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  1. #41
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    One more for the bargain hunter:

    Find backpacks at garage sales and thrift shops, such as Jansport, with 'lifetime warranties.' If they are torn or missing parts, Jansport (and probably others) will repair or replace the item. (PS to those with real money: Buy new things from Jansport. They step up to their warranty wonderfully, and it's the best damn marketing device out there. Others are smart like that too. Notice how I just did advertising for them they didn't have to pay for.)

    The Weasel
    "Thank God! there is always a Land of Beyond, For us who are true to the trail..." --- Robert Service

  2. #42
    Registered User hopefulhiker's Avatar
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    Really good article Rock.. I used oven bags, zip locks,my regular pocket knife, and garbage bags, and gator aid bottles, and the lemonade jar.. for the thru last year.. One thing to look for at thrift shops is old silk shirts. Silk material wicks well and is light weight.. A nylon windbreaker is good to have too and can be found pretty easily... It is admirable to see someone adapt and solve a problem than just buy their way out of it....

  3. #43
    Hiker bigcranky's Avatar
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    I was in Target the other night, waiting for the women in my life to try on clothes, and I got to looking through the men's athletic wear. I had seen some of their clothing in the past, and bought a couple of short-sleeve synthetic tops, but the selection was much better now.

    I could buy almost all my clothing for a hike for less than $150. Short and long sleeved synthetic tops in light and medium weights were $10-15; a long-sleeved mid-weight zip-tee was about $20; synthetic shorts with a mesh brief were $12, a fleece jacket was $25, and a great windshirt very similar to a Marmot DriClime was $30. OK, all this stuff is a little heavier than the high-end backpacking clothing, but the utility is the same. Unlike thrift-shopping, you get a choice of sizes and styles, and a decent return policy.

    IIRC it was all Champion brand, which you may be able to find in other stores for similar prices. My only personal experience is with my synthetic shirts, but they've been great -- and for $10, what's not to like? There's a similar selection in the women's clothing department, too.

    Happy hunting,
    Ken B
    'Big Cranky'
    Our Long Trail journal

  4. #44
    Registered User Frolicking Dinosaurs's Avatar
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    The other x-marts have similar lines. K-mart is Athle-tec, Wal-mart sells several low-cost brands (Starter, Wilson, etc.) and Dollar General has some very reasonably priced stuff in men’s clothing.

    For women's wear - some Wal-Marts have 'Just My Size' clothing suitable for hiking (larger sizes). Target has the best overall selection, but you have to watch the labels for the presence of killer cotton.

  5. #45

  6. #46
    Registered User neo's Avatar
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    i am the king of budget hammock gear neo

  7. #47

    Default Crazedlist

    A tip:
    http://www.crazedlist.org -- search ALL of Craigslist

    While there are folks who don't want to be bothered with shipping, you can find some deals, and for the price of an E-mail, you can sometimes luck out!

  8. #48
    Registered User sixhusbands's Avatar
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    I think you covered it all!

  9. #49
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    Default Stuff sacks

    Great article, and it's one I'm gonna review for ideas periodically. I think scavenged/recycled gear is some of the best stuff going. Almost always light, always cheap and usually can be replaced on the trail if necessary.

    Gonna try to make a contribution.

    Like a lot of hikers I've aquired quite a selection of stuff sacks, but only use three, maybe four of them. I aquired my selection because as my gear changed the size and number of stuff sacks I wanted to accomodate my gear and clothing changed too. Every time my gear changed off I'd go to the local outfitter to find the "perfect" stuff sack, only to have the whole concept change as I adjusted my gear and hiking style. Then it was off to the local outfitter . . .

    I bet everyone sees where that's going. The short version is I've probably got well over $100 tied up in stuff sacks alone, and it's probably closer to $200 than I care to admit.

    What I'd suggest is using plastic grocery bags and/or heavy duty ziploc bags until you're pretty sure you've got your gear selection settled. Once you've got a good rig going, then go buy (if you're a slug like me) or even better, make your own stuff sacks to accomodate the gear and clothing that you're actually gonna use.

    This really follows the "don't select your pack until you've got your gear figured out" concept. Until you know what gear you're gonna carry and how you want it divvied up there really isn't any rational way to determine how many stuff sacks your gonna need or what size they need to be.

    For thru-hikers I'd suggest not buying your stuff sacks until Neel's Gap at the earliest, or even better Hot Springs. Even better would be to wait until Damascus.

  10. #50
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    Saving this...

  11. #51
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    thanks for the advice

  12. #52

    Default rei site

    Quote Originally Posted by bogey View Post
    Rock,

    outstanding piece!

    the following caught my eye, and i had to to check REIs web site.

    http://www.rei.com/outlet/index.html - REI’s clearance sale site. REI even has "Member Sales" which you can participate in if you are an REI member. It costs $15 a year and can save you a lot of money if you watch for the good deals.

    that $15 membership is supposed to be one-time! I wondered since I've been a member since dirt was fresh, and I don't remember getting a renewal. that's a great bargain right there!

    check six

    late to the party.
    say, i don't suppose you would be willing to hook us up with the un and pw for the discount site aye??

  13. #53
    Chainsaw conmcb25's Avatar
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    What a great article thanks!

    Cotton Balls and Vaseline. Take some cotton balls (about 12) and swab Vaseline all over them, then put them in their own zip-lock to make sure fire campfire starter.
    A good no cost alternative to cotton balls is dryer lint. My 14 yr old backpacker and I keep a ziploc bag near the dryer, and Mom puts the dryer lint in the ziploc for us.

    A little bit of vaseline and its as good as cotton balls and even cheaper.

  14. #54
    Moo-terrific CowHead's Avatar
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    I find alot great deals at Goodwill and Salvation army of items
    Would you be offended if I told you to
    TAKE A HIKE!
    CowHead


    "If at first you don't succeed......Skydiving is not for you" Zen Isms

    I once was lost, then I hike the trail

  15. #55
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    Picked up a Western Mountaineering Flight Jacket today for $6. No holes, rips, or stains. Thrift stores are great!

  16. #56
    Registered User Skidsteer's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by cruisaire View Post
    Picked up a Western Mountaineering Flight Jacket today for $6. No holes, rips, or stains. Thrift stores are great!
    Wow, what a great score!
    Skids

    Insanity: Asking about inseams over and over again and expecting different results.
    Albert Einstein, (attributed)

  17. #57
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    That's what I thought too! Between the advice given here and the stuff I'm seeing (a constant stream of $4 merino sweaters, $5-$9 kelty packs, and fleece/downjackets at this price), it's a little hard to say "dirt bagger" without a smile. Thanks Sgt. Rock!

  18. #58
    I am a ceramacist, I love mud... jphanes's Avatar
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    Smile Awesome!

    I'm planning my first thru-hike and this info is priceless! I would like to add something. There is a place outside Kernersville NC called the Salvage Store. They buy damaged or unclaimed freight and sell it a stupid low prices. They always have different stuff too. They have everything from plumbing supplies, elec. supplies, camping gear, gardening gear, food, clothes, you name it. I'm sure nearly every city or town has something similar. It is a great resource!

  19. #59
    Registered User Powell19's Avatar
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    Great thread.

    I saw some Champion gear at Target the other day that all looked pretty nice for the price. The holiday season means no wild purchases, but I think I might check some out when my bank account recovers. They had a very decent looking soft shell jacket.

    steepandcheap.com has really killer deals on all that fancy gear I can't afford otherwise. They're hard to keep up with if you just visit the site periodically or get emails, but there's a Firefox add-on I'm using now that displays the deal of the moment beside your status bar all the time.

    If you're ever around Scotsboro AL, Unclaimed Baggage is a great store. They buy stuff that gets lost and never claimed at airports. Since Northface, Arc'Terex, Patagonia, etc. are all so fasionable now, you can find lots of stuff threr that some college student lost on their spring break trip and never bothered to retrieve.

  20. #60
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    On the subject of dirt bagging, i use an old windbreaker that still looks nice, and treated with the spray on waterproofing silicone. Have done the same thing for my hiking pants. The water proofing spray only costs about $5 bucks at wal-mart and one can will do the pants and my windbreaker. Much cheaper than buying rain jacket and rain pants.

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