Latest and greatest or "old friends"

[--M.]

- I have a rectangular down bag that gets occasional use that my parents bought me for boy scouts for $50 at Caldor in probably 1971. I was the only kid in my troop with a down bag, even though we did year round camping.

CALDOR?! I mighta got a cook-kit or canteen there, along with my Aerosmith and ELP records.

The oldest possessions I have are camping gear from the 70's, and I also appreciate the REI eVent jacket I paid too much for in '08.

And I used my Optimus 8R last month.

So I guess Latest meets Old Friends.

 

[Chip]

Old...but not as old as Chip's.

Plus I don't think it counts if you don't remember the purchase and still have the box with price tag it came in...might sell it on ebay, you know...packaging is key.

CALDOR?! I mighta got a cook-kit or canteen there, along with my Aerosmith and ELP records.

Caldor had the "Go To" Sporting Goods Dept round these parts in the day, plus I'm pretty sure I picked up the 45 of "Layla" on the same trip.

 

[Mark Schaefer]

- I have a rectangular down bag that gets occasional use that my parents bought me for boy scouts for $50 at Caldor in probably 1971. I was the only kid in my troop with a down bag, even though we did year round camping.

CALDOR?! I mighta got a cook-kit or canteen there, along with my Aerosmith and ELP records.

Caldor had the "Go To" Sporting Goods Dept round these parts in the day, plus I'm pretty sure I picked up the 45 of "Layla" on the same trip.

Now this is a stab from the past. Caldor also had the "go to" sporting goods, book, and music departments here in Kingston NY at that time. I bought a lot of rather generic hiking gear there in the 1970s and early 1980a. That was before any of the really big box stores moved into the area, and all of the other sporting good stores were either too preppy or overpriced. Some of my Caldor gear endured for over two decades, but other than one compass I believe it has all been retired.

Caldor was also the place where I bought all of my early hiking guidebooks and maps. Those are all still retained as historical references; including a well thumbed 1971 edition of the New York Walk Book which was edited by Solvitur Ambulando, VFTT's own Woodstrider.

Caldor was a decent general department store, at least in its early days. I bought quite a few classical music LPs there in addition to the many pop and rock albums.

 

[Darl58]

As I get older and slower, my gear gets younger and lighter.

Jay

Can't wait to see this version of you jay..."older n slower"...

I have old stuff..but have upgraded some for "lighter" versions or "new" versions that are huge improvements......I normally wait until I am sure hikers have tested the gear and it's worth buying.

My older stuff seems to be now car-camping gear and for Grandson's to play with as they learn..

Steep and cheap keeps upgrading me......love bargains!!

I would rather go on cool adventure trips then buy lots of gear....