I have all the gear I need

[B the Hiker]

I just got notice of a "end of season 40% off sale" and I scrolled through, but I'm finding myself in the nice place of having all the gear I need. I don't need a new tent (bought a Big Agnes in 2017, and it's dirty and looks ancient but is still holding up.) All the backpacks I need.

There are things I want. I would love a nice light Nemo tent, and my huge backpacking backpack is close to 25 years old and heavy as all get out, but I'm fine with everything.

Kind of a rather nice place to be!

Brian

 

[Ear Drum]

The last couple of times I've stepped into an REI, I've emerged without buying a thing. If this is some trend - everyone has all they need - then consumerism and retail are doomed!

 

[DayTrip]

The % off sales have definitely come back strong with the outdoor companies after the post Covid price surge. I get emails daily with pretty nice discounts. Is indeed a good time to get stuff if you need it.

 

[NHChris]

My stuff wears out even when I don't use! Rain flys shed seam sealer, packs lose water proofing, boot mid-soles deteriorate and crumble in the closet, etc. etc. And then there's that "smell" old gear acquires as it ages.

I don't buy much these days but when I do it's fun to get the latest, greatest, lightest redesigns. Otherwise I'd still be using my Kelty pack with the BB4 expedition size bag and frame extension. And that ain't kool!

 

[hikeritz]

I bought a new backpack last year (more capacity, less weight), and accessories for a recent mountain bike purchase helped use up a $100 REI gift card my son gave me. Otherwise I'm in the same boat. I look through REI's offerings when a catalog or sale arrives, and nothing screams "buy me!"

 

[Nessmuk]

I have been hiking, camping, and canoeing, since the 1960's, and a licensed wilderness guide and BSA high adventure trek leader instructor since 1990. A caver and underground technical climber in the 1970’s with the climbing gear of the day. Also as a canoe racer I've seen and owned several generations of basic and advanced canoe tripping and camping gear though the years. iI have been a member of REI for the majority of those years. I still have almost all I have ever purchased hanging in my basement or garage/shed. I never get rid of anything, including my collection of a dozen canoes.

I believe I have all that I need to do what I most like and am capable of still doing outdoors now in my 70's, currently I am daily training on the water for an upcoming canoe race as I am also cutting trees and splitting and stacking at least 12 face cords for my winter's firewood supply

A dear outdoor buddy died recently and his wife gifted much of his extensive duplicate collection of outdoor gear to me, most of which I do not need any more than he did.

I still maintain my original REI membership from the 1960s and feel only a little guilty if I do not make any kind of purchase during the year with my REI credit card to earn a minimal dividend. Mostly I only buy socks or something else cheap and simple whether I need it or not from REI.

 

[DavidG]

Every time I think about buying something I think that this is probably the last one of these I'll ever buy if I get the right one.

 

[sierra]

I don't need anything either. My last purchase was a titanium cup, which I left on Gunstock yesterday and yes, I hiked back a half mile for it, it was 25 bucks!!!!

 

[DayTrip]

I don't need anything either. My last purchase was a titanium cup, which I left on Gunstock yesterday and yes, I hiked back a half mile for it, it was 25 bucks!!!!

A couple of years ago I did I hike in the Showangunks in NY and had just replaced by Black Diamond Flik Lok poles with brand new ones. The Bruins playoff game was coming on at 3PM and with the 2h 45m ride I had back to my house I was really pushing to get back to my car after a 5AM start (was a sunrise hike). I hit the lot, stuck the poles in the ground behind me, swapped out my shoes, through all my stuff in the car and off I went with almost the exact amount of time I needed to be in my recliner with a beer at 3PM. Was psyched....until about 30 minutes into my ride it dawned on me where my new poles were. It was a busy lot so I reluctantly decided to just keep driving and support the team...

 

[sierra]

A couple of years ago I did I hike in the Showangunks in NY and had just replaced by Black Diamond Flik Lok poles with brand new ones. The Bruins playoff game was coming on at 3PM and with the 2h 45m ride I had back to my house I was really pushing to get back to my car after a 5AM start (was a sunrise hike). I hit the lot, stuck the poles in the ground behind me, swapped out my shoes, through all my stuff in the car and off I went with almost the exact amount of time I needed to be in my recliner with a beer at 3PM. Was psyched....until about 30 minutes into my ride it dawned on me where my new poles were. It was a busy lot so I reluctantly decided to just keep driving and support the team...

I must be getting old. Last week me and dog did Square Ledge and I went to take a picture and my phone was gone. I keep it in a pouch on my shoulder strap. We were climbing up to the summit and boy, I didn't want to go back, but an 800 dollar phone, so off I went. Ended up being on the ground at the last junction, .5 miles each way and that terrain is a bitch, lol.

 

[ImYourHuckleberry]

I tend to use the same climbing, day hiking, and skiing equipment for a long time, but whenever I get into a backpacking groove I'm constantly turning over gear and trying/buying new stuff. I think half the fun with backpacking for me is pushing how light I can get. I understand how that doesn't appeal to everybody, but for some reason it's something that I get into.

 

[Nessmuk]

I am not often hiking on trails very far. Mostly I use a trail to get to a place where iI can get OFF the trail to begin a bushwhack to some remote location. But a hikiing stick is sometimes useful while on the trail before my hands become occupied with map and compass off trail. A stick or poles just get in the way and get caught up in the whichhobble bush. The few times I may have found a stick useful, many times after a half hour or more walking later after I have taken a break I then ask myself, now where is that perfect stick I used a whle back? Then I think that is the reason why I do not buy expensive hiking poles.

 

[Cartophile]

For a lot of us, this is a familiar position. But sometimes, the new stuff is too good to pass up. There was no way I was going to stick with an old Petzl headlamp with a flashlight bulb once the new LED headlamps appeared.

And now, I'm in the market for a new hardshell. I have what was a great Marmot hardshell jacket from almost 30 years ago, bright purple, and it looks like new on the outside, but inside, the inmost layer was designed to be many, many pieces, with lots of seams covered with tape. The glue gave up and the tapes were falling off. I attached all the tapes again with seam sealer, but that lasted only a year or two, and nearly all of them are falling off again. I give up. The new hardshells are amazingly light when compared with this old one.

We rely on modern technology when we go into the woods. I always tell friends that, at home, I dress entirely in natural fibers. It's when I get back to nature that I dress entirely in synthetics.

 

[jfb2]

My first backpacking trip was 10-days at Philmont Scout Ranch in July, 1970. I had all the equipment I needed at that time and have upgraded my gear periodically since then. My latest purchase is a pair of nylon hiking shorts from Mountain Hardwear's website at 40% off.

 

[DayTrip]

I tend to use the same climbing, day hiking, and skiing equipment for a long time, but whenever I get into a backpacking groove I'm constantly turning over gear and trying/buying new stuff. I think half the fun with backpacking for me is pushing how light I can get. I understand how that doesn't appeal to everybody, but for some reason it's something that I get into.

Overnights and multi day hikes are what get the wheels turning for me too. I have had a few distinct "ultralight" phases in between "comfy" phases over the past 10 years. After all this time, I think what I'm really after is SIMPLE, whatever the weight is (although often times simple = lighter). Whenever I upgrade I'm looking for a faster, functional, easier more efficient way to do things. I bivy/cowboy camp a lot more now for overnights and I think that is where the emphasis on simple came from.

 

[NH2112]

I must be getting old. Last week me and dog did Square Ledge and I went to take a picture and my phone was gone. I keep it in a pouch on my shoulder strap. We were climbing up to the summit and boy, I didn't want to go back, but an 800 dollar phone, so off I went. Ended up being on the ground at the last junction, .5 miles each way and that terrain is a bitch, lol.

A couple winters ago I was snowshoeing to see if I could get to a pond cross-country without driving about 4 miles down a very slippery logging road (I couldn’t.) Along the way I stopped to take pics, and when I got to the spot where I realized I’d have to turn around, my phone wasn’t in my jacket’s chest pocket. The last time I’d used it was well over a mile back so I started walking, paying close attention to the snowy ground for my black phone. I didn’t see it so I dropped my pack and headed back to my turn-around point. This time I found it, maybe about 1/2 mile along, where it had fallen into the snow at an angle that only left it visible on the outbound leg. It was a 4-5 months-old iPhone 13 Pro so I was very happy to have found it. My solution to find it more easily in the future was to enable Siri, and if I ever lost it again I’d just retrace my steps loudly saying “hey Siri, play some music!” every few paces. But when I dropped the phone in the snow at home to test my plan Siri apparently couldn’t hear me
under 6” or so of snow. So I decided I’d just have to be more careful and attentive about zipping up my picket.

 

[NH2112]

As far as gear goes I don’t think I’ll ever be set. Snowshoes break or I just want to try out a new model even though I need to take my shoes off to count the pairs I already have (I’m thinking of a pair of Faber Mountain Masters this winter but have to get rid of some first), clothes wear out, and it seems I’m never done trying out new layering systems. I pretty much switched exclusively to softshell outer layers last year, with the Marmot Olden Polartec hoody being the most amazing thing I’ve tried in years.

Marmot Olden Polartec hoody

I’m happy with my winter tents (Marmot Hammer and TNF Mountain 25), but I haven’t found the perfect 3-season tent yet. My Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL1 is easy to set up and surprisingly wind-resistant but too hard to get in and out of, and my SMD Deschutes tarp is plenty roomy and easy to enter/exit, but the inner mesh tent is way too tight for me in bug season. So I’m waiting for the right one to fall in my lap, though the SMD Haven looks nice. Freestanding is looking better to me again, though.

Trekking poles? In winter I use my 12-13 y/o BD Synclines because they extend to 150cm and the rest of the time some 7 y/o BD Alpine Cork FLZ.

Footwear? LL Bean Cresta and Lowa Camino GTX for 3 seasons & warmer winter days, Oboz 8” & 10” Bridgers and Sorel Conquests in winter, and Asolo Alta Via GV on the few times I may want to bring crampons along (Grivel G12.) Once in a while I’ll wear my Salewa Mountain Trainer shoes if I know the trail will be dry, they're amazingly comfortable with great traction but I’ve never had shoes that are so hard to lock my heels in.

I’m good for down jackets, Marmot Odin and EMS Feather Pack for 3-season & warmer winter days and Marmot Greenland for COLD. I had to take the hood off walking around town at -25F in that thing. Western Mountaineering Flight down pants and Flash down booties keep my bottom half warm, but I want to upgrade the booties to something more weather-resistant.

Backpacks: I have 16 at home and it’s just too hard to decide which ones to keep LOL. The Osprey Manta 36 AG, Aether 70 AG, and Argon 85 will probably go, along with a few Granite Gear packs (Crown2 38, Crown2 60, Nimbus Meridian 60.)

 

[Salty]

I am not often hiking on trails very far. Mostly I use a trail to get to a place where iI can get OFF the trail to begin a bushwhack to some remote location. But a hikiing stick is sometimes useful while on the trail before my hands become occupied with map and compass off trail. A stick or poles just get in the way and get caught up in the whichhobble bush. The few times I may have found a stick useful, many times after a half hour or more walking later after I have taken a break I then ask myself, now where is that perfect stick I used a whle back? Then I think that is the reason why I do not buy expensive hiking poles.

Interesting perspective, as we all are different. I personally love my poles almost anywhere, perhaps because I am not the most unclumsy person alive. Generally on whacks I love them to keep me steady on the uneven terrain, though I definitely do as well find them a hinderance in hobblebush or in thick fir/spruce. I just tend to hold them in one hand which works for me. That being said, my $60 Leki's have held up for well over 10 years.

 

[Daniel Eagan]

Seeing Marmot gear mentioned above, I've found they're really good at replacing worn-out gear. I've gone through three or four Pre-Cips. When the lining starts to go I fill out a form on the website and they send me a new one. It might not be my favorite color but it's new and under warranty. Same for a couple of heavier shells they have replaced.

Big Agnes has also been very good about replacing poles with worn-out shock cords, repairing tears in flies, etc.

I'm also at the age where I think this is the last xxxx I will ever buy.

 

[NH2112]

Seeing Marmot gear mentioned above, I've found they're really good at replacing worn-out gear. I've gone through three or four Pre-Cips. When the lining starts to go I fill out a form on the website and they send me a new one. It might not be my favorite color but it's new and under warranty. Same for a couple of heavier shells they have replaced.

Big Agnes has also been very good about replacing poles with worn-out shock cords, repairing tears in flies, etc.

I'm also at the age where I think this is the last xxxx I will ever buy.

My Marmot Hammer’s poles are internal, with small Velcro straps bonded to the seams that hold the poles in place. One of those straps and its 3” backing piece came off a few years ago and Marmot gave me website credit for the MSRP of the tent at its time of mfr, based on the serial number. I don’t really like how such minor damage had them just writing off the tent, but they didn’t want it back for repair and just told me to send a pic of it boldly marked “MWX” in black permanent marker near the logo. So I did that, and with a few coats of adhesive managed to get the Velcro strap pretty securely. It’s the very bottom strap above the pole pocket so it’s not allowing a whole lot of movement anyway.

The last time I used it I noticed a couple of the other strap backings starting to lift at the corners, so I may send it out to get an estimate to have pole sleeves sewn to the inside of the tent. I like it enough to spend maybe $250-300 on it instead of at least twice that for a new tent of similar style, its only real drawback is the 84” floor length causes my winter bags to push against the walls at the head & foot. A good winter bag for up to 6’ people will be well over 84” when fully lofted so maybe 96 should be the new 84? A 60” rectangular floor so 2 25” wide pads can easily fit without the bags being crushed against the walls too badly would be nice as well. But I use it solo, sleeping diagonally helps with bag loft, and if I bring the vestibule I can just put my pad through the tent door to keep from touching the walls. It’s sturdy in the wind with a total of 7 guyouts on the tent itself, and is barely over 3lb without footprint or vestibule. Though I do bring my Reflectix floor liner for comfort.