I hiked the JMT in 1954 as a teenager. My pack base weight was about 15 pounds. A lot of my gear was military surplus because it was cheap and serviceable. My pack was a Bergans-style WWII German army rucksack, my shelter/rain-gear was a G.I. poncho. I cooked over fires using a tin can with a wire bail. My sleeping bag was the liner, I believe, from an army arctic sleeping bag. The bag was roughly the equivalent of a WM Summerlite but was heavier and sewn through rather than baffled. I slept on whatever clothing I wasn't wearing to bed. I got cold, wet, mosquito bitten and hungry at various places along the trail. I had a great time.

But, I am not still using that stuff. As gear that I thought was lighter and better for the purpose came along, I bought it, if I could afford it. I still have not found the ideal raingear though.

In 2008, 54 years later, I re-hiked the JMT; no longer a teenager. This time my pack base weight was just under 16 pounds: this included a tent, inflatable sleeping pad and a bear canister. Even though I was older and creakier on the later trip, I was a lot more comfortable than on the first trip. I attribute this comfort to much improved gear. For the 2008 trip I had a well fitted, comfortable pack, a warm sleeping bag, a dry place to sleep and something soft under me when I lay down. I also had music with me in my 2 oz MP3 player.

So, for someone who has enough experience to know what they need to take, much of the modern gear is a great improvement over that of the past. I am sure that there are some on this board who remember the Trapper Nelson pack boards and attached bag. And, I know that some here recall the 1950's USFS fire packs used by fire crews. I do and also remember long days with sore shoulders and raw places on my back. But, the Trapper Nelson was considered state-of-the-art in its day as were pack baskets and the old-style Bergans rucksacks. I wouldn't use any of them again unless there was no alternative. Sure, much of the newer gear has a lot of consumer-oriented bells and whistles attached. And, a lot of people buy this stuff. I look at it occasionally to see whether there are any new, good, ideas to be DIY copied and usually walk away. But, without many people working hard to make improvements on almost every facet of our lives, we would all be barefoot and living in caves.

I recently retired my faithful 1983 Ford 4x4 pickup after well over 300,000 reliable miles. I bought a new truck to replace it. The new truck is far better than was the Ford even when it was new. No, they don't make em the way they used to thank heavens, they make em better.