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[pct-l] Trail Gear



Ah, the memories of being a young boy just green with the interest of getting 
out, independent, into the mountains to camp and hike and fish and explore.  
Where do you go to outfit?  Well, the old Army Surplus store, that's where!

I still enjoy going through a good Army Surplus store as much as REI.  I 
don't buy much in either, but the wide spectrum of items, materials, doo-dads, 
straps, stuff sacks, shoes, tents, etc. still gets me to thinking,  "What do I 
really need?"  "What can I make out of this stuff?" or "That's simple, I could 
make that myself!"

I can still remember my first shopping experience at a cool Army Surplus in 
San Pedro.  I bought a tube tent (that was an early tarp system made out of 
plastic that weighed about 5 lbs.! light for a tent in those days!) some wool 
hiking socks, and checked out the latest Kelty external frame backpack that I 
couldn't afford.  After my first true backpacking trip in the Sierras I came back 
and bought my first down sleeping bag, moving up from a cotton one that 
weighed way too much and didn't cut it on a cold night. 

When REI came along, about the time that Backpacker magazine came along, 
suddenly the amount of, and quality of, selection went way up.  

I always thought that when I had more money that I would come back and buy 
more of the cool stuff from REI or any of the other stores / catalogues (like 
A16, Eastern Mountain Sports, etc.).  Funny, my selection of what is "cool" 
changed so radically that now they don't carry much of what I want.   I really 
think that it is us that has changed, not the stores, so much.

I still love finding an old Army Surplus or recently I found an old Marine 
Hardware and Surplus.  It's almost as good as finding an old book store in a 
mountain resort.

Greg "Strider" Hummel