EMS specials

jlubas

jlubas

Joined
Jan 22, 2008
Messages
301
Hey guess I'm a Forestry student up at Paul Smith's college in the middle of the high peaks region of the Adirondacks. Last week we were in the middle of a Lab discussing recreational uses of the forest and my professor said something I had never heard before. She was talking about EMS specials, the people who go to EMS or REI and spend a fortune to deck themselves out in the most high tech gear their money can buy and feeling invincible. Then after a 36 hour search end up getting pulled of the mountain a terrified soaking wet popsicle.

I had never heard the term before but i thought it was clever and got a good laugh out of it so i figured i would share.
 
Not related but congrats on your choice of study and the school you've chosen.
My cousin, from Clayton, NY, received her degree in forestry from Paul Smith. :thumbup: She's now married and living in NJ.
 
Your instructor has made an astute observation. All of the most expensive equipment in the world wont save your ass if you lack the basic knowledge of how to use it. I too have seen far too many examples of the gear junkie syndrome, and of the ultralight guru's who wind up seriously endangered or dead due to lack of knowledge and too much reliance on equipment alone.
 
Not to beat a horse long dead, but that's one of the many reasons I use an Ozark Trails knife instead of a higher priced knife. My 10.00 knife makes me feel humble and vulnerable as opposed to invincible.:D

Seriously, your professor had a great insight. She also coined a great term, "terrified soaking wet popsicle." I think that's right up there with "sheeple."

It is not the gear. Its the preparation, the skills and experience that gets you through. Mankind lived in the wilderness for far longer that mankind farmed or lived in cities. The wilderness provided everything mankind needed to live. People were never lost, just off in a new area.

Good luck with your studies. I envy you.
 
I may be taking forestry next year, I am looking into it. What direction are you planning on going in?
 
Hey Liam I started out as an Industrial Forest Operations major. After learning more about this though I didnt think the logging industry was really what I wanted to do. Some people love pacing timbers but i was looking for something that valued the trees more for their contributions while still standing. As a result I am majoring in Vegetation Mgt which is the bachelor degree for Arboriculture. With a lot of work into surveying and GIS. I want to start my own Tree care service back in Jersey.

My biggest advice to you is if you are working in any field of forestry dont graduate with out taking a few courses or getting certified in GIS... it will make you ten times more employable.
 
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Having worked at EMS for a number of years throughout college and grad school, I can say this observation is 100% accurate. I can recount one lady come into the store to buy a Thule rack for the simple fact, and I quote, "it looks nice" on cars. Another bought a pair of vertical ice climbing crampons for shoveling her driveway. One guy, coined "Mt. Marcy" by the staff always told the same story of spending new years on Mt. Marcy in NY everytime he came in.

Then again, I met some great folks through that store and learned my way in and out of a lot of products. I learned to ice climb and winter hike in extreme cold and was able to impart some common sense knowledge on the customers. Sometimes, I wish I could go back and get the great discounts too.
 
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