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Posted by Tom D on December 10, 2007 at 12:27:59 pm EST
In reply to OUTdoors IN style? posted by cknipple on December 7, 2007 at 9:49:10 am EST

Haze, I think you have the economics wrong-scale makes products affordable, not the other way around. A manufacturer who can spread the cost of designing, developing and marketing a tent, jacket or stove over many units can sell it for less than if it can only sell a few. This is why computers are now sold like toasters-they are just an appliance. How much do you think an IPod would cost if Apple only sold a few of them? The first cel phone I ever saw cost $2200. Now they give them away for free.

As far as Rexim's comment-he is right. My sleeping bag is about 20 years old. Granted, I haven't used it all that much, but the point is, they haven't changed all that much, except for outer materials like DryLoft. Mine works just fine. I have several stoves that are also about 20 years old-they also work just about as well as a newer version.

The more gear that is sold, the more gear that appears on websites like Sierra Trading Post, which sells overstock,last year's models, and items that just didn't sell well at retail. They sell mostly clothes. I see deals on new gear online all the time and lots of used gear on eBay and Craigslist. This includes clothes. I have bought two down parkas in the past couple of years. I didn't pay retail for either one. Both are TNF-one I got at a North Face outlet store at a substantial discount and the other I bought off eBay for just over half price. I have also gotten deals on snowshoes, insulated pants, stoves, a compass, a tent, a pack, ski bindings, ski boots and other miscellaneous stuff by spending time online. I rarely pay retail. You'd be surprised how many people buy stuff, use it a time or two, then decide either they don't like the item or don't like the hobby or sport.

The deals are out there, you just have to look for them. For example, spring is the best time to buy new winter gear, when the stores want to move their stock, but fall and early winter is the best time to find last year's winter gear on eBay because that's when the would-be skiers and snowboarders are selling off their lightly used skis, snowboards and winter clothes.

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