While researching last week’s Historical Badass, Earl Shaffer, we learned that Shaffer thru-hiked the AT trail for his third time at age 79 in a pair of boots he bought at a thrift store for $10. Awesome.
That isn’t to say that spending 30 times that on a pair of hiking boots isn’t worth it. But it is worth pointing out that things that seem essential—modern, expensive, cutting-edge boots for a 2,000-mile hike, for instance—aren’t always as essential as they seem. Some people need a pair of bombproof boots for the thru-hike of a lifetime, and some are fine with a bargain pair from a Goodwill rack and a roll of duct tape.
That’s the thing though, expensive is relative when it comes to anything, of course, depending on personal financial circumstances, but also in terms of what you personally consider worth the expense.
If a pair of boots costs $300 or even $400, but lasts the owner 20 or 30 years, is that worth the initial expense? Or if a $300 boot weighs less than a pair of cotton socks but only lasts for two seasons, is that worth it? See? It’s relative to the owner.
Some gear, say, bikes, for example, tend to reward the big spender with noticeably increased performance. But whether a $1,000 Dyneema tent that is whisper-light but as fragile as china is that much of a gamechanger in the backcountry depends entirely on what you want out of a piece of gear. Is it just a means to an end, by allowing you to pursue adventure in the outdoors comfortably and safely? Or is the wow factor of gear worth factoring in to the equation, and something that is enjoyable in an of itself?
That’s in the eye of the credit cold holder.
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Photo: Tim Foster
Avalanche safety gear are really worth spending money on! They MUST do what they are made for that one time that you will need them . . .
Good point.
Ill splurge on timeless gear, that shouldn’t wear out. For example, a good knife now, will be a good knife in 100 years if it is taken care of. I don’t like splurging on stuff that wears out or becomes obsolete. I hate spending more than the minimum on electronics. I would add that I look at the expense of an item in terms of how often I will use it. IE I dabble in cross country skiing, so my cheapie skis are fine. I hike a lot, so I do spend more on hiking shoes, but I would say that if one used a per use metric, the shoes are probably cheaper than the skis.
What do you need an expensive knife for? Be serious.
First off, I would say that I only have one nice knife, so it isn’t like I have a collection or something.
When deer hunting it is nice to have something that stays sharp and feels nice in my hand when gutting, skinning, and breaking a deer down.
Agreed. A sharp, well-balanced knife makes quartering an animal much easier, cleaner, and faster than a cheap knife. I’ve tried both and it’s absolutely worth it to have a quality knife.
Good boots but lately been buying ultralight hikers that look like trail runners. Oh yeah forgot the wedge shaped camper on order that goes on the back of my truck called Vagabond Outdoors.
I’d say bombproof weather resistant gear is worth the extra expense that some of the top companies charge. In this department you get what you pay for in my opinion.
I spend money on the things I use the most. I wear a base layer and soft shell jacket on pretty much every trip, I’m willing to spend a lot on getting my favorites since I’m wearing them every weekend. Other stuff I don’t use as much so that’s where I try to save. I don’t wear a hard shell jacket often so do I need that bombproof $400 Arc’teryx? Probably not. Your “daily driver” gear is way more important than the special case stuff that does just one thing really well.
As an operator, I watch the clients spend $$$$ on gear they use for 2 weeks, then I see the guides and they all have cheaper stuff, nearly all Decathlon (I work with European guides). The guides know they will play hard / work hard in their gear, use it, and won’t cry when there is a tear in their $120 jacket. While that same tear in the $600 jacket – cry worthy. If I’m actually going to use the gear for what its intended, I often go cheaper, as I know it will get used, it dirty, holed, torn, etc.
I tend to spend a bit more on backbacks, or technical gear, skis for example. and safety gear as was mentioned above (avalanche, climbing gear, etc) I was about to write a good down jacket I’d spend, but then upon reflection – my go to, everyday down jacket was an on sale decathlon one that I got for 20 Euros – that’s seen me through 2 Antarctic seasons.
I think we generally over spend. That said I still like to look at new gear.
I suggest you don’t skimp on a good pair of hiking boots. buy yourself a pair of danner mountain lights and you will get many years, and better said many miles out of them as they can be resoled. a resole here in Arizona only sets you back about 50 to 65 bucks. plus, if you hike with a pack burro like I did for years the all leather protects you better than artificial textile boots. and last but never least, danner mtn lights are still made in the good ol u.s.a.! andale y Adelante!
A good class or educational trek. Knowledge = the ultimate ultralight equipment. I just took the Wilderness First Responder class. Not cheap but worth every penny.
Spending a lot of money on outdoor clothing is dumb, you can get good stuff for cheap if you look around, plus how many shorts, jackets, etc.. do you need? Keep in mind you can only wear one pair of shorts at a time, keeping a second pair to sub, so two pairs for technical use. I ran ultras for years, and had two pairs of shorts that worked for racing as well as training.
The only place I splurge is on bikes, changes in suspension design are significant and worth it to me, but I won’t spend money on high tech bike stuff like carbon fiber wheels, that’s just not necessary and is no better than cheaper aluminum stuff.
Good boots are all about fit, in terms of longevity, if you hike enough you’ll wear out boots in 500-1000 miles give or take, and maybe you can resole, but usually not. When I ran ultras I’d get new shoes around 500 miles, so about six to eight weeks, expensive sport but it served my mental and physical health needs.
Some people value their sport on the kit they use.
Light weight camping gear, stoves, sleeping bags, pads, cook ware, opens up possibilities in both back packing and bike packing to get to those places few others travel….
I find more joy in upgrading the little stuff one piece at a time. It’s taken 6 years, one expensive piece of gear each year to build up a lightweight backpacking kit that I am happy with. Light, durable and works for me.
Your sleep system – quilt/bag and or pad. Nothing worse than being tired as hell and not being able to sleep due to too hot, too cold, too hard, too uncomfortable, or whatever. I don’t like sleeping in, well, lets be honest, any clothes, so my sleep system needs to be dialed in.
+1 for this.
I was a guide for 10 years and my down sleeping bag was my savior more times than I care to count. When all else fails, the ability to be warm and dry no matter the circumstances (even under a fly/megamid) is a godsend, and a good night’s sleep makes every bad situation – weather, cranky clients, injury, bear ate all your food, you name it – a little bit better.
Spend the bare minimum that won’t endanger your well being. So if that means wearing whatever you got, use it. You will get by and learn something for the next time. The main thing to remember, is your passion. If that non-tradition, non-name-brand unorthodox piece of garment gets you by, do it, go with it. Keep enjoying the things you love and eventually along the way, you may upgrade your system. And during your process, take note on what works & what doesn’t work. Then improve your system for next time.
Ask your gear-heads around you what they use and why. This can save you time and many headache. The kind they already went through and most of them will want to share their knowledge! Those gurus may also have some extra gear laying around that they don’t use anymore from upgraded their systems or maybe they just have a large stock of gear to lend.
An example, I always said that I would purchase a rope bag for my climbing rope. Year after year, my climbing rope was just getting more and more dirty, and there was all these people around me with rope bags. After purchasing a new rope, I still didn’t get the rope bag, even though I claimed I would. That same year I was gifted an IKEA tarp bag…big enough to fit my rope in. Creativity can serve you well. It works perfectly fine as a rope bag. However you do it, splurge or not, get out and share your passion with the world! In the end you will know when the time to splurge is proper for your situation. Just get out do what you love best.
A really good cooler has literally changed our adventuring life. Car camping, road trips, pulling over to that surprise farm – all so much better with a really good cooler.
Ski boots. A pair the doesn’t fit makes skiing pointless. I suffered through a season of poor fitting boots and I’m amazed I still ski.
I have quite a bit of inexpensive gear. If I ever go for something pricier, it’s because the features of the product justified the extra cost. But one thing I will never save money on again is boots. Every time I’ve bought cheap boots, my extremely sore feet were very sorry for it.
After skimping on gear for many years. I found that it was absolutely worth it to upgrade backpacking main essentials to newer lighter weight versions. In general I tend to spend on climbing gear.
A note about the main article – I think in certain thrift stores barring the need of an unusual size, you could find a decent amount of quality outdoor apparel.
When I go hiking , I always bring with me some camera equipment as i’m a photgrapher. So the item I spend the most in is the backpack. It is really important for me to be able to carry all the weight in the best possible conditions and to have all my equipment protected in case of bad weather; For the rest I tend to think in terms of how often I will use it. I recently changed my sleeping bag, the old one was about 25 years old. The new one is a decathlon not as fancy as other brands but still efficient enough and lightweight enough for my use…
Having a good place to sleep that is actually water proof but breathes decently is worth a lot in my book. Coming from the Southeast where it is humid and rains a ton; being able to escape the rain reliably and comfortably helps protect my sanity. This also has saved my ass on multi day river trips where there was snow and rain most days and staying dry was crucial!
“Money spent on windsurfing gear is not subtracted from your life.” _____|_
Thank you Dana!
Words to live by
To paraphrase the old saying: “Lightweight, durable and low cost,….pick 2” For the activities at the core of your being, pick the first two, for all others, low cost should be one of your choices (that might include renting).
Inflatable SUP, inflatable kayak. And a good carbon paddle! It makes a big difference to have something well-made and not worry when out on the water. Plus it can last for years if you take care of it. Technical/functional features make the experience that much better, too. Paddling equipment has been one of my only splurges the past 5 years.
i do not skimp on ski boots and skis. i try to find the best deal of course but when you ski hard you need to have gear that compliments your skill level
Good socks. Try hiking or running with a pair of no-shows that keep sliding down and it’ll make you miserable in five minutes. Or get a pair of heavy cotton ones and if they get wet they’ll reek and give you blisters.
The longest lasting gear is always worth it. Smallest footprint (sorry, but that the right word) in the creation and delivery everything else for your use. I understand getting ultra-light trail shoes may be the “right” choice for some…but go through 3 of them on a long distance thru-hike? The manufacturing, shipping, packaging, and subsequent landfill waste it creates versus a serious multi-year, re-craftable boot? It doesn’t HAVE to be the most $$$, but sometimes it is…and sometime not. Sorry for my long-winded soap box!
I was lucky to have girlfriend that worked in an outfitter so I have been able to acquire very good gear at a ridiculusly low price. But if there was one thing I would buy full price again it would be my backpack. A backpack with dense foam and a solid frame makes a tremendous difference at the end of the day on a multi-day hike. I would also never hesitate to pay for the renewal of the battery of my PLB (obviously!)
I’ve never had a better return on an investment than buying a nice bike.
I think getting boots/running shoes that will last you a while is important. Both for memories and for the environment equally. I currently has 450 miles on my LaSportiva Akashas, I ran both my first 50 mile race and circumnavigated the Wonderland Trail in 3 days with them. I look at them as objects I have a connection with and it was a little sad seeing them get beat up over the course of 93 miles in 3 days but oh the memories. They will last as long as I will. Some ultra light gear is definitely helpful but memories are more important for me.
I tend to spend more on gear I use daily such as my EDC knife, Patagonia outerwear and my daily driver which is also my river shuttle, camping vehicle and rescue gear carrier.
Shoes. I’m a novice backpacker, but trail run as much as I can, and I can’t imagine myself ever backpacking in a pair of big clunky boots instead of nimble, comfortable trail runners. If your feet aren’t comfortable, backpacking can be miserable, so investing in shoes that you are confident in will always be worth it in my mind.
I have both an expensive pair of Lowa hiking boots and a middle of the road priced Danner boots that I wear for work everyday. I absolutely love my $350 Lowa’s and wouldn’t hesitate to buy another pair. They’ve hiked to glaciers and have been totally amazing.
This is my first pair of Danner’s and they have totally blown me away. I work outside in wet conditions every day and usually get about 4-6 months out of boots before the water proofing wears off and the boots start blowing out at the seams. My $160 Danners made it 9 months before the water proofing failed and I’m on month 11 and they still haven’t blown out.
It just goes to show that gear doesn’t have to be the most expensive stuff on the shelf to get good quality.
Footwear is the first thing I will spend money on. You only get one set of feet.
Next is helmets. Whether motorcycle, bicycle, climbing, whitewater or winter sport – protect that noggin with the best.
The best nail cutter with whistle on the handle would be a game changer.