Agreed. My backpacking expenses make it my cheapest hobby, no matter how much gear and clothing I accumulate. And adjusting for inflation, good gear has never been cheaper than it is today.

On my drives up the hill to go hiking, I like to compare imaginary budgets with the goobers hauling their custom off-road rigs with their turbodiesel eff-two-fiddys, or the retirees avec gigantic are-vees towing Lexus ess-you-vees.

Of course, we're the "elitists."

Yup, backpacking is a cheap hobby/sport/lifestyle. and money spent in pursuit of a good night's sleep is money well spent.