Do you have different recomendations?

Shotgun

Shotgun

Joined
Feb 3, 2006
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Do you recomend things to certain people, as far as outdoor gear goes, then you do for others? I know what I would take and what I find essential to me and that's what I used to recomend from my experience. In fact these things I consider a no brainer but I've recently started thinking that when I recomend things...it's not so great for novices. Doug Ritter made a comment that put me on this thought process. In his 10 essentials he doesn't list a compass and he got a lot of flack for that. His response was something like "Yes it's essential for me but I can't recomend it to a newbie. The reason? It's dead weight to them because they don't know how to use it." Obviously the best thing is to recomend knowing how to use it but how many will actually take the time? Is there any gear recomendations you would recomend a newbie take that you wouldn't recomend to a more skilled person or something you wouldn't necessarily recomend a newbie to take because it's useless or even dangerous for them?

To get it started I'll say I don't recomend a hatchet/hawk to anyone. Even though it's probably my essential tool above all others. If someone asks what a good one is or what features are good I'll tell them. But I'll never recomend carrying one. They're too dangerous for someone who isn't into learning how to use it properly or who won't take the time to do so.
 
Shotgun said:
They're too dangerous for someone who isn't into learning how to use it properly or who won't take the time to do so.
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For these people I recommend a good tent and sleeping bag, SAK, pull through sharpener and a REI type store.
As much as I want their face to light up when I show them my knives and gear it just won't happen, so I steer them towards backpacker type stuff.

Their idea of out-door activities is very different from ours.
 
I recommend different things to different people on a regular basis. Not just knives, either.
 
Shotgun, I have a good friend of mine who had grown up in the city who ask me how he could get started to learn about the outdoors. He had never been camping or any type of overnight activity. I suggested both our families take a week-end camping trip together, & just see if he really enjoyed it before spending a ton of $$$$ on equipment. When we met on Friday, I told him I had all the individual equipment they would need, along with common stove, lanterns, lights, etc. He then ask me if I had sheets & pillow cases or was he supposed to bring them. I ask him what he needed those for, & he said to put on the mattresses on the beds. When I told him we would be tent camping with pads/mattresses/cots & sleeping bags, he said maybe they should pass this time, but let them know next time when we go to a hotel/motel campground. Maybe Mr. Ritter is right, base the equipment on the individual's experience in the outdoors, and offer suggestions & options, not conclusions. I think you have the right idea about suggestions & how to offer help with equipment.
Should have seen my brother-in-law's face the first time I took a 9-volt battery and steel wool and started our campfire. . . when I took PJCB and an ESEE firesteel & started our fire two weeks later on another campout, he started calling me Mr. Wizard . . . :D
Be safe.
 
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often people with fewer skills want more gear to make up for that lack of skill.

those with extensive skills can often do absolutely anything with almost nothing, and they KNOW the things they need or don't need.

anytime i make a recommendation i try to make sure that it's understood that X has worked for ME (or sometimes someone else), check it out, it may work for you, or it might not.

on some things i can say that most, or many people like *whatever*, but even if 90% like it, it might not be for everyone.
 
city folk.....country folk
ultra light backpacker......bushcrafter

yeah different needs, for different uses, somebody that's just going car camping for one night doesn't need all the gear to make it back safe.......skills go a long way, hell even I've packed a 50 pound pack when I should have been packing a 35....It's like when your wife asks you what's the difference between a butter knife and your knife, they both cut things!!!!!
 
I definitely tailor my recommendations for the audience. Everybody here knows there is a huge difference between entry level and top of the line gear. Based on their experience levels, I'll tell people to hit Walmart or to check out cottage makers. This applies for everything from knives to backpacks to stoves.

I'd wager most people here are familiar with alcohol stoves, but that is a huge jump up in gear and confidence from a Coleman propane burner.

I'm interested in what people would recommend to all people, regardless of experience levels? Dogfish Head maybe...
 
If I have to recommend something "dry" I try to give advice on the most versatile and general purpose stuff I can.

I prefer to have them come to one of our periodic church camping trips. They are loaned gear for the first few trips. We show them what we do, and how we do it, and let them use various tools and gear, and they start to form their own ideas of what works for them.
 
Cpl Punishment said:
If I have to recommend something "dry" I try to give advice on the most versatile and general purpose stuff I can.

I prefer to have them come to one of our periodic church camping trips. They are loaned gear for the first few trips. We show them what we do, and how we do it, and let them use various tools and gear, and they start to form their own ideas of what works for them.
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That's a great program to get people outdoors. Too bad it has the whole...praying thing. :p
 
Cpl Punishment said:
If I have to recommend something "dry" I try to give advice on the most versatile and general purpose stuff I can.

I prefer to have them come to one of our periodic church camping trips. They are loaned gear for the first few trips. We show them what we do, and how we do it, and let them use various tools and gear, and they start to form their own ideas of what works for them.
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That is a good idea. The local college has an outdoor shop that has backpacking trips available. I always refer those who are interested to take one of their three day backpacking trips. They can rent the equipment there as well. From there they can decide if the outdoors is for them.

If they are still interested after the backpacking trip I ask them what type of camper or backpacker they want to be. Ultra light, car camper, weekend camper, extended day camping/backpacking, etc... I also refer them to REI unless they are interested items REI does not carry.
 
Definitely have to tailor to the individual. I have friends of mine who want to go camping. They tell me they "will only go to a campground with cabins". I've only gone "camping" with them once.

Other friends would be willing to go "camping" with a big knife and a fishing pole, literally. I'm somewhere inbetween. Ive gone bare bones camping aka wilderness survival, but I prefer a tent and a sleeping bag.
 
Almost everyone I've told about my camping-out while working out of town has followed up with something similar to: cool get that 5th wheel out there and enjoy the good life.

I just let it go with a...Yeah; something like that:D.

It seems unclear now where the assumptions would cease. Every 10 essentials list I've ever seen include map and compass. If you say extra clothing is it safe to assume the seeker will know what extra is needed?

Now that I've considered it more closely; should any friends/ acquaintances ask me for recommendations my first question will now be: Are you going to be coming with me?:eek:
 
My recommendations absolutely depend on who I'm talking to. I try to find out their experience level, their intentions, and their preferences. I haven't always done it this way, but as I grew up I realized that everyone has their own way of enjoying the outdoors, and it very well may be quite different from the way I do it. Everyone that I meet is welcome to join me for a night in the woods, but all save a select few have politely refused when they found out that I frequently don't use an enclosed tent.

Just as an example, I used to look with disdain upon anyone that had a cheap gas station knife, or a dull knife. I would always recommend good quality knives, frequently with a non stainless steel. Then I realized that even a Mora is way overkill for most of the people that I interacted with. So then I started asking what they usually use a knife for, optimum price range, features they are looking for, and so on. For most of these people, a Victorinox or Spyderco Byrd is outside of what they are willing to pay for a knife, so if all they use a knife for is opening paint cans and stripping wires, sometimes I will suggest a cheap mystery stainless gas station knife. If I have the opportunity, I will give it a sharpening for them so they know what sharp is, and wish them luck.
 
Most recommendations I make to people, are based on the lowest common denominator. The Newb. Guys I work with, and see through out my usual, daily activities, are more inclined to ask me for recommendations, than, say, my bush buddies. Most of the guys I hit the woods with, are very, very experienced at it, and know what they got, and how to use it. Now, they may see a new piece of gear or a new technique I'm working on, and show interest, but generally we don't ask one another for recommendations. I figure its the same with others, as, I generally won't ask for a recommendation, unless I am a total newb at what I am inquiring about.

My recommendations for newbs, generally take them to a large retail store for gear. Nothing expensive, or intricate, just the basics. Shelter (tent), Fire (bic lighter/coleman stove), water (water pure tabs), and food (Clif Bars/dry pack). If they like it, and want more, we start there.

Its fun to recommend to people what you think they need, but the sad part is, we don't know what other people need. Its like recommending a knife to someone, my first question is "How much you wanna spend?" I find this to be the most important decision maker when someone is wanting a recommendation for a knife. "Well, what will $40 get me?" Ok, now I have somewhere to start. I'm not the kind of guy that says "Well, you gotta spend $125 to get a GOOD knife", what I like is simple and inexpensive, I take the same route with people I recommend to.

Moose
 
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