The dizzying array of gear choices

[DownYonder]

I did, however try on multiple pairs of new hiking sandals and boots. I think I'm going to switch from my Targhee 2's to the new Vents. They feel considerably lighter, fit great, and won't stay wet for 2 days when they get wet.

What are these Vents that you speak of?

[cmoulder]

These perhaps.

[Heliotrope]

This.

With very few and rare exceptions, there really isn't anything I want or need from REI or similar places anymore, and it IS a great feeling!

But now my family sure gets frustrated when they ask what I'd like for my birthday....

First World Problems.

Same here except REI doesn’t have the stuff I’m drooling over


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[MtDoraDave]

These perhaps.

Yes, but the "mid" height version.

I think the Vent is replacing the Voyager, as they didn't stock the Voyager anymore.

After something like 800 hiking miles, my Targhee 2 mid boots (my second pair) gave me a blister and a discolored toe nail.
.
The sandals I tried didn't give me confidence for hiking the uneven terrain we encounter on the AT, while the Vents felt great crawling all around the fake rock thing in the shoe/ boot section of the REI.

[poolskaterx]

Same here except REI doesn’t have the stuff I’m drooling over


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...same here, I buy socks, fuel, and listen to many of the awful recomendations I hear some of the staff make to unsuspecting buyers. I do still try on that ghost whisperer jacket now an then and quickly put it back on the rack, lol!

[Venchka]

Forget new. Be glad that a few relics of a bygone era are still around.
SVEA 123 stoves and Jensen Packs to name 2 items in my inventory.
Alas Garuda tents were gobbled up and killed by a conglomerate buying spree.
Have fun y’all!
Wayne

[T.S.Kobzol]

in this day and age ... nobody should be seam sealing their tent ... on of the new technology benefits that I appreciate is the ability to manufacture tents that have taped seams. That's my morning rant :-) Not to cottage vendors who make interesting tent designs but still require us to do seam sealing - "You are losing sales" - Just my opinion that's all :-) Cheers.

[colorado_rob]

IMO a case can be made for NOT going with buy once, cry once.

For one thing, as a beginner, you may not know if hiking or backpacking is for you. Buy once, cry once usu. involves high end, expensive gear - and in my experience, it's simply not the case that one can recover 90% of that purchase price if you end up finding it's not for you, and you want to sell it. I'm not sure where such marketplaces are, but I've found that lightly-used stuff needs to be discounted at least a third (plus the sales tax) or it'll never sell. Close to half if you want it to sell quickly.

Another thing is, you may not know what kind of gear you like best. Do you like hammock camping? Dome tents? Trekking-pole-supported tents? Do you need more space in your pack because you're a big guy, or can you go lighter? Do you sleep cold at night and can't get by with the same temp rated bags as most other people? Etc etc. It takes experience to dial-in what works for you, and that often means going through various types of gear before settling on one thing or another (if you can even narrow it, if you hike in varying conditions you may want some different gear choices).

Finally, you can keep older gear as loaner stuff, or give away or sell it to someone who wants to get started but lacks the funds to really gear up with brand new gear. And that's a good thing too.

So yeah, I'd say buy once, cry once is a nice ideal, if you know exactly what you need and want right from the start. But I've not found that to be the case with me, and it strikes me to be unlikely to hold for most people generally.

You make good points, but I still maintain, that you can resell expensive gear for at least 75-80% of initial cost, assuming you don't damage anything. And back to the "Return Every Item" (aka REI) thing, that really is the nice thing about REI, there is some good stuff there, and you can, indeed buy-and-try then return if it's not for you. But again, you make some good points.

[bayview]

I have tons of gear and am impelled to buy more when something looks cool. How many hammocks do we need? How many stoves are needed? Each time I’d get ready to, I would say that I was going to take this stove or this hammock, or this new underquilt, but truth be told, I take what is comfortable and have used before. I have 10 hammocks, 8 stoves, 3 sleeping bags, 3 tents, 3 pads, and 3 packs but I still use the same stuff.

I think we like the idea of something new, but fear failure on the trail if something doesn’t work.

I can understand getting new gear if you hike a great deal, but with me living in Florida, I actually get to do a trip once a year and take the same things. Comfort and capitalism, they don’t really mix well.

[Traveler]

Comfort is a primary market driver, which capitalism embraces along with other drivers like fear, safety, and convenience. The automobile makes a good example. One does not need an automatic transmission or air conditioning in a car, however comfort in a utilitarian form of transportation and carrying capabilities is attractive to many people who will pay more for these comforts.

Same holds true for backpacking gear. One really doesn't need more than a pair of sneakers, blanket, shower curtain, spare socks, carried in a homemade denim sling ala Gatewood. However, if comfort, safety, and/or convenience are of interest there is a significant capitalism driven market featuring products that address these market interests with things like backpacks, tents, stoves, and a broad array of gear for those who want them and will pay for those things. Blaming retailers because someone continues to purchase gear they never use may be a sign something else is going on beyond consumer marketplace influence.