mynameistory
New member
My Dad has a policy for his gear that I admire: he doesn't upgrade it until he's mastered the setup or has advanced his skill beyond its capabilities.
For example, he got a good deal on a vintage Browning auto 5 shotgun, a big heavy lump originally designed around WW1. Instead of leaving it in a case, he started to shoot skeet with it. He was laughed at by nearly everyone on the range with expensive Bonellis and 5-figure over/under guns. These guys spend a fortune on shooting, but weren't necessarily that much better at it. Dad practiced a ton and had so much fun with it, and decided that he would upgrade to a nicer gun if he could shoot a perfect game (25/25 clays) with the auto 5. In less than a year, he went from absolutely zero shooting experience to his first perfect game, and shot his baseball cap, as is tradition. He picked out a nice Browning SxS and continues to shoot nearly every weekend and scores 90+/100 in range competitions.
I try to go with the same policy for a lot of my gear. I'm lucky if I get to do one or two backpacking trips a year, that's why I still use my dad's old external frame backpack instead of some new ultralight thru-hiker setup. It's a Wilderness Experience treated canvas pack with an aluminum frame that Dad welded back in the seventies as an employee, so it has sentimental value as well. I get tons of comments on the trail like "wow, rad vintage bag!". It's not some hipster fashion statement, I'm just not done using it yet. I took my twenty-year-old cross country Cannondale bike to Mammoth and all the lifties were geeking out over it. Well, I rode it all day and got the absolute sh*t kicked out of me, but had a blast. I still don't ride it enough (or visit Mammoth enough during the summer) to warrant building an $8K downhill setup. Although maybe I'll rent next time.
That's why it always makes me laugh to see some of the trucks around my neighborhood. Plenty of shops will take your money and install a Stage 9 whatever, and they're lifted so high that I can see that there's not a speck of dirt on anything. Mud terrains that hum on the highway and never get aired down. Even if they get taken out, they'll never have their capabilities anywhere close to maxed out. There's a very small percentage of people on these forums whose skill level and pace really warrant their upgrades, and I'm not one of them.
Having said that, I did upgrade my suspension. I got a full set of brand new Pro takeoffs with less than 1500 miles on them (seriously, the guy bought a Pro in Texas, drove it home, and immediately swapped on a stage 13 Icon setup as soon as he arrived). They were 800 bucks, all OEM (no pucks added), and have made the ride nice and smooth. Dad also keeps out a weather eye for deals, and he'll break his rule for a score. :wink2:
Also, I got my 4Runner CPO with brand new 275 KO2s already installed by the previous owner. I've gotten stuck enough with stock "Rugged Terrains" in my Tacoma to know that tires are really the first upgrade you should make. I travel in the snow enough to warrant them.
So 275 all-terrains and a mild OEM lift are what I have. The truck's plenty capable for my needs and I can still squeak 20 MPG on the highway, where I spend most of my time anyway. Definitely great bang for the buck and I don't regret it at all.
For example, he got a good deal on a vintage Browning auto 5 shotgun, a big heavy lump originally designed around WW1. Instead of leaving it in a case, he started to shoot skeet with it. He was laughed at by nearly everyone on the range with expensive Bonellis and 5-figure over/under guns. These guys spend a fortune on shooting, but weren't necessarily that much better at it. Dad practiced a ton and had so much fun with it, and decided that he would upgrade to a nicer gun if he could shoot a perfect game (25/25 clays) with the auto 5. In less than a year, he went from absolutely zero shooting experience to his first perfect game, and shot his baseball cap, as is tradition. He picked out a nice Browning SxS and continues to shoot nearly every weekend and scores 90+/100 in range competitions.
I try to go with the same policy for a lot of my gear. I'm lucky if I get to do one or two backpacking trips a year, that's why I still use my dad's old external frame backpack instead of some new ultralight thru-hiker setup. It's a Wilderness Experience treated canvas pack with an aluminum frame that Dad welded back in the seventies as an employee, so it has sentimental value as well. I get tons of comments on the trail like "wow, rad vintage bag!". It's not some hipster fashion statement, I'm just not done using it yet. I took my twenty-year-old cross country Cannondale bike to Mammoth and all the lifties were geeking out over it. Well, I rode it all day and got the absolute sh*t kicked out of me, but had a blast. I still don't ride it enough (or visit Mammoth enough during the summer) to warrant building an $8K downhill setup. Although maybe I'll rent next time.
That's why it always makes me laugh to see some of the trucks around my neighborhood. Plenty of shops will take your money and install a Stage 9 whatever, and they're lifted so high that I can see that there's not a speck of dirt on anything. Mud terrains that hum on the highway and never get aired down. Even if they get taken out, they'll never have their capabilities anywhere close to maxed out. There's a very small percentage of people on these forums whose skill level and pace really warrant their upgrades, and I'm not one of them.
Having said that, I did upgrade my suspension. I got a full set of brand new Pro takeoffs with less than 1500 miles on them (seriously, the guy bought a Pro in Texas, drove it home, and immediately swapped on a stage 13 Icon setup as soon as he arrived). They were 800 bucks, all OEM (no pucks added), and have made the ride nice and smooth. Dad also keeps out a weather eye for deals, and he'll break his rule for a score. :wink2:
Also, I got my 4Runner CPO with brand new 275 KO2s already installed by the previous owner. I've gotten stuck enough with stock "Rugged Terrains" in my Tacoma to know that tires are really the first upgrade you should make. I travel in the snow enough to warrant them.
So 275 all-terrains and a mild OEM lift are what I have. The truck's plenty capable for my needs and I can still squeak 20 MPG on the highway, where I spend most of my time anyway. Definitely great bang for the buck and I don't regret it at all.
