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dperry
08-01-2005, 20:10
All this reading and lurking on this site is getting me very impatient to get out and start my campaign of section hiking the AT, in addition to the fact that my girlfriend seems very interested in becoming a hiker princess. :clap Since I have no backpacking experience whatsoever, I want to take a year or so to get practice in easy situations before actually going out into the wild, so that makes me even more impatient. The problem is, however, that right now I'm quite poor (and my girlfriend's not much better off,) and given that I'm going to be going back to school for my master's degree, that probably won't be changing much anytime soon.

So how am I going to get the necessary equipment? I'm sure I can cover some of it by asking mommy and daddy to give me a gift certificate to REI or EMS or something for Christmas (and my girlfriend can ask her folks), but that will only get me so far. So anyway, I was in K-Mart the other day on unrelated business, and saw a $40 tent. Naturally, this filled my little head with all sorts of ideas, but I figured I should sit down and think about this a little bit.

So the question is, has anyone had experience with getting really cheap equipment from the Wal-Marts and Dick's Sporting Goods of the world, and how has it been? If I have to replace things once every five years, that's one thing, but if I have to replace them every year, or things fail catastrophically while we're on the trail, that's another. What's your thoughts?

justusryans
08-01-2005, 20:20
Most things you see in WallyWorld will last you a while, however while their durability isn't bad (they also have a good return policy) WEIGHT is everthing. figure a 5-6 pound tent, 4 pound sleeping bag, 6-8 pound pack you are up there! There are guys on this site who don't carry much more than that on a thru-hike. ( I'm not one of them!) If you want to go car camping...yea, it'll work, but for backpacking.... either save your pennies or try e-bay. Also a good idea to really research the different gear out there and find out what others recommend.

Sly
08-01-2005, 20:34
I think Sgt Rock has a thread about outfitting yourself for less than $300 with decent gear that should last awhile.

Personally, I started from scratch and spent about $2000 and some of that was bought used online.

$420 pack,
$30 wet rib,
$250 boots,
$25 insoles,
$30 in socks,
$40 shorts,
$150 used gore-tex,
$150 tent,
$50 filter,
$100 sleeping bag,
$75 stove,
$50 used nylon/fleece pants,
$70 LL Bean underwear,
$30 pad,
$30 pack cover,
$50 gaiters,
and I'm sure a few other things I can't remember.

On occasion I still use some of those things, have sold others and the rest takes space in the closet.

I've since lightened up considerably spending less than half that.

Check out Rock's thread.......

Sly
08-01-2005, 20:38
Here it is, $300 Challenge...

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=5594

TDale
08-01-2005, 21:05
My tent makes me the object of derision whenever I mention it.

http://texsport.net/acatalog/Willowbend_Two-Person_Trail__Tent.html

It's a basic pup tent for those that don't want a tarp. It's not leaked on me through some pretty good thunderstorms, has a full bathtub floor, screen doors and window. I've rigged a vestibule for it before from a $3 vinyl poncho. You can even pitch it with hiking poles. Weight without poles, with stakes, cords, and stuff sack: 2 lb. 12 oz.

No gear-head points, but gets the job done.

Dances with Mice
08-01-2005, 21:15
I was once in a Scout troop in an area that included both an exclusive gated million-plus dollar home subdivision with not just tennis courts but on-site stables with weekly polo matches -and- a dead-end run-down trashy trailer park. We got boys from both and everything in between. I leveled the playing field by making it look cool to camp with the least expensive gear I could get from Wally World.

First invest a few bucks in Ray Jardine's book 'Beyond Backpacking' then go from there. Forget tents, use a tarp, not hi-tech silnylon but el cheapo coated woven polypro. Painter's drop cloths make great ground cloths. Nylon golf shirts are long sleeved and perfect for layering. Stearns brand raingear works. In the men's sports department are cheap but durable synthetic shirts, pants, and bathing suits that double as hiking shorts. Home-made stoves are best. Empty soda containers hold water and fuel (separately!), Wally World has probably sold more grease pots to backpackers than housewives. Iodine rather than filter. Small LED lights are becoming more available and the price is dropping fast. Fleece vests, caps, gloves, and synthetic underwear can be found seasonally in the hunting area of the sports section. I wear el cheapo hiking shoes with inserts that cost more than the footwear, but the shoes will last for many miles before needing to be replaced.

Only 2 things I couldn't get from W-M: Good sleeping bags and backpacks. That's where Campmor comes in.

minnesotasmith
08-01-2005, 22:16
1) What's a wet rib?

2) Why would a hiker want to take a greasepot on the Trail?

SGT Rock
08-01-2005, 22:32
1) What's a wet rib?

2) Why would a hiker want to take a greasepot on the Trail?
The greese pot is a very light and cheap alternative to buying a cookpot and it is the same size while it also serves the same function.

WeBeHikin
08-01-2005, 22:33
I found some really good gear cheap at Sierra Trading Post. They offer a lot of close out items and some blemished items. The selections change often and you have to be patient waiting for specific gear that you may want. But the prices are hard to beat. If you do buy something from them, you can get free S/H by answering a trivia question hidden in the catalog somewhere.

smokymtnsteve
08-01-2005, 22:47
1) What's a wet rib?

2) Why would a hiker want to take a greasepot on the Trail?


greetings MS, long time no argue :datz

a wet rib is a small front pack that is attached to both straps of your pack and hangs to one side they come in right and left handed models , with the strap attaching across your chest(or belly as the case my be :eek:

they are very handy for quick easy access to trail snacks, camera, maps while on the move without removing your pack,

a wet rib signifies that the rib also has a place for your water bottle, therefore givingit the name 'wet rib"

being that there are right and left wing models, can U guess which I use
:cool:

all my best from the land of the midnight sun, i have been enjoying blueberry and raspberry picking the last few days,,,last week an big ole grizz bear was picking blueberries in the same patch I was...

the low bush cranberries aka ligonberries well be ripe soon..I can't wait!

Sly
08-01-2005, 22:53
1) What's a wet rib?


A Wet Rib is a Dana Designs addition to your pack that attaches to the shoulder straps and sits it front holding a water bottle and a zipped pocket for snacks, maps, camera etc.

The only thing I still carry from my first hike, I've attached it to my ULA P-2

http://www.sonomaoutfitters.com/pack_acc/dana_wetrib.html

No, that's not me!

Just Jeff
08-01-2005, 22:56
Use the $5 grease pot as your cooking pot / bowl. Weighs barely more than a titanium pot of the same size and costs about 15% of the price.

If you want really good stuff, just wait around for sales where the big distributors (campmor, rei, etc) dump last season's models. If you have an REI nearby, it might be worth becoming a member...you can make back your membership fee on one big purchase. Make that big purchase on the first day of their end-of-season sale (members only on the first day) and you save buttloads (metric).

Check ebay and the "for sale" boards on whiteblaze, the lightweight backpacker, and any other forum you can find. People sometimes offer much lower prices to other posters because they know it'll be used and appreciated. I just bought someone's homemade tarptent for the price of shipping...saw it on thru-hiker.com. When I get my use out of it, I'll probably do the same for someone else.

Know anyone with a sewing machine? Synthetic quilts are a piece of cake to make; you can get the design from Jardine's book or www.geocities.com/jwj32542/HomemadeGearKidsHammock.html (http://www.geocities.com/jwj32542/HomemadeGearKidsHammock.html) . The materials for mine cost about $50 and it took about two hours. If you're brave and want down, get the materials with instructions in a kit from thru-hiker.com for $123.

Sewing hiking gear is pretty simple until you get into fancy clothes...but then it might be worth it to buy the $40 waterproof breathable rainsuit from Walmart that weighs a whopping few ounces more than the $150 one from GoLite.

You can spend $25 for a silnylon stuff sack, or get the silnylon from Walmart for $1/yd on a lucky day and make all the stuff sacks you can use for $25. Or you can use garbage bags. People on this board have used compactor bags for waterproof pack liners...one bag can easily last 1500 miles. Cost: ~$4 for a roll of 20. A silnylon bag that size would be ~$30.

If you don't make your own, then spend your money on a good bag, pack and shelter. That's where you'll notice the difference. For everything else, you can spend $1000 or $150...up to you.

TakeABreak
08-02-2005, 02:40
dperry;

You state you and your girl friend have no real backpacking experience, so,

First I would not go out and buy a lot really expensive gear and / or a lot of gear right off. Not until after you go and do some day hikes and such, if you have any friends near by that you can borrow some gear from and a couple of weekenders, even if it just setting up camp somewhere and hiking trails and returning to your campsite at night, to see how you like it.

A lot of people invest a ton of money into equipment and bail off the A.T. within a couple of weeks, it best to get into something that new slowly. That way the mistakes will not be so costly, mentally or financially.

squirrel bait
08-02-2005, 09:26
I agree, borrow some gear, get the rest at garage sales/thrift stores and simply go hiking. You will quickly learn what is what is not for you. You'll also get to see the other types of gears in use. There are numerous threads here on WB that pertain to doing all of this cheaply. All of mine has been obtained this way and it works just fine. Depending on when you hike, the rain suit would be the last thing I would buy. As stated here, a trash compactor bag works for me and my sleeping bag and of course a large trash bag will make an acceptable emergency rain suit. If you want to go even more cheaply, get used to hiking while wet. It's quite fun and exhilirating. I quess the thing I am trying to say is read here on WB all you can about doing everything cheaply. There is all the information you need in these articles. Good luck on your hikes.

Sly
08-02-2005, 09:45
dperry;
A lot of people invest a ton of money into equipment and bail off the A.T. within a couple of weeks, it best to get into something that new slowly. That way the mistakes will not be so costly, mentally or financially.

Yeah, they could probably hang out at Woody Gap in March with a $100 bill and an offer for a ride back to Atlanta and pick up all the gear they need! :D

The Solemates
08-02-2005, 11:02
Yeah, they could probably hang out at Woody Gap in March with a $100 bill and an offer for a ride back to Atlanta and pick up all the gear they need! :D

over the years I have picked up probably 10 Nalgenes and various other useless items this way...caribiners, compasses, books, sealed freeze-dried meals, etc... i use all the stuff car camping and for general goofing off, but not really that much while backpacking. free stuff rocks!

verber
08-02-2005, 11:20
So the question is, has anyone had experience with getting really cheap equipment from the Wal-Marts and Dick's Sporting Goods of the world?
There are a number of items I would consider from wal-mart or dick's but not the "big three": sleep bag, pack, or tent. I have a small page I wrote up for a friend with pointers about get into backpacking at a reasonable cost http://www.verber.com/mark/outdoors/gear/cheap.html

cheers,
mark

kncats
08-02-2005, 12:11
So the question is, has anyone had experience with getting really cheap equipment from the Wal-Marts and Dick's Sporting Goods of the world, and how has it been? If I have to replace things once every five years, that's one thing, but if I have to replace them every year, or things fail catastrophically while we're on the trail, that's another. What's your thoughts? Since you don't have prior experience to fall back on, I would recommend staying away from REALLY cheap items that, if they fail, may ruin your experience and make you not want to go back out again. For me this would include backpack, shelter, sleeping bag and hiking footwear.

You don't necessarily need to pick up a $300 down sleeping bag, but don't expect a fun time if you buy the $25 Wally World special at 10 pounds with Kapok insulation. You won't enjoy carrying it and you really won't enjoy sleeping in it if it gets colder than the bag is good for or if it gets even a little wet.

My daughter went camping with a youth group one time and had to sleep in a cheap, leaky tent. She's never been out again and probably never will. When I first started getting my wife to go out hiking with me we picked up decent, but not the highest quality or lightest gear for her. As she hasn't quit on me yet we are gradually replacing with better stuff.

minnesotasmith
08-02-2005, 14:05
about "How Cheap Is Too Cheap?", I thought it was referring to women I've dated. ;) :D

soulrebel
08-02-2005, 14:29
http://bikerdave.murioi.com/shelter.html

has a nice overview to get you started in the stats game...

FYI, you can buy a heavy summer victorinix bag @ costco for $28 but it's huge and bulky, They have tents too, but huge and heavy. Overall, if you want high end gear--you'll need to make it yourself, shell out to a known manufacturer, buy used...

as others suggested choose wisely on the BIG 3, b/c most backpackers upgrade only once every 10 years or even longer....

_how good are you with equipment, do you like the best and maintain it? or prefer what will get you by-cheap enough to replace if you mess it?

The Solemates
08-02-2005, 16:25
http://bikerdave.murioi.com/shelter.html

has a nice overview to get you started in the stats game...

FYI, you can buy a heavy summer victorinix bag @ costco for $28 but it's huge and bulky, They have tents too, but huge and heavy. Overall, if you want high end gear--you'll need to make it yourself, shell out to a known manufacturer, buy used...

as others suggested choose wisely on the BIG 3, b/c most backpackers upgrade only once every 10 years or even longer....

_how good are you with equipment, do you like the best and maintain it? or prefer what will get you by-cheap enough to replace if you mess it?

wow. how come ive never seen that site? thats a great list o stuff

justusryans
08-02-2005, 19:41
about "How Cheap Is Too Cheap?", I thought it was referring to women I've dated. ;) :DIf they tell you that you are too good for them... BELIEVE THEM!!!:datz
I have a great woman now, of course she's too good for me......:banana

VAMTNHIKER
08-02-2005, 21:54
When I got back into camping nine years ago, I did the W-Mart/Sports Authority/Target route... then realized that car camping gear just didn't do it during that first backpacking trip in 25 years! :(

but I would recommend www.campmor.com (http://www.campmor.com/) for lighter and better equipment at not much more cost.


...then you can start being a gearhead replacing with lighter... lighter...lighter... (and more...more... expensive!) gear! :banana

DLFrost
08-03-2005, 03:09
So anyway, I was in K-Mart the other day on unrelated business, and saw a $40 tent. Naturally, this filled my little head with all sorts of ideas, but I figured I should sit down and think about this a little bit.

So the question is, has anyone had experience with getting really cheap equipment from the Wal-Marts and Dick's Sporting Goods of the world, and how has it been?
Yep, lots of low cost great stuff if you keep an eye out and are patient. I suggest writing a list of things you both need.

I'll add one more thing to all the good advice you're getting in this thread: Consider hammock camping. Lots of benefits, including seriously low cost if you make one yourself. (Then you'll have more money to buy a nice nylon tarp to use with it.) It's really pretty easy. Check out Ed Speer's website and book at www.hammockcamping.com.

Doug Frost

Lilred
08-03-2005, 11:27
Watch out for buying anything on e-bay. There is a lot of junk on there when it comes to tents. Know what you're looking for first, then shop. I've found some really good deals simply by searching for brand name, like MSR Tents.

Campmor has an excellent 20 degree down bag for just a little over a hundred bucks and it weighs only two pounds. I have one and love it. REI has a down travel sack rated at 55 degrees for the hot summer months and comes in around sixty bucks. Both excellent deals.

You do NOT have to spend a fortune on a backpack. Go to ebay and search under Kelty backpacks. You can find old Kelty backpacks from the seventies all day long for around 50 bucks. I bought two on ebay and they work great and don't weigh much at all. Basic external pack, but Kelty is tried and true. And they have a lifetime warranty. Ran into a guy, Rowmin Goat, on the AT this past summer still using his pack from the seventies. Whenever it breaks, he sends it back to Kelty and they fix it for free.

As for clothes, go to a Good Will store and buy anything that is synthetic. Shorts, shirts, whatever.

Two things I would not cheap out on, socks and boots. I recommend SmartWool socks, expensive, but very comfy. Don't think you need the latest and greatest in boots either. Forget brand names and just try on anything. Fit is much more important than name or price. I ended up with an $80 pair of Timberlands. Yup, old out of date boot, but I never once got a hot spot, much less a blister. AND, they are lighter than most. Best advice on boots I ever got was from Jaybird here at Whiteblaze. He said, once you find a pair that seems to fit ok, wear them around the store for at least an hour.

I carry a Wal-Mart grease pot, $8. It is the third pot I've bought and I love it. Won't be looking for anything else. My stove is a homemade pepsi can stove. Love it! cost - free. I made a cozy for my pot out of the silver screen material you put in your car to block the sun - $2 tops. When a recipe calls for simmering, I put it in the cozy to finish cooking, works great. My pot stand is made out of some kind of metal mesh. You can get it at hardware stores, called ??? cloth, (hardware cloth?). For a windscreen I use aluminum foil. A lighter and one of those metal pot holders finishes my kitchen and everything fits into the grease pot. The lid to the pot seconds as a plate, if I should need one. My entire kitchen costs less than $20.

Yes, you can go cheap, but I would suggest that you do a lot of research on gear before you buy anything. There is cheap in price and then there is cheap in quality. Good luck.

Ramble~On
08-04-2005, 04:47
Cheap is Cheap...you usually get what you pay for.
You said you have little experience and no equipment but do have a desire to get into backpacking. Before you shell out some bucks for gear get out and do some day hikes. The more you get out the more you either know or understand that backpacking is for you or not for you. While on these hikes question what gear you would want or need to spend the night...comfortably.
Backpacking is basically one day hike after another while "camping" overnight getting up the next day and hiking more. Hence start out with day hikes.

Rather than shelling out the money on a Walmart or Kmart tent I'd wait and look into all the options out there. Rather than a tent I'd begin with footwear and backpack. Used soda bottles from home for water bottles...clothes you already have and all the other advice on this site should be more than enough info to get you started. Talk to friends and see what gear you can borrow or get involved with a hiking club and meet people who have experience and can answer questions for you. Again, the more you hike the more you will learn and hopefully the more you'll fall in love with it. One of the biggest things that I love about backpacking is that once you have the equipment it is basically free minus food, fuel and transportation. This site has a wealth of information about gear that you can make yourself as well as used equipment for sale and gear reviews concerning any equipment you are considering.
No question is a stupid question except the one that isn't asked and from I've seen on this site there are a ton of very experienced backpackers here.
So, before you spend money....ask questions.

Happy Trails :sun

Tim Rich
08-04-2005, 07:59
All this reading and lurking on this site is getting me very impatient to get out and start my campaign of section hiking the AT, in addition to the fact that my girlfriend seems very interested in becoming a hiker princess. :clap Since I have no backpacking experience whatsoever, I want to take a year or so to get practice in easy situations before actually going out into the wild, so that makes me even more impatient. The problem is, however, that right now I'm quite poor (and my girlfriend's not much better off,) and given that I'm going to be going back to school for my master's degree, that probably won't be changing much anytime soon.

So how am I going to get the necessary equipment? I'm sure I can cover some of it by asking mommy and daddy to give me a gift certificate to REI or EMS or something for Christmas (and my girlfriend can ask her folks), but that will only get me so far. So anyway, I was in K-Mart the other day on unrelated business, and saw a $40 tent. Naturally, this filled my little head with all sorts of ideas, but I figured I should sit down and think about this a little bit.

So the question is, has anyone had experience with getting really cheap equipment from the Wal-Marts and Dick's Sporting Goods of the world, and how has it been? If I have to replace things once every five years, that's one thing, but if I have to replace them every year, or things fail catastrophically while we're on the trail, that's another. What's your thoughts?

Lots of good recommendations on this thread. If your goal is to section hike portions, or all, of the trail, I wouldn't wait a year before heading out. Just start with some very short stretches, including some day hikes or overnighters around Delaware Water Gap south. If your educational schedule allows, perhaps you could do some midweek overnighters to avoid the weekend crowds. When first starting out, underestimate your distance capabilities and take your time. If you're doing overnighters and have some flexibility, only go when the weather forecast is favorable the first several times. Nothing increases the complexity of beginning hikes like rain.

Whether you plan to camp with a tent or a tarp, be confident in its setup before venturing out. Seam seal your tent before going. Remember that the AT has a large number of shelters that many use to overnight in, and that may be a choice for you as well, with your tarp/tent as a backup in many cases.

One of the benefits of section hiking is that you don't have to live with your gear choice for 2,000 miles. The downside is that you can easily end up with a closet full of previous choices.

If you're not going to hike in really cold temps, a 30 or 40 degree bag may suffice. In that range, even the cheaper ones are fairly light. I picked up a 40 degree Slumberjack bag for about $50 at Galyans (before Dick's bought it out) that weighs around 1.5 pounds. Backpacks can eat your money up and add unnecessary weight. For my last several years of sections, I used a Coleman Peak 1 internal frame pack (I believe they've changed their backpacking line name from Peak 1 to Exponent since then). You can routinely find them in the 70 to 100 dollar range, and if there's an outlet near you that has a Camp Coleman store in it, check with the outlet office or the outlet's website to get a 10-20 percent discount coupon for the store. Mine has ample padding and support, it's held up well for over seven hundred miles of sections and overnighters and it weighs about three pounds. I'd stay away from six and seven plus pound backpacks.

As to where to buy, Walmart's fine for many of the items mentioned. Campmor and Sierra Trading Post are very good for getting your money's worth on higher end items, REI-OUTLET.COM isnt' bad.

Knowing what I know now, having just completed the AT in sections, one item I wouldn't skimp on is a rain/wind top. Your top isn't just for rain, it's for wind protection and an outer layer when you're cold. If you're on a tight budget, I'd recommend the Marmot Precip Jacket. When I started hiking, I first went with a few types of cheap rain gear and hated them. I then bought an expensive Helly Hansen alleged waterproof/breathable top. I don't know how they managed, but it was neither. I suffered with it for a number of trips before spending an embarrassing amount of money on a North Face three layer goretex jacket that has served me well for six or seven years. My hiking partner went the precip jacket route, and I wish I had. I do have the precip pants and really like them. Watch Sierra Trading Post's website, I've seen the jacket on sale before, so don't pay $100 for it. REI-OUTLET.COM has smalls and xx-larges on sale right now for $59, which is about as cheap as you'll see it. Sierratradingpost.com has the Marmot PreCip Plus Oracle Jacket for $69, but just smalls.

Good luck in your gear and hiking choices.

Take Care,

Tim

Patrickjd9
08-04-2005, 22:48
as others suggested choose wisely on the BIG 3, b/c most backpackers upgrade only once every 10 years or even longer....
I bought a new pack this week, after nearly 23 years with my Kelty:sun.