The trouble with consuming and other modern irritations...

[Vulpes]

The more I spend now, the more I regret it. I think the most frightening thing is that I'm becoming the kind of poo skinner I once despised...

I find myself no longer wanting the most hyped kit now, because 9 times out of 10, I find myself becoming disappointed with it. It's much more rewarding to spend my money on other people or materials to make my own kit. Ok, fair enough there are limits and you have to spend on some things, agreed. People spend too much time debating and buying kit rather than actually experiencing things. It's the man in the gear, not the gear on the man.

I now refuse to follow, support or line the pockets of the likes of television personalities and outdoors experts. I don't have a TV anymore anyway. It's all rubbish and uninteresting carp for the masses.

Build quality with almost everything is carp or doesn't fit right now anyway.

Everything is 3 times the price it once was. Even surplus is now becoming expensive.

Why bother following the fashion. I'd like a Landrover, but the fact stands that they're expensive lumps of metal that drink fuel. My kind of lifestyle involves alot of long distance travel and with today's constant stop starting of traffic, you'd be a mug to get one unless you're doing some serious off-roading anyway.

 

[mountainm]

Wrong side of the bed this morning? I agree to some extent. I blame long working hours. In fact I blame it for a lot of societies problems. We buy instead of doing. We have no time to spend, so we spend money instead. We have no time to play, exercise or be with our families.

 

[bushwacker bob]

1) Most things are manufactured by the lowest bidder.
2) Landrovers dont have to be expensive. Mine cost £1000 4 years ago and has done 174k miles at about 26mpg. A 2nd hand prop shaft is £10, tyres are £10 and I can repair mine without a computor. Its used on and off road for work and pleasure.
3) I have sod all kit, 1947 mess tins and an argos sleeping bag but if I do indulge myself( I have a weakness for quality slipjoints), it is after a lot of evaluation and quite often saving, so I really appreciate any new purchase.
Appreciate what you have, kit lust will eat your soul.

 

[Retired Member southey]

Hahahaha people talk about kit here because.............its a forum?

 

[Vulpes]

Why not talk more about places, ideas, making things, replacing our kit with more homemade stuff? It's not so difficult a concept really.

 

[Retired Member southey]

things tend to go in cycles here, sometimes kit chat prevales, others its tracking, then making aand so on, if you want to talk about so.etging specific then start a thread on it, better that than moaning about people typing about what ever they want to.

 

[Vulpes]

Welcome to the internet. A place where people may express opinions as such freely.

 

[bushwacker bob]

There is also the recurrent problem of repetition. Those of us who have been here a while have read the archives as they were written and often contributed to them so trying to maintain enthusiasm to answer the same questions over and over can be a little tedious.

 

[mountainm]

There is also the recurrent problem of repetition. Those of us who have been here a while have read the archives as they were written and often contributed to them so trying to maintain enthusiasm to answer the same questions over and over can be a little tedious.

 

[spiritwalker]

lol

i like that

 

[bushwacker bob]

and the distinct lack of humour.

 

[Retired Member southey]

Hahahahahah brilliant!

 

[Retired Member southey]

Welcome to the internet. A place where people may express opinions as such freely.

Right back at you fella.have a nice day

 

[Shewie]

I like buying and testing kit, it's a never ending journey * to find that pinnacle of excellence, I think I've only been actually disappointed with something maybe a handful of times.

Build quality, it does seem that you have to spend decent bucks these days to get something well made and durable, there are gems out there though.

Not having a dig but this is the first post you've started that hasn't been discussing kit, just saying like Stick around and you'll see what Southey is referring to, now the longer days are coming you'll see plenty of trips reports and folk crafting and creating stuff, we're not all kit junkies (myself excluded) it's just that the darker nights mean we don't discuss much else.






* First time I've ever watched this vid, I always thought it was a woman singing

 

[cbr6fs]

I do understand what you mean, it might be my rose tinted specs but the general quality of items has gone downhill in the last 50 years or so.

50+ years ago things were made to last and made to be repaired, i've still got some of my grandads stuff, his watch and lighter both still work great and feel bloody solid, the Swatch i bought my Mrs last year stopped within 8 months.

Look at cars as well, we used to get together with mates on a Sunday and strip, clean and work on our cars together, you can't do that these days without a laptop.

When i first moved in with my exMrs we got a hand-me-down washing machine, when i left to come over here i gave it me brother, he still has it and it's still going great, it most be 40 years old by now.
On the other hand i've lived in Greece for 12 years now and we're on our second washing machine.


But then it's a different mindset, my grandparents wouldn't dream of throwing something away if it broke, it'd be repaired.
Every little town had a TV, washing machine and fridge repair shop, there are not many of those left any more.


But then we lie in a society that tends to judge successfulness on what crap people have.
I know several people where i used to live that are dole lay abouts, they've all got massive flat screens, playstations, Xboxes etc, you go round some ones house and their success seems to be judged on how big their TV is and what games platforms they have, it doesn't even seem to matter where they got the money from to buy it.

I recently had an argument with a guy.
He is nearly in his 30's, hasn't stuck a job for more than a week, has 3 kids and another on the way, lives in a council house with most everything paid for and he was complaining about having no money.
This from a guy that has over £2000 worth of radio controlled cars.

Another example is this bloody Jetboil i bought.
I plumped for the top of the range Titanium version thinking it'd be the best, turns out it's the most fragile out of the entire range and after 3 weeks i'm left stuck with a system that's melted itself.

We can put a man on the moon, send a space shuttle out into space and (mostly) bring it back in 1 piece through massive heat and shock forces, yet we can't make a reliable mug for over £100

So i can sympathise with your way of thinking :You_Rock_

 

[Jimmy Bojangles]

I think also collecting kit (or anything else) taps into our primal urges as much as getting out and bushcrafting. Look at the language collectors use, "FEAST your eyes on that" "look what I HUNTED down". Or dealers selling for a profit, "I made a KILLING on that". There are lots of other examples, but you get the idea. We're slaves to our instincts, most things we enjoy can be blamed back to our evolution and instincts.

Having said that, I do know what you mean.

Cheers

Mat

 

[Tony]

Why not talk more about places, ideas, making things, replacing our kit with more homemade stuff? It's not so difficult a concept really.

key to anything like this if you want to get people to contribute is to create a thread that invites people to post in it. people often ask why things are like this or that, what might be a good way to do it is break it down and say, what's the alternative to this or that kit... Where's the best place to get hold of this or that... What do you guys think of me making this from all this rather than buying it ...

This would draw people in, get them excited about stuff etc rather than people being asked the same basic questions. This isn't me pointing the finger at anyone, just a suggestion on the best way to get the most from the forums.

 

[Manacles]

I think also collecting kit (or anything else) taps into our primal urges as much as getting out and bushcrafting. Look at the language collectors use, "FEAST your eyes on that" "look what I HUNTED down". Or dealers selling for a profit, "I made a KILLING on that". There are lots of other examples, but you get the idea. We're slaves to our instincts, most things we enjoy can be blamed back to our evolution and instincts.

Having said that, I do know what you mean.

Cheers

Mat

This is a very interesting point Mat. The late Clare Rayner used to host a radio show many years ago and one of the subjects she tackled was "collecting". Her theory, and one I subscribe to, is that we have been agrarians for a very short time in comparison with the time we spent as hunter gatherers. The instinct to collect what is available hence remains very strong (see a blackberry bush take more fruit than you need etc), and, for example, supermarkets tap into this part of our psyche with "two for one" deals etc. This explanation can also be used to in part explain the rise in obesity - the availability of fatty foods which in times of yore would have been sparse, taps into our primal need to store fat for the lean times. To go full circle I would argue that perhaps the rise in interest in bushcraft (and collecting bushcraft equipment) taps into that same subconscious desire - a subconscious need to prepare for lean times. One can certainly assert that most bushcrafters would survive a shortage of foodstuffs/water etc more easily than the average couch potato...........any thoughts?

 

[Tengu]

Yes, but that layabout with the plasma screen and massive DVD collection (I know him too) do you respect him?

I have too little money to worry about kit; I just get what I please from the car boot

 

[RonW]

Most bushcrafters would NOT survive much longer than the average person. Why? Simple. They still do rely heavily on the same things Joe Average does; food, water, electricity and fuel. Yes, some can tie a knot and yes, some do sleep in hammocks, but in the end they'll be no better of. Maybe even worse, because they became arrogant and think they can do it and fail.

I don't think it has anything to do with that instinctive hunter/gatherer-thing. It has to do with a much more basic instinct; greed. Always wanting more than you have or need....