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Backpacking Light

Pack less. Be more.

You are here: Home / Blog / Buy Less, Do More with Good Enough Gear

Buy Less, Do More with Good Enough Gear

by Rex Sanders on February 11, 2020 Blog, Essays and Commentary, New Features

Introduction

For some of us, it’s easy to become a gear geek. You might try to hit arbitrary base weight goals like 10 pounds, or for people living outside the United States, Liberia, and Myanmar, 5 kilos. Gear makers come out with the latest incremental improvement and shout to the skies that it’s a revolutionary, game-changing breakthrough – while too many mainstream media reviewers, bloggers, and vloggers agree. Or an existing piece of gear fails to completely satisfy you during a trip, often under rarely encountered conditions, and you vow to replace that piece of junk as soon as you get home. Or maybe a famous blogger praises their latest equipment acquisition and you whisper “I’ve gotta get me one of those.”

buy less do more with good enough gear

Illustration and photo: Ryan Jordan

And yet – after the joy of box opening and the satisfaction of using a new toy on the first couple of trips, it quickly becomes the new normal and you’re not any happier than before. Once again, you’re planning another gear upgrade, believing that as soon as you get your kit “dialed in” all future trips will be more fun. What you’re really hooked on is the dopamine rush from buying and trying new gear – which doesn’t last very long. Sometimes purchasing new gear triggers desires for even more gear, like buying a thicker and wider sleeping pad might start cravings for a bigger tent. And then there’s that extra-large credit card bill a few weeks later.

I can’t get no …

Researchers in the 1970s named this cycle of joy and regret the “hedonic treadmill.” But the idea has been around for a long time under other names including “keeping up with the Joneses” and the 2,500-year-old Buddhist concept of “dukkha” – roughly translated as “we’ll never be satisfied.”

Sanders buy less 1

Caption: A person walks on a treadmill while facing a virtual reality screen showing an outdoor scene. Credit: J.M. Eddins Jr., US Air Force, public domain.

Maybe we should get off the treadmill of constantly searching the Internet to save the last gram or find the perfect tent or carry the latest backpack, and spend more time outside. How can we do that?

One way might be to focus on “good enough gear” instead of striving for perfection. You probably do some of that already, by choosing a $300 silnylon tent that weighs 8 ounces (227 grams) more than the $600 DCF version, since, frankly, you can’t afford it. But you lust after “the ultimate tent” anyway and the suffering continues.

What is “good enough gear?”

The equipment you already own is probably good enough if it enables you to get outdoors, enjoy the experience, and stay sufficiently safe under most conditions. Often you can upgrade gear to good enough by improving skills like campsite selection and physical conditioning. Yet sometimes you really do need new gear.

A few years ago, my tent developed leaks, bad enough that one rainy night I woke up with several cups of water sloshing around the floor, soaking clothes and sleeping bag. I tried to seal the leaks, but it never stuck. Also, after buying a thicker and warm enough sleeping pad, I could no longer sit up straight inside. Time for a new tent.

After several months of intermittent Internet searches, reading tent maker websites and online reviews, watching YouTube videos, and asking questions on BPL, I narrowed the choice. Tent #1 was 22 ounces (624 grams) of very expensive DCF, while tent #2 from another company weighed 34 ounces (964 grams) and cost about half as much in silpoly. I could afford either one, but the price difference was so large that I started asking other questions, like “how much is an ounce worth?”

Ultimately, I realized that tent #2 weighed almost the same as my current, leaky tent, and that was good enough. I bought the less expensive shelter and never looked back.

Questions to ask yourself

Try answering some questions before buying, or even lusting after, a new piece of gear. There are no wrong answers, but the more honest you are, the more likely you’ll be happy with the decision.

  • Can I afford this?
  • If I buy this, what else am I not buying, like another trip or three?
  • How often will I use this in the next year? In the next five years?
  • Will this help me do things I can’t do now?
  • Will using this gear significantly increase my time outdoors, or increase my enjoyment while I’m there?
  • Am I replacing something that’s broken or not meeting my needs?
  • How often does that problem happen?
  • Is the problem life-threatening, uncomfortable, or just annoying?
  • Can I work around the problem with a repair, modification, or change in use?
  • Do I really need “the best?” What would be a good second choice?

You might add other important concerns. I find that writing down questions and answers like these helps me think through the decision. I also set the whole project aside for a day or more and then revisit it. Usually, a few of my answers change, and sometimes the buy-or-not decision too. The delay also short-circuits impulse purchases.

Eventually, you’ll reach a decision that feels right. Rejoice, and don’t second guess yourself. If you choose not to buy, bury your research on your hard drive or in the cloud so you can’t revisit the decision easily. Don’t throw away the work because you might need a reminder of why you made that choice. But try to forget about this decision and move on. You’ll be happier that way.

If you decide to buy, make plans to use it right away. That’s the whole point of owning backpacking gear – to get out and use it.

One trick to getting off the hedonic treadmill of lightweight backpacking is simplicity – focus on acquiring a few pieces of good enough gear, then using that gear for more joyful experiences. The less time and money you spend on buying the latest and greatest and lightest, the more you can spend on planning trips and getting out into the real world. If Grandma Gatewood can hike the Appalachian Trail in tennis shoes while carrying “an army blanket, a raincoat, and a plastic shower curtain in a homemade denim bag slung over one shoulder,” maybe you can have a good time backpacking with much better, but not “perfect” gear. It’s all in your mindset.

grandma gatewood, philosophy

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Home › Forums › Buy less, Do More with Good Enough Gear

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  • Feb 11, 2020 at 9:24 am #3630808
    Rex Sanders
    BPL Member

    @rex

    Locale: Central California Coast

    Companion forum thread to: Buy Less, Do More with Good Enough Gear

    What you’re really hooked on is the dopamine rush from buying and trying new gear – which doesn’t last very long.

    Feb 11, 2020 at 9:57 am #3630814
    Dondo .
    BPL Member

    @dondo

    Locale: Colorado Rockies

    Bravo, Rex!  Nicely done. I never though I’d read something like this here on BPL.  The next time I’m hankering for yet another piece of gear that I just have to have, I’ll come back here and reread this article

    Feb 11, 2020 at 10:00 am #3630816
    Brad Rogers
    BPL Member

    @mocs123

    Locale: Southeast Tennessee

    I can certainly attest to this.  Before kids I used to backpack a couple of times a month and I had a 7lb baseweight and I had one shelter (Gossamer Gear Spinnshelter), one backpack (Gossamer Gear Mariposia Plus), and one sleeping pad (Thermarest Ridgerest).  As I look back nearly 15 years later, I have multiple shelters and multiple backpacks.  I still have one sleeping pad but I’ve moved on to the more comfortable Thermarest X-Therm.   I’m not able to do nearly as much backpacking – This year for example I have a 5 day trip and a 3 day trip in the Southern Appalachians planned, as well as a 7 day trip in the Sierra’s.   That’s 15 bag nights when I used to get 60 annually.

    I’ve found that the more I backpack, the less I think (and drool over) gear, it’s when I’m not backpacking that I tend to get sucked into the trap of looking at and buying gear.  I assume that is because I WANT to be backpacking, but I can’t because of family and work commitments, so I inevitably spend more time reading trip reports, looking on BPL, checking out REI and other gear stores, and the more you read about, see, and touch new fancy gear, the more you want those items.

    Prime example – I’d been using a MLD Doumid and Solomid inner net for about five years and had always been happy with the performance of the Mid.  However, then I notice something called the X-Mid, and it can be had for the low price of $199 (it really is a deal).  I break down and buy an X-Mid even though I have a perfectly good solo shelter already, and now I have two solo shelters that are for simplicity’s sake the same arrow in my quiver. I find myself trying to decide which I like better and which one I’d like to sell and I’m having a hard time doing so.

    I will say that I have tried to make a conscious effort to go for good but not great items when they are significantly less expensive.  Before Golite went out of business I bought a Shang-ri-la 5 pyramid for trips with my wife or with the family.  A few years later, I ran across a sale on HMG’s Ultamid 4 and purchased one (again duplicating arrows in my quiver).  The HMG was lighter, and probably overall better than the Golite, but not significantly so.  I decided that we used it so infrequently that it wasn’t getting enough use to justify owning a (staggering) $600 shelter, and that on trips where I wanted to take a large pyramid, the 4oz weight difference wasn’t that big of deal so I sold it and still have the Golite.

    Right now I desperately want a Mont-Bell Plasma 1000 Parka – something to go between my 12 year old Mont-Bell UL Down Inner Jacket and my 8-10 year old Rab Microlight Alpine Parka but I just can’t justify spending $400 on a down jacket that get’s used ten nights a year.

    Feb 11, 2020 at 10:44 am #3630821
    Nick Gatel
    BPL Member

    @ngatel

    Locale: Southern California

    Well done, Rex

    Feb 11, 2020 at 1:09 pm #3630833
    Todd T
    BPL Member

    @texasbb

    Locale: Pacific Northwest

    Killjoy.

    Feb 11, 2020 at 4:56 pm #3630858
    Monte Masterson
    BPL Member

    @septimius

    Locale: Changes Often

    Well written.

    Back when I made good money I was caught up in the mindset you describe. I worked a lot more therefore I had less time to actually be outdoors, so the gear became a substitute. I’d sit up all night on the computer browsing cottage gear sites, as well as all the mainstream ones like Camsaver,Backcountry. etc. I became completely obsessed with gear like some people do with pornography, I’d check the weight, dimensions, materials of items for hours on end. Looking back it was sick really.

     

     

    Feb 11, 2020 at 5:08 pm #3630861
    Brad Rogers
    BPL Member

    @mocs123

    Locale: Southeast Tennessee

    I agree it can be an addiction.  Like my trip is going to be that much more enjoyable with this pack or that pack or this shelter or that shelter.

    I’m not saying you don’t need quality gear, but quality gear lasts a long time and just because there is some new shiny DCF shelter out there doesn’t mean I need it, or that it will make me enjoy trips more.

    Feb 11, 2020 at 5:36 pm #3630867
    Monte Masterson
    BPL Member

    @septimius

    Locale: Changes Often

    Ever notice all of the new, or almost new ultralight cottage gear that makes its way onto Gearswap? Often it’s things like supreme DCF shelters, custom packs , or 900 fill EE quits. I’ve seen literally thousands of such items over the years. More times than not it’s because of buyers remorse. Someone says to themselves “the Lunar Solo was fine, but I went out and spent $800 on a DCF mid, when in fact my money was already tight.”

    https://www.dictionary.com/browse/buyer-s-remorse

    Feb 11, 2020 at 6:16 pm #3630877
    Ken Larson
    BPL Member

    @kenlarson

    Locale: Western Michigan

    When life is stripped down to the bare necessities, you gain a new awareness of what really matters. I’ve been on a journey towards minimalism and simplicity for over a year now. I had no idea that I would emerge with a new perspective on how I could further pare down my life and live so much more simply. Family and friends matter. Relationships matter. Health matters and dealing with Multiple Myeloma cancer exemplifies that. Daily sustenance matters. Using our lives to positively impact others matters. All else is mere fluff.

    Feb 11, 2020 at 7:25 pm #3630889
    Karen
    BPL Member

    @granolagirlak

    Nice counterpoint to the usual pro-gear articles. But, bringing up Grandma Gatewood isn’t really fair. She borrowed from everyone, knocked on doors and begged for food and lodging, and relied on many kind helpers. I suppose you can still do that on major trails with trail angels ready to help, but it wouldn’t work very well if you’re out in the styx and won’t see anyone for a week; you’d better be self-sufficient. She was Ul but part of her UL strategy was getting help.

    One small critique but otherwise you’re spot on. We shop when we’re not out there enjoying the experiences and should do more of the latter and less of the former. Now the question is, how.

    Feb 16, 2020 at 1:33 pm #3631589
    Elliott Wolin
    BPL Member

    @ewolin

    Locale: Hampton Roads, Virginia

    For years I’ve stuck to “good enough gear,” but maybe I had an advantage.  I was outfitting for five of us (wife, three teenage kids), and this meant lots of MYOG and eBay bargains (good stuff, but used).

    More recently, with the kids on their own, I face two problems.  First is “gear envy” after reading here about all the great stuff that is better than all the old stuff I have.  Second is that I have so much stuff now that it’s hard to purchase something new when I have three or four perfectly good older items that perform the same task.  This helps protect me from dopamine rush purchases, but sometimes stops me from replacing stuff that really is out of date.

    So I purchase new items on occasion (e.g two Neoair Xtherms, previously I either used closed-cell foam or Neoair Original plus closed-cell foam), but generally make do with my once UL gear (Silnylon tarps, Golite packs, GG Vapor Trail) which still are perfectly usable if not somewhat heavier than I’d like.

    Note that I’m only talking about my relatively modern gear, not my horde of old, heavy, but again perfectly usable Lowe, Gregory, and other internal frame packs; REI and other external frame packs;  SD dome, REI Crestline, and other tents; Svea, Optimus, Primus, and Coleman liquid fuel stoves;  coated nylon ponchos, rain pants, and pack covers;  heavy GTX rain suits;  heavy boots;  many,many Thermarest pads; etc.

    Feb 16, 2020 at 1:35 pm #3631590
    Karen
    BPL Member

    @granolagirlak

    Time for a yard sale, Elliott!

    Feb 16, 2020 at 3:04 pm #3631599
    David Thomas
    BPL Member

    @davidinkenai

    Locale: North Woods. Far North.

    I’ve invoked the “Beware the man with one gun” concept before (the idea being that he’s REALLY good with that one weapon) because it also applies to gear, especially packs and extra especially to shelters.

    When there’s but one arrow in your quiver, you learn how to use it in multiple settings, you’re quicker and more adept with it and, say, setting up your shelter in the dark or in a swarm of mosquitos is easier for you because of all your practice.

    But even minor things, like “Which pack pocket did I put the sunscreen in on this trip?” (cause you keep switching between packs) reduce the competence and grace we execute a trip with.

    In college, I’d keep my pack packed, by the front door.  It was comforting to know I could just grab it and go, with my single sleeping bag, 2-person tent, go-to pad, and only stove already in it (and all the fiddly bits like lighter and tent stakes still there from the last trip).  Now, preparing for a trip involves going through a box of stoves, a closet of clothes, a shelf of tents and a wall of packs.  It’s an annoying hurdle in between being a keyboard warrior and getting out on the trail.

    Feb 16, 2020 at 3:18 pm #3631602
    Eric Blumensaadt
    BPL Member

    @danepacker

    Locale: Mojave Desert

    My Mantra -> “I can quit buying backpacking gear any time I want. I’ve done it hundreds of times.!”

    Well… I may have too much gear. Is 250 pounds of UL gear too much? How about 4 stoves? Or 3 sleeping bags?

    Maybe I don’t use all this gear all the time but I often fondle it out of “pride of ownership”.

    So yeah, I’m in the process of whittling things down. Since I recently bought two REI FLASH insulated air mattresses (3 season & winter) I’ve given my grandson’s each a Thermarest self-inflating mattress. Also they’re each getting a “pre-owned” cookset  and I already have gifted them with an older TNF  Tadpole 2 person tent.

    Plus in the past I’ve sold two tents and one winter sleeping bag and two UL packs. Having done that it makes me feel better about lightening my “gear load” but also makes me feel worse knowing I’ve been a model consumer.

    But there are worse hobbies. Take my long range shooting hobby – please!

    Feb 16, 2020 at 3:18 pm #3631603
    Jerry Adams
    BPL Member

    @retiredjerry

    Locale: Oregon and Washington

    tent #1 saves 12 ounces

    maybe it’s worth it for twice the price, especially if you’re going to use it for a long time

    but the point is good, a lot of times people spend a lot for not much extra utility just because it’s new and shiny

    Feb 16, 2020 at 9:59 pm #3631681
    Rex Sanders
    BPL Member

    @rex

    Locale: Central California Coast

    David – “Beware the man …” – excellent point. Just used that new tent for the first time, and felt like I was flailing.

    But at the risk of undercutting the argument – don’t be foolish and insist that your 30° F bag and “three-season” (hate that phrase) tent will be good enough with 10° F and blowing snow in the forecast.

    You should take equipment appropriate to the conditions. Maybe you can supplement your gear (e.g. overquilt), or hike high and sleep low, or rent / borrow gear, or manage risks in other ways. Or don’t go.

    — Rex

    Feb 21, 2020 at 8:02 pm #3632558
    Tjaard Breeuwer
    BPL Member

    @tjaard

    Locale: Minnesota, USA

    @Brad Rogers, exactly the same here, the time I go out, the more time I spend researching and shopping for new gear.

    Feb 23, 2020 at 7:10 pm #3632921
    Mark Verber
    BPL Member

    @verber

    Locale: San Francisco Bay Area

    I spend a fair bit of time looking for gear that was “perfect” for me and for several years I was buying and testing something new almost every week. Eventually I discovered that there are very few items that I found to be “perfect” because I had conflicting requirements which ended up requiring some sort of compromise. I also realized that I was spending hours each week trying to keep up with options and being an expert consumer… time I would rather spend on more important activities.

    I switched to a  “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it. If it broken, is there a simple repair?”  I found that if I do need to replace something, and I have the money (I generally do), purchase what I really think would be best for me, even if it is expensive.  This removes regret, the temptation to be on the forever upgrade treadmill, and allows me to enjoy items as I use them.  I also found I needed to stay out of stores and not follow “gear” news very closely otherwise I am tempted to buy things I really don’t need.

    Some examples of “expensive”, but worth it to me: DCF is expensive, but the combination of the lack of sagging which removes the hassle of constant adjustments in camp, and the weight/volume savings which lets me use a lighter/smaller pack has been worth the extra cost. Likewise, I purchased a NunatakUSA Ghost blanket in 2003. At the time it seemed expensive… but I am still using on nearly every trip that my wife isn’t one (we use a double quilt).  Today, the average age of my gear is 11 years.

    –Mark

     

     

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