My neighbor's comment about his old tent made me rethink gear upgrades

I was helping him clean his garage last weekend and saw his old Coleman tent from 2008. He said, 'This thing has been through 30 trips and still keeps the rain out. I see no reason to replace it.' I've always felt pressure to get the newest, lightest gear, but his simple statement hit different. My own 3-person tent is only four years old and I was already looking at a $300 upgrade. Maybe the best gear is the stuff that just works, even if it's not fancy. Has anyone else stuck with a piece of gear for way longer than the reviews suggest you should?

2 comments

2 Comments

noahw531d agoMost Upvoted

Honestly that old gear just feels different, like it's got stories built in. Tbh the marketing for new stuff makes you feel like you're missing out, but it's mostly just noise. My dad's backpacking stove from the 90s still works better than my fancy one half the time. Ngl there's something to be said for gear that's already proven itself instead of chasing specs on a page.

sarah_johnson461d ago

Totally get that. My grandpa's old wool coat is still the warmest thing I own. New stuff breaks if you look at it wrong sometimes. They don't make things to last anymore, it's all about selling you the next thing. A few scratches just means it's been on real adventures.