I look younger than I am, and I'm female. Those two factors lead to this a lot, plus, my gear just does not look like traditional backpacking gear, so all those old salts who think I'm going to die of the cold at 40F feel free to let it flow, in just the tone they probably use with their five year old grandkids. I've actually had someone walk into my camp to criticise the hammock. That's a great time to go dig a cathole.

Depending on how they go about it, I do thank them, or just ignore the advice and change the subject. I find that getting the old duffers to talk all about their gear, or food storage (bear stories are always fun), is sufficient to take their mind off me, usually. Just waking up in the morning refreshed and making coffee with my dumb little alcohol stove (sometimes on the big group trips I take the One Pan Wonder and fry an egg over it, too) is enough of an answer to any of their other concerns. I've also been the sole dry person after a night long rainstorm despite people's concerns about how weather worthy my tarp is.

When newbies question my gear, on the other hand, I do tell them that all of it requires some consideration of where and how to set up, and why I would take something else in other circumstances, because it's only fair to inform them that what you take does need to meet the task at hand.