We sure love our gear .

fastfredracing · 08-24-2018, 05:43 AM

Spent last weekend canoeing , and hiking with my boy. End of summer ritual for us .
We had an awesome time. Total cost for a day on the river was $39.00 for canoe rental, and maybe $15.00 for ice, water, some fruit, and drinks for the day.
What amazed me was the amount of people in new kayaks, decked out with wet suits, camelbacks, water shoes, team jerseys , and Subaru's with racks to hold their kayaks.
Got the same vibe on our hike. My son and I , in comfy shorts, t shirts, and regular work type/hiker boots.
Half the hikers on the trail, looked like an advertisement for the LL bean catalog.
We ride bikes also. Not hardcore, but enjoy a trip around the block on the weekends. Used to mountain bike a lot. Cargo shorts, t shirts, and tennis shoes are just fine . ( I had clip ins when I mountain biked ) Most everybody else, other than children are on $2500.00 bikes, and full race team gear , and so freakin serious, like it is the tour de france .
Im not really making fun of it, just something I notice whenever we are out.
None of those kayak guys looked like they were high level athletes, nor , were they were not setting a pace any faster than us, and I would argue that we enjoyed our experience every bit as much, or even more than they did.
I get it, I like cool stuff also, and if you really get into an activity, and take it next level, good gear makes sense. I am doubting most people fall into this category.
I started to feel like I was inferior to these people at one point, then I had to remind myself, that I was just trying to enjoy a weekend in the woods, and it is not a competition .
Seems to raise the entry price into nearly every outdoor activity there is .
I'm still camping in a tent that I bought at Wal mart 15 years ago. Works just fine. Im also not setting up base camp on everest.

flipper35 · flipper35's Garage

I have to admit we have been looking at kayaks. We have a fiberglass canoe but that is not usable in the local river here and when we go to one of the lakes we usually fish from shore. That said, we canoe in old tennis shoes and shorts/t-shirt and hat for the sun and have vests for everyone and would be the same in the kayak.

look 171 · 08-24-2018, 07:03 AM

Its a boy thing.

Nordwest · 08-24-2018, 07:24 AM

I'm with you Fred. I tent camp with my fam. I enjoy the campfire, cooking outdoors, good food, hiking, biking, playing cards, exploring...etc. I work with a few people that "camp" in their trailers/motorhomes and all they talk about is "stuff". Who has the biggest/best trailer, generator, awning, tv, atv's, tech gear, and more crap. I just don't relate. When I was a young man, we refered to these folks as posers.

vash · vash's Garage

i'm a bit of a gear nerd.

my bike is expensive, but i look like a feral human on it. regular shorts, 25 year old clip on shoes, any t-shirt..

i do have a new helmet..hehe. so helmet and bike are good..in between, very regular.

asphaltgambler · 08-24-2018, 07:31 AM

Fred - your post made me laugh out loud this morning. I think you're old enough to remember the exercise fad of the 80's where it was more about how good you look exercising than if you were accomplishing anything. For a group of people, it's still the same.

VincentVega · 08-24-2018, 07:35 AM

I dont do this is all aspects of my life but for somethings I just buy the stuff I want. In the little free time I had I didnt wanted a nice/decent bike. So glad I did. Same for some sailing gear. Part of my doesnt like spending the $$, seems frivolous, but what is it for? I dont think I'm a poster child for REI or whatever but my days of a 30lb bike and leaky tent are thankfully over.

Get in where you fit in. Ride your race... whatever. Just do your thing and dont give a chit what others think.

Dantilla · 08-24-2018, 07:35 AM

Very proud of my wife. I've always been pretty outdoorsy, but in the last few years, she has "discovered" hiking, backpacking, kayaking, yada yada.
I'm now getting her comfortable on beginner mountain bike trails.

I've always used whatever I had. My wife sees this as an excellent opportunity to buy all the new gear. She reminds me that new tents weigh less than the tent I bought in the '80's. Too bad. I like my tent, it's just like new. I'm glad she has new waterproof hiking shoes. I've wandered the wilderness for years in normal tennis shoes.

She loves REI, feels she finally has the credibility to be there.
Well worth it. I appreciate the new found energy she has, even just heading up into the National Forest behind our house.

She's the best. If she ever leaves me, I'm going with her!

vash · vash's Garage

i spend a fair amount of time outdoors.

the new modern clothing is such a game changer. fast drying, non odor absorbent. it really kicks ass. you'll run across the old dudes that would say.."i hunted in jeans and a flannel shirt" sure.i get it. where? close to home?

i think there is something to said about modern gear..with moderation of course. hehe.

fastfredracing · 08-24-2018, 07:52 AM

Vash, I would give you the exception . I know you are a hardcore outdoors guy, and I was hoping you would not take offense to my post .

VincentVega · 08-24-2018, 07:56 AM

I think you're 100% right Fred.

Same thing going to a DE. We used to drive our cars to the track.

Now, 3500 dually with a trailex, a toter, 30' box with AC... same thing different hobby. Whatever floats your boat.

Noah930 · Noah930's Garage

Maybe 20 years ago I remember reading an issue of Bike magazine. It was the "dirt bag biker" issue. There was an article about guys (it's always a guy, isn't it?) with bikes that cost more than their cars. But there was also an article about a guy who rode went for a ride with some buddies up some trail in NorCal. At the top, they rested, took in the view, and congratulated each other on their hardcore off trail mountain bikes, and how there was no way they could have done the same ride without them. At which point they spotted some longhaired dude, in jeans, with no t-shirt (it was tucked into a back pocket), riding a kids Schwinn Stingray with tassels and spokie dokies up the same trail. Jean dude got to the top, smiled and said hi, and then turned around and tore back down the trail, bunny hopping everything in sight the whole way down. Doesn't matter what you're riding, as long as you're out there riding.

vash · vash's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

Vash, I would give you the exception . I know you are a hardcore outdoors guy, and I was hoping you would not take offense to my post .

offense? not even close!! just a great discussion among friends that we have never met. haha

fastfredracing · 08-24-2018, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nordwest

I'm with you Fred. I tent camp with my fam. I enjoy the campfire, cooking outdoors, good food, hiking, biking, playing cards, exploring...etc. I work with a few people that "camp" in their trailers/motorhomes and all they talk about is "stuff". Who has the biggest/best trailer, generator, awning, tv, atv's, tech gear, and more crap. I just don't relate. When I was a young man, we refered to these folks as posers.

I guess I should step up, and admit, that I have a 5 th wheel camper. I have gotten stuck in the same rut before . However, the novelty of that is wearing off quickly . I enjoyed it , and campgrounds are nice with the kiddies sometimes, but I am really enjoying going back to simple camping again.
We loaded up the M3 with our tent, 2 sleeping bags, mountain pie maker, a cooler and a change of clothes , and had a killer trip, without towing 10,000 pounds of stuff behind us.

vash · vash's Garage

hahahha...

pwd72s · 08-24-2018, 08:28 AM

Name the human activity....if products are made for it, marketing takes over. It's human nature to love gadgets.

look 171 · 08-24-2018, 08:30 AM

That's why we pay lot-o-money for the big bore 1,000,000,000 hp motor just so we can drive it on the street or must have ultra grippy summer tire just incase if ...

All my bicycles are stupid money going back 30 years. I no longer race but I just can't myself to buy a mid grade modern bike. They just don't feel the same but I still beat on the new bike. I hear these newbie, older riders talk about their gears like if they brought their internet page with them at the start of our training rides. They get dropped as soon as the first hill comes around and are about 300 lbs over weight but they gotta have that 10,000 dollar bike with the carbon.... Oh, lets not forget the color coordinated outfit that also match the bike color. I laugh cause' I have a different wheel on the back.

I think we have the internet to thank for that. They have too much time to read reviews and such so they must have those items. We go for a short walk in an easy trail to a local waterfall sometimes with the kids. I see a sea of Northface jackets and pants on that trail with brand new heavy (not light weight trail shoes) hiking boots that we used to use for back packing trips. Us, we are in our worn out running shoes.

Seahawk · 08-24-2018, 08:38 AM

I kayak the Potomac at Great Falls once a year or so...ok, last time was three years ago.

I still paddle a Perception XLT, which was state of the art when I bought it in 1992. I don't mix it up like I used to, so the amount of folks in very expensive kayaks in the same kiddie line I am in was impressive.

That said, I wear all the latest gear, including clothing and spray skirts: Vash is right, wear the new stuff.

As always, there is trade space between the Indian and the arrow.

pwd72s · 08-24-2018, 08:42 AM

Ohhh, looky there... some lucky guy can afford a "reimagined Porsche" by Singer. Yep, human nature.

The car thing hit home yesterday. Grateful for cold air and a decent stereo. Because from a Honda fit to a Ferrari, it wouldn't matter. In the stretch of I-5 I drove, all were going slow...both lanes hopelessly clogged.

Well, at least I had a good case and cues when I finally reached the pool hall. I could have played with a house cue and still had fun, but..well, you know...it's kinda like Vash's camping knife...

herr_oberst · 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seahawk

...
I still paddle a Perception XLT, which was state of the art when I bought it in 1992. ...

I was lucky enough to get to know Rob Lesser. He was the Perception rep, living in Boise. What a humble guy. You'd never hear him talking about his adventures, but even today, I'll see some river documentary from back in the day and there he is, leading the charge, first ever human down some ungodly scary stretch in Peru or something. He and his good friend Phil tried to teach me to roll; but I've never been much of a water rat, so it was an afternoon of fun, with great gear, but kayaking was never going to be my main sport.

(Sorry for the hijack)

To the OP point, I remember walking into REI about 25 years ago and getting excited about lightweight snowshoes in bright anodized colors. Now, I'd never been snowshoeing in my life, I grew up downhill skiing, but the gear got me thinking, what fun this would be. (Then I tried it, and decided that I like the gravity sports better!). I realized then how much marketing was affecting our lives....Now I'm just a cranky old cynic.