If I were buying my gear today, I would NOT buy.....
another thread topic I saw today...."I would buy"
I thought it might be interesting and educational to know what you wouldn't buy if you had it to do over again....
Jetboil, I now prefer the $10 little collapsible stoves
Rope. Zing-it works just as well, doesn't take up space and is basically weightless
First Aid kits, basically everything in the one I bough I could've sourced from around my house for much cheaper.
Fancy "Hiking" watch. Other than occasional looking at the altimeter, it's been basically useless for me.
Cups/bowls. I just eat from the pan.
Expensive headlamp, when there are lots of cheaper ones that work better than what I got
Stuff sacks. Other than a dry bag for my sleeping bag, and a food bag, I find it easier to pack a bag without stuff sacks.
Big backpack. 65L is way more than I need, so my expensive first pack just sits around now
Water bladder. More of a hassle than it was worth for me after having 3 break, I use clip-on water bottle holders now or my Be-Free to have easy access
Any "hiking" specific clothes, except maybe socks. Most of the stuff I wear now is just discount running gear.
The Therm-a-rest mattress that fell apart internally.
A bunch of little cheap little stuff sacks. Clear ziplocks for the win.
Also a hiking watch, although I at least bought a cheapish one.
A replacement pair of shoes, bought in advance. (Not really a bad thing, I still wear them for neighborhood walks.)
An expensive piece of Tyvek
All the various bits of stuff I bought to make my own stove, which cost more than the stove I eventually bought. (although... it was kind of fun experimenting and building them)
Trail runners that I bought on the internet, and I couldn't walk downhill in. (The tongue was flimsy and the laces just dug into the top of my feet.)
The neat little kettle I bought, with sharp edges, and that didn't nest with anything else.
The mummy bag that barely fit around my shoulders. (I should sell or donate this and buy a better one.)
Great thread idea. . . now, what do I have in my gear room that I haven't used for a long time?
- Hiking boots. Always use light weight footwear these days.
- Rain jackets. I always use a poncho for backpacking. I do occasionally use one or another of my several rain jackets, but never backpacking.
- JetBoil stove. I actually use or loan out my JetjBoil stove quite a bit with/to family. But, when backpacking by myself, I always use several more versatile and interesting alternatives instead. I wouldn't pay for another one at this point.
- Winter expedition down sleeping bag. I never use this anymore. For deep winter I use my 20 degree bag with a puffy jacket and/or a synthetic over-quilt.
- Hiking pole/stick. Always use a pair of trekking poles now. Way better in almost every way!
- GPS. Never actually bought one, but have a nice one I received as a gift. I use my phone GPS a lot. Haven't used my Garmin handheld GPS for years.
- Down expedition mitts and my Dochstein wool mitts. They are just too warm for any practical use for me, even winter camping, backcountry skiing or snowshoing. These days, I'm not out below about -15 degrees F and I am moving until I'm in camp where I am cooking or sleeping (none of which require that much warmth).
- Mountaineering boots and crampons. Since I'm not doing technical climbing these days (i.e. vertical or nearly so snow & ice with ropes) lighter shoes with micro-spikes get me everywhere I want to go. Admittedly, I often travel with others that are uncomfortable on steeper icier terrain without crampons, but I seem to do fine and love the decreased weight and increased flexibility of lighter footwear. To each their own.
- Mountaineering tent. I haven't pitched my heavy 4-season mountain tent since I bought a light Big Agnes Copper Spur 2, even for winter skiing and snowshoeing. It's just stupid heavy unless I insist on camping above treeline in winter conditions with limited shelter options in the lee of rocks or ridges.
- Nalgene type or other commercial water bottles, except for one that I use in winter so I can put snow through it's wide mouth and I can put hot water in it overnight in my sleeping bag without fear of leaking or other catastrophic failure.
- 2 L cooking pot. Even when cooking for four people, it is easier to boil more smaller volumes on multiple stoves than to boil big volumes on one big stove.
- Inverted canister stove (MSR Windpro 2). Bought it for deep winter use. It works great. But, I've figured out how to get my upright canister stoves to work find down in deep winter temperatures (mostly above -10 degrees F), so the WindPro is unnecessarily big and heavy, yes, even for melting snow.
- Many knives, a whole drawer full, ranging from small 1.5" single blade folding knives to larger hunting/survival type knives. I just don't take knives into the backcountry with me any more except my dinky little swiss army commander and sometimes a plastic butter knife.
I'm not lost. I'm exploring.
- Synthetic fill rectangular sleeping bag (too heavy)
- 600 fill down mummy sleeping bag (still too heavy)
- 65 liter, 4 lbs 4 oz backpack (too heavy)
- Bowl - never used it
- Columbia rain suit (too heavy)
- Camp towel - used it once in 1,277 miles
I'm sure there are a few other things I can't think of. Like most hikers, I wish I was more careful to acquire ultralight equipment. The weight on your back makes a difference.
Down gear. I've got a sleeping bag, jacket, two vests, and booties made of down, and I'm bringing none of it on the AT. Instead I'm taking a new synthetic bag, jacket, and vest with me for next year's through-hike.
The AT is a wet trail. If the humidity rises during the night (typically with increasing temperatures) you can wake up in a sweat-soaked sleeping bag or quilt. The bag/quilt won't dry out until the humidity goes down, and wet down is useless. Wet synthetic insulation is miserable, but won't kill you. You can try to keep your down gear out of streams and the rain, but sweating and respiration (if you tuck your face inside the bag/quilt in your sleep) can still cause problems.
Hundreds, may thousands of AT thru hikers have carried down sleeping bags.
I use a down bag on the AT. One does have to be careful and put it in the sun as often as you can. Put it in the dryer for a few minutes every time you go to town. I would like to get a down puffy. I currently use a fleece or synthetic vest for the warm layer.Originally Posted by DownEaster
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Oh, I understand that the choice works OK for most people. I just don't think the risk is worthwhile.
I've carried down in Maine, and regretted it. Two hurricanes blew through the week I was on the 100 mile wilderness. It's not fun to wake up in a shelter to discover the bottom two feet of your sleeping bag are soaked from sideways rain.
...pretty much anything REI sells.
I've gone to the cottage industry folks for a while now and really like their stuff.
"Throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence." John Muir on expedition planning
Only thing I ever bought from REI is xlite sleeping pad for the warranty.
I honestly dont know why anyone would even go in one of the stores. My local outdoor store, has more tents set up to see/touch/get inside than most REI. Of course I dont buy hiking gear from them either, but ski clothing, north face bookbags for kids, some clothing by exoffiio, patagonia, etc
Last edited by MuddyWaters; 10-08-2017 at 20:13.
A two person tent.
A smaller and lighter one person tent is all I need on the AT. The two person tent I originally bought is unnecessarily large and heavier - and sometimes finding the real estate to pitch it has been problematic.
4 season tent.
I (wrongly) figured, for camping year-round, you need all 4 seasons! I didn't appreciate that a) 4 season really meant strength to handle snow accumulation, b) less mesh on inner, c) unnecessary in southeast TN even if you get some snow, d) too heavy and bulky for backpacking (2P, 41sf, 4 season tent was about 9 lbs, 25 liters in volume!)
At the other extreme:
braided mason's line as UL guylines. Stuff is too slippery to hold knots well.
Bivy - usually too much internal condensation when used in the southeast
Don't need:
Flashlight. I can use my phone's.
Camera. ditto (many other things too, but that's all on another thread)(tech on the trail)
I think my next purchase would be a lightweight pack that is waterproof, so I don't have to carry a pack cover. (the one I have is OK when my food is down to 2 days or less, more than that, it doesn't fit. This can be a pain)
Don't let your fears stand in the way of your dreams
For packs, tents, hammocks, tarps, some clothing and food items - I get your point. But in other categories I'm not aware of cottage industry alternatives: shoes, socks, rain wear, poles, tech stuff, maps. Custom leather (Limmer) boots are out.
Not everyone lives somewhere that has an REI, let alone a local store that is "better" in selection than REI.
For novices, it's a good place to get started. With experience, sure, many avid hikers and backpackers will dial in their gear requirements beyond what REI carries. But it's not like they don't carry Osprey packs, Big Agnes tents, and Neoair Xlite pads. All those are popular among experienced backpackers and thru-hikers. Sure, there are other brands they don't carry, but it's not a foolish first place to check when getting one's gear.
My pack isn't waterproof, yet I don't see the need to carry a pack cover. I line the inside with a trash compactor bag, and everything there stays dry. I only put water-resistant things (bottles, butt pad, Crocs) in the mesh outside pockets. That just leaves the hip belt pockets, and a quart Ziploc bag for each keeps all the contents dry.
Modern lightweight packs don't have many individual compartments at risk of retaining water, so it's easy enough to protect the contents on the insides. A pack cover doesn't keep water from sliding down the back of your rain jacket and soaking into the pack from that side, so it's not much protection in any case.
So true. Used to be there were local sporting goods stores that carried backpacking stuff but REI, Dick's, Academy, etc. and online shopping have pretty much put the local smaller stores out of business. I feel lucky to have an REI nearby.
If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything.
If I were buying my gear today, I would NOT buy.....
Quess that's what happened to Appalachian Outfitters in Virginia.
...I would not buy a middle of the road sleeping bag.
My 650 fill bag works great, but for a couple hundred more dollars, I could have saved at least a whole POUND.
.
Buy once, cry once... Or get two or three or four items.
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