Heard a guy at the REI return counter say he swaps his tent every 3 years and it made me wonder if I'm holding onto gear too long

My Kelty tent is going on 8 years now with a few patch jobs and a bent pole I straightened with a clamp, so am I being cheap by keeping it or do other people actually replace stuff on a strict schedule?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_tara14d ago

Think about the environmental cost of swapping a tent every three years versus patching one up for eight. That old Kelty kept a pile of synthetic fabric and zippers out of a landfill, while Mr. REI is probably on his third replacement already. You're not cheap, you're just not feeding the consumer machine.

maxhart15d ago

I swap my tent every 3 years" sounds like someone who has too much money or likes buying gear more than using it. That tent of yours with the bent pole is fine. I had an old Eureka that lasted 12 years before the zippers finally gave out. Three years is way too fast unless you're camping every weekend in rough weather. A few patches and a bent pole that you fixed means you know your tent and it's broken in. If the floor isn't leaking and the poles aren't cracking, you're not being cheap. You're being smart. The REI guy is the sucker in this story.