Franklin Search & Rescue: What Are Your Favorite Outdoor, Gear, Rescue Web sites?

4/17/2011

What Are Your Favorite Outdoor, Gear, Rescue Web sites?

I asked FSAR members to send me their favorite outdoor, camping, hiking, rescue, and gear web sites. Here is the first batch; I’ll add more as I get them. -Mit

Jim:

Since I subscribed in early October, backpackinglight.com has been my site of choice.

Almost all product reviews have been thorough, and the forums add to that. Other articles have also been worthwhile. For example, there was a recent one by Mike Clelland on food for an extended trip that I found most interesting and have flagged it for quick referral when the time comes. They have irritated some of their crowd by going away from hyper-super-ultra light, but that is good for me; however, the hard-core people are also worth hearing from. The range of things considered is impressive.

For gear, I have for years used REI (I’ve been a member for 25 years). They have a wide range of items although many of the specialty brands cited in BPL, for example, are not carried. They also have useful product information and comparison charts are easy to put together. I look at Bean’s only when I have a very specific item that I am uneasy about: might I dislike it enough to want the easiest of returns? For example, I am soon going to buy a new sleeping pad quite likely a light-weight Thermarest, which is unlikely to be discounted AND which may have problems with leaks, so I’ll probably buy from Bean’s.

I will add that for gear, especially when getting items not carried by the big stores that will give refunds (Bean’s, REI, EMS), it is somewhat dicey because it is hard even to view the products in New England. My GoLite packs and coat fit into that group. The new tent I bought over the winter was easier because the friend I have gone on overnighters within the past year has one so I knew what I was getting. (I can’t wait to use it!) Other items are much less sure and often they cannot be returned if the labels are off or they appear any less than As New.