Gear acquisition syndrome

Info on gear, conditioning, and preparation for hiking/climbing.
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Jorts
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Re: Gear acquisition syndrome

Post by Jorts »

quinnwolf wrote: Fri Oct 08, 2021 7:21 am You all have problems. I'll chime in with a different perspective.
I have one backpack that I use for short day hikes, long, day hikes, summer backpacking, inbounds skiing, and backcountry skiing (and sometimes even as a carry-on for a weekend trip or work trip). The key is versatility.
I'm with you. My backcountry ski/overnight/SAR pack is one in the same. I have a lightweight rando pack and a lightweight running pack. But it's so easy to go down the rabbit hole of needing a special pack for every niche.

Being broke helps one maintain a minimalist gear selection and promotes adaptability and improvisation!
Traveling light is the only way to fly.
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Barnold41
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Re: Gear acquisition syndrome

Post by Barnold41 »

Jorts wrote: Fri Oct 08, 2021 7:50 am Being broke helps one maintain a minimalist gear selection and promotes adaptability and improvisation!
True story.
dr_j
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Re: Gear acquisition syndrome

Post by dr_j »

I’m not too big on buying gear, but still have picked up stuff along the way:

I’ve recently acquired a full-frame DSLR and a nice bulky lens, so I carry that with me on my trips, and it’s changed the equation on what packs work and which ones don’t.

Backpacks- I have an Osprey mountaineering pack 65 L that I originally picked up for Rainier, but it’s my go-to pack for short backpacking trips, i.e. Chicago Basin, Lake Como, and such.

Then there’s a ancient 2005 DaKine Poacher, 45 L, which I use for day hikes and often as a carryon bag for regular trips. Still the most ideal size pack I have, good for the essentials and my camera.

K2 Backside 15 L. This is a daypack for snowboarding, but I’ve used it on day hikes and such, it’s slightly too small, once I factor in the camera, and I use it much less than previously. Would like something slightly bigger now.

Other stuff I have in quantities > 2: approach shoes, Sportiva Boulder X which aren’t that comfortable to hike in, Sportiva TX Guides which are far better, and an unused pair of 5.10 Guide Tennies. The Sportiva soles seem to wear down fairly quickly.

Basically I spend my $$$ on travel stuff, and less on gear.
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espressoself
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Re: Gear acquisition syndrome

Post by espressoself »

Glad I’m not alone here. I had a big wake-up call the other day when my routine became so regular that my phone started auto-suggesting directions to REI
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Alpinefroggy
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Re: Gear acquisition syndrome

Post by Alpinefroggy »

How familiar are the people here with the 80-20 business rule?

It seems like lots of us are in the 20 part of that for (insert outdoor store here). :)
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mtree
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Re: Gear acquisition syndrome

Post by mtree »

At first I laughed at this, then I remembered an ex wife and her closet full of shoes and jeans. Whoa!

I don't partake in the insanity. I have 3 packs. One day pack I use for 99% of my hikes year round, an overnight/camping backpack, and a lightweight summit pack I stuff in the camping pack. That's it. I have no duplicates of anything. I mix and match and improvise when needed. I don't even own a Nalgene bottle! Instead I use old plastic water bottles given to me by whoever. I use snow boarding gear for winter hikes and hiking gear for riding adventures, fishing trips, camping or whatever. I guess I always thought improvising in the wilderness was a good thing. So I'm an ultra minimalist and it will probably kill me some day. For me the 10 essentials are whittled down to 6. No doubt I'll be the guy you read about who died because he wasn't "prepared". The last thing I bought were trekking poles a couple years ago because a friend broke my old ones. I even have a stack of REI gift cards piling up! I'll use those for new boots eventually.

I will say its easy to put together my gear on any given day!

I do have a bunch of "fire" starters given to me as gifts. Odd???
- I didn't say it was your fault. I said I was blaming you.
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SnowAlien
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Re: Gear acquisition syndrome

Post by SnowAlien »

I buy stuff as a replacement only when something is broke or torn. I have 5 backpacks
- winter overnight (had it for 10 years), 55L
- cragging pack, which could double as a hut overnight in a pinch (9 years), 45L
- summer day pack (20L), replaceable, as lasts only a season or two,
- multipitch climbing day pack (20L+), on 2nd season now
- 30L ski backpack (6 years?).
Also have a laptop bag that was repurposed from a BD ski backpack. Looking to sell another new ski pack that I bought as a replacement, but never liked it.
I have 1 big down puffy (previous lasted almost 10 years) and a mini-puffy (new, REI brand), previous lasted couple seasons, but I lived in it.
1 helmet that doubles for everything- climbing and skiing.
2 tents (winter & summer) and 3 sleeping bags (getting on 10 year old, probably would need an upgrade soon).
3 pairs of skis (one 10 years old resort pair), one replacement (since they stopped making that ski a while back) and 1 backcountry setup. I do need new BC ski boots though (current pair lasted 4 seasons), and that's a big purchase.
Small problem with climbing shoes - 5 pairs! (Voo shoe, thin crack shoe, slab shoe, sport shoe and trad shoe). All last multiple seasons, except TC Pros, which I use the most.

Currently I am on a climbing pants buying spree, as I managed to tear holes over the summer in all of them #-o , and the fall climbing season is here!
dsr80304
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Re: Gear acquisition syndrome

Post by dsr80304 »

I just realized I achieved ski pant/bib quiver level with a recent pair of bibs. Already have a ski, crampon and yes backpack quiver. But fortunately no bike quiver - that'd be too $$$!
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