EMS, was [pct-l] ice axe length

[mardav@xxxxxxxxxxx (Marion Davison)]

In contrast, the only place to buy lightweight hiking boots and athletic shoes
in Victorville in 1996 was Big 5 Sporting Goods (famous for their lowball goods,
like Coghlan, Texsport and Stansport).  I was in Big 5 trying to buy lightweight
hikers for a 300 mile hike.  I had tried on lots of Hi-Tecs and Yukons but they
were all too narrow.  The 20 year old male salesperson trying to fit me asked
what I was going to do with the shoes.  He said, If you are going to hike 300
miles, you don't want boots, you want running shoes!  He fit me in a pair of
Asics, which saw me through the trip just fine.  Since then I have worn only NBs
on the trail.  I was amazed to hear that statement at Big 5, so you just never
know.
llamalady

Robin Morath wrote:

> While I agree that retail staff sometimes don't know much about the products
> they are selling, I wouldn't generalize that to all EMS stores or employees.
> As a part-time EMS employee and a 2002 AT thru-hiker, it's exciting to talk
> to customers who are really interested in the details about the gear, but
> those customers are not nearly as prevalent (in my area) as the ones whoey
> just want a cool fleece jacket or a daypack.  I do find it heartening that
> EMS is beginning to carry more of the lightweight gear such as the Gregory G
> pack or silnylon stuff sacks.  There's more in the store now that I would
> take on a thru-hike than there was when I was buying gear last year.  :-)
> OTOH, I was in EMS in Boston after my hike looking at a new pair of Merrell
> Chameleon Ventilators (the shoe I hiked from PA to ME in) and the
> salesperson tried to tell me that the shoe wasn't sturdy enough for anything
> more than dayhiking.  Oh well.
>
> -Robin
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Brad Wilson" <BWIL5272@postoffice.uri.edu>
> To: "Gary Wright" <at2002@earthlink.net>
> Cc: <PCT-L@mailman.backcountry.net>
> Sent: Sunday, February 16, 2003 11:44 PM
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] ice axe length
>
> > Yeah I guess you're right, but I've had so many bad experiences with
> them...
> > In fact some of my friends and I make a game of it. We basically go in and
> > ask them simple questions - all stuff right in the catalogs, and see what
> > they answer. There's no point system (yet) but we see who can get the
> sales
> > person to make the most outrageous claims about gear.  The claim that the
> G
> > pack can handle up to 60 lbs would have been hard to beat!
> >
> > Maybe we have too much time on our hands... But it keeps us out of
> trouble.
> >
> > -Brad
> >
> >
> > On 2/16/03 8:11 PM, "Gary Wright" <at2002@earthlink.net> wrote:
> >
> > >
> > > On Sunday, February 16, 2003, at 11:05  AM, Brad Wilson wrote:
> > >> I'm from RI - there's not a whole lot in our area in regards to
> > >> classes. I
> > >> would look into classes offered in the Whites (or even Berkshires) by
> > >> the
> > >> AMC. I've never taken a class with the EMS school, but after some of
> > >> the
> > >> lies and BS I've been fed by their sales staff, I would not go to them
> > >> for
> > >> advice or instruction.
> > >
> > > To be fair I don't think that the staff at the climbing school has
> > > much if anything to do with the staff at their retail stores. In fact
> > > other than outfitters on the AT, I pretty much ignore the advice of
> > > clerks at retail outfitters--unless they happen to be ex thru-hikers!
> > >
> > > For example, I stopped by a store the other day to see the new Gregory
> > > G pack.  I asked the clerk what the recommended max weight was for the
> > > pack and he said "oh, maybe 60 lbs.".  Hah!
> > >
> >
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