The price of gear. Is it worth it?

I agree Jer.
I pretty much only buy gear on clearance sales or with a coupon these days.

It's worth spending more for certain categories of gear if it enhances safety or the durability pays for itself in the long run.

High end clothing is usually not worth it, except perhaps rain shells and footwear. You want performance from your shell, and you don't have to pay a high end price if you're willing to carry a few more ounces. With boots, comfort is paramount. Sore and/or blistered feet can ruin the entire experience, and even put you at risk. Durability also enters into that equation, so I'm willing to pay more for optimal footwear than any other piece of kit.

Insulation (on your body and during sleep) is also essential, and price is often proportional to weight.

You can be at risk if your shelter doesn't hold up to the worst weather you're likely to encounter, so storm protection & durability are essential. Tents can easily double in price with ultralight fabrics like dyneema.

If pack weight is critical to keep us backpacking as we age, then paying more for shaving ounces is worth it. When I was younger I couldn't afford the best gear, but weight didn't matter as much. Now I can, but soon I'll be retired on a fixed income.

I now have pretty much everything I need, though clothes and boots will have to be replaced if I'm fortunate enough to keep on trekkin for many years to come.

Is any t-shirt worth $99 dollars?

Not in my book, not even half that.

I agree with this. My main rule in buying gear is "Don't buy crap". Most of my gear isn't that expensive, but the few pieces I've splurged on (WM and FF bags, a ZPacks Duplex) have been worth every cent, and will last me for many years.  


This describes me as well. I just can't handle that much weight anymore. But there are often moderately priced items that don't cost a fortune, for example, I think my most frequently used shelter right now is a silnylon MLD Duomid.

But I have to confess, I've been eyeing the Durston Designs X-mid 1 Pro lately....

Recently purchased the Durston X-Mid 1 Solid. Set it up in back yard but haven't used it yet, because I always camp in my hammock if practical.

Upgraded from the SMD Lunar Solo, which for me was very difficult to get a good pitch. I sold that and several other articles of quality gear I no longer use on GearTrade.

I bought an $800 dyneema tent a year and a half ago, and I've only used it 3 nights so far.

A problem for me with spending a lot of money on gear is that I don't use it enough to get my money's worth. I'm retired, so I should have more time for backpacking, but things keep coming up to thwart my plans. For example, I had planned to do a low-altitude overnight trip in March in northern Calif. (Yana Trail, which I learned about in a thread here on the forums), but it rained so much that I didn't go. The river was often near flood stage and I'm sure there would have been areas of deep mud.

That $800 tent was, by far, the most expensive piece of gear I've ever bought, but I have also bought some other new gear recently, and it adds up. I think I'm set now, and at the rate I use the gear, it should last the rest of my life.

We all have slightly different calculus on what we'll spend on and what we won't, and so on.

I asked this question on Facebook once some years ago: What are some items where you'll pay more for quality, and others where you see no reason to? I was surprised how many contradictions there were among responders.

In terms of gear, I will definitely spend for shoes/boots, socks, (because fit and wear are so critical to being happy in the BC on day 6 or whatever) packs, and sleeping bags/quilts (because these items can last years and years). I'm more skeptical with things like tents, pads--the pricier ones I've owned have been nicer, for sure, but zippers still fail, pads develop leaks, etc. Clothing, similarly: I think "you get what you pay for" applies less completely to clothing than just about any other workaday item. I do have some pricey merino pieces, but it practically kills me to spend that kind of money on clothing that I *know* will not be especially durable.

In other cases, the way I use gear dictates attitudes. I'd never spend a lot on rain pants, because I only wear them in camp 99.9999% of the time, anyway. So if they're not quite the most breathable model available, big deal.

Not generally worth it to me, but I DO like high quality stuff. And I'm a bargain hunter. I have bought MANY items on ebay in like new condition: Patagonia Cap.4, ExOfficio shirts, Altra trail runners, etc., generally for 1/4 to 1/3 of new price. So I can have my cake and eat it too. Also for items that I have liked that are discontinued: Ebay. I already know if it will fit, so no returns needed.