What keeps it fresh here

[geoskid]

I will be the first to admit that I don't contribute enough to trip reports.( I do not expect an argument here).... )

I use this forum in many ways...and 'where am I' is it's best feature for me.
There is the dissonance.
What say you?

[geoskid]

Well I think that the forum has grown to such an extent, not only in members, but also in information, that new or newish members can possibly feel... not included.
( No I'm not talking about me - I'm actually against some stuff)
Not sure what the question is, but is it possible (without a dedicated newbie area that I would feel comfortable in) that we are becoming ELITE without realising it.

If so, what do we do about it?

[stepbystep]

The 'Where am I' game has a friendly vibe to it, nice photos and I enjoy the odd anecdote that goes with the pictures.
The political stuff is kinda pointless, don't know why I bother, just stupid I guess.
I enjoy the historical references, stories of Pedder and Gordonvale, Melaleuca and Adamsfield, old routes, old characters of the bush etc

Equipment bores me, ironically, that's the thing that's 'freshest' as it's always changing...boring...

More trip reports would be nice. I'm very guilty of not contributing. I've had some crackers this season gone...will attempt to rectify when time allows.

[GPSGuided]

...we are becoming ELITE without realising it.
If so, what do we do about it?

Errr... Start buying and using Kathmandu gears?

[walkon]

...we are becoming ELITE without realising it.
If so, what do we do about it?

Errr... Start buying and using Kathmandu gears?

Seriously? I think the last statement says it all about where some users are at and just adding an emoji at the end doesn't excuse the intent. Nowhere in the definitions of bushwalking, bushwalkers, hikers, hiking, trekkers, trekking does any form of wearing elite clothing enter into it. Even this forums name bushwalk.com doesn't have any elite connotations to it, the content is inclusive in which it welcomes desert, alpine, beach, ul and gear makers to name some.

The people I see who bushwalk the most have gear from all over the place. On my last trip, one person was decked out head to toe from Anaconda. He was well over 50 and was doing his first backpacking overnight trip in his life. Lucky I don't judge people by what they are wearing as I would have missed out on one of Australia's true gems.

This puerile discussion of where people buy their clothing was jaded in high school and I would have thought the discussion would have matured by now, sadly it seems not to have done.

This forum should be about celebrating and expanding a way of life, not just another degenerative school yard *&%$#! session about fashion brands. The help that mostly I see on this site is positive and informative. For this forum to succeed and grow this has to be cultivated imo.

[cajun]

Interesting topic. I am a newbie, both to this forum and to bushwalking. As an active user of other forums it was natural for me to look for a forum where I could learn about bushwalking, and in this forum I have found a gem. I have not felt excluded, and in my first post I got some great answers. Like any forum it takes a while to know the inhabitants and especially the "characters".

The photography is outstanding, and gives me something to aim for.

Now all I have to do is get out and do some bushwalking.

[GPSGuided]

Seriously?

Of course not!

I also have Kathmandu gears in my stable and my statement was but in response to the "ELITE" in capital letter from the earlier post.

[doogs]

Yup, I too really enjoy the 'Where am I game' and trip reports. I like to keep an eye on the Tasmanian section too. Equipment is a bit meh..Discussions are sometimes good and sometimes awful.

[neilmny]

Same here Doogs, but I like to keep an eye on the Victorian section.....well I am a Victorian. I get a touch of the jolly green giants if I look at the Tassie section too much
I find the the equipment section gets a bit mine is better than yours or if you don't have this then you have nothing.
I wouldn't even discuss my gear in detail for fear of being shot down in flames as some kind of equipment failure.
But.......I am largely happy with my gear..... it is affordable, functional... and.... I own it....ouch my aching back

[blacksheep]

Brett used to keep me engaged..

[Nuts]

There is the dissonance. What say you?

Hold on..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissonance ah right, conflict eh.. huh?, why so?

A chat room would be nice. There are things that should be sorted out now and then that in certain cases (rude *&%$#!) don't really deserve to made private. More than that, I too like the anecdotes, personal accounts of all sorts.

I like all the galleries and give the game photo's a look now and then.

In two minds about conservation debates.
Some topics lend themselves to wiki-expertise, which can be hard to tell apart, and far slicker than normal (expertise)

[Nuts]

Nice photo's btw, I don't think i've seen WFV hut from that angle, on a sea of scoparia!...
oh, those little fellas would be nearly ready for their first cache packs ; )

[icefest]

A chat room would be nice. There are things that should be sorted out now and then that in certain cases (rude *&%$#!) don't really deserve to made private. More than that, I too like the anecdotes, personal accounts of all sorts.

Maybe we should have an IRC channel for bushwalk.com.

Who would be interested in joining?

[GPSGuided]

Maybe we should have an IRC channel for bushwalk.com.
Who would be interested in joining?

I recall this concept was discussed at some point in the past. Can the server/forum add a chat module? Whilst IRC is a good protocol, it's going away, just like Usenet. Once upon a time there was an active aus.bushwalking group.

[corvus]

Places and Vistas only change with the seasons I believe however equipment changes by the day therefore I personally like to check out what is new and available and who is doing what with it .

Pretty pictures are really nice but of no help when you need a bit of advice as to equipment and at times how to use it so I think the many contributors to equipment have really kept it fresh
corvus

[GPSGuided]

What keeps the place fresh is the number of participants. Always new stories.

[South_Aussie_Hiker]

I was just about to start a new topic saying I thought the number of trip reports had dropped when I came across this thread.

While I still check in every day, trip reports are the thing I enjoy reading the most.

Maybe an email to all members encouraging them to keep trip reports coming would be a good place to start.

I only do one multiday trip a year, so can't really contribute much more

[GBW]

Nice people and nearly every question you'd ask yourself about bushwalking has been discussed here. That's why I like it.

[walkerchris77]

Nice people and nearly every question you'd ask yourself about bushwalking has been discussed here. That's why I like it.

Agreed. And not everyone can afford top if the range stuff. Wish I could spend $1000 on a tent but the misses would kill me. Great that ppl help u with other options.