Ultimate Camping Thread

Me neither. Not after last time....

 

basically....I may just give in.

bahahaha

I tried to ignore my wallet.....then Wachovia smacked me with a 32.00 dollar overdraft fee on a 15 dollar product. that wasnt fun at all

 

The Garage Sales aren't all that great.

It's mostly used/rental items that don't stand up to their performance requirements anymore, or returns. Generally, there are parts missing.

I wouldn't go looking for anything in particular, but with an open mind for good discounts.

Last year, I got an almost complete set of Yakima Mighty Mounts for $10, a Delta Bike Fork Mount for $2 and I almost snagged a Thule M.O.A.B. for $100. The Delta didn't have mounting hardware, the Mighty Mounts were missing one, and the M.O.A.B. didn't come with mounts (and I didn't have a rack at that time, so it seemed like a waste -- kicking myself now).

I also found a Jetboil Group Cooking System (pot and attachment only) but it was $50. I ended up giving it to a guy who was shopping for his Scout Troop.

I know people who have walked out with whole bikes for under $100, though -- so you can get good deals.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvxio1haCVg

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VJIWy2SoPA

 

That's the kicker.

Usually, everything you buy from REI comes with a lifetime guarantee. You can take it back at any time if it doesn't perform the way it should or the way you expect it to.

Garage Sale items are not covered under this guarantee, since they are often defective, incomplete or heavily used.

I would expect a stove you find to be missing pieces/parts, and may not function properly. A backpack might be do-able, maybe only needing minor repairs.

The key is to get there EARLY. They hand out numbers and let people go in ten at a time. I got there at 11:00 last time and things were pretty-well picked-over.

 

thanks.......i know the video quality sucked but i had to use my phone.

 

check out that steepandcheap site... ive been watching what goes up on there. Some very nice deals... Also check out campsaver.... I bought a few items off them for a nice price too..

 

thanks! I am not too big on it not being a freestanding tent but oh well. its a lot more roomy inside than I thought.

 

Im not to big on the non-freestanding tent thing either, but i had to get it. and yes it is way more roomy than i thought it was gonna be.....it also holds heat really well

 

anyone else got any gear they wanna review? hahahaha

 

I just got my Jet Boil Flash in today. I tried it out real fast in the garage.



Pretty sweet! fairly light. Love how everything collapse down in to the main cup. Gets water boiling super fast! I like how the little silver slashes on the neoprene cover turn orange when the water is hot. Only thing I do not really like is there is a little wire attached to the knob for the heat control. It seems a little weak so I may end up replacing that down the road. Otherwise. I really like it. Taking it to the red River Gorge this weekend so I will get to really test it out and see how it does.

 

awesome purchase if you cant tell im a gear review whore hahaha

 

Nice! The one thing I can say is definitely make sure you dry it completely before packing everything back up. I put mine away with some condensation on the fuel can, and when I unpacked it again, there was a little rust along the bottom of the pot. I exchanged it at REI for another one, but I learned my lesson.

Now I usually stuff a little PackTowel or just a bandana between the canister and the pot. It fills that little gap nicely, so the canister doesn't rattle around, and I use the towel to dry everything before re-packing.

 

The wife got me one for my birthday (coming up) I found out just before Christmas when I opened a package from Amazon that was supposed to be kids gifts.

Check: She purchased one for my birthday, I found it early and haven't gotten to play with it so knowing my wife she may send it back and give me a punch in the gut instead

 

lol always ask about the package

 

haha It was $60 so I couldn't pass it up. I like to read reviews as well. See what everyone is using and weather it is worth me spending the money for the item.

thanks! I will make not of that. I usually take a handkerchief with me anyways. Might as well pack it in there.

 

Any good dog sleeping arrangements, anyone? I'm looking at adopting an adult dog, and I'd like to take her backpacking with me.