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The Nation's Pulse
The Best Things in Life Are Free — Almost
Gearing up for outdoor adventure sure isn’t what it used to be.
I have a storage unit here in Salmon, much of the contents of which looks like the back room of a sporting goods store. Packs and fishing rods hang from nails on the walls. In a corner is a large tent in a canvas carry-bag. There’s a box with three pairs of hiking boots in various stages of decomposition, but still wearable. An extra sleeping bag here, a tackle box there. More boxes containing clothes for particular seasons: a pullover hooded rain slicker; various vests, both nylon and polar fleece; sweatshirts, wool socks, caps, rubber river sandals. A pair of old ski poles useful as walking sticks hang from the rafters. This is just the overflow. Much of the above, not including the tent, can also be found littering two closets in my apartment. When friends visit from out-of-state, they needn’t bring their own daypacks.
I’ve accumulated all this stuff while enjoying the outdoors for the past 35 years. From yard sales and thrift stores, or from friends moving who just gave things away. Way back then your “outfit” largely consisted of Army-Navy Store (does “War Surplus” even exist anymore?) stuff, got cheap. Olive drab canvas rucksacks sans waistbelts that always hurt your neck and shoulders if you carried a heavy load. Military-issue steel canteens sheathed in green canvas belt holders. Flimsy tin mess kits. Thin cloth sleeping bags that always guaranteed a shivering night. My first pair of “hiking boots” were black— shiny Air Force issue with smooth soles and steel toes. They cost two bucks. The problem with steel-toed boots is that on a cold morning the steel gets cold, hence, so do your feet. And while I never tested the theory, I suppose they would have come in handy to kick a charging bear. I remember that twenty or thirty dollars covered the whole spree.
On a recent day in Missoula accompanying friends intent on a variety of shopping chores, I found myself in a high-end outdoor “gearhead” store. A rustic multi-level layout of wood and brick walls festooned with framed posters of people practicing extreme sports such as whitewater kayaking or skiing off cliffs. While my friend Barbara tried on — and eventually purchased — a pair of hiking boots, I wandered through this large outdoor toys emporium curiously pricing merchandise.
There certainly were no two-dollar Air Force boots on display. The hiking boots I looked at — depending on the brand name — cost from $100 to $250 per pair. They were made of waterproofed leather and had thick-tread Vibram soles and Gore-Tex nylon linings. After a proper breaking-in period, they promised hundreds (thousands?) of miles of comfortable, blister-free hiking. On a rack nearby, thick wool socks guaranteed to withstand Arctic conditions went for $10 to $18 per pair. Nylon gloves ($25). A sturdy canvas long-visored cap ($18). Ten dollars for a plastic water bottle.
I wandered into another part of the store to continue the assembling of my mental outfit, and scribbled prices in a notepad. Bright pastel colored daypacks — with lots of zippers and pouches — ran from $40 to $140. Some featured built-in water “bladders” with convenient hoses for drinking while walking. Larger framed backpacks designed for multi-day camping trips retailed for $125 to $375. Cozy, down-filled sleeping bags ($150 to $300). Nylon tents — depending on size — $180 to $400. A pair of lightweight titanium telescopic (length adjustable) “trekking poles” ($50 to $140). A hundred and forty bucks (or $70 a piece, if you will) for walking sticks!
I was assailed by pleasant salespeople; earnest college-age types very knowledgeable of the store’s wares. “That’s a popular pack,” said one guy. “Not top-of-the-line, but a good everyday pack.” I told him I was waiting for a friend and just looking. The kid gave me a quizzical look. “No problem,” he said, and walked away. While I was looking at sleeping bags — hanging from a rack in a long and wide multi-colored curtain — a young woman approached. “Just looking,” I said, while she was still twenty feet away. It was noontime on a weekday and the place was quiet. It seems that the current economic slowdown hasn’t been kind to upscale outdoor gearhead toy stores. These kids were desperate to make a sale. Barbara had the undivided attention of another young woman as she tried on multiple pairs of boots. When I got home I tallied up the prices in the notepad, averaging their mid-range, and discovered that a weekend backpacking trip outfitted from that Missoula store (not counting food and miscellaneous small items) would cost roughly $1,300.
A few days later on the trail out of Wagonhammer Springs near Salmon with the hiking club, I spied with my binoculars a small herd of twenty elk camouflaged well against a tawny sagebrush ridge high above the trail. The binoculars (if bought in a store, $40 to $400, depending on optical sophistication) were black, heavy and old, and I had found them on a trail in Wyoming a few years ago, thanks to a careless, anonymous fellow hiker or hunter. I studied the elk with pleasure and as I did so, thought: “You really can’t afford to do this.”
About the Author
Bill Croke, formerly of Cody, Wyoming, is a writer in Salmon, Idaho.
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donserge| 4.9.10 @ 8:53AM
Advertising has instilled the mentality that one "has to have" a particular item, cost be damned. Ads, by the way, that come from people on Madison Ave who have absolutely no idea what they are talking about. (All one has to do is view the intelligence-insulting ads on TV. )
Is has also been my experience as a former Maine guide that many people who purchase those items have not done proper research and bought the wrong or more expensive gear when something more practical (and cheaper) would have been sufficient.
ray bob| 4.9.10 @ 8:59AM
less we forget all the bright festive colors, mostly $$ green.
Gary| 4.9.10 @ 9:02AM
Good points don and great article bill. Both of you have the enviable benefit of being "in the field" so regularly that you know first hand what works, what doesn't and the essential equipment needed. Most of us "tourists" only venture out there on special occasions so unless you spent time in the Scouts (as I did) we really are "babes in the woods"!
Pat| 4.9.10 @ 9:17AM
You are right on the money, Bill. This sort of mind-set has started to infest the urban trail system in our little community; to its detriment. Goodbye birds and beavers; hello trendies dressed like Cat Woman or the Green Lantern barreling along on five grand worth of state-of-the-art pump-bikes. Oy!
Pecos Pete| 4.9.10 @ 9:32AM
I live at 9,000 in northern New Mexico, on a rural road that provides access to a trailhead for hiking to heights above 12,000. I see lots of fancy gear walking up/down the road, summer and winter.
This winter, two 20 something males from Houston walked by on their way to a 12,000 foot lake ... without snowshoes. But, they had lots of high tech cold weather gear. They lasted one day/night ... the next day, as they walked by on their way out, they told me that nobody at their store in Houston told them how cold -10 really is. Or that snowshoes are necessary. They made it about two miles on a 12 mile journey.
I'll bet their cold weather gear resides in a storage locker for the next 20 years.
Interested Conservative| 4.9.10 @ 10:16AM
OMG - Well - at least you don't need snowshoes in Madison, much. But -10 is still bicycling weather! Wonder if Houston bike stores advertise that?
EL Thompson| 4.9.10 @ 10:21AM
Ah, how things have changed since I was a young man (40 years ago). No one has mentioned a rifle or trail worthy hand gun to carry abroad in the wilderness. Used to be an absolute necessity.
Tim| 4.9.10 @ 2:18PM
I was thinking the same thing.
Dee Jay| 4.11.10 @ 8:21PM
Unfortunately, firearms are becoming a necessity again due to very nasty two legged critters, namely drug growers and their protectors (e.g. gang bangers).
Ray| 4.9.10 @ 10:22AM
I too, am amazed at what the urban "back to nature" hikers are willing to spend for basic equipment, especially water bottles and carrying packs. Just a little common sense, and a local military surplus store, is really all you need.
For those who are looking for bargains, I suggest a 1960's era Army rucksack. Yes, they tend to bind and dig into muscles if you overload them, but if you're carrying more than 30 pounds of "essentials" while on a short (1 to 3 day) excursion, you probably shouldn't be out in the wild to begin with, as you're not nature savvy enough to actually survive in the wild if necessary. Look at it this way: Wild animals don't carry excess weight, so nether should you.
As for that water bottle, a plastic soda bottle or two is a cheap, effect way to carry water.
If you're looking for the latest "hydration" technology, simple poke a hole in the bottle cap and add a 3 foot section of aquarium air tubing, for an addition cost of a few cents, and place the contraption on top of your back pack. A few puffs of air into the tubing and, presto!, a "green" water pump will deliver you a stream of cool water right between your parched lips. Just make sure you seal the tube to the cap.
Hiking boots? For warm climates, a good pair Vietnam era ventilated "jungle" boots will do just fine. Those vent holes will allow water to drain out and dry your feet if they do become swamped, as well as allow perspiration to escape.
For cooler climates, use thicker 90's era "army" boots, with a pair of green wool socks over cotton socks (no itch, no scratch and man are they warm!).
Sleeping bags? A wool blanket or two tossed over you is adequate, if you're out of the wind. The shelter? A cheap, rip-stop nylon model is perfectly fine. It's only purpose is to act as a wind break. Eating utensils? A good, sharp survival knife, a few tin cans of various sizes, a spoon and a fork (if you really think you need them), and you're good to go! Just don't forget your Zippo and a can of lighter fluid.
If you use a little common sense and are nature savvy, the cost of equipping yourself shouldn't exceed a hundred dollars. If it does, well, we all know what PT Barnum said about thongs like that, don't we?
One final piece of advice: Just make sure you have a good compass and CURRENT map, a good flashlight (LED if possible as batteries last longer) and, of course, a cell-phone. DO NOT skimp on these as they can very well save your life, and the lives of your travel companions.
Doug Welty| 4.9.10 @ 11:10AM
Waal, now, I don't remember what I paid for my current pair of Danner outdoor boots, but it was a lot. Thing is, they're light, tough, insulated just right, have replaceable soles and uppers that just won't wear out, and beat the hell out of any other pair of military boots or plain old hiking boots I've ever owned. Sometimes, you get what you pay for.
Always Question| 4.9.10 @ 10:55PM
I'm with you, Doug. I was in the Army - swore I'd never sleep outside again between freezing my tush off in Germany guarding ammo dumps with no rounds in my rifle to slogging mud during monsoons in Viet Nam. However, I backpack frequently, and when you're packing 12 - 15 miles round trip from 9,000 to 11,000 feet in Rocky Mountain National Park, you want light, tough, and efficient. My pack usually weighs in at a hair over 40, and from titanium cookware to graphite eating utensils to artificial down sleeping bags to gore-tex hiking boots, I'm glad to spend every penny. At the end of the day, the $1,000 or so I have invested in equipment over the past 10 years has paid off in some of the most awesome backcounty sights where we sometimes go more than a few days without seeing anyone. Sometimes technology is a good thing, and frankly, I don't yearn for my old jungle boots (blisters and heel bruises), canvas web belts (clumsy and ill-fitting), heavy pack, crappy sleeping bag, etc. etc.
Thorvald| 4.9.10 @ 11:51AM
One nice development in that period has been the rise of places like Cabela's and gander Mountain. Now, you can get camoflaged stuff again, and don't have to suffer under the tyrannical color choices of the mountaineers.
Ray is so on! The internet has lots of places for people who make their own gear. Ignore the stuff put up by the "gram weenies", unless it makes sense to you (as do a lot of the homemade stoves, etc.).
Major Harold William "Bill" Tilman summed it up best for me when an Oxonian (I believe) asked how he might become part of an expedition. Tilman told him, "Put on your boots and go." By the same token, for many Minnesotans of my ilk, food is an optional item for a weekend trip.
Jim Woodward| 4.9.10 @ 12:05PM
Tip on new leather hiking boots. Slather them with Mink Oil, Kiwi is a good brand. Put them on a sheet of aluminum foil, in the oven on Warm, for about an hour. Softens them right up as well as water proofing them. Then just keep them polished.
Here in Utah open carry in the wilderness is ok. I take a Ruger Single Six along, .22 LR hollow points as well as .22 shot shell for snakes. Not gonna do much for big critters but i'm not that often deep into the outback.
scot| 4.9.10 @ 12:37PM
I carry a homemade pepsi can stove with me. Cost me Approx. $1 to make. I carry two on the trail. Sure beats the $75-$150 stoves on the market.
Mr. Mojo Risin| 4.9.10 @ 2:27PM
Do not go into a fly fishing boutique, it may require resuscitation...
Rajin| 4.9.10 @ 6:47PM
Good read... I liked your description of sales people.
I hate those stores where sales people come behind you and pressurize you to buy something. I feel like ... leave me alone. Talking about free things in life, nothing beats the ad about free shampoos. People still get fooled
Kahunatoo| 4.9.10 @ 8:36PM
Mr. Mojo Risin--Had to laugh aloud about the fly fishing boutique. Some time ago, I bought a short term fishing license in Ketchum, Idaho and while I waited I overheard a clerk and a customer discussing the prices of "designer" flies and I think the price I heard was $250! (for one...possibly designed by Donna Karan).
I kept my mouth shut since I'd bought a dozen or so flies at a K-mart for nine bucks.
I wonder if he caught any fish. I didn't.
Mr. Mojo Risin| 4.10.10 @ 12:10PM
That's why I learned to tie my own flies and build, turn cork/wrap guides on my Scott rods...
Stev| 4.9.10 @ 8:47PM
Good article, Bill. Expresses very well some vague thoughts I've had about" getting into the wilderness. " I once worked as a seasonal ranger in various national parks and frequently found myself in some remote spot alongside someone equipped for an assault on Everest next to a couple of guys from Chicago wearing street shoes and carrying suitcases! Honest.
That's when I acknowledged that whatever gets you there (and back) is the right gear.
Bobnormal| 4.9.10 @ 8:56PM
Believe it or not,we have some great wilderness in the mts. above Southern Cal,and I've climbed/hiked them for 35yrs.I'm a cheapskate but also a realist,I use wool blankets(0 degrees in winter),boy scout style fireplaces,Campbells soup,etc.What is sad is all the asians that come up with thousands worth of gear for a day hike,OTOH if you have the cash and tha'ts what you want,what the heck,
Bob
P.S. no offense to Asian people it's just that Only they dress so ridiculously for a simple 8 mile day hike,just my 2c
Mr. Mojo Risin| 4.10.10 @ 12:19PM
Oh yeah, I spent over 20 years in the bicycle industry and your post translates perfectly. All the latest, most expensive, and brightest colors. It sure brings home the saying: "All show, no go."
Bomb| 4.9.10 @ 9:56PM
MBT mbt
Matt Morehouse| 4.10.10 @ 10:01AM
Shop Cabelas and Midway for good sturdy gear at reasonable prices. I used to have a lightweight, takedown semi auto .22 rifle that I carried. Gave it to my son. It came in handy for camp meat
Jones | 4.10.10 @ 3:02PM
Good article. I camp in Utah and Colorado and I try to minimize the amount of gear I use. The one thing that people do that makes me scratch my head is the 'trekking pole' thing. What a scam. $150 for some fancy sticks. And I watch people walking with them and they just sort of tap them on the ground as they go by. Seems silly. When I moved out here 10 years ago I was given an aspen hiking staff as a gift. It's sturdy, functional, rustic-looking, and cost $0.00
Steve| 4.11.10 @ 1:51AM
As both a cheapskate and an avid outdoorsman who likes to be comfortable, I have no problem finding a happy medium. It helps to put it in perspective. My $70 REI backpacking tent (a half-price model year close-out) which I bought five years ago has seen almost 100 nights of use for a price less than I have spent on a single night in many hotels (and has let me awaken in some of the finest places in the country to boot). A recent week-long family trip to Cozumel cost more than all the camping and hiking gear I have purchased in the last thirty years. My only regret in those years of gear purchases was that I was too cheap to buy good gear right away. And as for those who spend a lot on gear they don't really use - thank you for supporting the companies whose leftover inventory ends up in my garage at rock-bottom prices.
Richard Baker| 4.11.10 @ 4:15PM
This high-dollar mentality is the antithesis of the old Russian proverb, "Perfect is the enemy of good enough." Sounds like too many of these "outdoorsmen" want a "reality" where cold, wet, and in touch with nature is to be avoided at all costs. Maybe what these folks need is a virtual outdoors on their computers. Then they'd not have to "endure" the cruel world.
Locomotive Breath| 4.12.10 @ 4:41PM
"They made it about two miles on a 12 mile journey."
Make fun of them if you care to, but those guys could have generated a SAR mission. However, they came equipped with the only absolutely essential item - the common sense to turn back when you realize you're in over your head.
bernardo| 4.12.10 @ 5:39PM
I enjoyed the article. I am fairly thrifty and enjoy a bargain, but I have spent money on more expensive gear when I thought it was worth it- such as a really warm sleeping bag. The trick in this as in all shopping is to keep your eyes open, look around for bargains, evaluate extra utility versus extra cost, and not be led around by fashion or marketing. As to the people who do buy the ultra- expensive stuff just to be fashionable (be it thirty dollar water bottles or four hundred dollar jeans), well, as the fellow said, separating fools from their money is at a certain level just evolution in action.
wangsir| 4.19.10 @ 4:11AM
Blu-ray to iPad- easily convert Blu ray DVD to iPad
Amazionian| 7.1.10 @ 8:31AM
Growing up with parents who were both avid nature lovers, I learned to buy gear that's first functional, then the best quality one can get, period. Technology IS useful, but costlier.
While quality & dependability are key, Madison Ave. & Weekend Wannabes generate 80% of sales, so shop accordingly...be frugal NOT cheap.