What day do you actually hit the store for those deals, the morning after or later in the day once they start marking stuff down further? Knowing the timing matters more than the holiday itself since I have shown up too early and paid full price. Which holiday has given you the biggest haul so far, Easter or Thanksgiving?

That part about the sloped site near Leadville is what gets me. I have a 1970s Svea 123 that I still take on short trips, and it weighs more than my whole cook kit now, but the thing just works no matter what. How many times did you have to mess with the pump or generator on that Coleman before it fired up, or was it really just the second try after sitting for 10+ years? I keep wondering if the old stuff lasts because it was built simple, or because the newer gear is built to be light and cheap instead of tough.