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View Full Version : Holiday trip to usa what would you buy



Brian Deakin
03-02-2014, 4:32 PM
I am travelling with my family from the United Kingdom to Boston and the surrounding area for a 2 week holiday in July

My question

Can anyone recommend products to purchase in the following areas

Gardening camping technology




regards

Brian

Myk Rian
03-02-2014, 4:59 PM
Boston Baked Beans.

Don Morris
03-02-2014, 6:49 PM
If you're like my friends in the UK, you might be camping/hikers. There are a couple outstanding camping/hiking outfitters in Boston you might want to visit that will tempt your wallet. Also, since you're on this blog, it's not too far of a drive to the Lie Nielsen home/store in Warren, Maine (leave the kids at the swim park). Check the exchange rates daily, and bring an electronic converter.

Erik Loza
03-02-2014, 7:47 PM
Under "camping"...

http://www.rei.com/stores/boston.html

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

Ed Falk
03-02-2014, 7:52 PM
Boston Baked Beans.

I lived in Boston half my life, and never ate a Boston Baked Bean once. I think they're only sold in the airport for last-minute souvenirs.

Ed Falk
03-02-2014, 7:56 PM
Under "camping"...

http://www.rei.com/stores/boston.html

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

I agree. If they don't have REI in the UK, then it's definitely worth a visit.

Other than that, in this era of online shopping and containerized shipping, is there anything you can get abroad that you can't get at home any more?

Bill Cunningham
03-02-2014, 8:51 PM
Lambs 151 proof rum at the duty free shop..:D

John Conklin
03-03-2014, 8:02 AM
Just eat as much seafood as you can hold while you're there. :D

Wade Lippman
03-03-2014, 9:37 AM
Go to a "When Pigs Fly" bakery. It is always the highlight of my trips to Boston. Well, other than seeing my son I mean.

My wife would recommend going up to the LLBean store in Maine, but it left me cold. Huge, but otherwise nothing remarkable.

Brian Ashton
03-04-2014, 2:59 AM
I agree. If they don't have REI in the UK, then it's definitely worth a visit.

Other than that, in this era of online shopping and containerized shipping, is there anything you can get abroad that you can't get at home any more?

Hee hee. Oh you american (and i mean that in the nicest way). Because every country tries to unload their wares in tye US you probably have little idea about geoblocking. In a nutshell it allows companies to gouge the.customer and eliminate all competion to keep them honest in their region of the globe - australia is the world leader there.

Bill Orbine
03-04-2014, 9:37 AM
Go to a "When Pigs Fly" bakery. It is always the highlight of my trips to Boston. Well, other than seeing my son I mean.

My wife would recommend going up to the LLBean store in Maine, but it left me cold. Huge, but otherwise nothing remarkable.

If you do go north to Maine, you might as well consider visiting Lie Nielsen. Asides from the goodies, they have weekend on-hands workshop.

Erik Loza
03-04-2014, 9:44 AM
My wife and I were definitely in the "lets do some shopping" mode when we were in Paris and to be honest, there was not a lot that we saw that we felt we either would not have been able to find on Amazon or that was just not compelling enough to pay to bring back. We did bring back some wine (not really so much because it was great wine but just because we liked the idea of being able to open a bottle and have it remind us of this great trip...). What we did spend money and what we felt we could not find anyplace else was the great food. We try to bring back one trinket or chachki for the house from every trip but by and large, we spend our money on "seeing and tasting" each destination. That's just what works for us.

Boston is a great area. I'm sure you will enjoy your travels there.

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

Pat Barry
03-04-2014, 7:46 PM
We get a lot of visitors from Ireland and they love to stock up on clothing, especially blue jeans because those items are so expensive back home. They stop and load up at the Outlet Malls

Frederick Skelly
03-04-2014, 9:03 PM
I agree. If they don't have REI in the UK, then it's definitely worth a visit.

Other than that, in this era of online shopping and containerized shipping, is there anything you can get abroad that you can't get at home any more?


+2. I went to an REI when I was on vacation. If you want camping/hiking gear, they are superb. The staff is knowledgable and helpful.
Fred

Larry Whitlow
03-05-2014, 12:47 AM
I cannot reply specifically about Boston, but based on my own travels and a lot of feedback from others, you should find prices to be very attractive compared to what you see at home. Unfortunately, airline charges for excess weight may take big bites out of any savings.

Harold Burrell
03-05-2014, 9:37 AM
I am travelling with my family from the United Kingdom to Boston and the surrounding area for a 2 week holiday in July

My question

Can anyone recommend products to purchase in the following areas

Gardening camping technology




regards

Brian

Oh...good choice! It is my understanding that the US ranks among the best in the world in it's technological advancements in Gardening camping. ;)

Montgomery Scott
03-05-2014, 2:09 PM
+2. I went to an REI when I was on vacation. If you want camping/hiking gear, they are superb. The staff is knowledgable and helpful.
Fred

REI is a purveyor of low to mid end gear. Definitely not the place to go if you want the best gear available.

Erik Loza
03-05-2014, 3:30 PM
REI is a purveyor of low to mid end gear. Definitely not the place to go if you want the best gear available.

Really?

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

Pat Barry
03-05-2014, 3:35 PM
I'd agree about REI. If you really want to see camping and outdoors equipment you need to go to Cabella's. There are two stores near Boston. One in East Hartford Connecticut, the other in Scarborough Maine. They have astounding stores with everything you could want to find in outdoors world (no gardening though). Check out the website http://www.cabelas.com/stores/stores_home.jsp

Erik Loza
03-05-2014, 3:42 PM
The Cabela's (or at least the one in my area...) is not really what I would call a "camping supply" store. More of hunting and fishing supply place with some clothing that may or may not be of appeal to you (much of it is camouflage). My very favorite yard work clothes: My Carhart duck jacket, trousers, and mud boots, I got at Cabelas. REI does not sell things like that. Or at least not the one in my area.

I have been on more than one expedition-level backpacking trips over the years, some of which involved roping or technical climbing, and always gotten all my needs met at REI. In fact, I remember making pilgrimages to the original Berkeley REI during the 80's because they were the only place you could find a good assortment of frameless backpacks and would rent you climbing gear.

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

Jim Matthews
03-05-2014, 5:58 PM
Two things; check VAT on items you carry home with you. If there's an outbound inventory, the exchequer will recognize inbound items.
Customs agents LOVE vacationers on their return...

Secondly; seek out items that cannot be found anywhere else.
If it can be ordered online, it's not a rarity.

Yelp! is your friend, to seek out places that don't have a developed web presence.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/pemberton-farms-and-garden-center-cambridge

Enter the locale, and a search string to find interesting places off the beaten path.

*****

Get ahead of the curve, find a concert your kids will want to attend and order tickets.

A little off your parade route, http://www.sandywoodsmusic.com/current-and-upcoming-shows.html
(Tiverton, RI near Massachusetts route 24 at the Rhode Island state line)

Not everyone's favorite, but just down the road - fresh seafood, fried as God intended.
(Whole belly local clams or Calamari.)

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g54117-d443259-Reviews-Evelyn_s_Nanaquaket_Drive_In-Tiverton_Rhode_Island.html

Frederick Skelly
03-05-2014, 7:18 PM
The Cabela's (or at least the one in my area...) is not really what I would call a "camping supply" store. More of hunting and fishing supply place with some clothing that may or may not be of appeal to you (much of it is camouflage). My very favorite yard work clothes: My Carhart duck jacket, trousers, and mud boots, I got at Cabelas. REI does not sell things like that. Or at least not the one in my area.

I have been on more than one expedition-level backpacking trips over the years, some of which involved roping or technical climbing, and always gotten all my needs met at REI. In fact, I remember making pilgrimages to the original Berkeley REI during the 80's because they were the only place you could find a good assortment of frameless backpacks and would rent you climbing gear.

Erik Loza
Minimax USA


+1 Eric. Might be just the store I visited, but I wasnt impressed. To each his/her own, I guess.

Montgomery Scott
03-06-2014, 3:00 PM
Really?

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

Really. If you want the best pack you buy a McHale. If you want the best sleeping bag you buy Feathered Friends or Western Mountaineering. Etc. Few of the best of the best brands are sold in REI. People buy North Face for its status. The gear itself is low end. Ever seen a Necky or Current Design kayak sold at REI? How many Cervelo bikes do they sell there?

Same thing with Cabelas. Lower end gear with higher end pricing, but they are more of a hunter's store. Backpackers rarely shop there as they do not sell items particularly suited for backpacking and nothing for climbing. Of course if you are strictly a camper that throws the gear out of the back of your vehicle, then just about anything will work and you don't care much about the weight of it, or perhaps much about the overall durability of it.

Erik Loza
03-06-2014, 5:06 PM
Montgomery, I respectfully disagree.

"Best" relative to what? The Gregory pack I bought ages ago has been all over the Sierra Nevadas with me, as has my Sierra Designs tent and my house-brand REI sleeping bag. None of them has ever let me down. As always, it is more about getting the right kit for what you plan to do than just buying this or that brand.

Funny that you mention Cervelo: I'm a cyclist and many of my friends are competitive triathletes as well as CAT2 and CAT1 racers. Some could afford a Cervelo but have other brands like Orbea or Trek. Other could not maybe afford an Cervelo TT bike, yet still are competitive. My favorite cycling instructor, a six-time Ironman, actually races on a Litespeed titanium bike which I believe is now quite dated in design. He consistently beats guys on carbon bikes because, well, he knows how to race. And since you mentioned bikes that REI does or doesn't sell, my wife's around-town bike is some heavy old Giant that has handle shifters. I actually think she bought it there. It has the springy seat and everything. I actually prefer riding hers to the neighborhood bar because, well, you can imagine how much fun it is to clip into my road bike just to go have a few beers.

Anyway, I still recommend REI as one of best places to get high quality outdoor gear for most folks. Just my 2-cents.

Erik Loza
Minimax USA