Old School

A Shakespeare Triumph 1958 Reel

When I was adventure racing, weight was everything.

You bought the lightest mountain bike you could afford, the lightest canoe and the lightest pack.

Everything was about weight. 

Food?  The most calories for the lightest weight.

Use the heavy race-provided paddle or carry your own break-down paddle?

Shoes?  The lightest shoes that drained the fastest when they got wet (and this was the right side of the country, so feet were ALWAYS getting wet).

Trying to figure out how much (or how little water you could get away with carrying until the next fill up opportunity, 'cause water is heavy).

The smallest trowel that would meet pre-race gear inspection.

100 weight or 200 weight fleece? 

Carry a rain jacket or will the weather hold up until the next Transition Area, where you could restock and change out for the next section of the race?

3 inch folding knife or 2 inch folding knife?

How much food will we need until the next TA? 

We screwed the pooch on that one a couple of times, by carrying too little.

Every decision about what to carry had to take into account the weather, the time of year, the race conditions through each section, whether it was a day or night section of the race, mandatory gear that had to be carried at all times, specific gear required for each section of the race, what you could hold off carrying until the next TA, how fast or slow you wanted to travel. 

Ultimately it all came down to weight.

Heavy gear, heavy packs, heavy bodies all slowed you down.

Now that my racing days are over I don't think of weight in quite the same way.

On a personal level I still pack carefully. 

I still have tons of gear from my racing days.  It's not the latest and greatest gear anymore, but it's still high tech and still lightweight and still serves me well.

And I know my gear. 

I treated it respectfully when training back then (but generally treated it awfully during races) and it all held up.

So me and my gear are like old, familiar friends.

We've been through a lot together.

Over the past few months (and without really trying), our store has managed to accumulate some interesting, way cool, totally old school gear.

Some of it is interesting.  Some of it is unique.  Some of it is heavy.  Some of it is just as functional and efficient as uber, ridiculously high dollar, new gear.

When we first opened OAR we imagined that it would contain only "new skool", high tech, breathable, wicking, synthetic stuff.

But when you open a consignment store you have no idea what will come into the store.

OAR is not the same deal as retail outdoor stores such as Sierra Trading Post (which receives regular and predictable shipments of gear sent to it by its distributors).

We find what we find, and what walks in the door is what we share with the community.

If you look this stuff up on-line (and we have) you'll see buzz words like vintage and antique.

I guess it IS vintage stuff.

But when we look at this stuff we see Made in America, great gear in great shape even though it has been used for many years, the history of outdoor gear development, the military service of previous owners.

We love the newest, latest and greatest gear.

But we also LOVE our old school stuff.

It's awesome, sometimes heavy, and always totally bomb proof gear!

Outdoor Life Complete Book of Fresh Water Fishing / Complete Book of Hunting

A pair of vintage GALIBIER RICHARD PONTVERT hiking mountaineer boots. They were made in France, likely from the 1970's, in great shape for their age, weigh a ton and are virtually indestructible. The sole looks brand new and is screwed to the upper (not glued like the newer, lighter, high tec boots).

Carman Super Gator lined gaiters.

Based on the little we could find on-line, and the background of the man who brought these in, we believe these are 1960's military ski poles.

A Sunshine Of The Night Model 2420 Coleman Lantern

These are an awesome pair of boots!  They look brand new but are actually Adidas Thunderstorm boots from the 80's.  They include attached gaiters.

A Kelty external frame pack and a 60's military cot. 

THREE REMINDERS

1.  Check out our Facebook page.  We post up gear info and pictures almost daily.

2.  Hunter Gear Swap is scheduled for Saturday June 29 (10am-2pm) in the parking lot outside the store.

More info on the gear swap can be found in the Special Events section of this blog.

3.  The 25% discount for former, retired and currently serving military and law enforcement ends May 31.

Hunters Gear Swap - Saturday June 29

When we first opened OAR, we wanted to get some sense as to which promotional efforts that we were using were most effective in reaching our target markets.

  I used to ask people who walked in the door, how they had heard about the store.

Their answers for the first few months ran the gamut - the radio, a flier, an ad or an article in the newspaper, area on-line classifieds, regional on-line classifieds, somebody told me about you - everyone seemed to be hearing about us in a different way and no one method seemed to be more effective than any other.

It told us to just keep doing what we were doing, because the word was starting to get out.

Now (almost six months later) we are still using many of the same marketing strategies, but when I ask people how they heard about us, the answer I am receiving the most is "Somebody told me about this place so I thought I'd check it out".

Word of mouth is beginning to work, and for that we are both extremely excited and extremely gratified.

The flier above is for a Hunters Gear Swap that OAR is pulling together for the end of June.

We set up a poll on the local "guy" on-line classifieds site "Guy's Gear" asking for input on the best date that did not conflict with either other local events or hunting opening days, and Saturday June 29 was what we came up with.

There is no fee to set up.

We are looking for local non-profits interested in setting up a food vending situation.  No fee to set up and it is a great way for a local organization to raise funds. 

Give us a call if interested.

Because music always makes an event more fun, we're also looking for someone to set up some speakers and play some cd's.  No pay offered for someone to do this, but we'll buy you lunch!

Mark your calendar. 

And if you want to buy / sell/ trade / swap start digging through your stuff and pulling it all together.

We still have this Avenir Discovery bike trailer for sale.

Structurally it is sound in every way, but the blue and yellow canvas is very faded from the Wyoming sun.

A great little bike trailer at a very good price.

Other great items we have at the store right now:

Jetrak Roof Rack (48" - 75kg capacity)

Blue and white granite camp cookware.  All in great condition but with no makers marks.

 

North Face Back Magic large volume external frame pack.

This thing is a beast ,but would serve you well if you're heading to the back country for a few days.

It is in perfect condition aside from one thing - the magic marker crossed-out name and phone number of the previous owner on an outside pocket. 

Comes with pack cover to keep your pack dry in rain or snow conditions.

 Shakespeare Triumph 1958 Reel

Orvis fishing vest, camo tactical vest, Columbia cotton multi-pocket fishing vest, and name brand down vests.

It's well worn but this book on knives is an interesting read.

Southfork Fire Department Open House

Info on the upcoming Open House at the Southfork Fire Hall.

OAR has provided donations in the past to both the Beast Feast and Polestar Annual Fundraiser, and we are pleased to also donate to the Southfork Fire Department.

We will be closing the store at 3:30pm next Saturday May 18 so that we can attend the open house, and network with all of the local folks who attend this annual event.

Hope to see you in the Southfork!

A Mountain Of Gear

We have been VERY busy at OAR this past week.

Over the weekend we picked up a huge amount of primarily hunting gear.

When I dumped it all in a pile on the floor beside the counter we had a mountain of gear three feet high, and all I could think was "Awesome!!  Now where the heck am I going to put it all?"

It took three days, tons of cleaning and researching and labelling and fixture installing but.....we got it all done, and now we have some totally cool stuff to offer the local outdoor adventure community.

Holsters, saddle bags, duffel bags, back packs, hunting books, ammo pouches, rifle cases, more camo hunting jackets and vests. 

Lots more.

At the top of the post is a Bianchi, western rig belt and holster for single action 45 cal, 34 inch waist. A link to a site that has many good pictures of the same belt:

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/7099328/FS_Bianchi_1890H_SASS_gunbelt

Mountainsmith Cross Country II internal frame multi-day pack for sale. This awesome pack is brand new, still with tags, and comes with detachable day pack.

Vintage military ski poles (we believe they're from the 60's).

We have a number of strong and sturdy canvas duffel bags in sizes ranging from small to large.

There are both Cabelas and Dunns brands, and they are all clean and in excellent condition.

One of my favorite people brought this beautiful jacket in for consignment a week or so ago.

A Tri Mountain Mens XL jacket. Large external side zippered pockets and one external zip chest pocket, lined, multiple ventilation points.

An awesome jacket for a big guy.

OK........these pictures have absolutely nothing to do with the store but we think they're awesome pictures anyway.

Last weekend our sweet old pup Jamie was sitting and looking out through the screen door at the front of the house.

When she started to growl I thought that she had seen a bunny or a cat (both of which we have in abundance in the area, and James would happily rip them to shreds if she had the chance).

Instead, when I looked outside I saw these guys grazing on our neighbor's front lawn.

The other picture is an old wagon we have at the edge of our driveway.

I love that thing.

A S&W ammo belt, 30 cal, 34 inch waist, and a Broadus Boot and Tack , Tracy Fruit Maker ammo belt, 45-70 cal, 34-36 inch waist.

Two pairs of Simms boots.

One has a felt sole.  The other has a leather sole that is screwed to the upper.

They are both in excellent shape and are very high quality.

Just a reminder that ex, retired and currently serving military and law enforcement receive 25% off all of their OAR purchases throughout the month of May.

Our very small way of saying thank you for your service.

A beautiful table for sale, made of reclaimed wood that was salvaged locally, antlers, rope and new Plexiglas.

It is a lovely piece that we have used at the store to display some of the natural decorative items we have in one dedicated space in the store, but we would love to find it a new home.

Honoring Our Heroes

OAR HONORS OUR HEROES

National Police Week (May 12-May 18)

Peace Officers Memorial Day (May 15)

Armed Forces Day (May 18)

Memorial Day (May 27)

We have family members who have served both in law enforcement and in the military.

We honor their service, and honor the service of ALL who keep us safe and free.

Throughout May current, ex and retired military and LEO's will receive 25% off all their purchases at OAR.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE

It's been a busy past week at the store in terms of folks consigning their gear with us.
Thank you to all those who have remembered OAR as they were doing their spring cleaning and clearing out their closets and garages.
We appreciate our consignors SO much!
A quick look at just some of the great gear that has come in recently:.

Hank Roberts stove and a Bianchi camo day pack.

Sunrise gun case scabbard and Trout and Goose fishing soft case

We've got three bows at the store right now - 2 Brownings and a Bear.

An Orvis fishing vest.

Tasco 4 x 32 scope (it's got a few scratches and is functional but has been well used) and an awesome leather belt

OAR Closed Saturday April 27



This picture was taken in Juneau Alaska on April 23, 2010.  Exactly three years ago today.

OAR WILL BE CLOSED THIS SATURDAY APRIL 27.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but we have to make a quick trip out of town.

Space Blankets

I was an adventure racer for many years and raced all over the eastern side of the country.

There were always many obstacles we faced and had to overcome during every race. 

Some of them were anticipated, but the nature of AR meant that many challenges we faced were completely unexpected.

Every racer I ever knew was a compulsive planner, a compulsive trainer and (the week of the race) a compulsive weather watcher.

 Sometimes the forecast held, but many times it didn't.

In April of 2006 I was doing a race in the Smoky Mountains.

The race was scheduled to begin at 10pm and even during that day leading up to the race start, the forecast had promised temperatures in the 40's.

The race began with a road ride to the canoe put-in, and by the time we hit the water it was windy with freezing rain.

An hour into the paddle one of my team-mates made the observation that he hoped we didn't capsize, because we would all be in big trouble.

The water was very choppy, it was windy and the freezing rain continued, but even in those conditions I thought that my team-mate was overstating his case.

Within a few hours I learned to have the same concern that he had.

Throughout the night (as we continued to pick up checkpoints on the water) the weather continued to deteriorate, and by the time we made it back to the race start at 6am the next morning we were all hypothermic.

A couple of hours later we had warmed up, rested, consumed hot food and drink, and had changed into dry and warm clothes.

Clicking into already frozen pedals on our bikes, we headed on gravel roads up into the mountains.

Freezing rain turned to light snow turned to heavy snow, as we continued to climb through the morning and into the afternoon.

I was still using brake pads on my bike at that time (as opposed to the disc brakes I eventually upgraded to) and the combination of snow, mud, ice and gravel had eaten away at them over the rough hours of climbing in horrendous conditions.  I had front brakes but no back brakes.  One of my team-mates had back brakes but no front.  My other team-mate had no brakes at all.

We were looking for a checkpoint using very old and outdated topo maps, and began to realize that we had likely missed it and blown right by it in the snow.

Eventually we came to a steep downhill, and I had to concentrate very hard to keep my bike upright with failing brakes.

I got down to the bottom of the hill, realized that I had used up the last of my braking ability, and slid into the snow covered road before being able to put my feet down to stop.

I turned to look at my team-mates (who I had skidded right by) and said "that's it - my brakes are totally gone", and then I looked around me to see where we were.

Heavy snow was blowing in sideways and the world was entirely and absolutely white.

The road wasn't on the map.  We had obviously blown by the checkpoint.  There was no form of shelter anywhere around us.  Our brakes had failed or were failing.  We were in windy and total white out conditions in the mountains.

Reluctantly we broke open our emergency radios.  Our race was done.

While we waited for race volunteers to come pick us up, we reached into our packs and dug out our space blankets.

A space blanket was always part of the mandatory gear racers had to carry with them throughout every race, and I was carrying the cheapest one I could find.

It was cheap.  It was lightweight.  It was compact.  I had no idea whether or not it was actually a useful item.  All I knew was that race rules required a space blanket, and the cheap one from Wal-mart was accepted by those inspecting my gear. 

I never actually thought that such a cheap piece of tinfoil would work.

Fighting against the strong winds in the mountains, I broke open the blanket package and wrapped it around me.  My team-mates did the same thing.

We had to wait for quite a while before race volunteers showed up, and that stupid piece of "tinfoil" we were all carrying, saved our bacon.

It was the first time I had ever used a space blanket, and on that day I became a believer.

Over the years I have used space blankets during races more times than I could count, in many cold and wet races, and for its weight it is one of those pieces of gear that I do not ever leave home without.

Here in Cody Wyoming the weather last week was sunny with temperatures around 60 degrees.  For the last couple of days we have had snow, cold and wind.  By the end of this week it is supposed to be warm and sunny again.

There are compelling reasons why everybody who heads out into the hills or mountains around this area should carry a space blanket with them:

1.  The mountains (to quote that great movie) "makes its own weather".   No matter what time of year it is, and no matter how warm and sunny it is when you head out, the weather can change on a dime and unexpectedly become very cold with yes.......even snow in summer.

2.  You never know what you will run into in the mountains - a river you fall into, an injury that unexpectedly keeps you up in the mountains overnight, misjudging how far you travel on a day hike which causes you to get off trail after the sun goes down, getting hopelessly lost for a couple of days before rescue arrives.  You just never know.

Sometimes the distance between "Life is good.  Who's got the next joke?" and a potentially catastrophic emergency in the mountains can be very short., and with space blankets being so compact, lightweight and cheap, there is just no good reason not to carry one with you at all times.

I begrudgingly carried one every race until that first time I needed one. 

Now I would never think of heading out in the wilds without one.

A Youtube video on different uses for a blanket:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOAD5nr4IgM

A couple of REI space blanket options:

http://www.rei.com/product/407106/space-all-weather-blanket

But even the Wal-mart variety will do the trick.  Toss it down into your pack and just leave it there for the time when you'll need it.  If you spend enough time in the woods or in the mountains you WILL need it eventually:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/The-Original-Space-Brand-Emergency-Blanket-Silver/15935551

EPILOGUE:  After we called in on our emergency radios and were picked up, we heard team after team over the radio calling in to race Head Quarters, asking to be pulled out of the mountains.

A couple of hours after we were picked up, the race was called off.

It took all night for race volunteers, race staff, and emergency services personnel from five surrounding counties to find all the racers who were stranded in the mountains................

Pictures snapped the other day of some of the great gear we currently have at OAR: