"Now I know how women feel when they go shopping!"

[ArmedBear]

The words of a middle-aged gentleman gleefully walking past my wife, who was sitting on a bench in the Bass Pro Shop.

I needed to get a bunch of clothes and some boots for a hunting trip to a place with really cold conditions. We don't get a lot of real cold here, so I didn't have a lot of things that to many outdoorsmen are just basic items that everyone's got. And mail-ordering boots just doesn't usually work out, especially in a tight time frame.

So we drove to the nearest Bass Pro, 2 hours away. First time I'd been there. Spent hours, but I did get everything I needed. Dropped $500. Ugh! But it was kinda fun, even for a cheap bastard like me, and I NEVER enjoy spending money.

The place does seem like the anti-mall. Men walk around looking really excited, filling carts with stuff, while their wives look puzzled at what the excitement is about.

 

[springmom]

Mrs. Armed Bear should have tripped the twit and then gone over to the firearms counter and bought something.

Maybe Bass Pro is like that where you live, but in Katy, there are just as many women as men rummaging around the gun counter and buying other stuff. Nothing about hunting is a man's world anymore. Nothing.

Springmom

 

[Thernlund]

I see what you're saying, but I can't get there as to a apple-to-apples comparison. Sure the attitude and demeanor may be the same, but men spend alot more.

A common analogy is shoes vs. guns. I however do not think that analogy applies. My wife and daughters have 100's of pairs of shoes between them and they buy several more pair every week. I buy maybe a gun every couple months. Even at these purchasing rates, my spending on guns outpaces their spending on shoes by a long shot.


-T.

 

[daveInME]

yeah, but if you get tired of a gun, you can sell it, and buy another one.
tougher thing to do with a pair of shoes

 

[ArmedBear]

I keep my shoes for a while, and a good number of my guns were cheaper than most women's shoes. I can't imagine what I'd do with hundreds of shoes, though there are certain ones I do covet. Boots, generally, nice ones for outdoor use. I also look for a deal on a used gun; not many people do that with shoes.

Maybe I'm different or something.

springmom, not ALL women there were staring blankly, just like not ALL men in Nordstrom's are sitting around looking near suicidal.

But without any benign generalizations, it's impossible to say anything humorous at all.

However, if you would like to show solidarity with my wife, and with all the women who have ever stepped into a Bass Pro or Cabela's, please buy shirt number 111. That's my wife.

http://www.libertyoutlet.com/store/bygroup.html?store=3&display=list&page=10&sort=category

 

[MCgunner]

It's two hours to Katy for me. I go there usually xmas shopping with the wife and browse, rarely buy anything, though I have. You can definitely beat their prices, but sometimes they have stuff you can't find anywhere else. I got a neat 3D camo jumper there once for a C note, got a feeder there I couldn't find in Victoria at the time. Now, we have an Academy, so fewer trips to Katy.

Hey, I'm a man and for some reason I enjoy Victoria Secrets.

 

[springmom]

However, if you would like to show solidarity with my wife, and with all the women who have ever stepped into a Bass Pro or Cabela's, please buy shirt number 111. That's my wife

I love it!!!! Very cool. I think I saw that when Oleg posted it as a poster at some point.

Yeah, I know, and I was being a bit silly myself there.

t's two hours to Katy for me. I go there usually xmas shopping with the wife and browse, rarely buy anything, though I have. You can definitely beat their prices, but sometimes they have stuff you can't find anywhere else.

Yup. That's the only place in Houston I could find a 9 1/2 inch SRH last year. It was expensive, but if nobody else had them, it was buy that or do without.

Springmom

 

[eliphalet]

Did you feel like a kid in a candy store?

 

[ArmedBear]

Did you feel like a kid in a candy store?

To an extent.

Mostly, though, I was pretty focused on finding high-tech cold weather base layers, really warm pants, insulated boots that actually fit my feet right (hard for me to find) and didn't feel like lead weights, and such, in a few hours before I had to drive 2 hours back home.

I'll have to go back there just for fun later.

As far as prices, I found them to be pretty good for the clothing and equipment, especially since I could try it on, buy it, and walk out with it -- real added value when I need to be ready for a trip soon. I didn't look at guns, except for the Fine Gun Room, and I didn't intend to buy any, at least not right away... It's amazing what a nice shotgun you can get for 30 grand, though. Or 50, or even 75.

 

[eliphalet]

It can or is hard to find good cold weather clothing and or boots in So. Cal. or at least it seemed that way for me. I did get a great warm jacket at a mountaineering store once in the 70's.

Have life long buddy that's been going to the new Bass store in Cucamonga (sp) I think. He bought one gun and ordered another because of price. I haven't see one yet but they sound about like the Cabela's we have here.

Is this for a buffalo hunt Bear?

 

[learningman]

I watched a show on Discovery a while back and they said that in studies men exibit the same stress levels while shopping as fighter pilots in battle, while women actually enjoy it. I'm not a fan of shopping, but I do find some pleasure in going to Cabela's with my wife. Although I know it will be my turn soon enough. My wife and do pretty well though, she takes the kids to look at the fish and stuffed animales when at Cabela's and I find a man chair when she's shopping. And then there is X-Mas shopping.

 

[telkontar]

We took the kids to the new museum opened recently 10 miles away. It's called Cabelas. Kids loved it. My wife bought 2 pair of shoes. I decided I'm quite well equipped, but I did get a new shooting glove for my bow. They did not have a .357 lever gun in stock. Alas!

(My wife fears catalogs of outdoor gear. Looking generally satisfies me now.)

I should have gone to the range, but the kids had fun.

 

[ArmedBear]

Is this for a buffalo hunt Bear?

Yes.

I'm with telkontar. The catalogs are great, and don't take up a lot of time on a nice weekend.

I'm an ex-debtor. To hell with that. I'll buy what I need when I can afford it, and only if it contributes to what I truly value in life. No more running up debt and thinking that stuff I can't afford will make me happier than debt will make me miserable.

I'm not a shopper, I guess. But I'm glad that there are places that sell the stuff I really do want to buy, when I do.