The Gear Trap
Ok you should know from the off I am anti gear, a bit through self inflicted money troubles and a bit through anti consumerism.
The question you have to ask yourself is: do you spend more time earning money to pay for gear then you actually spend doing what you love? … I used to be the the later, I used to have all sorts of stuff just incase I fancied doing something but I rarely did anything, now I spend way more time doing things without the money to spend on stuff!
Our winter day trip essentials
Scotland Trip
I was in a well known outdoor store looking for a waterproof jacket to walk 5 weeks and 550 miles across Scotland, in my mind a waterproof was one of the most important purchases I was going to make for the trip. As I stood in that shop considering the benefits of Gore Tex Pro and whether to spend anything from £150 to £600 I noticed a huge photo on the wall of some climbers in the mountains with there woollen trousers and shirts on, the photo was sepia and these guys looked like the original pioneers of mountain exploration. It was as I looked at their gear and the extreme nature of their expedition that I decided to leave the shop. I headed to T K maxx and I brought a waterproof coat by Didriksons that promised dryness in any storm. I love that coat and it has been my main coat for the last two years, never letting me down.
For sometime now I have been advocate of spending less and doing more, I use the same pair of shorts for climbing, hiking and cycling, I have a trusty base layer top I use for literally everything. I am also a big fan of merino wool as it can be worn for days without stinking like a polyester one, I have spent so little on equipment that some of my friends are getting a little embarrassed by my appearance.
Mountain Leader course
This thrift caught up with me and bit me on the arse when I came to do my Mountain Leader training. My gear was amateur compared to most of the other 12 on the course. There were whole segments of the course dedicated to suitable equipment and slowly I realised that good equipment is a requirement but maybe specifically when you are responsible for the safety of others. When you are setting the example and are required to make sound decisions, it was then that I realised if I wanted to be a Mountain Leader I was going to need some better equipment and this was made clear to me when the trainer described them as the tools of my trade. They were a requirement for me to perform at my best.
Am I about turn on good gear? no, I still believe if you are working longer to buy items than you are enjoying them then something is very wrong. I also believe that consumerism makes this extremely difficult especially when it comes to making a purchase.
Paying over the top
I have been told by a Mountain Leader professional sponsored with clothing by The North Face that there latest top of the line jacket cost £600 because that’s what everyone else is charging and that these coats are marketed to city workers who may use the jacket a handful of times over two or three years and that they are only built with 30 days of use…30 days of use!! That means as a consumer if you buy the very top of the line clothing and use it more than 30 times it is going to break down and be unfit for use, and lets be clear here we are not talking about my £50 jacket we are talking about a £600 jacket, something I feel you would expect to be a coat for life, not the case.
In contrast I have been listening to “Let my people go surfing” from the founder of Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard. Now I am ever the sceptic but the things Mr Chouinard is saying in his book fills me with optimism and I hope it is not just clever marketing. With the trend for lighter, more technical clothing that is apparently throw away, Patagonia position themselves as providing long lasting garments designed to be fixed and recycled or reused, this is because they are driven not by profit but by having low or zero impact on the planet. In all honesty I have never brought anything from Patagonia but I am definitely going to try their products, maybe there high price point will pay off in the long run in contrast to The North Face and their limited use garments.
Spending well
In preparation for my Mountain Leader assessment I invested in some essentials, these included Montane Alpine waterproof trousers, they were expensive but I can definitely recommend them and great functionality.
One place I have never skimped is walking boots. I loved my last pair of boots, Mammut Brecon GTX, these boots were so comfortable but unfortunately after Via ferattas, 5 weeks across Scotland and working a summer season in the Dolomites it was time for a new pair, the Brecon GTX are now obsolete and I found the latest version of these not to be as comfortable and so I went for a pair of Scarpa Delta GTX which are extremely comfortable and so far so good.
I differentiate between clothing and equipment, I am more likely to spend more money on equipment then I am clothing, with clothing I compromise, on equipment I get the best value I can afford, whether that is a tent, sleeping bag, ropes or some other equipment.
Do not be mistaken my tent is a £300 MSR rather than a £600 Terra Nova, my sleeping bag is a £100 Robens rather than a £400 Rab and my £15 pocket rocket rather than £150 jet boil. But still I have enjoyed many nights wild camping using the equipment I have, dry warm and well fed!
I think the question you have to ask yourself is that extra £100 to save a few kgs is that what I really need or is it really to get out there more often and lose those few kgs from somewhere else…
Upcoming trips
Check out the trips & expeditions we have coming up soon…
