Ran into an old timer at a thrift store who knew everything about canvas tents

Last Saturday I was browsing this tiny thrift shop in Bend, Oregon, digging through a pile of old camping gear. This guy in his 70s walks up and points at this beat up canvas tent I was eyeing, says 'that's a 1964 Eureka, son, built like a tank.' He spent the next 20 minutes telling me how he used that exact model for 30 years on family trips, even through a nasty hailstorm in Yellowstone. I ended up buying the tent for $12, took it home, and after patching two small holes it's been solid on three weekend trips since. Made me think how much knowledge we lose when we just buy new gear without talking to folks who've used it. Anybody else ever get a great tip from a random stranger in a weird spot?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_paul26d ago

Bet you got better service from that guy than any REI employee ever gave me.

christopherwilson26d ago

the_paul nailed it honestly. REI employees are great if you need directions to the bathroom but that old timer probably knew more about tents in his pinky finger than most of the staff at my local store. Speaking of which I once asked a teenager at an outdoor shop for help finding a rainfly and he just stared at me like I was speaking another language. In my experience you learn way more from the crusty folks who actually slept through a storm in a canvas tent than from anyone reading a script off a tablet.

joel_butler25d ago

@christopherwilson you ever notice how those old timers always have some crazy story about a tent nearly collapsing in a hailstorm? That's the real knowledge, not some corporate training video. Why would a 19 year old know anything about rainflies when they've never even camped in the rain? I bet that old guy could tell you how to patch a hole with duct tape and a twig. What's the point of having a store full of gear if the staff can't tell you which tent will actually survive a night in the wind?