OK, I'm one of the biggest gear-heads on the forums; I'll freely admit that. But, for me, messing with gear is kind of a hobby unto itself - and something to do between trips.

My own decision point on which piece of gear to use (assuming that my choices all perform well) seems to be how much I notice the gear during a trip.

Naturally, before the trip, it's all about the gear: what will the weather and route require me to take? (Warm clothes? Extra water bottles?) At this point, I look heavily at pack weight (pun intended), count the tent stakes to be sure they're all there, test the water filter in the sink, and pack and repack to get that optimum load. I tinker with the fit of the pack, and go through the first aid kit to see if I've got enough Advil and Aleve, and such. In short, I let the OCD run wild.

But it's something quite different on the trail. Most of my gear ends up fading into the background during the trip. Its use becomes such second nature that I barely notice it. For example, to me the Jetboil is so easy to use that I don't really have to think about it while I'm setting it up or cooking; I can pay attention to the boiling without really dwelling on it. I can carry on a conversation, or look at a map. The food isn't even the main focus of the meal; it tastes good enough, but it's the sunset or the view or the sound of the creek that's the main focus of the meal. The tent, with its full mesh screen, feels exactly like sleeping under the stars on a warm, clear night without the rain fly; I'm not thinking about whether it's pitched tautly enough. Even my hiking sticks are pretty much unnoticed; they're light enough that my arms don't get tired lifting them, "flickable" enough that my feet don't get tangled, and it's as natural to flip a branch off the trail with the point of the tip as it is to reach down and toss it with my hand. The pack rides lightly, doesn't slide down my hips, and doesn't settle all the weight on my shoulders; it swivels with me, and I'm never fighting it.

In short, the gear - though essential - really goes pretty much unnoticed once I step onto the trail. The trip, with its scenery, weather, companionship, and experiences, takes center stage and becomes what I remember.

How much attention do you all pay to your gear while you're actually out there?