kit collecting

[coln18]

Has anyone got to the point in buying that much kit for the outdoors, much of which you already have in massive quantities that you really should just admit to SWMBO that your just buying it cause its just something new to play with, which lets be honest is still better than sitting in a dark living room watching Jeremy Kyle....I just find it hard explaining to the wife why i need 3 rucksacks, 4 tents, 3 tarps as well as god knows how much more kit and then the door goes and low and behold it the delivery man with another tarp ect...

Any one with any good excuses please share as im running out!!!!

Col...

 

[MartinK9]

Don't get Married, works for Me..... I have two spare bedrooms for all my kit

 

[Shewie]

Just don't tell her Col, that's all I do

And get everything delivered to work

 

[coln18]

ref martin - too late mate, she might take me for half my kit - oh the pain of even thinking of it. Lucky you with 2 rooms for it, im afraid im in the loft with all my kit.

ref Rich, yeah i wish i could do that im self employed in building trade, so i move around and SWMBO is off on maternity leave just now, so she is signing for it all. I hope she has a spare pen for all the things ive ordered this weekend, i wonder if it has anything to do with being out on friday night, these orders always seem a good idea on saturday morning..

Col

 

[Man of Tanith]

Col tell her you are preparing for the zombie apocalypse
i cant get stuff delivered to work SWMBO works at same care home.
Sam

 

[British Red]

Huh?

Did you buy it with your money?

If so, no-ones business but your own what you spend it on. My wife can spend her money on whatever she likes, so can I. Clearly we split the household stuff - but any money after that is our own to spend as we like. Wouldn't want her to feel she had to explain to me what she spent her cash on - she earned it - its hers

Red

 

[Graham_S]

I don't know, I find I "grow out" of kit.
I use stuff, then get something better.
I don't tend to pass things on, as spares are always handy.
And as Red said, It's my money, I can spend it what I want, SWMBO can spend her money on whatever she wants.

 

[big_swede]

I find a lot of stuff in charity shops and yard sales. Always worth checking out. But frankly, it was a long time ago I bought something. My biggest outdoor expenses these days are travel tickets, maps, and food. And they are pretty meager too. I tend to sell stuff I don't use. Stuff that hadn't been used for 30 days gets placed in the basement as a backup, if it's unused for a year I sell it or give it away. No idea in having an outdoor museum. But some stuff is always a permanent reserve for friends and other stuff, a few sleeping bags, a spare rucksack and so on. Seasonal stuff like mandals, skis, down jackets are of course stored when not in season.

I've had quite a circulation of stuff, the items I liked I've kept, the other I've sold, I'm quite happy with what I got now. Sort of an evolution I guess.

Note: I first wrote this as a response to the thread favourite outdoor shop, but then realised I was a bit confused, and that it should probably be posted in this thread, but now I'm not really sure. Shouldn't be multitasking...

 

[RAPPLEBY2000]

I've had waaaaaaay to much gear for many years now,
I have enough gear to kit out a few people!

I have that problem of finding bargains at car-boot sales or charity shops or worst of all army surplus shops!
then not knowing how to throw old stuff away because it "may come in handy"!
just made me think....I have:

5 rucksacks don't ask!
4 sleepingbags
2 tents
2 hammocks
3 sets of webbing pouches
1 full Arctic set of clothing (only worn when it's snowed, so about 10 days in 4 years)
2 dry suits though I don't own a canoe...or Kayak!
Oh dear!

 

[Wayland]

I have acquired enough kit for a small expedition.

As Graham says, some of it is just gear that I used for a while and then found a better way of doing things.

It does come in useful for spares, van kit, helping out friends and people at meets so I don't lose too much sleep over it.

 

[Magentus]

Col - why not just be honest with SWMBO? Then you don't have to wait until you're on your own to order stuff. Is it a problem for you financially? Do you buy rucksacks and tarps because the ones you have aren't fit for purpose? Do you just like buying kit?

Nothing wrong with any of the above, but seeing as you're asking...............

Magentus

 

[John Fenna]

Amateurs!
I am a pro kit collector!
Reviewing gear for the magazines means that I have so get at least 80 odd new items per year, just to write up in the magazine columns!
The draw back is that when I find a piece that I realy like, I rarely get to use it as I am testing other stuff!
I also like making stuff - sewing, forging, carving etc etc - so as well as my Bushy gear, canoeing gear, my camping gear and my theatrical costume collection my house is full of things I just fancied trying to make....
I need a bigger house!
Mind you the Wife has no reason (other than clutter) to complain as it all works out fairly cheap, or I sell bits, make Xmas prezzies for folk rather than buy, recycle old kit into new and so on....

 

[Prawnster]

I can justify it with my very understanding wife because I can often fund at least half of a purchase by selling something I don't need or use anymore, that way it doesn't really affect the family budget.

As for me having my money and she having hers, we've never worked like that. It all goes in the one pot, neither of us can claim to be paying any particular bill and neither of us have our own money for spending. We decide together. And then I get what I want

The problems begin when you start getting stuff for a fix, the excitement of something new. It's not really a problem if you can afford it, but when you start, as I have now, to put it on a credit card and think 'Well I can pay that next month'. But then next month some other cool bit of kit catches your eye and you can't help yourself you're losing control....As my father-in-law always tell the call centres: Credit cards are from the Devil.

 

[SimonM]

I justify my purchases in a few ways:

• I won it in a raffle!
• This old thing....I've had it ages
• My old one broke...
• I liked the look of it.

But seriously, with both kids in Scouts now we NEED extra gear for them!

Simon

 

[HillBill]

I suppose i'm lucky in the fact that i don't have to justify it. Quite the opposite. If i'm skint and see something i want then 9/10 SWMBO will just buy it for me anyway. She bought me my Bandsaw, beltgrinder etc i use to make knives. She buys me stuff so i can make things for the house etc, save money in the long run. Fair points i suppose.

Shes already had me making, wardrobes, drawers, coat hooks a new shed ( I have to harvest the materials myself) play house for the kids, kitchen utensils, raised vegetable beds now she has it in her head for me to build her a new kitchen with walnut veneers and solid walnut worktops. I'll be building a new bloody house next. Wouldn't surprise me if she got me a kiln for xmas to make my own bricks with

It comes at a price.

 

[British Red]

Wouldn't surprise me if she got me a kiln for xmas to make my own bricks with

And some nice crockery and pots too

Actually a kiln would be pretty cool ...wanders off looking for kiln plans............

 

[HillBill]

And some nice crockery and pots too

Actually a kiln would be pretty cool ...wanders off looking for kiln plans............

Now Red, don't be going and giving her more ideas, Shes already planning what i can do next year.

 

[Morning Fox]

Huh?

Did you buy it with your money?

If so, no-ones business but your own what you spend it on. My wife can spend her money on whatever she likes, so can I. Clearly we split the household stuff - but any money after that is our own to spend as we like. Wouldn't want her to feel she had to explain to me what she spent her cash on - she earned it - its hers

Red

Thus the reason why you are referring to her as your wife and the others are referring to theirs as SWMBO

 

[HillBill]

A good observation there.

 

[rik_uk3]

I've got more stoves than I could ever use, but I'm a stove collector, can't be a stamp collector with only one stamp sort of thing.

Kit wise I've enough for any UK conditions and thats how I judge any kit I have the urge to buy

1 Do I really need it

2 Is is over kill for UK conditions

If yes to 1 and no to 2 I'll buy it, Don't see the point of £70 worth of base layers when at most I'll experience -10c if you spend that then you are a collector IMHO