We’ve been saying it for the last three years, but my fiancé Hal and I swear 2013 will be the year we actually invest in our own gear. Each summer about this time we find ourselves making promises to take our own trip instead of just hanging out with friends while they camp. We’re really going to purchase those stand-up paddleboards instead of renting them again this year. We’re actually going to buy some bikes that fit us properly. That is until we see the price tags.
Tents
Between realizing we could spend the equivalent of what it would cost to buy a new car on gear and the difficulty of knowing where to begin shopping, we usually agree it can wait. But now that we’re getting married and people are supposedly willing to buy this stuff for us as wedding gifts, there’s no excuse for putting it off anymore.
I set out across Chattanooga with a notebook and camera to find out the pros and cons of buying at a specialty store versus the big box retailer and what we, beginners and casual users, need when it comes to camping gear, boats and bikes.
If you’re like me and your idea of a good camping trip means sleeping in a somewhat roomy tent, roasting hot dogs on the campfire and walking to the nearby campsite restrooms when nature calls, then you fall into the “party” camping category.