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Awesome, thanks! I have some stuff that needs a refresh and better care going forward.
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May 22, 2015 12:43
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goku chewbacca posted:What are some good places to look online for used gear? Campsaver.com has their "The Shed" section which is used gear and samples at really good prices. Besides that you'll want to scour craigslist, which I've had OK luck with. You'll also want to look at an REI gear sale if you have one nearby. That's where they sell all of their returned gear. Normally this stuff doesn't have anything wrong with it. The person who returned it just didnt like it for whatever reason. Goodwill and other thrift stores I've had success at for clothing. Fleeces and shirts mostly, but I did score some Kuhl hiking pants last summer.
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May 22, 2015 13:44
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Screw online for used gear, the real deals are at goodwill/thrift stores near REI's and yuppies for anything wearable, and craigslist for everything else. If I didn't wear size small everything I would be swimming in $20 dead bird hardshells.
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May 23, 2015 08:01
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EMS recently changed their return policy, they used to be like REI with a Lifetime Satisfaction Guarantee but now it's no returns for anything used  This sucks because I was just about to exchange a fleece and a pair of Microspikes.
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May 23, 2015 16:43
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Boo loving hoo. I guess you'll just have to put money into the system like any other industry.
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May 23, 2015 17:28
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Speleothing posted:Boo loving hoo. I guess you'll just have to put money into the system like any other industry. The problem is that with REI, I paid a premium for this policy. Now that they are the same as anywhere else, I have to rely on manufacturers who offer lifetime warranties. Also, you can get a bonus year out of your gear by buying it with AMEX. And if you think I'm averse to putting plenty of money into the system, then I don't even know what to say to that.
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May 23, 2015 17:31
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Why would you return used gear then?
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May 23, 2015 19:05
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evil_bunnY posted:Why would you return used gear then? Because I'm hard on my equipment.
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May 23, 2015 19:18
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Hungryjack posted:The problem is that with REI, I paid a premium for this policy. No you didn't. You paid market price for gear that can sometimes be found cheaper on sale on the Internet REI changed its policy because people were horribly abusing it. Blame them not REI
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May 23, 2015 19:30
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Isn't REI still a year warranty? I can't fault them for that. A year is still more than enough time to find out if something is going to work for you.
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May 23, 2015 19:32
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Levitate posted:No you didn't. You paid market price for gear that can sometimes be found cheaper on sale on the Internet I bought a $550 tent at REI. How can you possibly say I didn't pay a premium? REI sells expensive items. I don't think it's a particularly contentious or aggressive thing to say. And I'm not blaming REI for anything. I'm saying that without the lifetime warranty, there is less reason for me to buy from them as opposed to another vendor. EDIT: I think we're using different definitions of the word "premium". Hungryjack fucked around with this message at 19:47 on May 23, 2015 |
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May 23, 2015 19:42
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Hungryjack posted:I bought a $550 tent at REI. How can you possibly say I didn't pay a premium? REI sells expensive items. I don't think it's a particularly contentious or aggressive thing to say. And I'm not blaming REI for anything. I'm saying that without the lifetime warranty, there is less reason for me to buy from them as opposed to another vendor. selling expensive items is not the same as selling items for a premium. If your $550 tent was $300 everywhere that was not REI, that would be a premium. I.E. you are paying more than retail for an item for the privilege of purchasing it from REI.
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May 23, 2015 20:08
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Trip report ]  For being Memorial Day weekend, Devil's Lake was surprisingly empty this morning. Every lot was completely empty except the boat landing.  Got up on top of the east bluff, about halfway down the lake. It's only about a 500 foot elevation, but still pretty high for Wisconsin and beautiful as hell.  Devil's Doorway on the south side, one of the more iconic spots in the park.  Stopped there for a quick nap, woke up an realized the park was suddenly packed. Ugh. Packed my poo poo up asap and got out. The hike down took three times as long due to all the people coming up.  On the drive home I had a suicidal mourning dove fly through my passenger window and smash me in the face. Guess I'm like Fabio in more ways than one: good looks AND getting blasted in the face by a dumb bird. Birds are assholes, man.  
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May 23, 2015 20:26
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Casu Marzu posted:
I'd heard Wisconsin could be pretty, but this was unexpected! Great trip report.
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May 23, 2015 20:43
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Casu Marzu posted:
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May 23, 2015 21:14
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ReverendCode posted:selling expensive items is not the same as selling items for a premium. If your $550 tent was $300 everywhere that was not REI, that would be a premium. I.E. you are paying more than retail for an item for the privilege of purchasing it from REI. OK, that's just pedantic. If you go to Amazon and punch in "3-person tent", you'll find a lot more tents that match that criteria for less money, than for more. Hence, I'm paying a premium at REI (or elsewhere) for a tent that weighs less, packs down smaller, and, until a couple years ago, had a lifetime warranty. I'm surprised you're fighting me over the definition of the word when my meaning seems pretty clear. I'm not interested in taking the position that REI charges above the market price for a specific item. Now REI still sells plenty of brands that individually have a lifetime warranty, and like I said, buying an item with American Express adds a year to the manufacturer's warranty up to five years. If there's another merchant who offers a lifetime warranty on what they sell, I'm looking for them and I'll buy from them instead. Costco does, but the overlap for camping is limited. At Costco, I pay a membership premium to shop there, so yes, I understand your definition as well. Now whether it's appropriate to take a five-year-old pack back because it tore a hole in regular use, or whether you can use a pair of hiking boots for a year and then return them because you thought they should last you two years is another question entirely. Levitate didn't specifically say that I was abusing the policy, but I do agree that abuse was surely the reason REI's policy came to an end.
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May 23, 2015 21:24
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Hungryjack posted:Hence, I'm paying a premium at REI (or elsewhere) for a tent that weighs less, packs down smaller, and, until a couple years ago, had a lifetime warranty. REI is first and foremost a retailer. Unless the $550 tent you bought was an REI branded tent, you can (and should) go through the return/exchange process at/with the manufacturer of your tent. The Gear Coop offers a lifetime warranty on all items.
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May 23, 2015 21:37
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Casu Marzu posted:Trip report lmao
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May 23, 2015 22:12
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Speleothing posted:Boo loving hoo. I guess you'll just have to put money into the system like any other industry. It's one thing to return a pair of boots I've had for 4+ years and hiked countless miles in. But what about my Microspikes that broke after 2 trips? Sucks that people abusing their policy caused them to change it.
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May 23, 2015 23:03
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I have a long body, arms and two feet of different sizes: one 11D, one 10.5 wide. I would buy multiple pairs of shoes from REI and try them at home. I would rather walk around in them at home for an evening than sit in their store. This is especially true for sandals like Chacos which depend on arch fit. A lot of stuff simply won't fit my upper body, and their merchandising is so bad that they don't have some of the basic items in store. Last time I came in to return something, they hassled me pretty bad about returning so many items. The vast majority of items I returned were new, and in the case they weren't it was stuff like a bike backlight ordered online not having a clip for the seat bag unlike every other rear light in the world. I was pretty loving irritated there and didn't feel like I should have to explain my poo poo because their system doesn't track new vs used returns. Even after I did explain, the salesperson still wouldn't let it go. This is the opposite experience that I had two years ago bringing in a Camelbak bag that had a broken clip. I just wanted to see if they had any replacement clips and instead the salesperson told me to get a new bag for replacement. I told them that was too much, but they insisted. I shop there like I do at Amazon and Nordstrom for the service. If they're not offering me that, what's the point? I can find literally everything online for cheaper. I'd rather have them fire me as a customer and give me my $20 back. Blinkman987 fucked around with this message at 23:33 on May 23, 2015 |
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May 23, 2015 23:30
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Suicide Watch posted:It's one thing to return a pair of boots I've had for 4+ years and hiked countless miles in. But what about my Microspikes that broke after 2 trips? Sucks that people abusing their policy caused them to change it. It took you over a year to use your microspikes twice? Kahtoola has a 2 year warranty, by the way.
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May 23, 2015 23:43
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Hungryjack posted:OK, that's just pedantic. If you go to Amazon and punch in "3-person tent", you'll find a lot more tents that match that criteria for less money, than for more. Hence, I'm paying a premium at REI (or elsewhere) for a tent that weighs less, packs down smaller, and, until a couple years ago, had a lifetime warranty. I'm surprised you're fighting me over the definition of the word when my meaning seems pretty clear. I'm not interested in taking the position that REI charges above the market price for a specific item. Now REI still sells plenty of brands that individually have a lifetime warranty, and like I said, buying an item with American Express adds a year to the manufacturer's warranty up to five years. If there's another merchant who offers a lifetime warranty on what they sell, I'm looking for them and I'll buy from them instead. Costco does, but the overlap for camping is limited. At Costco, I pay a membership premium to shop there, so yes, I understand your definition as well. I disagree. The word "premium" means "more than the usual, or nominal price". Also, 3 person tents are not really a fungible good. unless you mean a specific tent, by a specific manufacturer is being listed for a lot less, then there is likely a world of difference between a $550 tent, and a $250 tent. Edit: for specificity ReverendCode fucked around with this message at 02:03 on May 24, 2015 |
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May 24, 2015 02:00
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My husband works at REI. The way people abused that lifetime return policy was ridiculous. Employees don't bat an eye when someone returns something that broke or wore out after a year of use when the price suggests that you should've gotten much more life out of it... because they have had to deal with people who come in to return items that REI hasn't sold in 10 years that are literally in tatters. A full year to return stuff is reasonable in my opinion. Today I returned a pair of hiking pants because the button popped off on the second trip I took them on, and gently caress paying $75 for pants that aren't made to last. I bought them like six months ago. My husband said that was a totally legit return and 2 others who work there agreed. Lesson learned though, don't buy hiking pants from a yoga company.  Now I have some pants from Kuhl and I'm pretty excited about them 
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May 24, 2015 02:49
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ReverendCode posted:I disagree. The word "premium" means "more than the usual, or nominal price". Also, 3 person tents are not really a fungible good. unless you mean a specific tent, by a specific manufacturer is being listed for a lot less, then there is likely a world of difference between a $550 tent, and a $250 tent. The store really does charge more than its competitors. They don't deeply discount items like other stores do, even when they hold their handful of sales. Even my locally owned B&M outdoors retailer in Costa Mesa discounts items more aggressively. They try to compete on service, and now the service is worse.
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May 24, 2015 02:57
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Going back to boots and lacing, I haven't had a single blister since I came across this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOE28brAcEc
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May 24, 2015 05:20
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Time Cowboy posted:I'd heard Wisconsin could be pretty, but this was unexpected! Great trip report. Wisconsin is pretty beautiful once you get over the lack of elevation and the mosquitos the size of chickens. evil_bunnY posted:Hahahaha Yeahhh. Sneezed a bit ago and ended up yanking like a 6" snotclot out. 
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May 24, 2015 05:39
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T. J. Eckleburg posted:
Must have been Prana Halles? The button pops off of every pair I've ever bought. They are otherwise indestructable (my 2012 pair finally blew out after 3 years of hiking, rock climbing, and canyoneering). I just resew them on as soon as I buy a new pair using heavy-duty thread.
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May 24, 2015 15:28
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I've actually been really happy with the Prana pants I have, very comfortable. I've only been using them for around 7 months or so though (granted I also go hiking almost every weekend)
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May 24, 2015 16:12
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I have a pair of Prana Zions and they have been really awesome so far. What do you all think of hammocks? It seems like quite a few people support them and this website pushes them pretty hard http://www.treklightgear.com/treklife/tent-to-hammock/ It seems like most people still stick to the conventional tent, sleeping pad system however.
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May 24, 2015 17:58
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Prana Zions are the poo poo. A bit heavy, unsecure for traveling, and they tend to bag out and start having the stretch fibers poke through the fabric after a couple of years, but I love those pants so much. Testing out some lighter MEC pants on this trip, see how things go. I'm off to hike the Janapar as of Thursday with a tiny 22L pack. I'll report back at the end of June whether or not I stepped on a landmine (confirmed with the trail guy there is one section that is risky). If I haven't put a trip report in here or A/T by October, shoot me a PM to remind me. 
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May 24, 2015 22:37
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I too love Prana Zions. I wish they came without a cargo pocket though. I didn't love them for hiking because they don't breathe that well but they're awesome pants for biking around the city, running errands.
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May 24, 2015 22:50
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Went out to explore the north fork of the Big Lost River. Still lots of snow out here, some even fell today   Mystery Peak, I was sort of heading towards it but things got steep.  Also found the best trail food ever (I brought it with me)  Also realized I need to get to the trailhead earlier. Could have started at 6 with sunlight
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May 25, 2015 01:57
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This could be considered my first real hiking trip, so I guess I will share some pictures. These are from the Buffalo River area in northern Arkansas. We followed a trail that ended up leading us about a mile into a "wilderness area" before it came to an end and we turned around. We had a really good time (minus the ticks) and have already started planning some more trips.    
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May 25, 2015 02:19
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Qwertyiop25 posted:This could be considered my first real hiking trip, so I guess I will share some pictures. These are from the Buffalo River area in northern Arkansas. We followed a trail that ended up leading us about a mile into a "wilderness area" before it came to an end and we turned around. We had a really good time (minus the ticks) and have already started planning some more trips. What's up, Ozark buddy? I wish I could set ticks on fire with my mind. Gorgeous pictures though!
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May 25, 2015 02:39
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Ended up enjoying the last bit of spring weather to try out some new trails: A couple of patches of Lady's Slippers were out and blooming.  Some spectacular weather at Bear Church Rock.  The return leg along Staunton River...really a creek at that point. It's also trailwork season - spent a Saturday building and rehabilitating over 100 feet of drains, as well as reconstructing a couple of waterbars:  Remember, trails don't build themselves! Helping out with the local trail club is a great way to give back to the community (as well as a great way to enjoy beer around the campfire after a hard day's work).
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May 25, 2015 06:12
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Are there any big effort posts on sleeping bags in here? Finally replacing my beat up heavy rear end 10 year old bag with something stupidly light and expensive, probably 10-20 degrees or so.
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May 25, 2015 07:08
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I've caught the hiking bug again and this time i can afford all the gear i want. Joy. lollybo posted:
 420 lay in a hammock errday. edit: Disclaimer: I've never really used a George Rouncewell fucked around with this message at 11:13 on May 25, 2015 |
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May 25, 2015 10:27
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Saint Fu posted:I too love Prana Zions. I wish they came without a cargo pocket though. I didn't love them for hiking because they don't breathe that well but they're awesome pants for biking around the city, running errands. Look at the Brion
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May 25, 2015 12:21
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Pryor on Fire posted:Are there any big effort posts on sleeping bags in here? Finally replacing my beat up heavy rear end 10 year old bag with something stupidly light and expensive, probably 10-20 degrees or so. Get a down quilt from Enlightened, they are the bees knees.
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May 25, 2015 14:32
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Illegal Username posted:I've caught the hiking bug again and this time i can afford all the gear i want. Joy.
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May 25, 2015 16:58
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