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Gear Addiction - Support Group!

kasuncion6

Certified Ski Diva
Hello,

I'm sitting at my computer after another hard day at work. I find myself doing what I normally do on any other night = shopping for gear and window shopping for gear (even if it has no relevance to me). Just wondering how common this is and how extreme it can get. Here are a few questions for starters. Feel free to open up about your addiction here!

• How often do you peruse the online shops (regardless if you actually need anything)? Do you usually end up buying something? Do you set specific price alerts?
I tend to look around during downtimes at work, after work when I get home - usually while doing something else, like surfing the web(looking at these forums), watching tv/sports, doing laundry, etc....Lately, I have ended up buying stuff -- if there is free shipping, I am a sucker. If I see that there is a large discount (i.e. over 50%), I am also a sucker....So far I have not set any specific price alerts. If I do, I'm sure I'll go broke.

- Do your shopping sprees happen in spurts? When are you most susceptible?
Yes! Like any type of shopping I do. I tend to go on crazy rampages that last from a week to a couple months. This usually happens right before, during, and at the end of a season. I'm worried that this is because I'm bored with life and just trying to fill the void! I guess this can be said for many forms of consumption though....I ONLY go crazy on gear/sports/outdoor related clothing and equipment. My daily wardrobe is very sad. I actually hate shopping for "normal clothes" and am super cheap with them...For example, I have spent a few thousand on all ski/snowboard trips this year, however I hesitate to buy a $40.00 pair of new "everyday" pants...I am hoping to end my current spree tonight!

- What are your current "fetishes"? Have you acted?
I have recently been obsessed with POLES, merino wool socks, merino wool underwear, and ski bags.
I have acted on all of these current obsessions. Recently, I have bought a pair of Grass Sticks bamboo poles, Black Diamond adjustable Boundary poles (may return or more likely pass to boyfriend), 1 pair Smartwool medium cushion ski socks, 5 pair Smartwool "no show" socks for summer, 1 ski-boot dryer, 2 merino wool underwear, 1 Athalon single ski bag 180, and about to buy 1 Dakine Fall Line Double 190 ski bag (in anticipation for next season's trips West). All of these items except the Grass Sticks poles were at a good "discount."


Has your gear addiction gotten you in trouble (at work, with significant others, with the bank...)?
Thankfully no. But I have heard of others who have gotten in serious fights with their spouses. My boyfriend just makes fun of me. I have fallen asleep gear-shopping on the laptop. When it is super late (i.e. well past midnight) and he sees that I'm just looking at gear, he might say something like, "You should really go to sleep," in a tone one might use towards someone who has had too many drinks at the bar...

Time to check out at Sierra Trading Post,

K
 

bounceswoosh

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I get in trouble with my husband pretty regularly for buying gear. He says that he wants me to get what I want; he just wants me to ... want less stuff. He even, for some reason, objects to the two pairs of carvers I'm borrowing from @pinto ! How could that possibly get me in trouble? *koff*
 

Ringrat

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I browse a lot, but don't buy a ton. When the dollar was strong, things were rather dangerous, because I live close to the US border so can ship to there and go pick it up. Now that the exchange is terrible I don't even browse the US sites much, and there aren't many Canadian discount sites (I can think of 2). Even many of my pro-deals are US shipping, so I'm kind of cooling my heels on those.

Yes, spurts. I seem to be on one right now, actually. New ski pants for my dad on a US site turned into an additional 3 Icebreaker shirts. Then there was a backpack and mitts from a Canadian site. And some geocaching supplies, from Canada. Oh, and some hiking pants from MEC. Hmm.

Nope, no trouble. Single and all. :smile:

My gear addiction gets fueled regularly by the fact that I test backpacking gear for manufacturers. I'm currently working on a daypack and a shirt, and waiting on a knife to arrive. Just finished a jacket and some gaiters.
 

kasuncion6

Certified Ski Diva
https://www.backpacker.com/gear/19-signs-youre-addicted-to-gear/

Eventually you get tired of it, pare things down, and start loaning carvers out to people.... And most of the things I buy are not for me, anyway...

OMG, I can't believe I haven't seen that article before. My gear addiction started a handful of years ago when I got into hiking and backpacking. I found that all the other hikers I met had similar conditions. Do you think there is something about hikers/backpackers/skiers in particular that makes us gear addicts? ...I'm not aware of gear addiction in any other sports/activities....
 

bounceswoosh

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
OMG, I can't believe I haven't seen that article before. My gear addiction started a handful of years ago when I got into hiking and backpacking. I found that all the other hikers I met had similar conditions. Do you think there is something about hikers/backpackers/skiers in particular that makes us gear addicts? ...I'm not aware of gear addiction in any other sports/activities....

Climbers. Um. If I had to guess, it's the variability of the weather and conditions that leads to a constant search for the perfect gear.
 
I get grief by my guy whenever I eye ball a pair of skis or talk about my next conquest. He's a one ski man and doesn't understand but I hope is leaning to tolerate my growing need to have more than one pair of skis. I know I can have one pair of skis that can accomplish most if not all my needs but why I ask. Different skis serve different purposes and have their "specialties" so why not have multiple pairs. I always have my share of the bills and whatnot so he's better now but he still shakes his head a little bit cause he realizes its a losing battle.

I never pay full retail for skis and wait for deals so I try to make it less expensive that way. I have a wish list on the ski essentials website of all the skis I want and like and watch the prices just in case one of them drops to what I'd be willing to pay. I check this probably 2-3 times a week. I also have a few of these skis on my amazon wish list and check a few times a week. My shopping sprees tend to happen end of season or at fall ski swaps where I find a lot of deals.

Skis and such are my obsession and I don't go as nuts about other things except for my Jeep accessories. I always need something more than I do ski stuff like clothes for everyday wear but I am more likely to spend $$ on something ski related.

My thing this winter will be ski poles. Mine were stolen/walked off accidentally last season so I need new poles. This fall I will buy boring black poles and then dress them up with some wild animal print duct tape. I am also mildly obsessed with slime green smart wool ski socks. This is partially fueled by the fact that I have perpetual boot issues and it seems these socks are the only ones that work for these boots.

Also love our ski boot dryer which we always bring on the road with us on weekend trips.

I've not gotten into trouble financially per say but let's just say when I bought my skis in february and another pair of skis last month I had to do some shifting of bills around and maybe put off paying a couple things.

My guy is funny as he now realizes the key to get me to understand something he's trying to explain is to use some sort of ski analogy. This makes me chuckle.
 

pinto

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I actually find my gear issue is worse with camping stuff. Gadgets. I have been (largely) able to control it by restricting storage space in my home. When we finished our basement, I made the storage room pretty small. It contains mostly camping gear and Christmas decorations. It's full.
 

VickiK

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
How often do you peruse the online shops (regardless if you actually need anything)? Do you usually end up buying something? Do you set specific price alerts?
I used to visit the flash sale sites like The Clymb and Steep And Cheap, but no more. Good deals, but (a) I have enough stuff and (b) I'd do better to not to spend the dough, and (c) I like the return policies of sites like Sierra Trading Post and Amazon better. In general, I will shop around, read reviews, and can wait for a sale. I still visit those sites, often, more so to get info than buy. I don't set price alerts.

- Do your shopping sprees happen in spurts? When are you most susceptible?
I've been feeling down lately, and that affects my spending habits.

- What are your current "fetishes"? Have you acted?
New fetish, at least it's somewhat productive. I bought a leather conditioner for a pair of boots, and proceeded to cream up a variety of other leather goods. I'm almost tempted to use it on my skin. I had a tiny thing for Outdoor Research products for a while.

Has your gear addiction gotten you in trouble (at work, with significant others, with the bank...)?
Er, yes, True Confessions time: I do feel guilty about spending the money.
 

mustski

Angel Diva
I definitely have an addiction to shopping for ski gear - and it doesn't have to be for me. It does come in spurts, and I do have to restrict myself price wise or it would get too crazy. Like many here, I am still on the quest for the perfect jacket, so that obsession continues. I prefer to shop at the end of the season, but I have found some really great deals right after Christmas also. My biggest challenge is coming up with an excuse that will convince DH that I absolutely NEED another jacket. Last season my reason was ... I will be skiing with @contesstant in Utah and I can't be matchy-matchy with her so I NEED this red jacket. He said OK.
 

kasuncion6

Certified Ski Diva
I wanted to end my recent gear-buying binge last week, after I bought the rolling double-ski bag.... But low and behold the urge to buy new pants overcame me. My rationale was, I only have one pair of pants, as I just recently got back into snow sports. I should have at least two pairs, so I can rotate them, especially if I plan on skiing more next season. I bought my current pair of pants in a rush (lower end Burtons) - got the cheapest pair and didn't do any research. While they are good, I have noticed that they aren't very waterproof. My butt gets wet by then end of the day, especially in slushy conditions. Also, when I fall, I want to prevent snow from getting down my pants and getting snow burn from my skin touching the snow, since my base layers tend to ride up....Hence, my search for ski bib pants.

What I've just written is the very abridged version of the interior monologue that led me to dropping $300.00 on new pants yesterday. Way more than I wanted to spend, but they were 50% off! So how could I resist?

I am very proud of this purchase. I hope they fit! There should be a few more pair left on backcountry.com.

....This really has to be the end of my spending binge though....

Norrøna Lofoten Gore-Tex Pro Shell Pant



CAV.jpg
 

SkiGAP

Angel Diva
For me it is all gear (ski, bike, run, fly) and electronics. I am sort of glad to know there are others that have a similar sickness...
 

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