[pct-l] new resource for home-made equipment (was: REI past &present)

[blisterfree at isp01.net (Brett)]

For more and more of us, the ultimate solution to the problems of
capitalism-gone-awry at the backcountry outfitters is to dispense with the
outfitters altogether. These chain stores are no different than any other:
the more their greed compels them to compete on a large scale, the more the
cutthroat business climate incites further greed; they fulfill their
manifest destiny to overpopulate themselves throughout the country, and
suddenly they must be all things to all people (read "very little to anyone
in particular") in order to turn the kind of profit that will cover their
massive overhead.

We don't need this, at least the many of us who enjoy hiking, camping and
such. We don't need to be dependent on the outdoor gear industry in order to
enjoy the wilderness safely. Instead, we can skip the end retailer and
purchase our materials a bit closer to the source, then make our own
equipment at home. And we can do so for less money, while at the same time
producing the items exactly as we want them. Sleeping bags or quilts,
outdoor clothing, stoves, tarps. Am I preaching to the choir yet?

Many on this list are likely on this path to self-sufficiency already. For
those who would like to learn more, or who are just getting started, one
option might be to read a new book I've edited: "The Ray-Way Tarp Book" by
Ray Jardine. This text explains how to easily make a 1 or 2 person "ray-way"
tarp, as well as a net-tent that clips to the tarp for use during bug
season. All of the materials needed to make these items are now available
through www.ray-way.com, and at less cost than one would find at the online
fabric outlets, for instance. And of course for much less than if buying the
equivalent commercial items from GoLite.

The book also explains, in detail, how to use these items to best advantage
in the wilderness, in various seasons, locales, and types of weather. In
essence, it's a greatly expanded version of the tarp-related discussion in
Beyond Backpacking.

We don't anticipate that REI will be carrying this cottage-industry book any
time soon, so if interested then see the above website or www.rayjardine.com
for details.

- blisterfree