What did you get for your thru?

[Blissful]

This may be on another forum too but curious to know what other 2007 thru hikers-to-be got for Christmas for their upcoming hikes.
We just returned from NY visiting relatives and I racked up -

a new headlamp
a summer weight down sleeping bag
Smartwool long sleeve top
microfleece pjs (not sure if I will take them or not but they are very light weight and comfy)
a "mail" drop that was sitting outside the door of my parent's house - what fun. It had trail mix, jerky, among other things.

And today I got zip off pants at Gander Mountain for $3.50. (70% off lowest price. Again, they might not go on the trail as they have two zip off points for capris and shorts - but I couldn't resist that price!)

Hope Paul Bunyan writes in with his list. He got a ton of stuff...

[Paul Bunyan]

I refuse to conform.

[VictoriaM]

I got an 80GB iPod and a little digital camera. I already had the gear I'll need, but these little extras are nice to have.

[Paul Bunyan]

But really, the list includes

:headlamp
:summerweight sleeping bag
:grease pot (?????) (for cooking pot)
:hat
:yaktrack traction device
:etc. (in case i forgot anything i'll re-post)

[maxNcathy]

windstopper hat, socks, water proof mitten shells,patagonia down sweater,

[mike!]

i got... a 30$ dollar montbell 30L backpack (on thier discount site) and 30 degree bag, a OR ion windshirt and a stick of deodorant (grandma sure does try)
mike!

[Frosty]

A WM Badger 15* sleeping bag, long. (When you buy Christmas presents for yourself, the sky's the limit)

[MrHappy]

I racked up a lot of sweet stuff:

Fold-up cup and Bowl (the orange plastic folding things...)
Iodine tablets (my mom's still upset that I'm not bringing a filter)
Alterra Watch (it's in the mail)
ALDHA Companion 07
Windstopper Hat
Polypro Balaclava
Marmot Precip pants
Down Booties
A gift card for expensive mountain ****... i mean... eastern mountain sports.

[bluelight]

I must have been a really good boy this year. Mrs. Claus got me a,
Marmot precip rain jacket
Marmot driclime windshirt
Mountain Hardwear jacket
BA seedhouse SL-2
WM badger 15* sleeping bag
BA insulated air core mat
Olympus stylus 710 camera
Marmot Polartec pants
OR windstopper hat
4 Liter platypus water tank
2 - Sea to Summit dry sacks
Peachskins top
2 qt. titanium cook pot
micro grid zip t
Kelty triptease lightline
And,
I got to order a ULA Catalst backpack.

[Undershaft]

I specifically requested that I not be given an EMS gift card. That Place sucks. Instead I got a gift cert. for Campmor (which actually carries useful gear). A book about wilderness backpacking that has lots of neat info on 1st aid, predicting the weather, navagation tips, etc. And a bunch of money towards a digital camera (I haven't decided which model I'm going to get.). I didn't request any specific gear since I already have everything I need.

[rafe]

I already have everything I need.

Is that actually possible?

[J Link NJ]

hey undershaft. do u fukin live under plymouth rock?

I specifically requested that I not be given an EMS gift card. That Place sucks. Instead I got a gift cert. for Campmor (which actually carries useful gear).

maybe ur just retarted or something, but how about next time ur gonna make a fool out of urself, u double check ur sources. yea campmor has alot of stuff, but ems has just as much useful stuff, and not as much not needed stuff. maybe ur local ems is small, but check out ems.com and compare it to campmor.com

-josh linkhart, ems guide

[hammock engineer]

I'll try to bring this thread back on track.

I got money that I used to buy a gear skin pack. Something I been wanting for awhile. Got to love the parents and grand parents.

[nitewalker]

ems sync jacket, ems 650 down vest, ems tempo gtx lt hiking boots, marmot precip jacket and last of all a granite gear nimbus latitude backpack...
ems has way more usefull gear than campmor. campmor is ok to deal with but not as good as ems... rei is a big ripoff, compare prices and u will see.....

[MOWGLI]

campmor is ok to deal with but not as good as ems...

Go to the Campmor store in Paramus, NJ sometime. Then walk nexr door to EMS and try to keep yourself from laughing. My guess is you can't do it. You'll be back over in Campmor within 5-10 minutes.

[K0OPG]

hiker pro water filter
gaiters
pot for jetboil
stuff sacks
compression sack for sleeping bag
waterproofing stuff for jacket and boots
compass
2007 data book/companion

planning on a march 20th start from HF south.

[Jaybird]

i got a

Campmor 20 Degree DOWN mummy bag
some SmartWool hiking socks

to add to my NEW hiking gear



say "hello" to me & Jigsaw" when you pass us in Central Virginia in April-May

[Undershaft]

Yeah, Terrapin, I actually have all the gear I need for my hike this year. The only thing I have to buy are the maps that I don't have already. Not that I'm against buying more gear. I'll pick up some extras from campmor this spring. As for Mr. Linkhart, the hotshot EMS guide(what the F does that mean anyway?), come up here and check out my local EMS. It's small, has an extremely limited selection, what gear they do carry is overpriced, and they change the layout of the store every 2 months making it impossible to find anything. I'll admit I was excited when I heard EMS was opening a store here in town, but that quickly changed to disappointment. Call me old fashioned, but I like buying my gear in a store or ordering from a catalog, not online. It's a personal preference. Since I don't always have the time to drive an hour to the nearest REI, Campmor catalog it is. And Josh, try not to be so antagonistic, especially when you had nothing useful to contribute to this "What gear did you get..." thread.

Now that I've ranted, I'm glad everyone got some cool stuff they can use this year. See you on the trail!

[rafe]

Campmor vs. EMS is a silly comparison. How many retail outlets does each one have? My local EMS store pretty much sucks, but over the years I've bought a lot of quality stuff at EMS. The original store on Comm Ave. in Boston was quite unique -- in its time. Cheap, it's not. One of these days I plan to make a pilgrimage to the Campmor showroom in Paramus. Maybe on the next visit to the inlaws in the Bronx.

[Mags]

EMS has reveamped their "thrust" as a store recently. The EMS stores west of the Mississippi are no more. The one in Boulder, CO was apparently one of the top grossing EMS stores inthe country. Now it is an empty store. I did scoop up some new toys when the place was going out of business.

From what I was told, REI is trying to make inroads in the East. REI is also evolving into a "soft goods" (e.g. CLOTHES!) mainly store. The profit margin in "the outdoors look" crowd is much higher. The REI here in Boulder definitely gets that crowd more. They buy some hardware, but it definitely is more clothese than anything else they push. Can't say I blame them. What are they going to sell more? A fleece that is warm for the 2 or 3 times a year a person who goes backpacking AND used around town for the coffee shops...or a three-season tent that is used 2-3 times a year?

EMS' strategy? Getting back to a more gear focused thrust.
Part of that strategy was consolidating the stores for EASTERN Mountain Sports. Trying to position themselves as a store different from REI. Well, at least from a marketing standpoint!

Having said all that, if someone gave me a gift certificate to any of the stores, I'd use it! As for Campmor? Is there ANY better bathroom reading material for a hiker ?!??!!?