Gear, kit. stuff. I have an strange relationship with kit.On the one hand I am quite cynical about the unsustainable, consumerist drive and all the marketing bollox that goes with it. On the other, I still like shiny new things.
This interest in stuff can probably be traced back to Top Trumps. The card game where the; biggest fastest or most shinyest, wins, or 'trumps' the opposition.
This was re-enforced in my teens. I spent a few years as an Air Cadet, where I got to play with lots of shiny things, from assault rifles and anti aircraft missiles to every-ones favourite cold war kid- the English Electric Lightning.
I am sort of a 'part time pacifist' now, but wow! That stuff was proper shiney.
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| Hunting Bears I never got to fly in a fast jet but they did let me press the starter button on this one. |
Fast jets lead to fast bikes and the influence of lord Emap (now Her Bauer), publisher of Motorcycle News and Performance Bikes. This was were the racing bug bit.The bestest and shineyest of bikes raced in Moto GP or 500 grand prix as it was. Expansion chambers, reed valves, variable porting and sticky tyres. Fast, exotic, dangerous and very shiny.
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| Slow but still smiling |
From motorbikes to mountains, moorland and fell running. A simple sport but still requiring kit. Sticky tyres are swapped for studded shoes, leathers replaced with wicking technical tops and breathable waterproofs, a whole industry to tempt a fellrunner. Again Bauer Media have plenty of shiny things to show off in Trail Running magazine, even the sublime The Fellrunner magazine has adverts displaying fellrunning, shiny things.
Kit makes it possible for us to do amazing things and I still find it interesting but the final word goes to Cameron Mc Neish Author, writer for Walkhighlands and former Editor of TGO. A thoughtful article writtten by Cameron ~ Bucking the Corporate Trend
Kit and shiney related links :
The best fell running shoes Ethical outdoorsy Finisterre & Howies
Mike Parsons Invisible on Everest PB vs Billy B
More ethical outdoorsy kit Patagonia & Paramo Rab up warm Dear
Norman Walsh Performance Footware Here Kittty
Rab 2010 Team Ibuprofen Kitlist Northern Souls Walsh vs Inov8
Wotcha Steve - I was in the ATC too, back in the day. Happy days!
ReplyDeleteCan't chuck a stick down here without hitting fat beardy blokes with walking poles, no clue and too much kit. And that's just Dartmoor Rescue ;-)
Ha ha!
ReplyDeleteHey up Paul. I sometimes go for a walk with my friend Stanislaw, but he hasn't got a beard.
The early Lightnings were really really shinny. Some years ago, I contemplated going down to Thunder City in SA to have a flight in a T5 two seat Lightning. Unfortunately, they don't do it anymore, apart from which, I no longer have the money. I have been lucky enough to fly lots of other interesting stuff though, including, a Strikemater at low level though the valleys of North Wales at 350mph. Woohoo!!!
ReplyDeleteI like the part time pacifist bit. Coming from a Hong kong fuey type
Haha, good read mate. What do you think; Walsh's or Inov-8?
ReplyDeleteHey up Lightning! Good to hear from you.
ReplyDeleteWow that would have been some ride. Well jel about the Strikemaster.
As Hong Kong Fuey may or may not have said, 'It's a Zen thing'.
Hey up Calvin! Welcome to the blog
ReplyDeleteI am with Adolf on this one but only just. http://sbrtrfr.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/northern-souls.html
Good choice old chap! ;)
ReplyDeleteI've only got Inov-8's for the trails so my pure racers are the Walsh's...was introduced to them by my Grandad as he was a big fan of them when he used to run the fells. They're perfect in my eyes but like you say, everyone's opinion is different and a lot seem to love Inov-8...but, I reckon marketing is a big factor to be honest!