Starting out in Mountaineering: Buying New Gear
I remember the day I decided to take the plunge and empty my bank account with the intent to equip myself for the journey into the world of mountaineering. I had read Freedom of the Hills cover to cover, I had scoured the internet looking for deals, and the day was finally here.
After complaining for months about the prohibitive cost of entry, the UPS man started blowing up my doorbell. One night after enjoying a few too many adult beverages with a buddy I set up a rappel off my door frame and he abseiled the staircase of my 2 bedroom apartment. (check out those vintage orange Koflachs)
That evening was 6 years and many mountains ago. Invariably, I have worn out or sold off 90% of the gear I originally purchased back then. Through an expensive process of trial and error I learned what didn't work, what was too heavy/ and or bulky, and what was plain unnecessary. One of my hopes with this blog is to give back the invaluable information I learned along the way so the next guy doesn't have to buy twice.
Anyone else remember the feeling of a shiny brand new gear closet?
When I decided to hike the Inka trail I had never hold before. I bought and returned three pairs of hiking shoes to MEC. I finally decided on a pair and smeared mud on them before my flight to Peru to spare myself the embarrassment!
ReplyDeleteVanessa MEC is a great company--like REI or Backcountry--with regards to returns. I had to return a pair of $500 La Sportiva Evo Nepal Mountaineering Boots that were too small after wearing them on a trip and Backcountry was totally cool about taking them back
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