Expensive vs. "cheap"

[OneClick]

I feel pretty badass every time I use my $2 Harbor Freight hammer. But most times, it doesn't pay to skimp.

[Floridahanger]

Just a question for the DIY folks, when you state how much money you have in any particular DIY project I always see how much you spent on materials, but almost never do I see the amount of time you spent quantified in dollar amounts.
I've just never understood that reasoning.....

I suppose most folks feel they are donating their time to the project?

I have always figured my hourly labor as a project expense, and sometimes it's simply cheaper to spend my time at work making the money to buy what I want, than to spend my time making it.
That's not to say that I don't understand a diy project being a labor of love, or just having a lot more fun than being at work I suppose.

If you spend $50 dollars in materials, and a days time working on a diy project it seems to me you have around $250 dollars in the project, not $50.

Just how I see comparing the cost of DIY gear vs. manufactured gear at retail, or used.

Just to be fair I have spent many hours fishing just to get a "free" supper.

I just find how folks look at things interesting......not that there's a wrong way.

trouthunter, I understand what you mean by assigning a dollar value to time invested. But the assumption is - that the same block of time could be spend in a higher dollar return pursuit. If you have a 40 hrs/week job, my guess is that you don't have the option of working on your days off. Usually - but not always of course - one's "work day" has limited hours. So it's not a matter of, I'd could do my regular job at x dollars and hour or spend the time on this DIY project. It's more, "I can sit in front of the TV and watch the SeaHawks loose again or I can make some amsteel dog bones." Often, one can do both. And "at work" I don't have the option to watch a football game at the same time.

Good question and an even better answer. I would also add that my time making my gear isn't a top production time spent. If I took as many breaks at work or set it off to go to the store or watch a movie, complete other chores, etc., I wouldn't have my job.

So my time to make my gear is my time and it's hard to put an hourly price since there is no one to negotiate my skill(or lack of) into wages. The finished product also may not be worth what some may want to include into an hourly wage.

Also, It's time spent not getting into trouble and let's face it...... What price can we put on that?

[Wesleypipesyo]

It appears that I am in the lonely minority here. I am all using a $20 Amazon hammock that I bought years ago. I love it. Last week I bought a Golden Armor hammock. Not that I needed a hammock, but I wanted tree straps. It wasn't that much more to get a hammock with the tree straps. But I also use a 10x10' blue work tarp from Kmart as my cover. If I camped more than three or four times a year o might see about getting a better quality hammock. But the two or three nights at a time isn't enough to justify getting anything else until my current gear breaks. But at this point it is going strong.

Vote +1 for super cheap

[Phantom Grappler]

It appears that I am in the lonely minority here. I am all using a $20 Amazon hammock that I bought years ago. I love it. Last week I bought a Golden Armor hammock. Not that I needed a hammock, but I wanted tree straps. It wasn't that much more to get a hammock with the tree straps. But I also use a 10x10' blue work tarp from Kmart as my cover. If I camped more than three or four times a year o might see about getting a better quality hammock. But the two or three nights at a time isn't enough to justify getting anything else until my current gear breaks. But at this point it is going strong.

Vote +1 for super cheap

Wesleypipesyo, my first hammock was an Eno and I remember back in the days of raising my kids—a certain blue Kmart tarp. We’d rig a tipi and tie that blue tarp to the poles that I’d cut back in our woods. Those were some great times. We didn’t have lots of money left over after buying groceries for all seven of us and our dog.
As long as you snooze levitated—its all we need.

[Wesleypipesyo]

Wesleypipesyo, my first hammock was an Eno and I remember back in the days of raising my kids—a certain blue Kmart tarp. We’d rig a tipi and tie that blue tarp to the poles that I’d cut back in our woods. Those were some great times. We didn’t have lots of money left over after buying groceries for all seven of us and our dog.
As long as you snooze levitated—its all we need.

Thankfully I am blessed enough that my equipment choice isn't based on financial needs. I just don't see the need to have a tarp for just camping. Besides, I always wake up to blue skies. Lol

[cmoulder]

It appears that I am in the lonely minority here. I am all using a $20 Amazon hammock that I bought years ago. I love it. Last week I bought a Golden Armor hammock. Not that I needed a hammock, but I wanted tree straps. It wasn't that much more to get a hammock with the tree straps. But I also use a 10x10' blue work tarp from Kmart as my cover. If I camped more than three or four times a year o might see about getting a better quality hammock. But the two or three nights at a time isn't enough to justify getting anything else until my current gear breaks. But at this point it is going strong.

Vote +1 for super cheap

As has been mentioned a few times in this thread, use whatever you like based upon your style of camping, your desire to DIY, and what you are willing/able to spend. You've no-one to please but yourself.

My sense of reading the forums here is that there are few (if any... none that I detect) who are flashing their bling simply as an ostentatious show for others. Although some people buy/sell/trade a good bit, it seems that it's because they just like to try different gear, which is a common aspect of many hobbies, or are, as I am, trying different things to lighten their kit.

Speaking of lightening kit, this (and simplification, and reducing volume) is my main goal for my backpacking sleep system, which is one of my UL objectives. As a backpacker who isn't getting any younger, I have found that a carrying a light pack is the overwhelming reason that I still want to and am able to get out and do what I want to do. Often times lighter gear is more expensive, sometimes not, and sometimes dirt cheap and sometimes free. Either way, for me it is all about getting out an enjoying the outdoors, and I buy or make whatever it takes — within my own definition of reason — to do that.

[Wesleypipesyo]

My ultra light pack was around 32 pounds... I think I did something wrong.