I found myself today on a quest for gear. Specifically, quinoa (which I only knew how to say, not spell), shock cord in bulk... not bungie cords, and dry cured bacon.

This is all stuff I hear a lot about.

I did not think shock cord was so uncommon. Hardware store, big box stores, fabric stores... Every time I'd ask I would get a blank stare and find myself explaining what it is. But I couldn't give up. If Ace didn't have it, then maybe True Value might. If not at Lowes, try Home Depot. JoAnns doesn't have it so try Michaels and Handcock...

I just ordered some online in about 2 minutes.

But, I will still cary on my quest for a store. And someday when I find it, I will feel very stupid not going "there" in the first place.

(And in case you are wondering, the quinoa was easy, just 2 stops. The Dry Cured bacon will go on as I do not think I want to order bacon online, nor do I intend to cure my own.)

My favorite fishing bobber is not in stores any more. And if you try ordering it online your credit card will be stolen. Lucky for me cabellas now has them but at triple the cost of what they once were.

For shock cord look at places like marina/boat stores or at places that make truck tarps, if you are looking for something of substantial size. If it is for like tent poles then you'll have to probably look on line for it.

Dry cured bacon you will probably have to buy it on line. Cliff Jacobson mentioned some at his talk at Midwest Mountaineerings Spring outdoor expo last month. I'll look in my notes and see what brand it was. It was made up in MN I think.

REI has shock cord in bulk, I have gotten it there in the past. For bacon we precook ours and bring it that way.
CB

I tend to come up with strange requests for things. I find it some times funny frustrating hard ware guys with my requests.

If it is not normally stocked most don't have a clue.

I do have a inside edge when I really need some thing one of my long time friends owns 3 hardware stores and well help me out.

Even then some of my requests gets him wondering.

I always tell them if you don't have it you can't sell it and make money.

Plus the net helps a lot but some times shipping really kills the deal

Not sure which big box store skunked you on the shock cord, but Academy has it over in the camping section. If memory serves it's part of a generic tent repair kit. I'm willing to bet that's the case at all big box stores that carry outdoor gear. Most of the gear I use, especially when I'm running rivers, needs to be of better quality than one can find at a big box store or it will be quickly destroyed, but I can occasionally find what I need at Academy or Gander (I despise Gander but it's sometimes a necessary evil). I just read the thread about the Gander lawsuit and am scratching my head. I wanted to look at a used revolver there once and couldn't get the attention of any of the two or three people behind the gun counter. It was surreal. I've heard or many others having the same experience there.

You can buy pre-cooked bacon at most grocery stores. It keeps for a long time without refrigeration. However I am interested in the idea of dry cured bacon. I need to research that.

Gear Quest should be the name of an annual flea market we sponsor.

I'm not positive, but I think the uncured bacon is the same is dry cured. I think they are hoping to avoid the stigma of the nitrate rich wet curing process by saying uncured - it is still cured with salt and celery juice, and a lactic acid starter. Trader Joe's is the best source for this that I've found. Especially if you don't mind the funny shaped pieces, you can get a pound of the "odds and ends" for $2.99

I knew if I said what I was looking for it would stray. (But I am grateful for the replies).

The "gear quest" has become part of my ritual. Even when looking for something easy I sometimes make it more difficult by looking for something better, cheaper, right color... Whatever.

Not sure of where you are located but I stopped at REI in the twin cities a few weeks ago and they had about a dozen different sizes and strengths of shock cord on bulk rolls.

quote ECpizza: "I knew if I said what I was looking for it would stray. (But I am grateful for the replies).


The "gear quest" has become part of my ritual. Even when looking for something easy I sometimes make it more difficult by looking for something better, cheaper, right color... Whatever."

I for one would like to know what you plan to do with all that dry cured shock cord.

I don't call it a "gear quest", but a "scavenger hunt". I hate it - the driving around and frustration of not finding things. What I do to avoid it is keep an "amazon extras" list on my iphone. As I think of things, I pull out my phone and add to the list. Then, when I periodically need to order something from amazon, I'll also pull up my amazon list on the phone and add on some of the things from the list so I get free shipping. Even food. Much less hassle than driving around.

I have gear quest a lot lately. It is trying to find a certain fishing lure.

Am I remembering this correctly? I think I saw unsliced smoked and cured bacon at Zup's in Cook and Tower?

Can't believe the prices on dry cured bacon. It's about as expensive as taking a date to the movies now days and ordering popcorn and drinks. You almost need to take out a small loan.

quote OldFingers57: "Can't believe the prices on dry cured bacon. It's about as expensive as taking a date to the movies now days and ordering popcorn and drinks. You almost need to take out a small loan. "

Good reason to not take a date to the movies. Cuts your cost in half.

Unfortunately, you can't do that with gear.

Hmmm...JoAnns by my house has rolls and rolls of "elastic cord" in several different sizes. Of course, I had to ask my boss where to find the stuff, but she told me.