There’s something about this rant that rubs me the wrong way. Possibly because the definition of “elitist” is apparently “People who have more money than me.”
I wear North Face every day lately. Admittedly partly because it pisses off [this guy](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=356974), but also because they're dry and warm. Last time I was in the Bay Area, it was pretty chilly. High tech trail shoes? Ummm....maybe they're comfy? I don't see why I should be colder or less comfortable around town than I am on a trail just to make Even Sven happy. Even if she is the self-appointed arbiter of good taste in Oakland.
Well, I need to protest this. Year 1, we went to the Ren Faire and it was 90 degrees and we had some bottled water, but ended up having to buy it, and it was expensive, $2.50 a bottle.
Year 2, we filled up the Camelbak with ice…it was 90 again, so we drank our water bottles all morning and in the afternoon we had ice-cold chilled water from the Camelbak. Mmmm.
That’s a whole day thing, though, and it’s not like we want to leave the park to go buy drinks.
Also goes for the same dodos who drive SUVs where their only use for 4-wheel drive is to climb over the speed humps in the shopping center parking lots.
I’m not sure what taste tests prove. Mix in a bit of giardia, * e. coli *, and a dollop of lead and I bet you still couldn’t tell the difference. Your faith in public water supplies is touching and but not completely justified.
Humm. I have a CamelBak and it never occured to me to wear it to work.
I suppose it might go nicely with my suit and pumps - perhaps I’ll give that a whirl tomorrow.
(Mine is pretty much for hiking - it’s been up and down more mountains than most goats! :))
You have just changed my mind on this subject. I’ve always felt rather silly when I buy a bottle of water to drink while I’m out. Not that I go out much, but in the Texas heat, hydration is necessary.
I bet anyone can tell the difference between bottled water and water from a CamelBak bladder. I don’t know how people can stand the taste - does it wear off after a while?
(Actually I do have one Camelbak for bike riding; I replaced the bladder with a Platypus which doesn’t seem to have this problem.)
I wear my camelback while hiking, bicycling and snowboarding. (please note this doesn’t mean every time) Yes it tastes a bit stale after a while, but the point is, I’m usually so damn thirsty, I don’t care. I’m just happy not to have to stop off at the lodge and de-gear so I can trudge inside for a turn at the drinking fountain. But why someone would wear it while walking around town is beyond me.
As for wearing good shoes, I have a point of contention. Maybe some people just like wearing well-made comfortable functional shoes that won’t wear out after a few months of use? I know I do. My work shoes are Danskos, my play shoes are Simples, my hiking boots are Timberlines, My flip-flops are Tevas. None of those are cheap, but I’ve had them a long time with virtually no sign of wear and tear, and I definitely get out and about.
Because I work in the construction business, literally, out in the field. Mine is a good way to keep both my water, paperwork, laptop, and an assortment of small hand tools together, so I don’t have to run back to the office all the time I want more water (the office is 8 miles away, around the perimeter of a runway).
While I completely sympathize with even sven’s utter disdain for those individuals that wear CamelBacks and “yuppie gear” for no reason (people I will call “soccer moms”), there are a handful of us that actually do use CamelBacks, drive pickup trucks, and have Leathermen, because we use 'em on a daily basis.
Tripler
“You may take my life, but you will never take my 6-cent, waterborne freedom!”
