Success!

For any of you who weren’t aware of it, Cotswold were offering to swap the first 10 pairs of old boots and first 20 old sleeping bags for new ones for the measly sum of £10. All old kit was sent to the British Red Cross.

The offer really was true, but also quite cleverly worded. Cotswold were offering any new pair of Scarpa walking boots from their current range for £10, but Mountain Equipment had actually donated 10 synthetic Firewalker sleeping bags and 10 synthetic Sleepwalker bags for customers to choose from, so my idea of swapping my old Snugpack Winks I for a brand new down bag wasn’t to be.

However, having got lost on the way to the store and arrived at 9:05, I was still in time to be ‘No.17 sleeping bag person, madam’. I managed to swap my 9 year old bag for a brand new Sleepwalker, which is lighter, cleaner, newer and probably now warmer. All in all it was a good deal, but not as good as some...

One guy had apparently been casing the joint the day before and was determined to arrive first on Saturday morning. A bit excessive you think? Well, that depends on whether or not you consider walking off with a pair of brand new £199.00 Scarpa Vegas* for £10 worth missing out on sleep for.

So come on that man, reveal your identity on the OUTDOORSmagic forum…

* Update - my co-bargain-partner assures me they were Scarpa Alphas, although I can see no reference to Alphas on the Cotswold site. What does it matter? He basically lucked out!