Super Size Me... Gear Stores

I was on one of my normal rants in one of lori's threads (because I've watched it happen many times) about gear store staff "super sizing" newbies on gear to sell them lots of heavy crap - playing on peoples fear of the unknown, etc.

If you've watched "Super Size Me" - you might recall what he did at McD's - if they ask him to super size it, he has to, etc. etc.

That got me thinking - of course not all gear stores are the same, and not all staff are the same.. So I was thinking...

What if I was to play dumb newb at several stores - pick a known trip (Heck, I'd pick west coast trail) and walk in feigning ignorance. Weigh what gets reccomended. Rate stores advice based on this..

Now admittedly - weight is not the *only* consideration. but it would be interesting to compare what is suggested for this.. I could do it at three of the big stores in my area (MEC, Atmosphere, Campers Village) - the specialty stores know me and I couldn't pull it off

Although really - for it to make any sense, you'd need some rules and consistancy. i.e. same trip, same basic answers to the obvious quesitons.. I think it would be interesting to
put together..

It would also be fascinating to see what the differences suggested for someone who looks like me, versus let's say, a smaller statured female hiker.. and whether or not makeup and dress clothing was worn.. (for that matter, how different a reccomendation I get if I go in dressed in the full-on consluting business suit I wear during the day, or shorts and tevas

Let us know how it goes if you do so? We only have two stores in town - expensive and really expensive. Though both are very nice and it is expensive to be a business up here. We do buy a lot of stuff locally for that whole try before you buy (I'm not good about returning stuff, so it actually saves us money.)

You had me worried about the makeup, for a second

Sounds like the female researcher role would be perfect for OM while she's on the mend.

This is interesting, because I just completed my gear lists for my Wind River trip. I sorted everything by weight and was shocked that I have 17 items that weigh less than 2 ounces, but all together add up to 1.6 pounds! This brings up that each little "thing" we add even though it weighs "nearly nothing" adds up. Lots are convience items. Do I not take my 1-oz pot cozies? Probably will take them because using the cozy helps save gas so probably evens out. Sporke? Yes I would say that is needed. Stuff sacks - probably too many and I will delete at least one. Bandanas -yes too many - delete one. Foil for cooking fish - maybe take half. Another shocking item - 4 oz. TP for 12 days. I can cut that down for sure.

Heaviest items- pack and sleeping bag tie. Third, the tent. All personal and first aid stuff in one ditty bag= 1 lb 4 oz. of about 25 little things, proabley too much, includes some repair stuff, glasses, knife, sunscreen, etc. Crocks at 8 oz - a luxury since I certainly can wade streams in my hiking shoes. I am thinking about this one. In the Sierra it is a definite luxury - in the Winds I will cross streams several times a day.

As much as I "know" where all my extra weight is, deleting any one item of it is painful. I have good reasons for each item!

I just came back from REI and they have tons of little "stuff" - all nice and interesting and of some use, but where do you draw the line? I am quite experienced and still have a hard time to "draw the line".

Other heavy stuff that is only needed for one trip section - crampons and ice axe. And bear spray for two sections. Proably will take my bear cannister even though not required for the two sections with bears, and the Ursack on the others. I have previously done without the crampons and ice axe and took a chance that they were not needed. This once caused me to do a detour and miss a section that I really wanted to see. So there is a price to pay.

So you see in reality it is not that easy.

I managed to do this successfully by going from taking a wad of toilet paper to taking the little pocket packs of kleenex. I know how many were in it, and it's easy for me to "ration it out" effectively.



Yeah, I'm about there too..



I have a real hard time with this. I take them sometimes and not others. I tend *not* to in the rockies, but then end up annoyed at myself if water levels are high and I have to make a lot of crossings... Grrr.



Yep. when in doubt I think about how much I really use it. If I am going to use it, I'll take it.



Oh I know sometimes the doo-dads are tempting, but really, when you look at these things yourself you're going plus or minus a few pounds of stuff on a base load that (if I had to guess for you) without food and water and fuel you're probably sitting around the 15-20 pounds mark - depending how heavy your ice axe and crampons are.

I guess I'm not talking about an ice axe and crampons trip. I'm talking about how I've seen people fitted out by store salespeople for a regular 4-7 day backpacking trip with nothing technical or exposed.

However I guess that yes, a lot of this is the upselling on the "doo-dads" - the expresso machines, the sam splints, the chair adapters, the lanterns, the rambo knives, the sun showers, the outback ovens, the list goes on an on.. So do the doo-dads breed the need for the expedition sized pack and load, or does the 90 litre pack enable the doo-dads - or are we really just faced with the reality of people who don't know better will automatically try to recreate "home" in the bush, complete with lattes, muffins, and video games...

No thanks; the way I feel right now (raging cabin fever!) I'd probably snap completely and have to be hauled away! Also, marching around stores (mostly built on concrete slabs) appears to be the worst thing for my heel at this point--just my weekly grocery shopping sets me back several days! On the other hand, I can now walk around my lawn (the daily search for dog leavings) with no discomfort at all--a good thing since the kid who has been mowing my lawn didn't bother to show up last week!

It is really hard to listen to the REI clerks giving advice without saying something! And you should see them stare when I haul out my scale and weigh items! You'd think I was trying to rob the store!

My experince is that a small older woman, I am ALWAYS assumed to be inexperienced or fragile. On the trail, other (mostly men) tend to give me advise geared to a beginner. Sales people ASSUME that some man is going with me to carry most of the gear! If only that were true! The sales person wants to sell me this tiny little pack. Who cares about getting a bear cannister or tent inside!

But I will have to say that in my local REI stores, a lot of the sales people are older experienced hikers and give very good advise. Today, rather than trying to sell me a $250 rain jacket, the sales person told me to at least give a try at "renewing" the five rain jackets I already have. She was very detailed on how to wash them, and put them in a dryer on medium heat - what the H, if I melt them thats OK, they all leak anyway. And when I checked out with my boys-14-16 rain pants, the clerk simply said "isn't it great when kids clothes fit you". Exactly! I love REI kids clothes - they are functional, simple, and lack all bells and whistles, thus weigh less than the adult versions made of the same material. And they actually fit better than women's clothes.

Same here--every time I walk into REI I get fobbed off on the teenagers. Evidently an old lady is not supposed to know anything! If I ever had a real technical question, I'd be toast! How do they know I'm not the next Grandma Gatewood? (I'm not, but they wouldn't know.)

Re rain pants--I'm way too hippy for kids' sizes. I was lucky enough to score one of the last pair of women's GoLite Reed rain pants available--ran a Google shopping query and found one pair in large. I really love them! IMHO, a really poor decision on GoLite's part to discontinue those.

I hope the washing treatment works for at least one of your jackets, or maybe two so you can leave a spare in the car.

Yeah, I definitely understand about talking. More than once, I've asked someone what their gear consisted of, or how they were planning to use the pack when the REI clerk went to check on something, and suggested they ask the clerk about a lighter/smaller pack.

At the local shop, where the clerks are also users of gear, they often ask me to tell the customer about my experience if they know I've used the item they're showing to the customer.

If your winds trip wasn't already enough reason.. please allow me to politely hate you just a little bit now...

(Nothing fits me at all.. Grrrrrrrr...)

Bovine Scatology.. You're as close as it gets today girl. Just fix that darn heel.

I really couldn't count all the bad purchases I've made while hanging out in gear stores I'd be really cool if just once somebody had pointed me to someone with some real experience!

I will say that sence I've been a member on this forum thanks to the advice and some free gear thrown my way by some super hero type members. I've yet to make any bad purchases in a long time.

Now that I have more experience I can usually decide within five to ten words if the sales person has any clue at all what I'm looking for.

What I find interesting is both the local shops with knowledgeable staff have closed down within the last two years with no real completion from the bigger stores with in 45+ miles.

Really sucks I used to truely enjoy when I got a chance to visit one of the two and always gave them my buisness even if we had to order something's I needed or wanted!

WD, we havne't heard back on how your trip went! How did the extras and the weight work for you?

Get any condensation this trip???

I'm pretty sure WD actually has just left.. we were chatting while she was packing up. So she'll probably be scarce for a while.

I understand she originally planned to leave next week for a 37-day trip, not including driving time or (I assume) breaks when resupplying. If she's still here, I suspect she's pretty busy!

I hear ya, Phat. I play dumb sometimes just to see if the person I'm talking to knows anything; sometimes they do, sometimes they don't, even at REI, which seems better than most since I often see older staff there. For a newbie, they won't know any better. I see so much stuff in there I would never buy, but someone must, otherwise it wouldn't be on the shelf. Told this story before a few years ago, but worth a retell (bear with me long-timers).

Me (putting a Voile snow shovel on the counter at the then brand new REI in Folsom): Hi there.
Clerk (very nice young girl): Hi, can I have your member number?
Me: Hmm, I usually get asked "Are you a member?" How did you know?
Clerk: Oh, you're buying a member item, non-members just buy clothes.
Me: Hmm, interesting observation.