January is never easy for me to find field time, in fact the first month of each new quarter is always very busy at work. This one was especially bad in light of an unexpected promotion which is intensifying the amount of time my focus is required for work.
When this happens and I find little opportunity to get out I turn to others, those who spend time outside, to live a bit vicariously through them. I appreciate the ability to do this, especially when there's actual field time that validates opinions, which brings me to my point.
Look around, it'll become glaringly obvious as to which 'opinion' is worth hearing or reading. I've got nothing against opinions, I do find it comical however, when there are hundreds of reviews of outdoorsy products and zero validation of said opinions through actual use. I know others have written about it before but it's now at a fever pitch. If you're going to review products, espouse opinions, do your readers a favor, at least get outside from time to time and validate your opinions.
You might be able to turn a phrase, and take a nice picture from time to time, but if you're formulating your opinion from behind your desk, you're just a poser. Where are the trip reports? Where's the field time needed to validate the experience or the opinion? Five minutes outside with a product you are reviewing does not constitute real field time.
I'm not saying you can't formulate an assumption based on prior experience, I am saying don't hand it down like gospel unless you have actually done it.
The end goal is the experience of a thing. The overall experience of an endeavor is what we're all after, an experience is either bad, okay, or good. Experiences become memories. How we choose to do something can be just as important as the doing in and of itself. Opinions vary as to what's practical and what isn't practical, largely those opinions are based upon having done it. When one hasn't done it, the opinion as to whether or not something is practical is an opinion without merit.
Did this need to be said? Maybe, maybe not, after having spent the last several weeks getting my 'field time' by way of reading about others, for some it stood out like a sore thumb. There are doers and there are posers. If you're going to speak as if you're an expert on something, you should at least be able to show your 'expertise' in the field. Everything else is just hot air and wasted digital bandwidth.
Yes, that's the opinion of this Grouch.
And well said too!
ReplyDeleteThanks Bob.
DeleteI agree. My opinions are shared openly, but many are based on past experience and have to be taken for what they're worth. I must say, though, I DO get sick of seeing good knives being beat on with chunks of firewood. I don't see anyone setting fire to their tent to test burn-time, or see them throwing their rifle over a cliff to see how it takes a fall. I guess knife abuse is just considered an acceptable form of vandalism for "outdoorsmen."
ReplyDeleteI agree that there are many examples out there showing what in my/our opinion is over-the-top knife batoning (so many times I think to myself, why doesn't this person just use an AXE?!), but I think a strong, well-made knife can certainly be used for splitting small kindling and such without fear of damage.
Deletebmatt
I guess if I ever saw any harm come to a knife I use for that I'd buy a different knife. I've never actually damaged a knife through baton work and yes I do it frequently. This isn't going to become a batoning debate, it works, I've never broke a knife doing it, is what it is.
DeleteBushcraft has totally become an "Internet hobby". ;) Ironic, isn't it?
ReplyDeletebmatt
And doubly ironic that the statement is being made on a blog, truth be told. "Bushcraft" is, for the most part, a quirky pursuit, to put it mildly. But the "internet bushcraft wars" are just downright ridiculous.
DeleteI think you missed the mark on this one, sir. It would be ironic if I only practiced "Internet bushcraft". If you would like to see what I actually do, please visit "The Weekend Woodsman" blog. I think you'll see that I'm entitled to joke that bushcraft has become an Internet hobby.
DeleteHonestly, I don't care how anybody else practices what they may call "bushcraft". That's why I wrote a lighthearted comment about it being an Internet hobby. I am lucky enough to be able to get out into the field often. Others are not.
bmatt
Bmatt - I think you've misconstrued the intent of my comment. I'm not questioning how "valid" your bushcrafting skills are, by any means. I don't even know anything about you. And I agree with you fully that it has become an "internet hobby" for many. But in checking out some of bushcraft-type blogs and forums out there, there seems to be a fair of bit time spent soap-boxing about who's more "bushcrafty" than who, and who's "faking it", etc. It just seems like a rather ridiculous way to spend one's time, in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteThis is what I was referring to as the "internet bushcraft wars" - not anything personally against you.
OK, thanks for clearing it up. :)
DeleteWell, I certainly agree that a lot of time has been spent lately in talking about who is really practicing bushcraft and who isn't, etc. Everyone is of course entitled to their opinion, and some readily express that opinion. I happen to agree with the observation that there is a lot of fake-ish "for show" content being put out there, BUT...honestly I don't really give a hoot about who is doing what. If people want to take glamor shots of never-used knives and other gear and show it off as their tried-and-tested best, let 'em have at it. I'll search out the sites/forums/etc. that I want to look at instead.
BTW, I didn't mean to infer that I'm any kind of guru/expert/etc. (not by any means), just that I do get out into the field and try new things all the time, in addition to nerding it up on the Internet. ;)
Anyway, thanks for clearing up what you meant. :)
bmatt
Well said!
ReplyDeleteLet's face it people; there are always those who "do" and those who "don't", and more often than not, it is the latter group that thinks the best of itself, is the loudest and thus heard more easily.
ReplyDeleteThose who "do" more often than not do not feel the need to ramble on about it. They tell you once, maybe twice and than go on "doing it".
Unless you actually use something, you are not able to comment on it, let alone give critics about it. Unfortunately if you blast your comments and "experiences" over the net long and hard enough, it is going to be picked up and the sheeple are not well known for their collective intelligence, now are they?
I see it two ways; if you want something, do your homework and use crossreferences. If you base your purchase on one such loadmouth, you end up with what you deserve...
I really respect and appreciate your work and opinions. My friends and I have commented that as of late, "everyone is a tester and no one is a user." One needs to use a piece of eqipment for an amount of time in order to formulate an objective opinion. Otherwise, it's just a product review. Haven't read a negative review in a magazine lately? It's all about advertisement money. Can't give a bad review of a paid advertiser's product, that would be bad for business. It's good to have blogs and forums to get some rare "real" opinions. In this world of immediate gratification, no one wants to wait a year, a month, or even a week to read about a particular new product, they want it NOW!! Sadly, read-click-buy is the new mantra. Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteLt. Mike
Well said!
ReplyDeleteits all become a bit overwhelming!
ReplyDeletenot only the phoney gear reviews, but the elitist, know it all attitude often displayed by those who can pull a subject off the internet and claim to be experts on that subject.
the whole bushcraft community seems to be devolving into nothing more than a bunch of clowns, who because they have a few extra bucks or know thier way around the internet, suddenly elevate themselves above those whos backs they rode in on, never giving credit to those that came before.
it would seem that gear and perceived reality trumps experience and skill these days.
i mean, why go out and truely practice these skills, applying that new found knowledge when someone else has already done the leg work for you...woods
Well said brother but it wont do much good the posers know they're posing and will continue to do so its up to the audience to be able and pick out the guys who are out there doing the do from the internet warriors haha. By the way im looking forward to seeing your trip reports whenever you get back out there
ReplyDeleteKerri