Author Topic: Help me be a mustachian camper!  (Read 15986 times)

sheepstache

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Re: Help me be a mustachian camper!
« Reply #50 on: March 18, 2016, 12:04:43 PM »

why are you spending time waiting in line at B&M stores.

If I had an REI, I would wait in line there over ordering online. REI is an amazing place.

let me get this straight you would DRIVE to a B&M store then use your cellular data to compare the cost of the items they claim to be discounted to what the value should be then you would DRIVE back home

vs

option 2:  place an alert for sleeping bag or tent or brand name tent etc. on slickdeals.  go about your life as normal.  wait for an email from slickdeals.  sit where ever you are work/home/beach/lake etc.  and then evaluate the deal using amazon reviews as well as a pricing history.  then purchase and have it shipped free or close to free to your home or office depending on cost and taxes if locations very. 

one of those is a much less mustachian option IMO.

I don't have an REI so I can't shop there. Not having one has taught me that there is value in local stores. If I had one I'd pay slightly elevated prices to be able to look at gear in person (especially since they carry size 5 shoes, something very few places do). In the process if support the employment of someone in my local economy.

Mustachianism is a buying only what I need, not just getting it for $2 cheaper.

Ha

Ha

Ha

2 dollars cheaper on something g you could get from REI on slickdeals. Wow. You just don't understand how to shop affordably. My post said to make an alert for what you need. Which applies to the same as what you said. Being able to touch and feel something. Then go to the store if you please but paying retail for it vs going home and making and alert and searching online for a better price makes little monetary sense

The whole you owe it to the store owner thing is a crock and an excuse to be lazy.

The post is about getting the most value out of something. And there is nothing you can buy and get the most value out of paying full retail. It annoys me to no end on this site when people say I stopped going cheap and xyz product lasted me longer. 

News flash xyz product can still be bought more affordably. If you aren't impulse buying it. And shopping in a store and buying things is the definition of impulse buying unless you're making constant trips and understand the full market for the item and if that product is the best and worth more than the price you're paying.

Much more if you're into using online forums that will alert you to crazy good deals on something you've made an alert for what you need.

You're making fun of people for doing something, paying full retail, they've specifically said they're not doing. Iowajes is talking about checking online prices before buying at REI and others are talking about looking for their garage sales.

To me, the point various people made about return policies is a really strong one. Getting the gear out on the trail to use is the best test and online clearing houses are not going to stand by the products they sell like that. Of course, you can mitigate that with the brands you buy, but most brands are just going to guarantee against manufacturing defects.

I definitely use the technique of finding something at a store and and setting alerts for it on various sites, but you do run the risk of not getting it or not getting it that season. In the case of the latter, it's not a big deal if you're just trying to get an upgrade, but if you need the equipment, maybe because your current one is broken, it doesn't make sense to have to put off trips just to save some $$$, that's cheapness, not mustachianism. And some gear is just not going to show up. Iowajes, looking for size five shoes, is lucky to find those in a store. There's no guarantee they'll show up heavily discounted. I think this is true for a lot of women's gear--on the one hand, the models change every year so they do sell them off cheap, but on the other hand, because the models change every year, you won't get another chance if it sells well in the stores. Personally I've had an alert on ebay and all tri-state area craigslists for a Cannondale silk path bike in my size for literally six years but have had no luck. If the product weren't discontinued, you can bet I would have paid a retailer by now.   

Finally, nobody's talking actual numbers here. It's great that you're really really (really) excited about slick deals, and I can understand why you might assume you're paying way less than anyone else (the site is designed to make you think that, after all), but without everyone citing actual prices paid, you're just talking in generalities, when, using coupons, membership, sales, outlets, etc. people buying direct from REI may be paying comparable prices as you for all you know.

galliver

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Re: Help me be a mustachian camper!
« Reply #51 on: March 18, 2016, 01:26:42 PM »
You're making fun of people for doing something, paying full retail, they've specifically said they're not doing. Iowajes is talking about checking online prices before buying at REI and others are talking about looking for their garage sales.

To me, the point various people made about return policies is a really strong one. Getting the gear out on the trail to use is the best test and online clearing houses are not going to stand by the products they sell like that. Of course, you can mitigate that with the brands you buy, but most brands are just going to guarantee against manufacturing defects.

I definitely use the technique of finding something at a store and and setting alerts for it on various sites, but you do run the risk of not getting it or not getting it that season. In the case of the latter, it's not a big deal if you're just trying to get an upgrade, but if you need the equipment, maybe because your current one is broken, it doesn't make sense to have to put off trips just to save some $$$, that's cheapness, not mustachianism. And some gear is just not going to show up. Iowajes, looking for size five shoes, is lucky to find those in a store. There's no guarantee they'll show up heavily discounted. I think this is true for a lot of women's gear--on the one hand, the models change every year so they do sell them off cheap, but on the other hand, because the models change every year, you won't get another chance if it sells well in the stores. Personally I've had an alert on ebay and all tri-state area craigslists for a Cannondale silk path bike in my size for literally six years but have had no luck. If the product weren't discontinued, you can bet I would have paid a retailer by now.   

Finally, nobody's talking actual numbers here. It's great that you're really really (really) excited about slick deals, and I can understand why you might assume you're paying way less than anyone else (the site is designed to make you think that, after all), but without everyone citing actual prices paid, you're just talking in generalities, when, using coupons, membership, sales, outlets, etc. people buying direct from REI may be paying comparable prices as you for all you know.

This, especially the bolded parts. Absolutely  nothing against having patience and waiting/looking for bargains and accepting of compromises; I'm a big fan. Recently got new "daily walkers" for 1/3 price by procrastinating and then accepting a different color. But I've probably wasted more money in my life getting things that were "good enough" and on sale than spending larger sums on things that are truly excellent (i.e. fit my needs and specifications exactly).

Cognitive Miser

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Re: Help me be a mustachian camper!
« Reply #52 on: March 18, 2016, 04:09:27 PM »
How has no one discussed sewing your own gear yet! The ultimage DIY mustachianism!
I was just skimming until this comment popped up.  Following this thread now!

jbfishing

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Re: Help me be a mustachian camper!
« Reply #53 on: March 18, 2016, 05:12:32 PM »
Mutachian camping?  Doesn't  usually involve flying to camp sites.  Ditch the plane to save money.  That said if you're  paying some kind of airfare you should invest in quality sleeping bags.

Good sleeping pads Insulate you from the ground to keep you warm.  Thick air matresses just circulate cold air under you.  But a closed cell blue foam pad on top of thick inflatable is warm and also comfy, but too bulky for backpacking.  Good for car and raft camping.

Sleeping bags can be doubled up, one inside the other for extra cold nights- works great.

Use the broken bag opened as a quilt on top of your old or new bag.

Down bags are great, just keep them dry.  My go to bag is a 40+ year old inherited down mummy bag.  Good quality down lasts much longer than synthetic.

littlebird

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Re: Help me be a mustachian camper!
« Reply #54 on: March 19, 2016, 08:02:12 AM »
Some Coleman gear can be OK if you're a pretty casual camper, but I don't think a Coleman tent is ever a good decision no matter how casual you are. Unless by casual you mean you only camp in your backyard. Some people will say that they only camp in good weather so they don't need a good tent, but I don't know anyone who can control the weather. I've seen rain and wind storms blow up out of a calm, clear day, un-forecasted and crush or flood all of the low-quality tents in the campground, while my tent was still perfect. Even if you're a fair-weather camper a good tent can be the difference between packing up in the rain in the middle of the night, cold and wet because your tent flooded and packing up the next morning at your leisure after a good night's sleep. This becomes even more important when camping with kids.

Features of a tent that I consider to be required include:
  • A full coverage rainfly. That means it comes close to the ground on all sides. No rainflys that are like a little cap that perches on top of the tent.
  • Plenty of guy out points, so you can stake your tent down properly. On that note, if your tent comes with cheap stakes you may need to replace them with nicer ones.
  • No fiberglass poles. Aluminum poles may bend, but those fiberglass poles shatter under stress and are very difficult to repair in the field.

I personally prefer a dome shape over the cabin style because they are sturdier in the wind, but that's a point that could be argued based on need.

steepandcheap.com is another good deals site for stuff you don't need to see before you buy, they're the clearing house for backcountry.com.

LadyMuMu

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Re: Help me be a mustachian camper!
« Reply #55 on: March 19, 2016, 08:23:52 AM »
The best way to optimize your sleeping bag warmth is to wear a wool hat when you sleep. That one $10 tool alone will make the difference between a 20 degree bag and a 40 degree bag. The trick with camping gear is not to fetishize the gear itself. In general you do want good quality gear if you know you are going to be doing a lot of camping and backpacking. But I would spend more on boots, socks, shelter (tent or tarp) and a hat over a top of the line pack, stove, sleeping bag etc. Unless you're doing extreme weather camping, it just doesn't make sense to go to spendy on a sleeping bag before trying a hat first.

galliver

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Re: Help me be a mustachian camper!
« Reply #56 on: March 21, 2016, 12:07:25 PM »
The best way to optimize your sleeping bag warmth is to wear a wool hat when you sleep. That one $10 tool alone will make the difference between a 20 degree bag and a 40 degree bag. The trick with camping gear is not to fetishize the gear itself. In general you do want good quality gear if you know you are going to be doing a lot of camping and backpacking. But I would spend more on boots, socks, shelter (tent or tarp) and a hat over a top of the line pack, stove, sleeping bag etc. Unless you're doing extreme weather camping, it just doesn't make sense to go to spendy on a sleeping bag before trying a hat first.

100% agreed on the hat, but personally I would take a better bag (+pad) before a better tent. In my experience the good tents are more breathable and keep rain off better, but not necessarily warmer. I've survived rainy nights in Coleman (or similar) cheap tents with a cheap tarp thrown over them. Not ideal and I wouldn't plan for doing that, but it works in a pinch. One thing that probably is worth keeping in mind with tents and hasn't yet been mentioned: smaller will likely be warmer (all other things being equal).

bognish

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Re: Help me be a mustachian camper!
« Reply #57 on: March 21, 2016, 01:15:50 PM »
I have all the fancy backpacking gear from hot summer to fairly extreme winter camping trips. Once the kids came along we switched to mustache mode. Bought 2 big sheets of eggcrate foam from home depot. Cut it to fit the floor of the tent. We pack normal sheets and lots of blankets. No worries about sleeping a different temperatures, rolling off the sleeping pad, or falling on a rock during a pillow fight. This has been fine down to 20 degrees so far.

Also the size of the tent has a big impact. A big tent, or one with lots of mesh will be cold and drafty.

When its really cold, boil water for a nalgeen hot water bottle.

I'm a red panda

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Re: Help me be a mustachian camper!
« Reply #58 on: March 21, 2016, 01:50:16 PM »
Some Coleman gear can be OK if you're a pretty casual camper, but I don't think a Coleman tent is ever a good decision no matter how casual you are.
My car camping tents are Colemans. I've never been rained out in 10 years of camping in them.  (One is a 4 man, which fits 2, and the other is an 8 man, which I imagine could fit like 90... the thing is massive.) Both have bathtub style bottoms, so we don't use a separate tarp either.

I use a different tent for backpacking; but for casual, Coleman really is fine.

I haven't found these tents retain their warmth very well, the material is just not a good insulator, so the little one or the big one stays about the same level of warmth with the 2 of us and the dog in it.  The sleeping bag is the key there.