Can I borrow your XYZ

[squeezebox]

What do you say to people who ask to to borrow your stove, water filter, 1st aide, rain wear, etc

[Maui Rhino]

Depends on how well I know them. However, my first aid kit is for me. If you want Band-Aids, get them from your own kit. On a recent mountain bike ride, my friend flatted. He is one of those guys who never carries a pump or inner tubes. When he asked for my tube, I made him pay me $40 cash up front...because everything costs more on top of the mountain. He complained mightily, but paid up..... Now he carries his own tube, so I guess he learned. Of course, in an emergency, I'll share...

[squeezebox]

Unless your team car is following you with fresh wheels you need a tube and pump, maybe even a fold up tire. Of course unless you really enjoy carrying your bicycle out in those hard to walk in bicycle shoes.

[Tuckahoe]

If my friends need to borrow a piece of gear, they know that they can come to me. For me that is what friendship means.

As far as strangers, I have never had another hiker ask to borrow gear. But if needed I would happily allow another to use my stove and a little fuel, my knife, headlamp and first aid. Everything else is personal, though I could spare three squares of TP if desperate.

[Coffee]

In a true emergency, I will part with whatever gear is needed provided my own safety is not compromised in doing so. Doesn't matter if the person in danger is a total stranger or not.

In a non emergency situation, I won't lend out any gear that I'm not willing to part with permanently in case the recipient fails to return it. In practice, this means that I'm not going to loan things in a non-emergency to strangers but may do so for friends.

[Busky2]

At Rausch Gap Shelter last year I had one of those sub xlbs guys, you know the ones, they talk about how light their stuff was again and again and again need to borrow some food from me to make through the next day. So me not being a sub xlbs kind of guy gave him a lunch (Ramen) and a snack (Cliff) and thanked him for lighting my pack(wink wink nod nod). We parted ways he to his big but hungry miles and me just north, happy, and safe.

[bigcranky]

Depends on the gear. I used to be able to outfit a friend for backpacking, but most of that extra big stuff (packs, tents, sleeping bags) went to the nephews when they started getting serious with Scouts. I have plenty of little stuff that I'm happy to lend to friends.

A friend just recently asked to borrow a sleeping bag, and I had to decline. I'm not willing to lend my very expensive (and fragile) down bags, and I don't have any older bags left.

[garlic08]

Are you asking about while on trail, or at home? I can't imagine someone asking to borrow my rain gear while on the trail, so I'm confused.

[Rain Man]

On a recent mountain bike ride, my friend flatted. He is one of those guys who never carries a pump or inner tubes. When he asked for my tube, I made him pay me $40 cash up front....

Not my definition of "friend" on either side of the equation. Still, I think it was a lesson this "friend" needed to be taught.

At Rausch Gap Shelter last year I had one of those sub xlbs guys, you know the ones, they talk about how light their stuff was again and again and again need to borrow some food from me to make through the next day.

Good for you. I would have done the same, but some of these guys take it to such hypocritical extremes, to me it's evidence of some mental or emotional disorder. I've had 'em ask me for the time, as they are too radical to wear a watch. Same for "borrowing" my maps to look over, because they want to have it both ways, to brag about their pack weights while still enjoying the safety and sanity of knowing the time and location.

I just finished an AT book composed of selections from online journals. In one, this female chose not to pack any shelter into the 100 Mile Wilderness. She reached a full shelter one night in the rain and announced she needed folks with tents to move out for her and her two similar companions. Hard to believe, but three hikers did jut that.

I don't let such self-consumed UL hypocrisy control my conduct, and I do let them "borrow" such things as maps, duct tape, spare food, 1st Aid misc stuff, etc.

As far as bigger items, I assume you are talking about pre-hike planning/organizing of gear. I would and have let folks borrow some of that, especially if it is spare gear (and my wife and I have plenty of that).

[Wülfgang]

I believe in packing everything you need to be self sufficient, on ANY trip. You should pack as if you will not see another human being. This is just responsible woodsmanship.

I'm all for helping someone in need (illness, broken/lost gear, etc), but I'd have to draw the line at allowing people to freeload. Cant believe that story about those girls showing up to a shelter with no tents. I'd have 3 words: Not. My. Problem.

[schlanky]

On a weekend trip, I loaned my water filter to strangers. It was their second day of a multi-day trip and it was my last day and I didn't need any more water. They'd driven several hours from a neighboring state to get to this area and their filter had blown out beyond fixing the night before. They were asking if there was anywhere they could find potable water (there wasn't). I knew my filter probably had only about 25% of its life left, so I offered it up and gave them my address to mail it back to. They mailed it as soon as they got off the trail. I went ahead and replaced the canister early since it had been out of my care. I gave up a few trips of usability, but it saved the couple's trip. With a new canister, I probably wouldn't have offered it, but with the old canister, it was worth rolling the dice on never seeing it again.

[burger]

Depends on how well I know them. However, my first aid kit is for me. If you want Band-Aids, get them from your own kit. On a recent mountain bike ride, my friend flatted. He is one of those guys who never carries a pump or inner tubes. When he asked for my tube, I made him pay me $40 cash up front...because everything costs more on top of the mountain. He complained mightily, but paid up..... Now he carries his own tube, so I guess he learned. Of course, in an emergency, I'll share...

I have no response to this except that I hope it's a joke. Some people have a mighty strange definition of "friend."

[4eyedbuzzard]

Major gear like Pack, WM sleeping bag, etc. No. Not happening. First aid supplies because they're injured? Of course. Even though I may be annoyed they don't have their own.

But the only one that makes me angry is when hikers want to "borrow" my map and/or guide - because they didn't see the need to have one, or didn't want to carry that extra weight.

[JumpMaster Blaster]

Not my definition of "friend" on either side of the equation. Still, I think it was a lesson this "friend" needed to be taught.



Good for you. I would have done the same, but some of these guys take it to such hypocritical extremes, to me it's evidence of some mental or emotional disorder. I've had 'em ask me for the time, as they are too radical to wear a watch. Same for "borrowing" my maps to look over, because they want to have it both ways, to brag about their pack weights while still enjoying the safety and sanity of knowing the time and location.

I just finished an AT book composed of selections from online journals. In one, this female chose not to pack any shelter into the 100 Mile Wilderness. She reached a full shelter one night in the rain and announced she needed folks with tents to move out for her and her two similar companions. Hard to believe, but three hikers did jut that.

I don't let such self-consumed UL hypocrisy control my conduct, and I do let them "borrow" such things as maps, duct tape, spare food, 1st Aid misc stuff, etc.

As far as bigger items, I assume you are talking about pre-hike planning/organizing of gear. I would and have let folks borrow some of that, especially if it is spare gear (and my wife and I have plenty of that).

Rain Man, what book are you talking about? I'd like to get my hands on it.

[Coffee]

The scenario where a shelterless hiker arrives at a shelter in a storm is an interesting one since it could be a life or death situation. I don't use shelters so it wouldn't be a situation that I would encounter, but I think that there would be a moral obligation to give up shelter spots if you have a tent, as annoying as that might be, if the person without a shelter might die as a result. In summer conditions with temps in the 60s? Then sure, let them wallow in the mud outside and be uncomfortable. I'm ok with telling people to be uncomfortable.

[DavidNH]

so and so may have brought a stove but perhaps the stove isn't working right. Then I'd let the person borrow mine.. after I am done with it.

If they need extra fuel.. I'd give some.. assuming I am not low on fuel.

If they want extra shelter space but didn't bring a tent or tarp... that's harder to say yes too.


If they ask for some of my food.. not happening.


DavidnH

[fastfoxengineering]

There's a big difference between borrowing and taking.

I don't know you. We just met. You didn't pack enough fuel on purpose to save weight. Your intentions are to bum fuel off other hikers. Your not my friend, and your pleases and thank you's are not sincere. I don't like people like that. on/off the trail. freeloaders that "have it all figured out"

Maybe I just met you at a shelter, we introduce ourselves to one another. You joke that your eating ramen dry tonight cause you by accidently knocked over your fuel bottle and lost all your fuel. I have an extra ounce or two, and offer it to you. You thank you's are sincere. And I'll tell them to pay it forward.. in the end, everyones happy.

you showed up to a shelter without your own tent feeling entitled to stay there? Well, because your not gonna give this up and end up sleeping in this shelter next to me some way or another. you can have my spot, i'd rather sleep in my hammock, away from you.

[Bronk]

I've got friends I hike, canoe and camp with...before we leave it is well understood who is bringing what...generally we each bring our own gear and are pretty well self sufficient but plan an evening meal and maybe some snacks where each person contributes. But it is decided well in advance who is bringing what, including the cooking utensils.

I've had strangers ask me for toothpaste before because they were too ultralight to carry their own. If you planned to fail, I'm probably not going to want to help you out. I've also hiked 2 days with only 2 packages of ramen in my food bag because I miscalculated...my mistake is not somebody else's problem, and it didn't kill me to learn that lesson.

You're going to find a few beggars in every crowd, especially on the AT where people budget $1500 to hike 2000 miles and then hit the bar in every town they get the chance.

[perrymk]

Sorry to stray off topic, but it isn't by much. Most of my hiking is in Florida and the few times I've been in an AT shelter it wasn't near full. Could be the time of year I like to hike. The shelters I stayed in had a wood platform and a dirt floor. Anyway, when people say full, do you mean there is no dirt floor space for the unprepared late arrival to unroll a sleeping bag?

As far as it goes, on a day hike ths past weekend I ran into a group whose piezo lighter stopped working on their stove. I tried to help them with my Zippo but it was too windy. So I gave them my small, cheap Bic and kept going. They seemed genuinely appreciative and hopefully they found a wind protected spot.

[Coffee]

Most shelters I have seen have some type of wood floor, not dirt. That would make an already unattractive option even worse.