Met a guy at a REI parking lot who pulled out a $15 Coleman stove from 1978

He fired it up right there on the pavement, told me he cooks full meals with it every season, and said I was wasting money on those fancy $200 backpacking stoves. Has anyone else run into these old gear veterans who make you question your whole kit?

3 comments

3 Comments

elliot_johnson3119d ago

That Coleman from '78 will probably outlast my entire 3-season kit combined, it's basically a cast-iron tank with a burner on top. Honestly though, I'd still take my $200 stove just so I can feel fancy while failing to boil water in the wind, at least I'll look the part. These old gear guys always make me wonder if I'm just buying fancy labels instead of actually useful stuff, you know? The REI parking lot is basically a church for gear shaming and I'm just there to learn my place.

-1

emmawood18d ago

The REI parking lot should honestly have its own podcast.

mary_martin2219d ago

How is a 47 year old stove still kicking ass while my expensive new one can't boil water in a light breeze? That Coleman from '78 sounds like it could survive the apocalypse and still cook you a steak. I've got a buddy who still uses his dad's old green Coleman from the 80s and it works better than any of the junk I bought last season. Makes you wonder if we're all just paying extra for the privilege of looking like we know what we're doing. REI parking lot is definitely a judgment zone though, I feel that.