Author Topic: What item of gear have you most agonised over?  (Read 1686 times)

gunwharfman

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What item of gear have you most agonised over?
« on: 21:12:21, 10/10/20 »
For me it's a one-man tent, I've looked, I've studied, I've compared and contrasted and I still can't make my mind up. I have set myself a price limit of £250 but nothing seems to match the tent I already own, a Marmot Tungsten 1P (now nearly worn out) which is no longer made.

For me, it only has two drawbacks, its a bit heavy and its orange! I'm looking for something lighter and made in a dull colour.

I'm still looking.


emdaw

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Re: What item of gear have you most agonised over?
« Reply #1 on: 22:11:46, 10/10/20 »
Walking boots, just too many to choose from, spending too much time on internet reading about them.  :-\

watershed

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Re: What item of gear have you most agonised over?
« Reply #2 on: 08:07:26, 11/10/20 »
For me it's a one-man tent, I've looked, I've studied, I've compared and contrasted and I still can't make my mind up. I have set myself a price limit of £250 but nothing seems to match the tent I already own, a Marmot Tungsten 1P (now nearly worn out) which is no longer made.

For me, it only has two drawbacks, its a bit heavy and its orange! I'm looking for something lighter and made in a dull colour.

I'm still looking.

https://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/equipment-c3/tents-shelters-c25/one-person-tents-c74/lunar-solo-tent-p10298

[/list]

richardh1905

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Re: What item of gear have you most agonised over?
« Reply #3 on: 08:11:44, 11/10/20 »
Tents with me too, to my wife's despair!
WildAboutWalking - Join me on my walks through the wilder parts of Britain

Ridge

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Re: What item of gear have you most agonised over?
« Reply #4 on: 08:43:03, 11/10/20 »
Walking boots, just too many to choose from, spending too much time on internet reading about them.  :-\
Boots for me too. Even when you have a shortlist finding them to try on and then trying to decide on that little slope thing if they are going to be comfortable is hell.

gunwharfman

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Re: What item of gear have you most agonised over?
« Reply #5 on: 09:44:44, 11/10/20 »
When I am looking at the possibility of another hiking purchase I often see that 'despair' expression on my wife's face, she just gives me a stare over the top of her glasses but these days doesn't say anything.  ;)

pauldawes

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Re: What item of gear have you most agonised over?
« Reply #6 on: 10:22:02, 11/10/20 »
In general don’t agonise over walking purchases...they strike me as good value per hour of enjoyment compared to other things I buy...


But I have dithered a lot recently on whether to buy a down jacket...not for walk itself..but to keep warm getting to walk and getting back (on public transport).


Because I know naff all about down jackets have researched much more than normal, have been on verge of buying a couple of times, then seen odd negative comment about jacket I was about to buy...and walked away.


Think in my case...because I’ve never had one before..not confident in my ability to judge what’s a good buy, and doubt whether I’ll actually use that often.

Bigfoot_Mike

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Re: What item of gear have you most agonised over?
« Reply #7 on: 10:22:27, 11/10/20 »
Boots for me. I have wide feet, size 11-12, with a relatively narrow heel. The selection is quite limited for me. I think I have a reasonable solution at the moment that only required trying on about 30 different pairs.

fernman

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Re: What item of gear have you most agonised over?
« Reply #8 on: 10:28:37, 11/10/20 »
Only yesterday I spent hours agonising over buying a new fleece top online. Clothing is always difficult when you can't see it and feel it.
200gsm or 300gsm? I studied the fleece buying guides. I wanted something a little bit extra warm and decided on 300 although they made it sound like I might be too warm in it.
Choosing from the large number available was made harder by many sellers not stating the garment's gsm, so I had to do a lot of cross-referring between manufacturers' sites and sellers' sites.
By now I was having to make a list of what I had looked at before I got confused.
Then there was the question of size, where I found variance in the sellers' charts, I'm usually L but some suggested M would be more my size. Uneasy after observing that most sellers expect you to pay postage on returns, I stuck to L.
And what colour? I wanted it to be different from my last two purchases, and it had to go with everything else I would wear with it.
Having settled on what I wanted I then had to find it for the best total price, because most offered no choice but express delivery at an arm-and-a-leg price.
After all that, my first choice was out of stock of what I wanted, but I persevered and placed a suitable order.
Now will come days of anxiety, will it be the right thickness, will it fit me, will it come at all?
What a way to spend a Saturday morning! Better, though, than travelling in traffic to a crowded shopping centre (in pre-Covid times) and not finding what you want, or paying a lot more for it as Pleb did with his electric kettle.

Incidentally, I ordered from outdoorclothing.co.uk who on closer inspection turn out to be Gaynor Sports.
UPDATE: Just had an email saying it's been dispatched! Taking that into consideration along with them selling the item for 57% of the RRP when some were charging the full price, I'm very impressed so far.
« Last Edit: 14:31:25, 11/10/20 by fernman »

kinkyboots

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Re: What item of gear have you most agonised over?
« Reply #9 on: 11:42:27, 11/10/20 »
Surprisingly it's boots for me too. It's that seemingly endless search to find the right quality, perfect fit and comfort level to match your particular feet at the right price.

I thought I'd finally found it last year when i bought the 2-3 season Altberg Malham and the 3 season Altberg Nordkapp.

I recently broke Rule No.1 of boot buying by buying sight unseen without trying any on first and took a wild gamble on the 3 season Hanwag Lhasa II Himalayan Yak Leather Lined which I found on a special warehouse clearance deal from Keller Sports in Germany for an unbelievably low price of only £135 delivered (RRP £252).

Within 5 minutes of putting them on I instantly knew my search was finally at an end. It really surprised me that the leather lining makes such a massive difference to the comfort level and even though I have narrow feet the fit is perfect for me.

Carpet slippers for the outdoors at last.

You watch you can almost guarantee that Hanwag will now stop making them!  ;D
« Last Edit: 11:53:46, 11/10/20 by kinkyboots »

fernman

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Re: What item of gear have you most agonised over?
« Reply #10 on: 14:38:25, 16/10/20 »
A follow-up to my reply #8 above:

After only a three days wait, the postman handed me a big soft package that was obviously the fleece I had ordered.

In spite of the claim to be 300gsm it was horribly thin, OK maybe for sitting at home in the warm, but not for much more than that. The sort of thing you might slip on in a cool July day.
I normally buy L, and the size guide showed that's what I needed for my chest measurement. It was too large on me, a M would have been correct.
Although I'm of normal stature, the hem at the back hung away from me, it looked ridiculous.
Finally, the "black pepper marl" colour sounded OK but it was just a plain, boring mid grey.

The garment is now parcelled up for returning, and I've chanced my arm with something from another seller. Fingers crossed!

cornwallcoastpathdweller

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Re: What item of gear have you most agonised over?
« Reply #11 on: 14:48:26, 16/10/20 »
For me it's a one-man tent, I've looked, I've studied, I've compared and contrasted and I still can't make my mind up. I have set myself a price limit of £250 but nothing seems to match the tent I already own, a Marmot Tungsten 1P (now nearly worn out) which is no longer made.

For me, it only has two drawbacks, its a bit heavy and its orange! I'm looking for something lighter and made in a dull colour.

I'm still looking.


This has been my dilema as well, spent ages looking for a 1 man tent that doesnt cost the earth (ceiling £100) as ive not done much wild camping and dont know if i'll enjoy it.
Looked at ALL sorts on the internet but decided you have to see them and get in them to be sure.  So off i went to Plymouth GoOutdoors this morning.
Result was a Phoxx 1 was too small inside for me and the dog, and i could put up with the extra 400g for the space a Phoxx 2 gave.
one step then another then another then a bench - please?

forgotmyoldpassword

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Re: What item of gear have you most agonised over?
« Reply #12 on: 13:50:39, 17/10/20 »
100% new fleeces.


A tent actually matters and a [censored] tent will give you a lot of worry in poor weather, whereas something bomb proof seems to contribute to a great night of sleep no matter how much flapping about it does.


But with fleeces, the £120 ones really aren't that different to the £15 ones, and the fancy brand logo you're paying for is usually under another layer anyway - and I say this after having bought the £120 one far too many times!

fernman

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Re: What item of gear have you most agonised over?
« Reply #13 on: 14:45:54, 17/10/20 »
Fleece #2 is delivered, different brand, different seller. I ordered M and received XXL. I am losing the will to live.

Stube

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Re: What item of gear have you most agonised over?
« Reply #14 on: 16:24:49, 17/10/20 »
If I want a new fleece, I just make a tour of the local charity shops until I find one in the size/colour that I want. They rarely cost as much as £5. For low tech items like fleeces it is a total waste of money to buy new - let alone specific named brands. Since my size varies between small to large depending on make, it's essential that I try stuff on.

 

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