I am no shoe expert but let me share some feedback on the couple of footwears that I used. At first, I was hesitant to buy a pair of Merrell shoes. The usual feedback I receive was that it looks good, comfortable but poor performance and durability. It took me a couple of years to finally decide to try it. Well, maybe Merrell improved from the time my friends bought their pairs because I’m satisfied when I got my first pair in 2007. Compared to the other designs, I selected a very simple one for use on a daily basis. This was possible since there was no strict dress code in the offices I worked at. I also use it for casual wear, jogging, trekking, badminton, practically on nearly all regular activities that I do since it's very comfortable. Though it had problems a couple of times, they were solved with repairs. This was one of my most abused shoes. Considering the torture it received from me, it surived for 2 years. It's a good achievement since I usually had to change shoes 2-3 times a year. It got an early retirement when I decided to avail of shoe trade in by Adidas. It was possible since it's still very much usable. ![]() I purchased my first and only pair of Coleman boots last 2002. I liked so much back then that I even use it in formal occassions. It's durable but with sacrifices on comfort, which is just okay for my intentions. I used this in the city specially during rainy seasons since its waterproofing allowed me to keep my feet dry in minor floods. Back then it cost me a quarter of my monthly salary so I did not use it as much hoping to extend its lifetime.. Today, there's a significant number of shoes available with much better design making this one obsolete. I brought my pair in Coleman service some time in 2007 but they don't repair this type of product. ![]()
I purchase my set February 2010. It comfortably accommodates 2 people, and possible to squeeze in 3. It's not designed for serious weather conditions but it's good for light recreational activities, such as beaches. An unusual way to use this is to just take out the flysheet. The sides are made of nets which allows you to see the sky on a clear night. This will also allow more air to come with less mosquitoes. Just make sure you're not expecting any rains. I had difficulty setting this up in the beaches of Borawan, Padre Burgos, Quezon. It's the first time I used it as a lone camper. No other tents were beside it to help block the wind. Except for occassional gusts, there's really not much wind to deal with. Still, I had to move the tent several times since it keeps on being blown away. I've read somewhere that I should have its back against the source of the wind. I doubt it made any impact at all. Lesson for me is that I have to be ready with much taller pegs in case I want to use it again in a beach. I purchased Kovea 4-person cookset in December 2008. I cooked rice on the 2nd biggest pot. Our group of 3 guys and 5 ladies were just able to consume just about half of what I prepared. It makes me think that I should have just purchased 2-person version, which will cost me less and easier to pack. I purchased this a nearby hardware store for P600.00,just a fraction of branded counterparts available in specialty shops. One advantage of buying cheaper versions is you can easily afford to buy more than one and be able to cook food simultaneously. I have not used this in unfriendly environment so I can not comment on its reliability yet.
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