driftwoody
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Take the path closer to the edge, especially if less traveled
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Post by driftwoody on Apr 7, 2023 3:23:19 GMT -8
I spent about $100 on gas roundtrip on my recent trip to Tennessee. On an average year I probably spend about $500 on travel, counting motels -- defintely less than I typically spend on gear and clothes for hiking.
But I don't go nearly as often as I'd like, and I drive everywhere in my little VW Golf. Only once have I flown to a hiking destination and rented a vehicle. YMMV
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 7, 2023 3:39:14 GMT -8
I’ve spent a lot more on gear and clothes than I should have and don’t use it as much as I want to. But I enjoy the nice gear. I have never regretted my western mountaineering or feathered friends sleeping bag purchases. I also fly fish and have spent a good bit on fly rods. But 10 really nice fly rods are still a hell of a lot less than a bass boat.
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Post by cweston on Apr 7, 2023 5:59:27 GMT -8
But I don't go nearly as often as I'd like, and I drive everywhere in my little VW Golf. Only once have I flown to a hiking destination and rented a vehicle. YMMV Yeah, I'm the same way. I'm unlikely to fly anywhere (for BPing, or just in general) if it's remotely feasible to drive. (Can you tell I grew up in Detroit?) I like road trips, and it's much more economical, too. And much easier to carry the gear you need. (My typical BPing trip has gotten more gear-complex as I've gotten older. I need time at elevation for high-elevation hikes, so that means some days of car camping before the BPing begins.) HYOH, of course. I live within a long day's drive of the places where most of my BPing takes place.
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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 Apr 7, 2023 6:12:19 GMT -8
I hear ya, cweston. You're further from the western mountains than Chicagoland where I reside, but You're closer to many wonderful destinations in the east.
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Post by cweston on Apr 7, 2023 6:19:07 GMT -8
Actually, I'm closer to the western mountains--I *grew up* in Detroit, but have lived in other places my whole adult life. I've been in Kansas for 20+ years now. I'm about a 9 hour drive from my beloved Nuchu (Gore) range or the eastern face of the Sangres.
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driftwoody
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Post by driftwoody on Apr 7, 2023 6:27:09 GMT -8
That's great; some of us have never really grown up.
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daveg
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Post by daveg on Apr 7, 2023 18:59:23 GMT -8
Is this high end stuff really that much better or is it all part of a vast, and apparently effective, marketing scheme to sell us far more than we really need? I know I’m a bit cheap, but really, is this high end stuff really worth it? I mean, $99.00 for a t-shirt. Seriously? I feel the same way. Occasionally, I buy an expensive piece of high end gear or clothing, but it takes me a while to rationalize the purchase. Recently, I've been wondering how much of my perspective (that items seem outrageously expensive today -- I mean, $50,000+ for a new car!) is a function of my age. In 1966, I could go to McDonald's and get two hamburgers, a fries, and a small soft drink for 46 cents plus 2 cents tax. A gallon of gas cost 32 cents. $20 was a lot of money. I still think $20 is a lot of money. But maybe that's because I'm still thinking of how much $20 bought when I was a young man. I plugged the 1966 prices into an inflation calculator. The purchasing power of 46 cents in 1966 is $4.26 today. The purchasing power of 32 cents in 1966 is $2.97 today. And the purchasing power of $20.00 in 1966 is $185.36 today. So a $100 Icebreaker top today is only about $11 in 1966 dollars. Probably just another rationalization. But it makes the purchase price easier to bear.
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ErnieW
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Post by ErnieW on Apr 7, 2023 20:50:20 GMT -8
But maybe that's because I'm still thinking of how much $20 bought when I was a young man. This gets me too. I regularly have to remind myself there's been inflation since I was a kid. I did the inflation calculator is the other direction: A $80 tee shirt would cost $8.62 in 1966 A $500 parka would cost $53.85 in 1966
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jazzmom
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Post by jazzmom on Apr 8, 2023 10:29:45 GMT -8
I heard this advice once that you should try to only buy things that you either LOVE or need. I try to live by that. I don't try to justify buying the things I love.
For the things I need, I'm pretty hardcore data-driven. For backpacking, that's meant that I set a base-weight goal and then looked through my gear and upgraded to meet it. Once I got there, I pretty much stopped buying gear unless something wore out, broke or just wasn't working (hence the 10 backpacking pillows I have...) I'm generally not all that tempted by sales or the latest and greatest, or have a need to have 50 backpacking stoves (you know who you are! :D)
I guess I'd pay $100 for a T-shirt if I loved it but that's never happened. I'm pretty brand-loyal for clothes but rarely "brand-impressed."
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driftwoody
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Post by driftwoody on Apr 8, 2023 12:33:24 GMT -8
For the things I need, I'm pretty hardcore data-driven. For backpacking, that's meant that I set a base-weight goal and then looked through my gear and upgraded to meet it. Once I got there, I pretty much stopped buying gear unless something wore out, broke or just wasn't working (hence the 10 backpacking pillows I have...) I'm generally not all that tempted by sales or the latest and greatest Very, very, sensible. I must admit I am tempted by sales and latest/greatest. That's how I spent $57 (list price $95) on the Icebreaker 150 Zone short sleeve merino blend t-shirt. In my defense I had never owned an article of clothing like that, so I wanted to see (feel) for myself. It's a quality garment which provides more warmth than a typical t-shirt, but I wouldn't buy again.
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jazzmom
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Post by jazzmom on Apr 9, 2023 5:17:02 GMT -8
In my defense I had never owned an article of clothing like that, so I wanted to see (feel) for myself. It's a quality garment which provides more warmth than a typical t-shirt, but I wouldn't buy again. I believe, once you reach a certain age, "I've always wanted one" falls into the "love" category. I think the intent of "buy only what you love or need" is that the purchase will hopefully bring you joy and contentment. The point is to avoid making decisions that bring you guilt or regret.
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Post by Lamebeaver on Apr 10, 2023 13:38:50 GMT -8
I will sometimes pay for lightweight....but that's about it.
You can spend several hundered dollars on a tent. It may last a long time, or it can get ripped by carelessness/accident/whatever.
Of you can spend less than $100 on a tent and replace it every few years.
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