Lidl again

Michael Hobby said:

I don't wish to sound elitist but my impression of Lidl is that they're a
bit cheap and tacky. How long does their stuff last and would it stand up to
the rigours of long/high treks etc in adverse conditions. Surely far better
to spend £75 - £100 on a sleeping bag from Cotswold or somewhere and know
it's going to do what you want it to than £5 and find it falls to bits or is
not up to expectations. "False economies" and all that.

I prefer to think of the stuff as being 'entry level'. Some of it is
surprisingly good in terms of features and quality when you examine it.
That expensive sleeping bag would be 15 to 20 times as expensive. I hate
the expression 'you get what you pay for' as it implies that everything is
good value and there is no such thing as a bargain.

A lot also depends on what your economic standing is. 100 pounds seems like
a lot of money for a sleep bag to me.

The other good thing about the cheap, entry level equipment is that it
helps a beginner to try things out. Often, when pursuing a new interest, it
is difficult to know exactly what you need to buy until you have experience
using that type of equipment.

For example, I'm sure a lot of people decide to buy a bicycle for
commuting/touring and invest as much as they can on a nice duel suspension
mountain bike. After six months of use, they discover that a duel
suspension mountain bike isn't really made for that type of activity and
they have wasted a lot of money. They would have been much better off
getting a cheap old clunker and using that for the first sixth months.

By way of further example, I am beginning to realize that I may have bought
the wrong tent. Millets had a sale last year and there were a couple of
tents for the same price. I went after the quite big one that had been
reduced by a lot and really, I may have been better off with the smaller
one as I want it for back packing/cycle touring. It doesn't matter that
much as the tent I bought isn't /really/ big and I didn't invest all that
much in it. If I make good use of it this year, I might invest in something
better next year as I now have a better idea of what I am doing.

So, I think that the cheap stuff has it's place. It all depends on how
critical the activity is. I don't know anything about climbing but I doubt
that it would be a good idea to buy some super cheap climbing harnesses and
bet your life on its reliability. On the other hand, if the lining of my
five pound sleeping bag starts to come unsewn, it doesn't really matter to
me. Lidl and other similar shops are great for non critical stuff and
trying things out on the cheap.

--
***My real address is m/ike at u/nmusic d/ot co dot u/k (removing /s)
np:
http://www.unmusic.co.uk
http://www.unmusic.co.uk/amh-s-faq.html - alt.music.home-studio FAQ
http://www.unmusic.co.uk/wrap.php?file=vhs.html - vhs purchase log.

Judith said:

And I've always looked down my nose at Lidl. It's not half as nice as
Aldi (!) - but I did buy some micro-fibre towels there today. I
decided the fleece sleeping bag was too bulky. I would only use it if
car camping, so I might as well just take an extra blanket.

I went in and examined the fleece sleeping bag today. I was surprised at
it's weight. It's difficult to make objective judgments about items that
have a different shape but I wonder if it was just as heavy as my cheap,
summer sleeping bag. It might be have its uses but I suspect that it
doesn't offer much of a weight saving. I'll mull it over and decide next
time I am in town...

--
***My real address is m/ike at u/nmusic d/ot co dot u/k (removing /s)
np:
http://www.unmusic.co.uk
http://www.unmusic.co.uk/amh-s-faq.html - alt.music.home-studio FAQ
http://www.unmusic.co.uk/wrap.php?file=vhs.html - vhs purchase log.

On Fri, 24 Jun 2005 22:22:16 +0100, Dominic Sexton
<[email hidden]> wrote:

| Unless you are going out on a real hot day for an hour or more you will
| do fine with a medium sized (250ml?) running bottle in the hand - a lot
| less hassle!

For years and years and years walkers had only a cup of tea at midday.
This caused no problems whatsoever. I do not follow the latest fads and
fashions.

--
Dave Fawthrop <dave hyphenologist co uk> http://www.webshots.com
Thousands of wonderful professional photos for your Wallpaper and
Screensaver. also 200,000 amateur pics. Four new pics each day.

In article <[email hidden]>, Judith
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Dominic Sexton said:

Quoted message said:

I'm
trying to build up my running so that I can keep going for long enough
for it to be worth taking some water with me!

Unless you are going out on a real hot day for an hour or more you will
do fine with a medium sized (250ml?) running bottle in the hand - a lot
less hassle!

An *HOUR* ?

Erm, is 20 minutes any good?

Twenty minutes is great but you don't really need water over that time -
just make sure you have some ready at the end. If it is really hot and
you want to take some with you buy one of those small Fruit-Shoot
drinks, dispose of the contents and reuse the bottle - the smallest ones
fit in the hand quite well and have those pull open tops like sports
drinks.

Quoted message said:

Cos that's all I can manage at the
moment! I'm doing a 5k fun run in a couple of weeks.

Sounds suspiciously like one of a series of ladies only events. My
better half and a friend are doing one in Stockport next weekend.

Quoted message said:

Many years ago,
I used to be able to do 5k (relatively comfortably) in 30 minutes. My
aim, over the next couple of weeks, is to build up to being able to
run for 30 minutes. I am hoping that the cameraderie and the
excitement of the event will help me increase my speed so that the 30
minutes and the 5k coincide!

Good luck and enjoy yourself.

Quoted message said:

By the way - I am not a runner ...... but you can probably tell that.

I bet you would be with the right motivation - mad axe man chasing you!

--

Dominic Sexton

Dominic Sexton said:

Quoted message said:

I'm doing a 5k fun run in a couple of weeks.

Sounds suspiciously like one of a series of ladies only events. My
better half and a friend are doing one in Stockport next weekend.

No, it's not a single-sex thing although there may be specific
categories. I'm not sure. I have two women and two men in my team.

It's the Sefton Corporate Cup. I get to run round a park in
Southport!

I went into a running shop yesterday and was shocked to see that a
cut-down pair of Ron Hills costs more than twice the price of a
full-length pair. I did not buy any. I find that my baggy old sports
shorts bunch up when I'm running but it's nice to have a bit of
ventilation when I'm standing still! I'm not sure I'm ready to pay
nearly 30 quid on a pair of running tights/shorts, though.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Many years ago,
I used to be able to do 5k (relatively comfortably) in 30 minutes. My
aim, over the next couple of weeks, is to build up to being able to
run for 30 minutes. I am hoping that the cameraderie and the
excitement of the event will help me increase my speed so that the 30
minutes and the 5k coincide!

Good luck and enjoy yourself.

Cheers.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

By the way - I am not a runner ...... but you can probably tell that.

I bet you would be with the right motivation - mad axe man chasing you!

"Oooh, that's a nice axe. Let's sit down here and talk about it. Is
it titanium?"

No, I'm not sure that would work!

Judith

In article <[email hidden]>, Judith
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

No, it's not a single-sex thing although there may be specific
categories. I'm not sure. I have two women and two men in my team.

A team event! Don't chat too much on the way round it makes the running
hard.

Quoted message said:

It's the Sefton Corporate Cup. I get to run round a park in
Southport!

I went into a running shop yesterday and was shocked to see that a
cut-down pair of Ron Hills costs more than twice the price of a
full-length pair. I did not buy any. I find that my baggy old sports
shorts bunch up when I'm running but it's nice to have a bit of
ventilation when I'm standing still! I'm not sure I'm ready to pay
nearly 30 quid on a pair of running tights/shorts, though.

They can usually be had for around 20 but here's a pair for a tenner:

http://www.sportsshoes.com/product/?product_code=LIT84A

I have bought stuff from them before and found them quite good. I prefer
to support my local running shop where practical but sometimes it is
easier online.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

By the way - I am not a runner ...... but you can probably tell that.

I bet you would be with the right motivation - mad axe man chasing you!

"Oooh, that's a nice axe. Let's sit down here and talk about it. Is
it titanium?"

Ah but a titanium axe be to light for hard chopping m'dear...

Quoted message said:

No, I'm not sure that would work!

Whip out a bit of your cake to distract them with its tasty morselness
instead?

--

Dominic Sexton

"Judith" <[email hidden]> schreef in bericht
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Oooh, that's a nice axe. Let's sit down here and talk about it. Is
it titanium?"

<fx: heavy voice> No, it's Bronze Age, very heavy for the scull. Grrrrrr.
<fx: Judith becomes Roadrunner>

--
Theo
www.theosphotos.fotopic.net

On Sat, 25 Jun 2005 13:33:32 +0200, "theo" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

"Oooh, that's a nice axe. Let's sit down here and talk about it. Is
it titanium?"

<fx: heavy voice> No, it's Bronze Age, very heavy for the scull. Grrrrrr.
<fx: Judith becomes Roadrunner>

Beep! Beep!

Dominic Sexton said:

I'm not sure I'm ready to pay

Quoted message said:

nearly 30 quid on a pair of running tights/shorts, though.

They can usually be had for around 20 but here's a pair for a tenner:

http://www.sportsshoes.com/product/?product_code=LIT84A

I think I'd feel self-conscious wearing something that tight but, then
again, I'm happy to go out in Ron Hills and a Tilley Hat!

I do have some very short shorts somewhere, so I think I'll find them
and see if they've shrunk since I last wore them. They should be more
comfortable than the ones I've been wearing.

Quoted message said:

Whip out a bit of your cake to distract them with its tasty morselness
instead?

I don't recommend running after eating my cake. In fact, I don't
recommend running full stop. I'm not quite sure how I managed to
"volunteer" for it. (However, it's going to be literally a stroll in
the park compared with what I am doing the weekend beforehand. That
involves walking up 3 large hills but I can't mention it here as it
will provoke a flame-war.)

Judith

I noticed that Message-ID: <[email hidden]>
from Judith contained the following:

Quoted message said:

My
aim, over the next couple of weeks, is to build up to being able to
run for 30 minutes

Hmmph. I thought you was a non runner. I call it letting the side
down.

--
Geoff Berrow (put thecat out to email)
It's only Usenet, no one dies.
My opinions, not the committee's, mine.
Simple RFDs http://www.ckdog.co.uk/rfdmaker/

In article <[email hidden]>, Dave Fawthrop
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

On Fri, 24 Jun 2005 22:22:16 +0100, Dominic Sexton
<[email hidden]> wrote:

| Unless you are going out on a real hot day for an hour or more you will
| do fine with a medium sized (250ml?) running bottle in the hand - a lot
| less hassle!

For years and years and years walkers had only a cup of tea at midday.

We were not discussing walking.

Quoted message said:

This caused no problems whatsoever.

Except early onset of the loss of the ability to read?

--

Dominic Sexton

In article <[email hidden]>, Judith
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Dominic Sexton said:

I'm not sure I'm ready to pay

Quoted message said:

nearly 30 quid on a pair of running tights/shorts, though.

They can usually be had for around 20 but here's a pair for a tenner:

http://www.sportsshoes.com/product/?product_code=LIT84A

I think I'd feel self-conscious wearing something that tight

There will be several hundred other bums at the event and unless yours
is particularly sightly or unsightly I doubt it will draw much attention
;-)

They do have plenty of other styles if you don't manage to find your
alternative.

http://www.sportsshoes.com/product/?product_code=NEW322

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Whip out a bit of your cake to distract them with its tasty morselness
instead?

I don't recommend running after eating my cake. In fact, I don't
recommend running full stop. I'm not quite sure how I managed to
"volunteer" for it.

I'm sure you will enjoy it in retrospect - one the memories fade.

Quoted message said:

(However, it's going to be literally a stroll in
the park compared with what I am doing the weekend beforehand. That
involves walking up 3 large hills but I can't mention it here as it
will provoke a flame-war.)

Ooo, you tease!

--

Dominic Sexton

In article <[email hidden]>, Judith
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

"Oooh, that's a nice axe. Let's sit down here and talk about it. Is
it titanium?"

No, I'm not sure that would work!

Just chuck your spare footbeds at him! ;-)

--

Dominic Sexton

Dominic Sexton said:

Quoted message said:

"Oooh, that's a nice axe. Let's sit down here and talk about it. Is
it titanium?"

No, I'm not sure that would work!

Just chuck your spare footbeds at him! ;-)

Ha bloomin' ha!

Judith

In article <[email hidden]>, nickl said...

Quoted message said:

Why the big reductions?

Normally because some trivial design element has changed on a newer
model - often just the colour! What a mad world!

I bought 3 two-man bomb-proof tents a few years ago. They were half
price because they were "last year's colour". The current colour at
the time was very similar, but no, they were out of date and so half
price. These 'cheap' tents survived the October storms that year.
--
/
Fran O(<|={
\