[utopia]

Deleted...sorry, I didn't mean to offend so many people. After rereading what I wrote, I guess it did sound a little harsh, although I didn't mean it that way.

[jaja]

well put---- I too can't help but get gear envy when the new patagonia catalog comes out, but really what I need is more days in the mountains. I've got plenty of gear--time is the key. A good thread for the holidays.

[wedelmaster]

[elmoreman]

Its all about balance...

I got a lot of stuff, but I use it all or give it away. Probably have too much flyfishing gear, but other than that my wife and I have managed to eliminate a lot of extras from our life. SOunds like you might want to join the Center for a New American Dream...

Check it out.

http://www.newdream.org/

The director had a column in the last Patagucci catalog, ironically enough (reference to last post).

[las gotas]

Very nice Greg. I don't agree with every point, but my wife and I spend a lot of time discussing how to raise non-consumer kids. It's a hard balance because as you point out everything in this society tells us to buy more sh!t. It's like that SUV/Truck commercial that says "Not more than you need, just more than you expect" or something like that. We're a society of overkill. That said, I don't think it's a black and white issue wrt to gear. Fact is it's hard to get along (unless you're young and single) without working. One of the big problems of our health care in the US is without a job we don"t have insurance for our families. So if you're going to work the way most employers expect you to, you need SOME kind of carrot. There are a lot of worse things than a new pair of skis. The key, I think is to think about your priorities before you buy stuff, buy only what you need, but understand sometimes you really DO need a pair of JAKs (wish I had some). So instead of compulsive consumption put some thought in and "get whatch need"

[teleaddict]

Not all of what you say is fair - how do you know what kind of lifestyle people on this board live?

Our culture definately needs a wake-up call, but unfortunately it's not going to happen overnight. Not everybody has the luxury of living in a small town, close to work and recreation. (and I'm sure many people enjoy the city!).

how about some usefull suggestions?

here's David Suzuki's Nature challenge (sorry if this is cheesy) - but give it a go, he's got a lot of very usefull info on his site:

http://www.davidsuzuki.org/WOL/Challenge/
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If you can’t control your peanut butter, you can’t expect to control your life. - Bill Watterson

[frail1]

Nicely said. Only tv-less 4 months. I never watched, but my kids liked the 3 fuzzy channels we had . They complained a bit, but it falls on deaf ears now.

The policy here is if it's reading, music or activity related, we buy anything for anyone in the family, but it has to be a significant improvement in safety or function.

Having said that, my new jak bc's are amazing and I am a far better skier, enjoy it even more, and don't biff nearly as much, hence I can invoke the safety clause here!

I don't want to go into the gory details, but we are trying, recognizing that having children, puts us behind the environmental 8-ball.

I get the distinct feeling most here care about the trees, and the "gear lust" has to be taken in context.

[Dirk]

Well, I just got back from the hill and my new Jaks spanked me bad today. So this is a timely thread, eh? My wife and I are working hard to pay off debt and ratcheting back our "needs" so that we can move towards working part-time and spending more time outdoors. We have a small, modest home, I drive a cheap little car, etc. But every once in a while, a new pair of skis winds up in the gear room. I'm still far from perfect.

[elmoreman]

fyi

children dont necessarily add to the environmental problems, unless you have more than 2.3(?) of them. If you only have two, you are not even technically replacing yourself and your spoce from a population standpoint.

Bill McKibben's Only One is a great book on the topic of children and this impact.

[las gotas]

"Many people on this site pretend that they are interested in protecting our environment and then they drive 4 hours each way every weekend to ski at a resort that consumes even more energy and requires building more condo’s to house them. If you are really that committed to skiing, move to where you can do it on a regular basis or take up something else."

I'm a bit torn on this one. Instead of drive, you bought a condo in a resort town. If everyone who skis does that, won't ski country become overrun with condos (not that it isn't already)? Is this better for the environment than densley populated cities and more fuel efficient (hybrid or other) vehicles? I'm curious as to what you do for a living. As a structural engineer in a resort town do you make your living helping to build what you are condemning? I also notice you have newer and better skis than I do, but I can live with that, I don't get gear envy

[cesare]

I'm trying hard not to feel judged. Really. But it's not working.

Forgive yourself first. Then forgive the rest of us swarming masses. Meditate. I promise you will feel better.
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Many things on my mind,
Words in the way.

-- Sly Stone --

[onehotchili]

woah... i didn't realize the "high and mighty" were out there passing judgement on TTipster's consumerism.

i think much of the root of the problem is yourself, and your perception of people on this list.

[Berko]

I can be happy with less.


But I'm happier with more.


at least when it comes to:

skis
beer
wine
scotch
horsepower
vertical feet


not to mention:
love
understanding
happiness
tolerance
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Something's got a hold on me, and I don't know what .

[cowdog]

Look, here's the deal. This is an internet site for telemark skiing enthusiasts. Passion about skiing and ski gear is concentrated here; it can be overwhelming, and it may be a stretch to make too much of what people post here. Note too that telemark skiing is a hobby and everyone here has a different personal and financial connection to this hobby. Some here make a living working in the ski industry; many of us have friends who work in the industry. Some of us live in communities supported by the ski industry. Dollars spent on the ski industry go to support people and families.

Most of us live in free countries where we earn incomes and have the freedom to select how we spend our money after taxes and necessities. Our societies and lives are built around free market economies. We spend money; others get paid and support themselves and familes. Taxes support public needs. This is the system we live in.

Materialism is an interesting topic, and most of us are guilty of some form of materialism. I would be careful, however, before making sweeping generalizations about people based on interpretations of people's online personas.

This is a place for passion about skiing.

[Mcstiff]

Buy used stuff, I doubt that many pairs of old but otherwise good skis are being thrown out
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Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler