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Walmart Just Launched a Line of Backpacking Gear
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- andrewxdiamond 6y agoI wonder how much of those sales are from their employees who can't afford a place to live
- adingus 6y agoI bought their ultralight single person backpacking tent for $25 on clearance and it is surprisingly solid. It looks like a Chinese REI rip-off. Edit* not part of their new line obviously but shows it's not all junk
- bmarquez 6y agoThe first thing that came to my mind was Walmart's existing "Ozark Trail" brand of tents and outdoor equipment. I have a few of their insulated cups and water bottles and they're good value for the price. I wonder why they decided to use new Lithic branding?
- djannzjkzxn 6y agoThere’s some negative sentiment toward Ozark Trail among the set of people who have seen abandoned tents as far as the eye can see at the end of music festivals. Not sure if that’s common enough to lower the value of the brand.
- beamatronic 6y agoThat’s really disappointing to me. Does money just grow on trees for these people? What are their parents teaching them about respecting hard earned money? And respecting the environment. Are people raised to waste resources these days?
- brnt 6y agoArent we all? We have learned to think of ourselves as consumers, haven't we?
- beamatronic 6y agoI’m specifically talking about a waste of a resource, in this case, the tent that was discarded after one use.
- gumby 6y agoPresumably for segment differentiating. You can buy an inexpensive car camping bag or a more expensive, lighter one for a little backcountry camping.
- mcoliver 6y agoBigger question is why did Outside not pickup on the fact that this is just a rebranding of Ozark and call it for what it is. Disappointed as I have been a huge fan of Outside for a very long time
- Kalium 6y agoLooking quickly at the items, I confess I'm not sure why you would think this is merely a rebrand. The items do seem genuinely different. What have I missed?
- starpilot 6y agoOT looks a bit different and I suspect being phased out for Lithic. Here's the OT 1-person backpacking tent, which is on clearance: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Trail-1-Person-Backpacking-Tent-with-Aluminum-Poles-Vestibule/55533608?athcpid=55533608 https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Trail-1-Person-Backpacking-... Here's the Lithic version: https://www.walmart.com/ip/LITHIC-One-Person-Backpacking-Tent/742424712 https://www.walmart.com/ip/LITHIC-One-Person-Backpacking-Ten... Lithic overall has a geometry similar to high-end tents like MSR, Big Agnes. It has better waterproofing and probably better poles than the OT. It actually comes with a footprint which is unusual. Reflective guylines are a really nice touch if you actually plan to backpack with it. It has a larger floor area and interior height than the OT, probably causing the added weight.
- JPKab 6y agoThank God. Let's just be honest here brands like the North face and others are horrifically overpriced for their typical gear. yeah I remember when Patagonia and North face were basically only used by expeditioners and they only sold top pulling line stuff made in the USA. The fact that it was made in America kind of explained the cost. but now they just make it all in cheap countries mark it up and hog the money. At least now I can go out and get a mid-range backpacking set up without going completely broke.
- bduerst 6y agoL.L. Bean isn't quite as bad as Patagonia wrgt price point. Have you tried them?
- gumby 6y agoI agree (see my comment about gear heads elsewhere in this thread), but a lot of the time you don’t need a lot of specialized gear, though weight can be a factor. Though TBF I have a 30 yo Patagonia raincoat that’s sailed across the Atlantic twice, been above the arctic circle, the Australian outback, northern Canada, and along the PCT. it’s utterly faded but the zippers work fine, it has no tears, and it’s still waterproof. I ski in it and camp with it year round. I think I got my money’s worth on that one. Relatedly: the current state of boots is horrific.
- technics256 6y agoHave any recommendations on boots?
- gumby 6y agoI have given up on the off the shelf boots. Best off the shelf boots I’ve found are some heavy leather Asolos you can get at REI (I hate those soft “hiking shoes” as they don’t provide the support you need with a heavy pack or for fording a river when you can’t see where you are stepping, etc). I had a cobbler disassemble them and put a plastic half-pipe-with-plate in the vertical portion behind my ankle/Achilles which gave greater stability. They were great boots — very comfortable, quite good performance — but after less than thousand miles or so the sole fell apart. Had the cobbler try to repair them but they weren’t the same — they weren’t designed to be resoled. Now I have my boots made by a guy in W.A. who does nothing else. They are solid and fit like a glove. Eminently repairable. You don’t want to spend this kind of money unless you expect to travel more than 750 miles a year in them though. Older boots can be repurposed as jungle boots with a few careful stabs of your knife if you like long canoe trips. Regular hiking boots adjusted like this are better even than the Cabella jungle boots IMHO if you have rigorous portages. I have done short (3-4 day) trips in places like Desolation Wilderness wearing Chaco sandals...but you couldn’t hike Mt Whitney and even in the lower sierras you need feet like leather. No ankle support so ultralight only. For winter backpacking I have some off the shelf Columbia boots for snowshoeing. They are pretty warm. Those conditions are much less demanding on your feet and footgear than summer conditions. Don’t buy the crappy Bass winter boots: those are for standing briefly by your truck, not for long distance travel. OTOH if it’s really cold, and you’ll be on the ice, Traveling with dogs, go for mukluks. My dog wears ruff ware vibram sole boots in summer and winter (they sell snow boots but I’ve not had good luck). Vibram soles, but last only about 5-600 miles. Wear with tennis socks and in winter, gaiters I made for him for the deep snow (he’s a large dog and weighs about the same as me).
- gumby 6y agoI think this is exciting. I suspect the gear will be bass pro shop quality, not cabella’s, bit that’s ok, most people only take a few short trips and don’t need to spend a lot to have a really fun time. Backpacking, like many such activities, has a significant gearhead contingent, but I like to bring as little gear as possible, and as little “pro” gear as I can get away with (some things though, like my stove, are specific). But say for winter camping I haul extra gear around in a Walmart deer sled and it’s great.
- beart 6y agoCabela's and bass pro share the same owners for a few years now.
- californical 6y agoToyota and Lexus share the same owners, but one is still more "premium"
- ta17711771 6y agoAh, cool, so the tent weatherproofing will be the same, but the zipper and plastic hooks will feel and work nicer on the more expensive branded one? ;D
- gumby 6y agoIt’s all about balance. You can get good gear and bad gear anywhere. The Bass stuff is cheaper and won’t last as long but so what (we’re talking camping gear and clothes; dunno about guns, boats, fishing gear as that stuff isn’t my thing). And at bass you can pick up matches, an MSR stove (though not the full range) and Good useful gear. So that’s their target. And frankly who cares if your summer tent doesn’t work? Half the time I leave it at home anyway. Actually I’m wearing a bass shirt right now — “red bird” or whatever their house brand is. Super comfortable, but I wouldn’t wear it in the back country. But an expedition tent: I care a lot, and they don’t carry that.
- 6y ago
- elamje 6y agoHere is the link to the gear! https://www.walmart.com/cp/lithic/9549605 https://www.walmart.com/cp/lithic/9549605 Excited for this. All the major outdoor gear companies have made proper backpacking pretty hard to get into without dropping a grand or two on lightweight gear. Yeah, you can grab a Coleman tent for $50 that weighs 30lbs, but to truly backpack for multiple days you are looking for a 3-6lb tent that currently is anywhere from $300 to $800 depending on your quality preference.
- willismichael 6y agoI don't know where you shop, but my 4-ish pound backpacking tent was less that $100. Edit: To clarify, I'm just saying that there is a middle ground between a cheap lead-weight tent and a several-hundred-dollars gearhead tent.
- starpilot 6y agoYeah, the ALPS 1-person tent is 4 lb and $100 on Amazon. Similar stuff is on Aliexpress. I think the significance is that Walmart is entering this field. This really could introduce new audiences to backpacking that normally don't even think of going into REI.
- Kalium 6y agoThere are also quite a few places with a Walmart and no nearby REI. There are whole states without REI stores. If Walmart rolls these lines out to every store, that's a massive expansion of access.
- elamje 6y agoTo clarify, I typically backpack with 2-4 person tents and other people. Maybe my numbers are still off. Excited nonetheless.
- gumby 6y agoREI garage sales are great too. Picked up some hiking boots for my kid for $30. Even as a scout he grew too fast to wear boots out. And a 2-person summer tent for $45 — someone had broken a pole linkage and returned it. I just drilled it out and threaded a piece of stock and now it works fine, though doesn’t fold up quite the same — so what.
- stormdennis 6y agoIt's like shops that are allowed to open are taking advantage of the lockdown to take the business of those compelled to stay shut.
- hedora 6y agoWhy wouldn’t they take advantage of it? How often does the government decide to unilaterally restructure the market in one group’s favor?
- voisin 6y agoTo answer your second question, surprisingly often! Usually the “one group” is the incumbent.
- Kalium 6y agoA line like this has been in the makings long enough that the only real detail was release date. Additionally, as the article notes, few of the people who go to Walmart for camping gear are likely to do so in lieu of REI or similar. You're absolutely right, and shops that are allowed to operate are able to take advantage of it over shops that aren't. This seems like it might not be a good example, though. Perhaps I've missed something.
- nickysielicki 6y agoSee also: this $2,000 "Viathon" mountain bike -- a Walmart brand. Expensive for people who just want a bike to ride, but competitive with bikes that cost twice as much. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pb-AJc3QL-Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pb-AJc3QL-Q It's an interesting strategy. The high-end of a lot of hobbies are inflated beyond reason, and I think it's cool that they're taking a stab at that.
- vocram 6y agoThe people buying high end do care about the brand and reputation. They accept to pay inflated prices for a well known brand, but would not buy at a discounted price a retail store brand. Brand and reputation communicates quality.
- barko 6y agoI'm guessing that's more true for people buying high-end fashion than it is for those buying high-end hobbyist gear, as the latter are more likely to research products and put significant weight on performance rather than blindly trust a brand name.
- ddrt 6y agoI don’t get this. Is it ego or something? If you’re on a trail the brand name won’t keep you from cracking your skull any less than another.
- ta17711771 6y agoNo, but if they see that brand protecting the head of all the people they see eat shit in GoPro videos, or on heads in the Winter Olympics, then they don't (feel they) have to do the research to see if it's a trustworthy brand. Obviously, this implied value gets taken too far on both sides.
- tjohns 6y agoIt's the history behind the brand that's important. Does that company have a history of building quality products? Do they support them when something breaks? What kind of reputation do they have? When you buy a brand name product, you generally have a better idea what you're buying. (Not to say there aren't some high quality generic products out there, but it takes a lot more time and research to find them. And sometimes it's just a gamble.)
- itomato 6y agoI hope this doesn't equate to 'single-use' or 'disposable' gear.
- sdan 6y agoSurprised no one is talking about how this is Walmart's version of AmazonBasics... Here are my thoughts: It's interesting to see big online retailers make their own cheap brands to monopolize their sales
- Stratoscope 6y agoI thought it would be fun to share my backpacking checklist from 1974. (Forgive the code formatting, on mobile you can drag left/right to see it.) CLOTHING Boots - waterproofed [1] 3 sets socks String shirt [2] Long sleeved cotton shirt Wool shirt Shorts Long pants Gaiters [3] Handkerchiefs Down vest Windbreaker Poncho Rain chaps Mittens - inner/outer Scarves Balaclava [4] Hat Stephenson Warmlite No-Sweat Shirt [5] Walking stick [6] Backpack For the trip home: Clean underpants, pants, shirt, socks CAMP Sleeping bag and stuffsack Mosquito netting Foam pad Ground sheet Tarp Visklamps/stakes [7] Nylon cord 50' Stove kit (stove, pot lid, lighter, bag) Fuel can Fuel pellets Cleaning wire Asbestos pad (!!) Fill and test stove and lighter Flashlight Knife - sharpened Sharpening stone Clothespins Paper towels Plastic bags Toilet paper Trowel Canteen Spoon Washcloth Toothbrush/floss Soap Salt/pepper shakers FIRST AID Moleskin/foam Rubbing alcohol Tweezers Gauze pads Gauze bandage Triangular bandage ACE bandage Band-Aids Adhesive tape Nail clippers Chapstick Glacier cream Bug repellent! Cotton balls Salt tablets First aid book Snakebite kit EMERGENCY/REPAIR Matchsafe Flint stick Mirror Whistle Ripstop tape Spare batteries/flashlight bulbs Rubber bands Velcro Sewing kit/thimble Clevis pins Razor blade Wire Cord clamps Phone change Halazone [8] Space blanket [9] [1] Waterproofing involved coating the boots with wax and putting them in the oven. What a mess! [2] A mesh t-shirt, great for layering: https://www.google.com/search?q=string+shirt&tbm=isch https://www.google.com/search?q=string+shirt&tbm=isch [3] Covers the gap between long pants and shoes: https://www.google.com/search?q=gaiters&tbm=isch https://www.google.com/search?q=gaiters&tbm=isch [4] Not the dessert: https://www.google.com/search?q=balaclava&tbm=isch https://www.google.com/search?q=balaclava&tbm=isch [5] NSFW for "naturist" style nudity: https://www.outinunder.com/sites/default/files/Warmlite%20Catalog%201974.pdf https://www.outinunder.com/sites/default/files/Warmlite%20Ca... [6] The best walking stick is the one you cut from a fallen tree with the saw in your Swiss Army knife. I still have mine! [7] I had to look this up to remember what they were: https://www.google.com/search?q=visklamps&tbm=isch https://www.google.com/search?q=visklamps&tbm=isch [8] Had to look up this one too: https://www.google.com/search?q=halazone&tbm=isch https://www.google.com/search?q=halazone&tbm=isch [9] Space blanket: https://www.google.com/search?q=space+blanket&tbm=isch https://www.google.com/search?q=space+blanket&tbm=isch
- dgzl 6y agoI didn't see this in the comments but Walmart bought Moosejaw a few years ago.