, though you may want to consider why your posts gave that impression as others suggested. Anyway, welcome and join the discussions. Experience of various posters usually becomes apparent pretty quickly.

"The "experts" on here may only be looking at 5 of 40 headlamps. We got to see all 40 and know why they were good or bad choices."

Actually what you will find is that many on here do in fact own all 40 plus another 5 that were homemade. (Only two of them have ever been used and 35 are still new in the box.)

And I don't think many folks here dislike REI, I was in there yesterday. The "REI reaction" is more about REI losing relevance as folks move further in to the UL world. For example; the only thing in my current gear that can be purchased from REI are the bottle pockets I bought yesterday and my pants and shoes.

There is nothing wrong with being excited to participate in an online social community, especially one as civil and knowledgeable as this one (really, if you think this thread was harsh, go to rockclimbing.com, supertopo.com, or – if you enjoy verbal abuse for its own sake- Pharyngula). however, I must admit that I initially questioned your sincerity and authenticity as you thread title and initial post do indicate a potential troll. As has been pointed out, the best way to participate is to simply offer advice when it is asked, not to ask to offer advice.

But, in the spirit of good will, here is a non-facetious question:

I've been using a PT Eos headlamp for many years and it is finally dying on me. The light output is about half of what it used to be, I think due to my use of Lithiums (not sure if it was a regulated lamp). I primarily use the headlamp to climb rock and ice at night, to bushwack during the winter after a climb, prolonged night hiking, and for camp chores. As such, I want an LED that throws a far beam, is waterproof/resistant and as light as possible. The Eos did all of this well, but I wonder if the BD Spot or Storm are better (higher light output, less battery drain) for these uses. I can look at the numbers, but have no idea if they correlate to better performance.

Caveats; I do not like a third strap or battery packs at the back of the head… so, there is a sincere question about gear.

P.S. I have no problem with REI… the scratch and dent sales are a gold mine, but I do find that few MidAtlantic stores carry a nice variety of gear and too often the sales staff has no idea what they are talking about, unlike many smaller stores I frequent.

Also, re-read the heading:

"Friendly expertise on camping. Please READ!!"

If you have much experience with Spam, Trolls, and other Internet annoyances. the part "Please READ!!" is a danger flag.

If it shows up in emails, it will trigger spam filters, if it shows up in forum headings, it raises eyebrows and invites flame wars.

Luckily, it didn't turn into a flame war as it read like a joke post rather than a troll post.

Painting the BPL community or the replies here as unkind or harsh is completely unfair.

I get the sense that Ahren had the best of intentions, but he made the classic newbie mistake of walking into a community, putting himself forth as an expert, and opening the flood gates. If you asked an analogous question on another forum, you'd be lucky to get the good natured jokes and messages of earnest welcome that have made up this thread.

As a relative n00b myself- first post was 8 months ago- I feel like I've been treated very well. I've never seen a newbie attacked for simply having a heavy pack, or offering their opinion in a thread. BPL is more of a meritocracy than any other forum I've been on.

Folks who don't have much experience with other fora may not realize this, so it seems worth stating.

+1 Steven, Ike, Richard, and many others!

To those who have said we're cruel because of anonymity: not true, at least for most of us using our real names here. Perhaps that's one of the reasons BPL discussions are usually civil and rational?

Ahren,

You have been properly hazed. Welcome to the fraternity of BPL. :-)

I am a noob here as well. I "snuck" in a few months ago. I think you should keep posting and not become a "lurker" for months before participating. That type of forum mentality is outdated IMO. It takes all levels of participation to make a good forum. Who wants to just watch a handful of gurus chat amongst themselves?

So I say, post away! Just be a learner before a master. The learning curve is steep. You will have opinions pretty quickly. If they are flawed these guys will let you know. Be open to that.

I came in a few months ago after a 20 year layoff from backpacking while pursuing other outdoorsy activities. Within a month I was able to learn, research, find deals and replace my 20 yr old Jansport pack, Eureka dome tent, bulky bag and Coleman Peak One (I didn't even bother weighing that old stuff when I dug it out of storage) with a "comfort light" big 4 base weight of 5.25 lbs. and that's including an actual tent and air mattress.

What weighs more, a pound of feathers or a pound of lead?

What Dale said.
And, welcome Ahern.

I've only been lurking for a few days but I laughed a lot (and contributed to the tip jar as way of apology). I think the thing that made it funny for me is that I have been a little conflicted about REI for totally different reasons … that they are becoming a bit of an "edifice" in various towns, and that ties in to all kinds of things about consumption and identity.

(Man, this is a busy forum.)

Ahren – Welcome to graduate school.

I'm sure in five months we will all be at our desks (or rightfully out on trail) with a brewski and thinking, "remember that time that ahren kid decided to look like a jackass? Well luckily not a lot of people saw it.".

Thanks for letting me come back. And again, I know I was an idiot for my phrasing. I was just excited. Like a puppy; I pis$ed myself when I saw everyone here on this site! Jk. I am stoked to learn the ways of the Jedi and will through in my two cents when appropriate.

Michael- I love my petzl tikka xp. Have the core rechargeable battery too, makes it lighter than using aaa batteries. Also allows you to work from the petzl op system so you can set the beams to whatever you want. Also it allows you to regulate the beam like many of the PT headlamps. The red led on there too works great. You can also flip between focused beam and flood light really easy. It is water resistant.

EDIT: Nevermind- last post shows that point has been gotten.

Welcome to BPL! Any idea why they don't build an REI up here in Duluth? :)

Ahren,

How do you pronounce your name? Is it a different spelling of "Aaron," or more like how its spelled, "AHren?"

Ahren,

I like your zeal, openness, experience, and attitude ALOT… WELCOME!… please do engage with us for the long term and help make this forum an even better place for sharing our common passion.