Gear hell is real.
I really enjoyed my first backpacking trip several weeks ago, but my setup was all wrong. I was using a 36L backpack because that’s the largest I owned and I had heard it was just large enough that some people use it for backpacking. In retrospect, I’m convinced that only serious ultra-light hikers could use this comfortably for backpacking. I had my sleeping pad inside, my sleeping bag and tent lashed to the outside, and I even had to pull my rain jacket and puffy jacket through the carry loop because there wasn’t enough space for them on the inside. This threw my center of gravity off something fierce, so while I did manage to hike back 3.5 hours into the valley bowl and survive the return the next day, it was tough, and I was sore for days after I returned.
So the strategizing began. First of all, the sleeping pad just felt way too bulky. It took up most of the interior pocket of my 36L, but it was just short enough I could still fit extra clothes and food inside and some items to the sides. Maybe my sleeping bag was too bulky and I really did need one with less down material? Or maybe my tent needed an upgrade? But I realized that upgrading the sleeping pad to one that packed down farther was the most cost-effective way to save space, so I found a super quality pad that was being phased out at a discount and bought that. I could have tried to see what difference this made in the 36L, but I still knew it wasn’t enough. So then I just went out and bought a 65L pack I had kept an eye on for the past several months. From what I have seen, 65L is par for the course on most backpacking trips, short or long. I made sure to get it fitted properly. And I tell you what – combined with the upgraded sleeping pad, everything fits nicely now, which is exciting. Mission accomplished! I have my setup.
Or…do I? You see, gear hell doesn’t work that way. It lets you think you’ve clawed your way back to purgatory, then it snatches you back down again. Hope deferred is terribly effective torture.
You see, in the midst of that strategizing, I found something new. A $400 ultra-light tent. Oooooooh, aaaaaahh. And it even matches the colors of my new backpack! I must have it!
Drunk off the excitement of my new backpack and the anticipation of even more cool gear, I was bringing up the browser bookmark every few hours. I needed this. This would surely complete my life!
That’s all silly of course. The truth is, my $110 backpacking tent, which I bought 3 years ago on sale, is pretty great. It comes in a little heavy at 6 pounds (first world problems…), while the ultra-light comes in at around 3 pounds, but I found some things to exclude from my backpack, and these easily save me the same amount of weight. But but but! The colors! The awesome!
But honestly, bang for the buck, the backpack was probably the best. It even fits my 0 degree sleeping bag like a charm. And it cost less than the price of the ultra-light tent. So, it took a few days, but I’ve put any thoughts of buying that ultra-light tent in the near future aside.
Now, it’s not that there’s anything wrong with buying a $400 backpacking tent. It’s the fact that I already have a highly functional backpacking tent that costs $0 to continue owning and using. That ultra-light? It’s just eye-candy. The excitement is in my head. Sure, it could be amazing. But is it going to be $400 more amazing than my current tent? Probably not. So this is one of those cases where, if I can prove that I’m actually going to spend time backpacking and using the gear I already own, I may someday have a reason to justify spending the money. But again, I’ve only gone backpacking once. I hope to do it far more, but that ultra-light tent is a new model, and it’s not going away anytime soon. Or who knows? Maybe if my current tent is fine and I get several great years out of it, an even newer and better version of that ultra-light tent might appear?
Of course, in the midst of my research I also discovered ultra-light camp chairs and all sorts of other goodies. I did go out and buy some food storage gear to keep critters out of my food. This has all happened this month because this month I get 3 paychecks, but make no mistake, the money has been bleeding, and that always makes me suspicious. Presumably, though, I really don’t have much else that I want to buy after this, though I think I would do well to stay off the REI website.
Some things really add value. Other things just make us feel excited, and then we put them in the closet after we’ve dropped our hard-earned money on the feelz. Knowing the difference is part art and part science, and it isn’t easy. Especially with outdoor gear. Outdoor gear is absolute chaos, madness, and tyranny, and you have to stay on your toes if you want quality gear without pissing all your money away.