How long should things last?

[AK Granola]

For today’s lightweight gear items, how long do you think different items should last? I realize that’s like asking how long a piece of string is, but I do think we all expect to get a certain lifespan from a backpack, a tent, a mattress pad, etc. I’m talking about good quality gear, not the super cheap stuff.

Sleeping bags probably have the longest life; I still have one from 48 years ago! It’s heavy (synthetic) and kind of ugly, but it’s still durable and works just fine; I mostly lend it for others to use or keep it in my camper as a spare. My Feathered Friends bag gets a lot of backpacking use, but still no leaking feathers. It’s my most treasured gear item and I have a note taped to it in the garage warning anyone who tries to borrow or lend it out that there will be consequences.

Shoes are the least durable it seems to me, at least trail runners, which only get me through a summer of weekend trips, or 2-3 longer trips. A marathon or two or a trip on Sierra granite and the soles are toast.

My current backpack has gone on many miles of adventure and except for a squeak or two, and shoulder straps with permanent aroma, it’s in great shape. I expect to keep it going for the same number of future miles. Same for the stove.

Rain jackets seem to give up after a few seasons.

I’d love to choose gear to last the rest of my lifetime.

[Mark Verber]

Well… I my mind there is how long they “should” last, and how long they last in practice.

The open question is how to count usage and when to call the item “done”.  Duration of ownership is a useless number, it’s best to count what actually produces wear.  Miles for shoes. Days or hours of wear for most clothing (number of washes might be interesting), sleeping bags are nights of use, backpacks I guess it’s days/hours under load, etc. The other issues is that there are special circumstances that produce unusual wear.  Finally there is what is the criteria for “done”.  This could range from it’s completely fallen apart, sub-optimal performance, no longer acceptable in town (but ok on the trail), etc.  My experience

Trail runners: typically ~400 miles.  Inov-8 270 G seem to give me 800 miles of good performance, another 700 miles of not optimal but ok performance.  Minimalist sandals range between 1200-2000 miles before the soles are too worn for good traction.

Nylon hiking clothing… not sure what the limit is functionally.  Never had a pair be non-functional expect when something unusual happened like wiping out on a bike, sliding down a scree field, etc, Mine have been retired because they are too ugly (stains from pine sap, etc) which was after 1000-2000? days of wear.

Fleece… One fleece I purchased and a friend is still using which has been used ~5000 days.

DWR based raingear… seems like a 300 days of use and refresh just doesn’t cut it. Shakedry / driducks seems to fail due to abrasive incidence rather than normal wear and tear, so highly dependent on conditions and how careful owner is.  SilNylon poncho should last a long time.

Down sleeping bags: the down itself 1000s of nights of use.  The fabric… not sure.  We have some holes in bags with 7D fabric after less than 100 nights of use (by kids who weren’t careful.. and were easily patched).

Packs.  70/100D around 600 days of use?  Heavier fabrics more days so long as no PU which will ultimately turn into a sticky mess.

Stove / pot … likely buy it for life, unless they stop making the fuel :-)

 

[Dan]

Yes, it’s a rhetorical question, but so important to think about.

In fact, I would say that my journey down the lightweight gear rabbit hole started at REI (of all places), when I was looking at a tent with a salesperson. It was less beefy than my previous tents, and I asked him whether he thought it would hold up to use. He said something like, “Do you really need it to last the rest of your life? There will probably be an upgrade in 5 years that you will like better.”

Such an obvious sentiment in retrospect, but one that I really needed to hear at that moment in my life. Very few of my major gear items have been replaced because they broke or wore out.

[Jon Fong / Flat Cat Gear]

Dan has an intersting point.  From a technology standpoint, we use to call this the S curve of product evolution.  Look at tents in the last 15 years or so: the development and changes due to materials, design and optimization has been pretty dynamic.  A 15 year old tent that was state of the art then is probably not competative today.  Other things seem to be pretty mature.  A light weight, thin walled titanium mug is probably not going to look much different 5-10 years from now.  My guess is that quilts are pretty stable, much more than sleeping pads anyway.  My 2 cents.

[Todd T]

And then there’s the whole other dimension of how it’s used.  I use my trekking poles very aggressively, both on real hikes and on workouts near home.  I’ve lost count of how many I’ve worn out (never broken one).  A friend I hike with is still using the same pair after 10 or 12 years.  In contrast, I’ve used the same Gatorade bottles since about 2008.

Rhetorical question, yes, and a very broad one.

[Terran Terran]

Perhaps REI could sell better products rather than plan on obsolescence?  I buy the best I can afford. In many cases , it’s not the lightest available. Then I buy the next thing I need. There’s always going to be the newest and grooviest products, but I don’t need them. That’s with everything. My car is 13 years old. My truck is 21 years old. Buy the best you can and add to it.

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