Those Who Collect Gear

“Ok, I recently met a fine chap who has More expensive, higher tech, finer & more elegant gear than I.

I don't get it. Why do you need 3 tents, 2 stoves and 5 different backpacks?? Maybe I'm a minimalist...

Please enlighten me.”

“I have a 2, 3, 4, and 4-person tents.
They are 22, 6, 19, and 2 years old respectively.
The old "4" has pretty much had it.
We use them all.

I'm not fond of real techy stuff but the modern backpacks are nice to have.
I've had to get progressively smaller packs--6,000 to 4,400 to 3,600 to reduce carry-weight and for trips of various duration.
One of my boys has two packs....4,200 and 3,000.

We have six backpacking worthy sleeping bags.
They are from 28 years old to the latest which is a few months old.
Two are "ZEROS" and the others are 3-season.

Almost everything I have bought has been good gear at bargain prices.

When we drag the cousins and friends along the extra stuff gets used.

My wife just rolls her eyes at all the "stuff"........”

“They all have there place! I have five packs and they all have their separate uses. One 1,00 inch pack for minimalist trips, one 2.200” for summer lightweight trips, one 2,200” for friends to use and for kayaking, one 3,900” for extended lightweight trips or for lightweight winter trips, and one 4,200” for winter trippin’.

I also have three tents and about four tarps, all with a purpose as above.

I also have about six stoves that are equally useful but have a separate use.”

“How many pairs of shoes do you own?

After 33 years of doing this stuff I have collected quite a bit of gear myself, I won't bore you with the numbers. I use it in my business, loan it to friends and clients, use it climbing, use it with SAR and use it for fun...because of the different uses, I actually need more then one pack, tent and sleeping bag....When Amy first saw my gear room she almost wet her pants, now her's is bigger then mine, almost all my friends have "gear rooms" with everything hanging, sitting on shelves and piled in the closet. Do this long enough and I suspect you will too. For many of us this isn't just a hobby, it's a way of life.

Beats spending all my money on drugs, beer and women.


Tried that...the drugs screwed me up, the beer made me fat....the women now hang around my gear room........ahhhh the good life!”

“"Beats spending all my money on *****, beer and *****. "



Hey hey hey! Let’s not lose our perspective here!”

“"the women now hang around my gear room........"

Ah, ahhh, Oh, forget it.
--------------------
Since I usually carcamp between hikes, I carry gear for both. I like to start a hike with a dry tent and gear. And then there is appropiate gear for different weather expectations, length of hike, the terrain, etc., plus compromises due to weight considerations. Also, after upgrading gear, one tends to reserve the old gear, which worked, for emergencies, etc.”

“Watch out for mtnsteve...he collects women and hangs them in his gear room!!! hee hee”

“I have put together a full set up of my older gear. Tent, pack, stove, sleeping bag, mess kit, water bottles, knife fork and spoon, etc. It's all on the heavy side. Nothing anyone here would be into. Does anyone know of anywhere I might be able to donate it to? If you don't mind the weight, it's a nice enrty level set up.”

“Your local Boy Scout Troop.”

“Most troops keep extra gear to either give or loan to boys who might not have the financial resources to buy their own. Ours does. I've seen a lot of kids benefit from that.”

“How would I find out where they are? Is there a main number that I can call?”

“Go to local council locator. The local council can direct you to your nearest troop. It's best to donate it directly to the troop.”

“Skullcap - THANKS!”

“No prob.”

“I've got a bunch of older gear too. Usually I keep it around to loan out to friends interested in going backpacking. I'm also a scoutmaster so new boys in the troop get to use it without the big outlay of cash.”

“MtnSteve, will you please show me your...gear room???? LOL”

“I love my toys and have redundancy on several items,except a sleeping bag-I really don't like loaning gear ' it never seems to come back like it left.
I am a freak about ditty bags and cells-I could loose a couple pounds out of the pack if I bring myself to leave home with out them.
My other weakness is nalgene bottles-got a herd of them in all sizes.”

“I have 2 backpacks one a camp trails catskill and a eddie bauer and I have 2 stoves both msr's I have 2 sleeping mats.Thats about it.And just one tent.

I hope everyone had a good weekend becuase I had a great one in Hoosier National Forest.Me and members in my club went backpacking in Charles C.Deam wilderness this weekend and we got wet but we had a blast....:)

Happy hiking......:)

Mike”

“Wanna see my gear room little girl...........................




Come up for New Years and I'll show it to ya.........



But ya gotta be reeeeeeeal good......”

“Promise, I'll be reeeeeeal good!! LOL Check your email later.

I don't have a clue why people have so much gear...seems a waste to me!!! LOLOL”

“LMAO @ both of you!”

“We moved from a 1 bdrm condo w/carport to a 2 bdrm townhouse w/2 car "+" garage. The "+" is a addition in the garage that some of our neighbors converted to a extra sleeping area. We use it for our toys. The second bedroom is for the 2 computers and photo stuff. Looking for another computer for me so SnowDude can have his back (I like his better).”

“I started out with a gear closet in the hopes that the limited space would help me limit my gear. That was foolishly optimistic, it overflows into the rest of the house. I think we're gonna need a bigger house!”

“I all know is that xmas is almost here and I will be getting some new gear......:)

Can't wait.......”

“Nigal, How much can you get in that 100 inch pack?

I recently sold an extra stove (Coleman Xponent) and am down to 13 backpacking stoves, I need to go shopping.”

“Yeah Nigal, what's with 100 cu in pack?

Maybe that's his purse.

I've gotta get rid of some of the kids to make room for gear.”

“You can never, ever, have enough "stuff". It appears I have allot of catching up to do around here and I'm psyched!

I like the donate to boy scouts suggestion, even if they're not PC here in CA.”

“LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!! How many pairs of shoes do I own?!!!

LOL!
I have received a gift certificate to REI every year for Christmas the past 15 years (or gear) and my ex-husband was ousted from my family because he does not hike.
LMAO!!!!”

“i think i missed your point.

yep. i sure did.”