Friendly expertise on camping. Please READ!!

Hi Ahren,

Welcome aboard.

By the way, when you want to use swear words on this site you have to capitalize them (the forum list software apparently considers these words to have special importance and emphasis), so instead of pi$sed you just write Pissed! LOL :)

On a side note, we seem to be a group of people all too willing to screw off at work..

Man I love watching all the cyber hikers get on a newbie's case on here. What's even funnier about this kid's opening post is the amount of people that have thousands of dollars in gear that use it once or twice a year to hike in a couple of miles to camp.

Ahren,

I've consistently been confused in the shoe section at REI by how many big, stiff boots get recommended to people.

This happens so often, and I am so amused by it, that I sometimes hang out in the shoe section just to listen to the recommendations the staff gives — and I've seen a lot of Asolos being sold to Grandma and Grandpa who informed their REI staffer that they want to "take more walks in the woods."

Do you have the inside scoop on what type of training the shoe section customer service people get in order to dispense advice? You'll find on this forum that going with light trail runners in lieu of boots is almost axiomatic. Are we missing something? Why does the non-BPL-style crowd and the sales people who attend them, possibly the vast majority of backpackers/hikers, insist on big ol' boots?

Evan

>Why does the non-BPL-style crowd and the sales people who attend them, possibly the vast majority of backpackers/hikers, insist on big ol' boots?

Fear, marketing, and lack of knowledge.

8 pages in under 24 hours is pretty impressive….but we’re only 20% of the way to having Ahren his membership. It is not as glorious as donating to Japan relief efforts, but it is fun and a great way to welcome Ahren and give him props for having taken a fine hazing worthily after it’s all said and done.

Don’t buy him a beer, help get him a BPL membership here: toast! (link)

[Obviously I am a lousy fundraiser, and an even worse cheerleader]

>[Obviously I am a lousy fundraiser, and an even worse cheerleader]

Just as long as you don't post pictures of yourself in a mini-skirt with pom-poms.

@Travis – don't give anyone ideas – this is the internet you know. Nevertheless, no need to worry about that from this antiquated Presbyterian lad.

Hehheh! Good times! :D

Now that Evan mentions it, when I tried to talk socks with the footwear salesdroid at my "local" (100 miles from home) REI, he was shocked and incredulous that I would backpack in trail runners.

And yes, I am screwing off at work.

Ahren,

I'm relieved that you have survived the waterboarding. This lightens things up a bit.

Soooo, "Please READ" (from your original post title) reminds me of that line often included in jokes "careful what you ask for". Your post may have been the most read/responded-to per-hour post in BPL history.

I can see your name becoming a verb. "That was an interesting post. I wonder if the readers will Ahren it?" "Wow, I got 50 responses to my post while at lunch. I've been Ahrened." Fifty years from now no one will know where the verb came from.

I'm a little jealous, actually. I've posted some Nobel Prize caliber ideas and projects but rarely get more than 2 or 3 responses.

You were sincere and open and stood your ground. I tip my hat to you.

Daryl

@Ahren – Your 1st annual BPL membership is fully funded!

PM me when you get a chance to forward me your email address, or email me directly at: [my bpl handle name]@mac.com

Cheers to everyone who contributed! Good times!

Hey if you are still around dont worry what some of the people are saying. Yeah you were only trying to help and some people are complete jackasses with their remarks.

I am far from an ULer but I aspire to be a lightweight. I do what I can with my limited funds. More importantly I have gotten some great ideas from these forums on how to lighting your pack all while spending very little. Great example is I am making the ikea wood stove right now. Ultralight stove that costs $4.

I have been lurking for awhile now and I am impressed with the knowledge on this site. After reading Nick Gatels post response to Ahren I am really pleased I found this site…AMAZING amounts of knowledge and bet one of them could fit a pack too? This morning logging on to LEARN some more I read Ahren's post and thought OH NO!!! and thought for a second it was a joke!! anyway I guess not and I like this site because all the experience is shared and a new guy cant go wrong there… So listen up Ahren… Ahren you stated on my post when selling my pack that you had worked for REI and had a ton of gear to get rid of so I responded but you haven't replied back? Hmmm

Hey Scott, yeah things got a little crazy! I did respond though about the pack. It should be on the thread for your trade. Anyway, glad to to have another person join the fray. Let's keep in touch about the pack. I'm sure we can figure something out.

Ahren,
Appreciate the response about the Tikka Xp but I will say that I found it to be inferior in every way to the EOS. Less bright, buttons hard to use with gloves, and the really useless boost function. Also, mine simply stopped working after changing batteries… completely dead. The Tikka Xp is not a bad lamp, but would not be my first choice for illuminating a climb or night hiking in winter.

Edit to add: the dead lamp is my fault as I used Lithium batteries in the thing, something I find necessary in Adirondack/white Mountain winters. Petzl states that Lithiums are not to be used in the lamp, or at least not for the generation of lamp I have.

I think you're thinking of the Petzl Myo XP. That one is a little annoying with the boost button and the pack on the back. The tikka xp is at 65 Lumens but can be regulated with the core battery pack. I do see your point with the button, it is a little shallow with gloves on. Anyway, in my opinion I would avoid BD headlamps, the new designs on them are more complicated than the past and the insides corrode in a short time due to moisture levels in the air. I have had two BD Spots and both have done that. The Surefire saint minimus is not worth the 100 plus dollars in my opinion, it is bright, but not after 20 feet. Hope your headlamp journey ends well. Ahren

oo

I'm happy this thread came full circle. Welcome, Ahren.

I'm finishing up at a CC right now. I'll have my AA which makes it easier to transfer. I plan on going to the UoM for a degree in mechanical engineering.

Hey Ahren. Welcome. Since I am in the retail business I don't think I would have handled you quite the same way as you got handled! I am not familiar with the language of Spam though, but I can see where those guys were coming from, but I was surprised at the way they came at you. There are some tendencies here that border on the unhealthy. But, since you have an engineering mind, you may be able to help over in the Cuben thread!

There is a the question of whether laminated fabrics should be tested differently that coated fabrics for HH, especially when the laminates may not be as flexible as a coating.

Something that has just come to me though, is that I remember when Kelty started putting the waterproof coatings on the exterior of their tent flies. I'm not sure how that episode of history played out, but I'm wondering if it may be time to develope exterior coatings with rainwear. UV inhibitors have come a long way, as long as they are healthy for the environement. I wonder how the HH numbers would read. Maybe Richard could do tests on coated fabrics to see if we get a different reading – depending on which side is tested. Of course, exterior coatings are more vulnerable to outside wear, they certainly get exposed to internal abrasion as well, as well as all that nasty body stuff. Silcoat of course has a coating more or less on both sides. Anyway, I think this could be an interesting subject since there is so much discussion about DWRs, wetting out and etc.

On another subject, so I don't have to make another post, it says in the pretext to the Gear Forums this; "gear that's overrated by lying manufacturers"

Although I'm sure BPL does not intend to mean that all manufacturers lie, the grammar reads as thought they do. I tend to stradle the line between manufacturers and consumers and can take jabs at both, but maybe we can edit what that statement says just a little.

Welcome, Ahren. I, too, am glad you made it through the hazing.
Keep up with the school thing. I found it's far too easy to "take a break" after getting an AA from a community college; it's that much harder to get back to school later, of course.

Thanks Mike, yeah that's kind of where I am at too. Although I am never opposed to going lighter, within a comfort zone (no matter what, I like being in a tent). Thanks for the support. Ahren

Daryl, Ha ha that would be very humbling, and yet very awesome. Thanks for your compliments. Ahren

I swore for years that the comfort of a tent was all-important. I changed my mind after some tarping. I think many of us had this moment at one time or another.

Ahren, you might too . . .