One particular pitfal of the most expensive gear lineup is that it may not be designed for durability, but for maximum performance at the lightest possible weight. One example is bicycle gear systems. The optimum durability option isn't the top notch competition system, which is ultra-lightweight but also much more fragile and maintenance-intensive than the budget "regular user" models.

Look at ultra-light models for virtually any aspect of outdoor equipment and you'll find the same: The lightest, most compact version is typically not what you'd like to "wear out" on a three-days-a-week,9-months-a-year schedule. Ultra-light may be functional, but very often it'll have a durability penalty.

Me? I'm too cheap to buy stuff I don't plan to use.