What? You don't get a sticker if you aren't the most ardent fan of your preferred pack maker?
Note that a lot of the older more experienced guys here have been saying to buy good cheap stuff that works rather than the expensive fancy stuff, and then get out in the woods and use it.
I have been a sticker carrying fanboy in the past, but I'm moving toward the wisdom the elders here are preaching. Maybe in another 30 years I'll have it figured out.
Gear now changes so rapidly that it is pretty much impossible to keep totally current on every item that one might want to buy/use. The benefits accrued from buying used "name" gear are very substantial and not only save $$$$, but, give you an opportunity to try stuff and thus find what YOU feel works best for YOU.
I know from long experience what works for ME and, also, I am now at the time of life where all backpacking is strenuous and not always "fun", as busting my azz against the BC mountains USED to be. So, I buy the "best" as I can afford it and know what that is, in my terms.
No offence intended to ANYONE here, but, I think that buying new gear if a beginner is borderline foolish and "patrolling" the various backpacker forums, e-bay and the hunting forums "For Sale" sections will bring you all the good gear you need...for many years to come.
I bought my most recent DD Shortbed off of Evan Hill's fine forum, another a couple of years ago, off of Patrick Smith's often informative forum, the first off of, IIRC, "Trailspace" and so on. I am always willing to pay top $$$ for minty examples and, honestly, those three packs, which will do ALL the backpacking I really will do in coming years, cost in total, about what my NICE OK 6500 fully rigged did......."a word to the wise"......
