I need an answer to this one burning question.
"What drives us to collect just that one more knife, firestarting device exc.?"
Adventureboy

I'm American, therefore I shop.

I'm a consumer-patriot and our 70% consumer-driven economy needs me.

Plus, shopping for gear is the next best thing to being in the field using it.

I think there's a 12-step program for this.

The new item might be beter than the previous one.

Maybe it will be the answer to the best/ideal/
perfect answer to survive and thrive.

Could this new find substitute for the knowledge/practice I haven't acquired yet?

You speak the truth, m'lady!!
-Blast

here's something from an outdoor book written in 1908,the quote is from an source that was old even then.on the chapter heading about two fellows going off on a fishing trip to Nova Scotia.

And let us buy for the days of spring,
While yet the north winds blow!
For half the joy of the trip,my boy
Is getting your traps to go.

Excellent quote! Says it all.

Somewhere, someplace, out there is the perfect (insert choice of gear here) that will never (go dull, fade, break, fray, fail to function) and will always (cut cleanly, start a fire in a hurricane, carry more gear with no effort. weight nothing).

The only problem is, I have yet to find the "perfect" in all categories. Getting there tho. Got a lot of imperfect stuff that works really well.

And what amazes me is sometimes the DW makes suggestions for stuff to get.

Its shiny!!!

I have more gear than I know what to do with. Some of it has seen the field once-some gets used on a regular basis. Some was bought, never used. Its a quest, I think...and, like most quests-will likely never end.

Two reasons:

1. I keep forgetting where I put all the darned stuff

and

2. er, I can't remember the other one...

because you can never have too many backups.