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Post by hikerjer on Feb 20, 2021 10:58:37 GMT -8
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2021 12:13:37 GMT -8
Prices for all this stuff have just gotten insane. There are numerous things I have purchased from REI and other suppliers in the past that I would not even consider now because of the price. I am glad I have most of the gear that I need and will use from here on. But if I need something I start looking for the least expensive version. I think maybe that comes with age???
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Post by cheaptentguy on Feb 20, 2021 13:27:04 GMT -8
So, no and no. That jacket looks like it's designed for pretty hardcore mountaineering, which may make it worth it if it's a matter of combining safety and comfort. I guess the people who need it probably could justify the cost, especially if they us it for a decade of heavy use, if that's what the jacket does. I think all gear comes down to 1.) How much do you use it? 2.) How long does it last? 3.) How much does it improve your experience? If there answer is "a lot" on all three of those, then who's to say if the cost is justifiable. I've seen Facebook posts of people losing their minds at the idea of someone paying $600+ for a tent. But if that person is living in it for half the year and making their backpacking experience justifiable, then it's well worth it to me. But no, there's no circumstance in my current life where an $800 jacket is justifiable.
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Post by cheaptentguy on Feb 20, 2021 13:31:07 GMT -8
Do want to add though that, as I mentioned in my baselayer thread, that I don't mind paying more to a legit company that is an active part of the outdoor community. I'd much rather give them a little more money for a good product than pay for a cheap Chinese knock-off. But there are certainly limits. And that doesn't apply to casual wear; that would only be for something serving a purpose for backpacking, with rare exception.
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zeke
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Peekaboo slot 2023
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Post by zeke on Feb 20, 2021 13:55:44 GMT -8
But, Free Shipping!
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Post by bradmacmt on Feb 20, 2021 14:17:55 GMT -8
Arcteryx makes (mostly) nice gear, but the dead bird logo adds 35%+ to everything. For any one item they make, it's possible to find an equivalent from another top maker for 30-50% less.
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driftwoody
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Take the path closer to the edge, especially if less traveled
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Post by driftwoody on Feb 20, 2021 14:57:01 GMT -8
I always wait for the sale price if possible, but I have learned it is better to pay more for quality I will keep and be satisfied with than to replace a still usable item that will end up gathering dust. However, returns diminish (bang for the buck) as prices escalate. I'll take durability, function, and comfort rather shell out $$ shave a half ounce here and there. Brand doesn't much matter, except to the extent their products have a track record that earned trust.
And I'm willing to spend a little more at a brick & mortar store with a generous return policy like REI. Being able to try on the product and speak with knowledgeable staff is a service that has value.
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Post by hikerjer on Feb 20, 2021 15:27:52 GMT -8
it's possible to find an equivalent from another top maker for 30-50% less. Exactly.
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Post by High Sierra Fan on Feb 20, 2021 16:55:44 GMT -8
“ Fully featured with a helmet-compatible hood and articulated construction,”
Having no requirement for a helmet capable parka this (well its men’s equivalent) isn’t on my short list.
OTOH shelter and backpack prices are routinely hitting that from Tarptent etc. so there’s a market at that price point.
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rangewalker
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Post by rangewalker on Feb 21, 2021 16:15:57 GMT -8
Some of the pricing is insane. This season I bought a $400 midlayer that at first glance looks like it was off the rack at the local truck stop. (BTW, I do shop at truck stops for cheap beanies and work gloves.) But I paid $200 for it at resale. It was worth the $200 because when you look at the materials, cut, and workmanship, it was a universe away from the trucker one in my go bag. I will confess to paying $320 for the parka that goes over the pricey mid-layer. For winter only. It maybe my funeral dress on the way to the oven.
I actually watched a video on the design and construction of top-of-line Arcteryx parka; hand sewn in BC. Not in my league or pocket book, but I can see it.
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Post by cweston on Feb 21, 2021 16:44:54 GMT -8
Yeah, I’m more on the cheap side. A decent percentage of my big-ticket gear purchases over the years have been used. Maybe I’ve just been lucky, but I’ve been pleased with those transactions 95% of the time.
I spend a few weeks a year BPing. If I were out there every weekend, logging 100s of miles every season, I might have a different sense of how much is too much to spend, but I’d never graduate to an $800 shell, that’s for sure.
I still think BPing can be a relatively cheap vacation while still being perfectly well equipped. I literally never lament the “cheapness” of any of my gear, even though I’ve pinched some pennies in assembling some of it over the years.
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jazzmom
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Post by jazzmom on Feb 22, 2021 4:53:21 GMT -8
Well, obviously, someone will pay $800 for a shell. But I think, from a marketing point of view, what it does is shift the price range the average consumer thinks is reasonable. It wasn't long ago that $400 for a shell seemed over-the-top and most of us were "investing" in the $150-200 range. Now the top end is $800 and I see quite a few people "splurging" on $350 jackets.
I'm still trying to figure out when it became normal for cell phones to cost a thousand dollars...
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FamilySherpa
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Post by FamilySherpa on Feb 22, 2021 5:29:11 GMT -8
doesnt even have a water tight main zipper.
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driftwoody
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Post by driftwoody on Feb 22, 2021 5:53:24 GMT -8
Some people with a lot of disposable income may be inclined to shell out $800 for a shell because they want the bling more than they need the thing.
Market opportunities will be filled.
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Post by swmtnbackpacker on Feb 22, 2021 6:31:37 GMT -8
$800 would be too much for a hiking shell, but looking at the Arc’teryx website it has built in “reflectors” so thinking this is more for gnarly winter sports. Also it’s the latest in GoreTex. If venturing into potential avalanches ...maybe.
Meanwhile I’m looking at a semi-softshell microfleece hoody to take most of the punishment, and either a Walmart Dry-Ducks (can be duct-taped) .. or a 2.5 oz just in case W/B anorak from UK’s Rab.
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