Information from Forums

[idig4au]

How much creditability do you take aboard with getting advise from internet Forums such as this one or others? Do you let members on here persuade or guide you in your decision making process when it comes to gear changes? How do you know if you are even getting creditable advise?

I'm just curious as to how people wade through the trolls and other "subject matter experts" that exist on nearly every forum that generally spew B.S. and have little to no basis to provide an educated reply. It seems some people just like to over power and provide an opinion on every subject posted regardless if they have experience or not! Some people just don't have a clue and you can read it in their responses. But how does the new FNG that is just starting out know this?

I personally now only take on advise from just a handful of maybe 10 people at most on this forum based on history of reading their replies and experiences on gear over the past couple of years. I've followed their advise with gear purchases and what they said has been true, so I generally will gravitate towards their recommendations as a starting point for researching gear.

I'm just curious how others wade through the B.S. and get creditable information on sites like this.

 

[SHTF]

I think this post sums it up best for you Idig. http://www.rokslide.com/forums/show...o-get-in-the-field!&highlight=Experience+gear

I have the pleasure of knowing Aron Snyder personally so I know who to listen too and who not too. A good rule of thumb is if you see someone post about something gear wise They will normally start off with their experience with that gear. This very subject is why my sig is the way it is.
That is the way I evaluate it. For what its worth anyways which isnt much.

 

[Cascade_Sherpa]

Great post idig4au!

I completely agree with the premise what you are saying, even though it was posed as a question....I also think the topic of your post hits a little close to home for the many of the pseudo "subject matter experts" on this site. Rokslide has a much lower "douche-bag troll" to "Wise and helpful outdoorsman" Ratio than most other hunting/shooting/fishing/backpacking sites. But its also exhausting and tedious when you want to read/watch unbiased reviews based on first-hand experience on gear and equipment and you have to wade through all of the pages of posts from guys who will never actually buy and use the majority of the gear, but still troll for the Kifaru vs. Kuiu, ect. threads to spew their slander that was never asked for.

I agree with your assessment of accepting advice from "maybe 10 people at the most".....although I think my number is probably more like 6 to 8. Post count does not equal valuable experience that needs to be shared.

 

[quarbles]

i've learned a wealth of information pertaining to archery from forums that i otherwise wouldn't be exposed to. i've learned off of threads, but more specifically the threads have allowed me to see who has the knowledge or experiences i'm after. i've utilized the pm system of forums to solicit answers from specific peeps.... it has helped the learning curve exponentially.

 

[MuleyFever]

I use forums to find ideas and the products available to me. From there I do my own research and decide what I want to do. There are some people you can tell have experience so some posts I give more weight in my decisions. As far as telling who is BS and who is not I notice things like how many posts they have (trolls?), where they live (once a year back country guy?) and how they answer questions. People who just bash gear and ways other than the ones they use get little respect from me. This info gives me something to work with and helps in the big picture.

 

[mtswampfox]

I use forums to find ideas and the products available to me. From there I do my own research and decide what I want to do.

yep. piquing an interest and go on from there. have found all forums are extremely cliquish and even tho one will put forth an idea that others will poo-poo , and that same idea from one of the revered will be taken as gospel.

 

[mAv]

Agree with muley- new ideas, new products- take things with a grain of salt unless you know someone's experience level.

 

[Shrek]

You guys do know there's an ignore function ? You wouldn't have to see any of my or anyone else's posts you didn't like.

 

[Beendare]

You also have to factor in the the shills- "Pro Staffers" that pump product

I would have to say this forum is a bit better than most...though the internet is where old wives tales go to die

 

[Buglebrush]

I have picked up lots of good tips and advice, but I always take it with a grain of salt. We all are prejudiced towards our way of doing things, and our own ideas about what is quality gear etc... If what you are running works for you don't give in to the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. I have " Upgraded" so many times based on raving reviews and ended up going back to my original gear Of course some of the upgrades have worked out great too. I think the biggest thing that has helped me is " If it ain't broke don't fix it" My 2 cents.

 

[luke moffat]

I don't think I've ever posted but congrats to folks in the muley and elk forums as I don't even know what they look like. Likewise I can count on one hadn the times I've clicked on the archery and traditional sections of this forum. Mainly cause they don't really apply to where and a how I hunt to much and I would have nothing to add.

I try to limit my topics on gear to stuff I've used on a hunt successfully. Otherwise I just lurk unless someone asks me something. Like SHTF though, my experience are just that mine....I know there are many that likely have more experience than I so I just limit my comments to what little I know. For example I try to only made comments about gear I have actually used (yes I fail from time to time with this) and as such really try for example to only talk about packs I've personally used to haul out animals out of the backcountry. Granted I usually am part of hauling somewhere between 10-12 animals out annually on my back so I'm "blessed" with the chance real world test how different packs stack up FOR ME. And I know some on here pack out quite a few more animals than that out, let alone guides and packers that make those numbers look sad and pathetic.

End of the day who cares what name brand is on your gear. Just so long as it works for you, go out and have fun being outside!

 

[SHTF]

I don't think I've ever posted but congrats to folks in the muley and elk forums as I don't even know what they look like. Likewise I can count on one hadn the times I've clicked on the archery and traditional sections of this forum. Mainly cause they don't really apply to where and a how I hunt to much and I would have nothing to add.

I try to limit my topics on gear to stuff I've used on a hunt successfully. Otherwise I just lurk unless someone asks me something. Like SHTF though, my experience are just that mine....I know there are many that likely have more experience than I so I just limit my comments to what little I know. For example I try to only made comments about gear I have actually used (yes I fail from time to time with this) and as such really try for example to only talk about packs I've personally used to haul out animals out of the backcountry. Granted I usually am part of hauling somewhere between 10-12 animals out annually on my back so I'm "blessed" with the chance real world test how different packs stack up FOR ME. And I know some one here pack out quite a few more animals than that out, let alone guides and packers that make those numbers look sad and pathetic.

End of the day who cares what name brand is on your gear. Just so long as it works for you, go out and have fun being outside!

And that Is why I love Luke and Becca. They are about the most humble people Ive ever had the pleasure to get to know online. Completely Modest too. Luke has more miles on his boots and probably more Meat in his pack then most on this site. And he still keeps it modest. 10-12 Animals..... Most Meat Ive carried lately is a steak I brought from home cause I wanted to eat good for 1 day out of 5 And my Cat cause he likes to hitch a ride from Time to Time. hahaha. God love ya Luke =-)

For the new guys... Luke is one to watch for posts from. Always learning something from him and his wife Becca.

 

[Lawnboi]

A little common sense goes a long way

 

[Craig Van Arsdale]

^^^^

Yep! There are only a dozen or so that i really follow on here. It's not too hard to find out who gets it done.

 

[5MilesBack]

It helps if you at least have a little bit of experience with whatever gear you're looking at advice for. Otherwise you could be sold on a pile of garbage and not even know it. Beyond that, you have to know who is giving the advice. If you're brand new to forums you probably don't know anybody, and that doesn't help much. And as with all advice......understand that people give advice based on THEIR personal experiences with said gear. YMMV.

Personally, I'm a gear and test nut. So I don't look for advice too much.....prefer to test it all myself.....trial and error. Expensive, yes. But more fun that way.

 

[badkneesbro]

And that Is why I love Luke and Becca. They are about the most humble people Ive ever had the pleasure to get to know online. Completely Modest too. Luke has more miles on his boots and probably more Meat in his pack then most on this site. And he still keeps it modest. 10-12 Animals..... Most Meat Ive carried lately is a steak I brought from home cause I wanted to eat good for 1 day out of 5 And my Cat cause he likes to hitch a ride from Time to Time. hahaha. God love ya Luke =-)

For the new guys... Luke is one to watch for posts from. Always learning something from him and his wife Becca.

Exactly! If youre new, keep your eye out for the names "Luke and or Becca" as they have valuable ideas & experiences from belt pouches to game recipes & everything in between. They also put out some awesome videos & pictures. A heartfelt load of thanks to you two.

 

[BroodBuster]

Being this is the internet our BS trigger finger should be cocked at all times. After a little while though you tend to learn who to listen too and take advice from though.

 

[MattB]

I think you need to spend time reading posts from folks and figuring out which have opinions/experiences that align with your own to figure out who to listen to. There are a few folks on this site who are knowledgeable and experienced, but frankly do not see the world the same as me. As such, I will put the information they post in the databanks, but probably wouldn't take it myself.

In terms of who not to listen to, it comes down to consistently expressing opinions that disagree with my experience and also those who post asking a lot of questions - and more specifically the nature of those questions.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

Consistency and timing is something I look for. Someone giving a rave review on a just released product usually gets dismissed, likewise those who give a great review then when problems are found jump on the hate band wagon.

 

[orionsbrother]

Use your head. Ask yourself if a recommendation makes sense. Check some other sources. Be skeptical. Even though mom says she loves you, think about that crap you pulled as a kid.