Can’t stop changing gear?

Interesting to hear different lines of reasoning. Ultimately the "its not as bad/expensive as other hobbies/addictions" or "its ok as long as you don't get in debt" don't really justify it for me.

I see the activity of acquiring gear as foolish if it continually draws you in, takes up lots of time, and doesn't really deliver the satisfaction and happiness most people seek. Consumerism is this way.. The climactic moment is making the purchase. However the level of happiness is not enhanced once the item is owned. Hence the reason many "can't stop changing gear"…we are seeking something that cannot be found in "gear". However, we keep looking.

These are some of the thoughts I've been coming to terms with lately.

lots and lots of the things i have acquired in the name of trekking see multiple uses. need a new multi tool ? no problemo, the old one goes into the glove box (which needs one anyway). new boots ? the old ones get torn up at work. heavy paracord became my clothesline. (and did the cdt and BC with 12oz of 1/4 poly rope).
optimally nice socks can be an expense, but having premium socks to wear each and every day at work is very Very nice.
merino wool ? who doesn't like to wear wool ? if it gets a hole in it, it gets worn at work.
oddball useless n2s top from mountain hardware proved without value in the hills, but somehow is exactly the perfect thing to wear on night runs in the winter. i mean, it's quite sweet, i just thow it on, add one of the less than perfet bomber caps bought over the years, go out the door while putting on partially used up manzella gloves, and we are quite confortably set for a wonerful evening ogging thru xmas lit neighborhoods.
i am about finished buring up the very first piece i ever bought for hiking. a 300wt marmot fleece jacket. dumb purchase for sure, but saved my butt for decades on cold shop mornings.
stop whineing. buy more. and work harder.

cheers,
v.

I'm not immune to buying "new shiny gear," but more and more I've come to find that even if there may be something "better," I'd much rather use gear I'm familiar with and can trust. I know what to expect and how to deal with it. Always "testing" some new piece of gear on a trip gets old. It's nice to just enjoy the trip without thinking about if this new pack, tent, etc. is meeting your needs. So with that, once you find something that works, move on and don't read the Gear forum. =)

Dale:
"Of course the cure is to hike more and shop less."

That can go both ways.
I couldn't hike much more than I do and keep a job. I'm out 1-2 nights per week, and spend almost my whole month of vacation outdoors, plus occasionally dabble in mountain biking, rock climbing and rappelling, and some tame kayaking, which are all facilitated by working at night, and being able to do those things on work days as well as weekends.
Somehow, I still have plenty of time to play online. It seems like I'm always shopping for something, and can justify(to MY satisfaction, anyway) buying just about anything!

I think this is what they call a "first world problem"…

"I think this is what they call a "first world problem"…"

Yup, we are blessed with abundance and pay the price of being "owned" by our possessions. The UL twist makes it even worse as we analyze the purchase to the very seams.

That's why I advised seeking other pastimes other than reading about gear, on line shopping, gear catalogs, magazines and the like. An evening spent with a John Muir book will get you centered!

"An evening spent with a John Muir book will get you centered!"

Very true. Muir, or Thoreau help me regain balance.

I recommend the online version of John Muir's book, My First Summer in the Sierra.

–B.G.–

Guess we're straying off-topic, but if you have a Kindle or other e-reader, ten of John Muir's books(edit: including the one Bob just recommended) are available for free at gutenberg.org.

Try this link:
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/180

Yeah, you need a new (i.e. "better") stove, admit it.

Well I have seven of them and, for a small sum, will part with the one of your choosing. (All purchases are final.)

How about a nice 3 person dome tent?

Maybe a Dana Designs Terraplane pack?

PM me and we can talk.

P.S. For a nominal fee I can also become your support person for counseling whenever you feel the need to buy something – that is AFTER you've bought from me.

"Well I have seven of them and, for a small sum, will part with the one of your choosing."

Geez, I passed that point about thirty years ago. It gets a lot easier once you get into two digits, and that is for white gas stoves alone. Once we add in alcohol, butane, and esbit, we must be looking at 25-30.

The good news is that after the first half-dozen, you can cannibalize parts off some to keep the others running.

–B.G.–

I am with Dale on this, I operate a 1 in 1 out policy for gear. I do hold on to the old item for a bit (if I can afford too) incase the new one needs to be sent back under warranty.

The are also free on the Amazon Kindle site. Re-read everyone of them last year.

Like sayings about kill you TV, I think I need to kill my rat hole of a computer to save myself from spending money. Of course not having a car payment or mortgage does nothing to stop getting new gear or my case, old bp stove acquisitions. I'm on a shelter obsession now, looking for the lightest, but more protection. Settled I hope on more protection, lighter than my 10 year old TT Squall, but heavier than last summers shelter I sold this Fall. Onward.
Duane

That won't save you. You will go online with a phone or a tablet. You are doomed.

Duane I'm curious what shelter you decided on and thoughts on changing. I think you went back to a variant of the hexamid?

To echo what Aaron said above, there is a phrase or two from Sam Harris at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3JzcCviNDk that really hit home for me regarding happiness, how we are always looking into the future for it.

Steve

"Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content."
Phillipians 4:11

Sounds so simple. We're always wanting something, though…

Backpacking is not my only online hobby. G.A.S. exists under the same acronym in almost any hobby or sport that requires specific tools. To me, it stems from the old "I'd Rather Be Fishing" bumper sticker. We sit at school, at work, or bored at home, and dream of getting out doors (on a sailboat, playing a musical instrument, shooting guns, fishing, whatever the hobby really), but we can't do it from our seat behind a computer. The only way to actively participate in my favorite hobby when I'd rather not be working is to research and buy a new {tennt?) so I'm more ready than ever when the time comes to actually get out and use my gear.

I've said this before, unless something is failing (sleeping bag not rated low enough for the night) I NEVER think about my gear when I'm out. The stars above my shelter, or the fish on my line, sure. But after I set up my rod or shelter, I can't focus on them any longer. I look beyond . I'm with Nick G. If we spent more time out (or the more time you spend out) the less money you'll spend buying gear you don't need, or merely want.

For you consideration – John Muir's backpacking gear:
Jacket pockets stuffed full, a bread satchel, and a sierra cup hanging his lapel.

That's a man of simplicity; unencumbered by gear.
No gear = No Gear Acquisition Syndrome

Tyler N., so what has your research told you about shelters? I'm also looking into lightweight shelters. I really like the comfort of double wall tents (bug net inners) but only want to schlepp the weight of cuban tarps. I haven't found the right combination of those qualities yet, so I haven't made a decision.

>unless something is failing (sleeping bag not rated low enough for the night) I NEVER think about my gear when I'm out.

That is very true. Except showing off a new piece the first time out of the bag to a friend it never really gets a thought. All of that takes place in the pre/post purchase comfort of my home.

I agree with your first paragraph too, it is a (very poor) substitute for actually being outside, when you can't be.

We could be reading trip reports, techniques, etc. (I do, and I'm sure others do, too) but something about the highly technical nature of gear draws (a lot of) us to researching and refining what we have. Probably a carry-over from making tools, actually.

Very true in photo equipment too, where the test chart data makes the CFM threads here look trivial! And so do the prices, I have a single lens worth equal to my entire collection of gear. The cost of the very best Cuben shelter, say, is less than a "consumer" grade camera cost. I actually got to a point where the photo things I have are so heavily researched and carefully purchased that I just use them now and stopped buying altogether.

I hear the few posts about consumerism too, that's a big part of my make-your-own drive (though you are consuming fabric I guess) and the try to buy used first policy.

Not so much. Ok, maybe a little.

Making 50 different stoves from pop cans out of the recycle bin is hardly consumerism though.

I just think there's more to it than materialism, although that's certainly what roils at the surface.

I read it on these forums once; some people do crossword puzzles, while some review gear lists. It's like looking at the box scores. You can recreate a game, an adventure, even a crime scene, by going through somebody's "stuff". This is kind of the flip side of that puzzle.

I really don't see this as a "problem", first world or otherwise. People are just people, and the only "right" way, is the one you choose.

And as we all know, what works for you, doesn't necessarily work for me, and vice-versa. So all the forums and reviews in the world don't guarantee a good gear fit. It's still just an educated guess.

Some people collect baseball cards, some dolls, some plates with Elvis on it… Some collect flashlights and knives (or tents and bags for that matter). "But those other things will be worth something someday" you say? That's not collecting then, that's investing, or just a pale justification to oneself to collect.

I enjoy reading others philosophies on stuff like this (isn't that a separate forum?). However I don't think I quite agree with the assertion that there's some wrong that needs to be righted about it.

"….. I do hold on to the old item for a bit (if I can afford too) incase the new one needs to be sent back under warranty."

hehehe— I wasn't too worried about warranty issues with a beanie :) God knows I have enough hats, and He only gave me one head! The only things I could see holding for warranty issues might be electronics and that means camera, radio and GPS at most. None would stop me from going on a trip.

I had my one meter cube idea, where everything you own should fit in a one meter cube. Then I ran across the "100 things" concept, which really floored me. If you like making gear lists, try making a list of 100 things that you can live with. An exercise like that really focuses what is essential and important in your life.

The materialism in getting an UL hiking kit together is choosing the epitome of each item in your kit. We must have the "perfect" spoon, socks, water bottle, etc. It is frugal yet highly materialistic at the same time. It must seem very odd to those who aren't part of the Cult of Lightness.

For clothing and some gear the only time I buy anything is when it has a better fit for my 6'5" frame. And I usually only buy used or new on 50%+ discount and try to make sure that they have a great warranty.

"so what has your research told you about shelters?"
Good question, Kendra! If only there was a SINGLE answer…
Check out this thread: http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=86645&skip_to_post=740880#740880
Bottom line: Still searching!