By Mike Kochmann
For some of the newer scouts and adults who may need gear, I highly recommend checking out hikerdirect.com. I mentioned this on the campout this past weekend and found out it is not something everyone is aware of.
You will need to sign up, and list the troop to get discounted gear. Feel free to use my email as a referral if you want. Joining is free.
The gear is very good quality and the sales are great! The tent on sale in the forwarded email today is $200 for non-members, regularly $120 for members, and currently on sale for $70. My son, Lance, has this tent and has used it for over 6 years. He got it as a FYE, after he endured an extremely wet campout. He has used it on dozens of trips and it is still in great shape. I have the same tent, in a 3-person size.
I have lots of other gear from them. I got hiking poles for $8 each, inflatable sleeping pads, backpacks, and other stuff. Catch me or somebody else who has been around for a while if you want to know more.