Gear Hike

[bullseye]

I know there are a lot of folks out there that would like to try out some of the gear they see online before committing to purchase, so I decided to try a different concept. I'm calling it a gear hike, and basically here's how it works: you rent a piece of gear from my site to use on a trip set by End2End Trail Supply. You get one on one instruction on how to use the gear on an actual hike. If you decide you want that item the rental goes toward the purchase, along with a 10% discount. No pressure if you decide not to go for it. You can check out the details at https://end2endtrailsupply.com/E2E_Activities.html.

[jasonklass]

I know there are a lot of folks out there that would like to try out some of the gear they see online before committing to purchase, so I decided to try a different concept. I'm calling it a gear hike, and basically here's how it works: you rent a piece of gear from my site to use on a trip set by End2End Trail Supply. You get one on one instruction on how to use the gear on an actual hike. If you decide you want that item the rental goes toward the purchase, along with a 10% discount. No pressure if you decide not to go for it. You can check out the details at https://end2endtrailsupply.com/E2E_Activities.html.

Bullseye,
LOVE the concept but what about all of us who can't make it to the specified destination on the specified date? It might be beyond the scope of what you want to commit to but here's what I'd like to see. You send me the gear and charge a small rental fee but ship it anywhere in the country. I try it out for a week then decide if I want to keep it or not. If I do, then then rental fee goes toward the final purchase. If not, I lose the rental fee and send it back to you. For your own security, you collect my credit card number so if I I don't send it back after the trial period, you charge me the full amount. Just thinking out loud here.

[lazy river road]

love the ideah id love to try out a couple of packs before i commit but like above suggestion...

[bullseye]

Bullseye,
LOVE the concept but what about all of us who can't make it to the specified destination on the specified date? It might be beyond the scope of what you want to commit to but here's what I'd like to see. You send me the gear and charge a small rental fee but ship it anywhere in the country. I try it out for a week then decide if I want to keep it or not. If I do, then then rental fee goes toward the final purchase. If not, I lose the rental fee and send it back to you. For your own security, you collect my credit card number so if I I don't send it back after the trial period, you charge me the full amount. Just thinking out loud here.

Jason, I greatly appreciate your feedback. Unfortunately there is a number of problems with that idea. Some gear can be rented at places like REI, etc, like packs. The plus to this concept is you get field help with any issues that might arise. Who wouldn't want to try a pack and get adjustment and packing tips during the hike, or camp under a tarp after having a firsthand demonstration of 4 different pitching options? It adds a great deal of confidence to the user/buyer. Second, if I mail out 4 pieces of gear and they come back, now they're "used". I can't sell them as new. With my concept, you use the piece of gear, and if it's previously rented, if you decide to buy you will get a new item instead, and the rental stays the rental. This helps to keep my costs under control.

Also, for me to takes a credit card in advance I'd want to bill the full amount in advance to cover my butt, and I think most folks would say no to that. I don't blame anyone for not going for that - I probably wouldn't either.

As far as the location/date issue, my plan is to have a number of these hikes next year, and to spread the dates and locations out. I'm thinking New England, Mid Atlantic, Virginia, and a somewhere south, with the dates spread throughout the year. I'll put my thinking cap on and try to announce the dates/places far enough in advance that folks can plan on attending.

Keep the ideas coming since this is a work in progress and I appreciate constructive feedback.

[Nearly Normal]

Spam?......

[bullseye]

Spam?......

Funny how certain folks post on here hawking there stuff all the time and nobody says a word, but I make one post about a new concept and it's spam? More often than not I don't even mention my website, even when talking about catagories of gear I sell. More often than not I don't even post to avoid "spamming" or the impression of it. I only have a few hundred posts in the 4 years I've been a member of WB even though I check in almost every day. Why? Because sometimes there's no need to add my $.02. Spam is the clown trying to sell you Nikes from Japan, not the longtime member offering a new service.

[JoshStover]

Funny how certain folks post on here hawking there stuff all the time and nobody says a word, but I make one post about a new concept and it's spam? More often than not I don't even mention my website, even when talking about catagories of gear I sell. More often than not I don't even post to avoid "spamming" or the impression of it. I only have a few hundred posts in the 4 years I've been a member of WB even though I check in almost every day. Why? Because sometimes there's no need to add my $.02. Spam is the clown trying to sell you Nikes from Japan, not the longtime member offering a new service.

I agree with you 100%

[Snowleopard]

Funny how certain folks post on here hawking there stuff all the time and nobody says a word, but I make one post about a new concept and it's spam? More often than not I don't even mention my website, even when talking about catagories of gear I sell. More often than not I don't even post to avoid "spamming" or the impression of it. I only have a few hundred posts in the 4 years I've been a member of WB even though I check in almost every day. Why? Because sometimes there's no need to add my $.02. Spam is the clown trying to sell you Nikes from Japan, not the longtime member offering a new service.

bullseye has made positive contributions to a number of threads I've read without pushing his business. I like having knowledgeable people posting here.

[Connie]

I think this is a great idea.

Are you on the AT?

This would give hikers a chance to try out the gear and find-out-for-real if they want to try out the AT.

At any rate, if this were a regularly scheduled event, the word could get around and more and more people could really benefit from this opportunity.

[Deadeye]

Sounds to me like a great backpacking school concept, let alone the try-out-the-gear concept. Maybe if you focus on the backpacking first, you can create a whole new bunch of gearheads... and you'll be right there to feed their new habit.

I like the idea, hope you can make it work, and my Spammeter is not registering any pork products.

[sheepdog]

Good idea Bullseye. Hope it goes well for you.

[Jester2000]

Spam?......

Nope.

I think this is a good, workable idea. I'm trying to think of a way (and it probably wouldn't work with packs, because of sizing) to have a group go out and have them switch gear every day, so that, for example, you sleep in a different tent and use a different stove each night. Give folks a broader range of experience with different pieces of gear.

Good idea, though!

[bullseye]

Thanks for the positive comments guys. I though it might have been me being a little sensitive (read cranky) at 1am.

Connie, I am planning on doing the hikes on the AT, for a bunch of reasons, one of which is it's easier for me to plan a trip on familiar terrain that has a lot of exit options. All of the trips next year will probably be on the AT. I chose Dolly Sods b/c quite frankly I've never been and it's a good excuse to go.

Your dead on Jester, the packs are the one piece of gear that might not be interchangable, although I might get lucky from time to time. I'm really leaning on the aspect of helping folks get past any trepidation they might have about UL gear. I can tell you for a fact that even if I didn't sell that piece of gear, I would still get a sense of satisfaction that I was able to teach someone a new skill (and that part's FREE).

So even if you don't want to buy any of my wares, come out WB's and keep me company, otherwise I'll be walking in the woods alone talking to myself.

[Feral Bill]

I was thinking spam. Now I'm not so sure. Maybe we need a forum for
semi- commercial posts.

[Jester2000]

I was thinking spam. Now I'm not so sure. Maybe we need a forum for
semi- commercial posts.

I think things are fine the way they are. We're not inundated with commercial posts (to my knowledge), and the folks I know on whiteblaze who are associated with a trail-related business are remarkably responsible about NOT being on here mainly to hawk their wares.

Regarding the concept at hand, Bullseye:

I would make it clearer on your site that the customer, if they choose to buy, will be buying a new version of the gear, rather than the one they used (just to prevent people from thinking they'd be buying used gear that others had tried on the trips and hadn't purchased).

[Two Tents]

I don't mind when someone speaks up and says where to get a piece of gear. I just bought a kilt and a better, lighter, pot lid by seeing it here. So the little amount of so called spam that goes on here I can live with. Just sayin.

[johnnybgood]

I'm thinking anyone that helps hikers make informative decisions on gear and educates them at the same time in a realistic environment is ok by me.
The gear swapping lends itself to actually being a quite novel idea which sounds fun.

I noticed no mention of hammocks.
Is that something you might consider in the future?

Thinking I need to experiment with some stoves.

Dolly Sods Wilderness is a blast...Have fun.

[Jonnycat]

Who wouldn't want to try a pack and get adjustment and packing tips during the hike, or camp under a tarp after having a firsthand demonstration of 4 different pitching options?

I sure as heck wouldn't. The *last* thing I would want on a trip is someone giving me their "advice" on pretty much anything, especially in a commercial endeavor. Yech.

Maybe it's just me, but a big part of why I go "out there" is to be self-reliant, which involves learning my own lessons at my own time and at my own pace.

Hand holding is great when you're a cub scout, but I've been at this far too long and am far too old to find it to be anything less than a nuisance to be avoided.

[bullseye]

I sure as heck wouldn't. The *last* thing I would want on a trip is someone giving me their "advice" on pretty much anything, especially in a commercial endeavor. Yech.

Maybe it's just me, but a big part of why I go "out there" is to be self-reliant, which involves learning my own lessons at my own time and at my own pace.

Hand holding is great when you're a cub scout, but I've been at this far too long and am far too old to find it to be anything less than a nuisance to be avoided.

The idea wasn't to "hold hands" with people who want to do things their own way, but help people who would like to see how something works from someone who is experienced with that skill, technique or piece of gear. If you wanted to learn to play golf, but lacked the skills would you eat up expensive tee time with an expensive set of clubs and maybe get frustrated and quit, or take advantage of the experience of others to help work the bugs out and play a better game because of it? My intention is to only offer advice when needed or requested, not force myself on anyone. And quite frankly I've made it clear that if someone just wants to go with the gear they have and get some tips (or not) that's cool too. Whether you want to buy my stuff or not doesn't matter as much to me as some may think. This isn't my primary source of income - it's something I do b/c I enjoy backpacking, and particularly UL backpacking. I like to share my experience because I've found that many backpackers have reservations about going UL.

The other point you overlook is that I'm not offering YOU advice, because you'd never seek it. I'd be offering tips to folks if they want them, and that's one of the reasons they are there.

[Jonnycat]

The problem with the golf analogy is that people playing golf aren't going off in the woods trying to survive with minimalist equipment.

In the long run, perhaps it is better that there is a learning curve with ultralight equipment, and backpacking in general, as it forces the person to develop their own skill sets which are necessary for creating their own survival strategies.