| 038 | Gear Heads | 2009-01-28 |
Most people I know are gear heads. Some might be tool gear heads, clothing gear heads, or shoe gear heads but almost everyone is a gear head to something.
But purchasing outdoor gear is to some the ultimate gear head expense, because it is a buying spree searching for the best when anything would do or so they say. The accusers try to demeanor outdoor purchases from every angle, but mostly they claim that the gear doesn’t make the outdoorsman. You don’t need a new tent when you have a piece of plastic which makes a fine tarp, they argue. And then there’s this one, our forefathers didn’t have a four hundred dollar gore-tex jacket, they just used that old cotton and duck down hunting jacket. I totally agree that the mountaineering pioneers were tough as nails. John Muir, Clarence King, the Sourdoughs, Grandma Gatewood and the sorts were legendary; but so was life. It surprises me that the gear head accusers are the ones who own cars with heated seats, full length fur, and/or have sixty inch plasma televisions. Come on, give me a break.
The truth of the matter is the economy is not doing well. To support the outdoor industry, don’t worry about a new house in the gated community, instead purchase a new tent and spend the rest of the money on taking off work to go on a major trip!
Happy trails.