Saturday, September 8

Quick hide the credit card? Outdoor gear bargain time

Things seem to have gone quiet at JH Towers recently (partly reflecting the UK walking on-line world as well) Most of those big trips planned last winter/spring by now all completed, or rearranged. New ideas and quick outings suffering a little. Partly I guess the result of this summer's mediocre weather. Despite most backpackers relative distain of poor weather (as long as its warm) there's been a general malaise this year somehow inadvertantly draining a little of the passion normally needed to "just get out there".

For seem reason it all seems just a little too much effort at present. Silly I know.

Mewanhile the late August Bank Holiday has two items on my personal calandar:
No 1. Here comes the winter.
Days are shortening. The chill of early morning portends that annual increase in the falling leaves down from the ancient oak tree in my garden. Thoughts turn to central heating maintenance before the "big turn on".

But lets look at a positive as a balancing factor

No 2. Bargain time for outdoor gear!
Hurrah? Well possibly. In past few years I've been lurking in the Lake District around now, and by doing so have managed to snap up some of the end-of-season bargains as the outdoor shops offload their excess/end of range stock.

I've not timed it so well this year, and with current plans for that seemingly elusive late summer holiday still not sorted it effectively means such a trip is not likely to happen this year. So I've no idea how the end of season sales are going or what's on offer. It's pretty pointless looking at the local stockists, they didn't have a lot of backpacking/specialist gear in the first place with a couple of notable exceptions. But browsing through October's TGO magazine (Hi Darren - two mentions!) I spotted ads for both backpackinglight (Golite pack reductions) and Winwood Outdoors/Ultralight,.

Bob's BPL on-line shop needs no explanation to regular visitors of this site. The recommendation for his offerings is 101%. If you can save £5 by shopping elsewhere my suggestion is DON'T. Bob's service is beyond any mere monetary saving. Once tried, never forgotten (You can have that tag line for free Bob if you read this - lol)

Winwood is a Keswick based shop that I seem to have missed out on previous trips to that erstwhile town. They have also embraced the ultralight regime, as many of the small forward looking independent retailers are now seeming to. A good range of lightweight specialist gear names including Montane, Golite & Gossamer Gear. And some nice savings listed although I've not run any real comparative checks (except BPL v Winwood for the Golite Quest rucksack- and BPL is cheaper). And again a shop that appears to be run by people interested in what they provide.

Now perhaps I may just be able to slip a long weekend trip to the Lakes if I really think about it. Hmm.

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