Tuesday morning gear rant

This idea came to me this morning after I took a perfectly good bowl of fruit and yogurt and threw it in the blender. I own a spoon and have teeth.

Black Friday is approaching and I'm guessing that very few people reading this will be out shopping. We'll be making coffee in the campground, trying not to trip over all the empty bottles from the night before. The hangover will pass as soon as the bacon grease and coffee combine to make the lower intestine magic, then it's off to the rocks. Big or small, maybe some ice, clipping bolts or plugging cams (what's the difference?), surely we aren't "the consumers". We're better, we're active, engaged, and rarely prompt screams of horror in a swimsuit.

It sure seems a lot different than my days racing bikes. I was a consumer there, no doubt. The rolling fashion show as I like to call it. Yes the team dictated what jersey to wear but I had to be smart enough to join a team that used Castelli instead of Voler. I had to keep those legs silky smooth, I'd justify it by saying road rash healed faster, really though, if a dude with hairy legs attacked he'd get no support. A dude with hairy legs just couldn't be fast enough to respect. In Cipo's beard years, we were bearded, Pantani took the razor to head and legs, gotta try it, Ulrich wore huge sunglasses..add to cart. Lance rode a Trek and beat everyone, well, fuck him. He's not European.

It started out as aluminum, 105, then Scandium and Ultegra, then Dura-Ace, carbon rims, carbon seats, carbon handlebars, carbon seatpost, carbon shoes, fuck, I need a titanium bike. Campy Record, I dunno, I need to sell this stuff after a season. I was the guy earning $27k a year at a shitty job riding a sub 15lb bike worth almost 1/3 of my year salary. Riding that bike to mid-pack finishes in a mid pack category.

I did the same thing most of the pack did, I turned 27, realized I wasn't racing in Europe, and went climbing.

Climbing freed me from the consumerism, I could jam my trashed shoes into a crack as well, maybe better, than the newest hottest thing on the market. The costs were minimal and I was free.

I think I'm getting sucked in again. My ice boots are 10 years old. They're warm and have no flaws but they aren't shiny yellow or silver, I should probably fix that. My tools are just as old. Although I know them well and climb fine in them, they haven't been seen in an ice comp since 2004. My rigid friends look old, maybe a bunch of Camalots will make me climb perfect hands better. I counted, I've owned 56 pairs of shoes in my life. My Rockpecker turned into a 36v Bosch. My last cars were a Subaru, a Toyota Truck with a shell, and now an Astro Van. I am the consumer.

Look around Miguels, you'll see more high end lightweight backpacking gear than you'd ever see in the Windrivers or Appalachian Trail. I've seen the finest down coats ever made, huddled around campfires in Indian Creek making smores. Does your scraped up tarnished old biner still open? Does it close? So why do you need a new one? Do the lobes on your cam still look like lobes?

Here's the great thing about a rant, it's only a rant. It doesn't need a point, it can wander, and it can be totally off base. I'm not going to end this with some meaningful reminder to not be the consumer, I'm not going to tell you to "Occupy Neptunes" or whatever. Just shit to think about or not.

BTW, Steep and Cheap has a pretty good deal on Pontas right now.

Good stuff John!

Outstanding post.

I dropped half of a paycheck on gear a few weeks back, and I regularly find myself looking at all the pretty Toyota Tacomas on Craigslist that are just begging for a camper top and a plywood living space.

And then, without fail, I find myself a few hundred feet up a wall at Red Rocks or topping out a boulder somewhere and I forget all about how much my shoes cost or how much I spent on gas to get there and it all becomes worth it again.

There's nothing wrong with being a consumer. Just consume stuff that lets you live a happy, responsible, and interesting life.

They say it can't be won
the way the game is run
but if you choose to stay
you end up playing anyway
Jackson Browne
At least we get to have some serious fun between bouts of production and consumption.Think of the poor dumb bastards who wonder what's up with various celebrities.

Yes, exellent post. It's taken me years to build up my rack. Every year I add shiny new gizmo or two. Somehow I think this stuff will help me be a better climber. Still really enjoying myself on 5.9 though. I have some perfectly good ridgid friends collecting dust, hopefully I can pass them on to a young climber who is excited as I was to have some cams. I live in a very gearhead rich area. The lateest thing around here is Stand Up Paddle Boarding. Holy crap those things are expensive! My perdiction is there will be hundreds of those things collecting moss behind the garage in three years time. I try not to get caught up in the lust and competion for new shit. I really want a hooded Patagucci micro puff jacket but I really dont need one. In fact it really bugs me to see people walking to the coffee shop in 40 degree weather sporting something made for much colder conditions. It's just gonna hang on their chair while they sip thier double mocha and diddle their I Phone. It sure is easy to get caught up in the whole mountain/river town fashion scene! If you do, buy it used from this site.

Yesterday I bought four of the new larger Ange carabiners just because they seemed really nice. I don't think I have ever found myself lacking for carabiners or cursing them for having notches in the nose, but I am still pretty happy with my new carabiners, and isn't that the point?

muttonface wrote: How are they? I bought a couple of the small ones, and was surprised at just how small they are. I dig the concept, but before I buy the L, I want to know how much bigger they are and if they're worth the price of a WC Helium. Both are hard to come by here, I'd probably have to order.

I can't say much. They are really shiny and feel well built. I think the gate is nicer than a wiregate. You can kind of push down on it at an angle with your thumb as you open it which feels pretty natural. The specs are about the same as the WC Helium.
Here is a photo, from left to right: DMM Aerowire, DMM Spectre, Petzl Ange L, Camp Nano. The batteries in the background are AAA.

Brendan Leonard wrote this on the subject:
semi-rad.com/2011/03/buy-th…

Come on down from the edge, John... I'll get you some limited edition custom made gear to beta test as soon as I get out from the mountain of stucco I'm currently buried under. Just don't throw in the towel on climbing, as I need you for beta testing.

And on a related note, I recall a similar post by Mo on FB a while back regarding the Sierra Designs down miniskirt she found. If anything says "consumer", it's a down miniskirt.

If my girlfriend got a down miniskirt I don't think I would be able to control myself. It is totally useless but I just wouldn't care. I also know I'm a consumer since I just got a set of Valley Giants on ebay. I was worried after I bought them cause I don't think a man should get a chub from a over sized cam.

gear is like a woman, you can always keep or upgrade your model, but you better have damn good screws regardless

muttonface wrote:Then I catch myself longing for a set of Big Bros and large Camalots. Do I climb a ton of offwidths? No. Have I ever? No. Do I want to? Hell yes. So am I justified in buying it?

Yes.

Adam Volwiler wrote:I was worried after I bought them cause I don't think a man should get a chub from a over sized cam.

Yes, he should.

Peter Franzen wrote:There's nothing wrong with being a consumer. Just consume stuff that lets you live a happy, responsible, and interesting life.

Well put... also maybe check once in a while to make sure the consumption isn't getting in the way of what it's supposed to enable.

Good post, John

There has to be some kind of mathematical model where buying stuff enables an activity to a point of diminishing returns. If you want to climb over 15-20 feet usually it's a pretty good idea to have a rope and basic gear to enable a basic climbing experience. Buying a lighter carabiner or newer cam MIGHT enhance that experience, but only to a certain point. Diminishing returns. Do I really need a Prana t-shirt?

When I was growing up skateboarding in high school the worst thing anyone could ever call you was a poser. Worse than mutherfu**er, geek, dweeb or anything else. Posers weren't people. A poser had shoes with all the stitching still intact, industry t-shirts that never got sweaty and trucks that had never seen coping. People wearing a disguise to claim an identity they thought was cooler than their own. They were just looking for something to belong to.

There are some outdoor posers. Going to the mall with your Denali fleece. The folks at Miguel's car camping with a BD Firstlight. At least they are there to climb something (who knows, maybe there are some great alpine routes in the Red). Outdoor posers want an image to cling to. They need an answer to the question: "What are you?" They want to be able to answer: "CLIMBER!!"

Good post, John. I'd like to write more but I have to go put on my approach shoes, Prana t-shirt and drive to the ATL airport to pick up some arriving family. It might be a little cold here in GA so I might wear my Mont-bell micro-puff. Hair is a little out of control so I'll throw on my climbing logo trucker hat. Now where is that carabiner I usually carry on my backpack?

Mark Cushman wrote:There has to be some kind of mathematical model where buying stuff enables an activity to a point of diminishing returns. If you want to climb over 15-20 feet usually it's a pretty good idea to have a rope and basic gear to enable a basic climbing experience. Buying a lighter carabiner or newer cam MIGHT enhance that experience, but only to a certain point. Diminishing returns. Do I really need a Prana t-shirt? When I was growing up skateboarding in high school the worst thing anyone could ever call you was a poser. Worse than mutherfu**er, geek, dweeb or anything else. Posers weren't people. A poser had shoes with all the stitching still intact, industry t-shirts that never got sweaty and trucks that had never seen coping. People wearing a disguise to claim an identity they thought was cooler than their own. They were just looking for something to belong to. There are some outdoor posers. Going to the mall with your Denali fleece. The folks at Miguel's car camping with a BD Firstlight. At least they are there to climb something (who knows, maybe there are some great alpine routes in the Red). Outdoor posers want an image to cling to. They need an answer to the question: "What are you?" They want to be able to answer: "CLIMBER!!" Good post, John. I'd like to write more but I have to go put on my approach shoes, Prana t-shirt and drive to the ATL airport to pick up some arriving family. It might be a little cold here in GA so I might wear my Mont-bell micro-puff. Hair is a little out of control so I'll throw on my climbing logo trucker hat. Now where is that carabiner I usually carry on my backpack?

This is inane.

I have a bright fucking orange outdoorsey brand jacket, which I wear regularly when it's cold both on the climb and in the city.

The backpack I use to bring stuff to work and study also happens to be my default multi-pitch pack.

I have one rope that I use for most things. It's one of them fancy skinny new ropes. I even use it in the gym a few times a week!

I've camped out at Miguel's many times, and I used a pretty nice alpiney sleeping pad.

Why would I do that?

Because I can afford ONE nice jacket to use in the winter, ONE backpack, ONE regular rope, and ONE sleeping pad. And since I use those things all year long on rock, ice, snow, and everything between, it's damn hard to justify paying a lot of money to get a whole different set of shit so I can blend in with the city and gym crowds.

So you tell me: who is the poser here????

muttonface wrote:We'd all be better off if we worried about our own shit instead of imposing our wills and wishes on others. Sheesh.

Seems like I hit a nerve with you and shoo. Have something to be defensive about? Nothing I talked about really bothers me, I was just making some observations. Sometimes I'm so teched out I look like I was tarred and dragged through an REI store, even when I'm just going for a hike. I'm a poser. We all are. The only climber who isn't is Fred Beckey.

Mark Cushman wrote:The only climber who isn't is Fred Beckey.

Actually, according to your logic he is. See the recent picture of him climbing 5 Gallon Buckets at Smith Rock while wearing $150 Miuras?

Just scroll down a few posts here on Ben's page: facebook.com/benmoonphotogr…

;)

For those of you who missed the link that Lee Smith provided, it contains the funniest video i've seen in years. It's also highly relevant to this discussion. Check it:

youtube.com/watch?v=1nM6wfj…;feature=related

And this add-on:

youtube.com/watch?v=LlLNEzg…;feature=related

Enjoy!

I like this post/thread.

If you asked me 'what are you?', my answer wouldn't be 'CLIMBER!!' but more like 'A guy, who likes to do some climbing'. I don't really associate climbing w/ my own personal identity, its something I like to do w/ my spare time.

I've lived in CO longer than I've been a real outdoorsy enthusiast, so my 'normal' city folk type clothes cover me for the conditions, and you'll rarely find me out grocery shopping w/ my outdoor stuff on.

I've definitely been guilty at times of getting some things that I don't really need, or not loving old stuff enough once something newer and shinier comes out. I can say it is nice having gear you are comfortable with, rather than frustrated with. I say, if I'm using something and don't notice it - its doing its job right.
I definitely value the experiences I've had w/ friends so much more than the things I have, for me, that's the point of all this.

I think shoo has a good point too, while I may have too many of some things (backpacks?), I only have one tent, so I'm 'that guy' at the car camping grounds w/ the UL backpacking tent.
Eventually I'll get a bigger cheap one for car camping so I can blend in a little better =)

I don't really have any point to my post, but the thread has some good replies and gives you some things to think about.

i have noticed that the people i know and see who climb the most and harder than me generally dont have the newest or shiniest gear

there are exceptions of course where they get a free piece of gear, or splurge on a new piece or two

but they generally arent going out and swapping gear all the time for something marginally better ...

usually they spend the money on gas and trips ... ie where it matters ... and climb more because of it

generally around here if you see a person walking around the bluffs with all new shiny gear ... they arent very experienced ... or theyre a sponsored climber ;)

I am a gear person too, but I have reached the knee in my climbing gear curve. I can now look at the FS/W forum without really jonesin for anything, but then again I have doubles through ratty hands and I only really lead Gunks 5.4 at the moment. Not that I don't aspire to lead 5.9 trad. At least 50% of my rack I bought used. Reduce, reuse, recycle, shouldn't that be the motto? For that matter most of my technical gear as of late has either been bought used off MP or off SAC at less than half retail. I don't have to have this year's colors on my gear, matter of fact the more obnoxious the color the better. Stress shopping involves hopping on the Snap-On truck and immersing myself in shiny, shiny chrome, (drool). Without consumerism, we would still be buying iron from the back of a pickup truck in the camp 4 parking lot now wouldn't we? Consumerism is what funds the gear companies to continue to make shiny new stuff for the masses, and the niche manufacturers gear for people who really know the difference. And is having too many jackets, pants or shells really that bad a problem? Sometimes you want a hood, sometimes you don't. Just like there isn't one ski for every day of the year, so goes just about any gear.