excellent question and quite pertinent. But I have one problem; my complaint isn't the cost, per se, but rather the utility of items selected. All too often they are marginal gear which may fail when needed.

The cost workable gear is all over the place.Good items are often quite cheap, but sometimes are very costly. If they do their job, they are worth every penny.

Consider climbing ropes. Years ago (1958) i bought a perfectly good (for that era) for $20. Todays ropes, superior in every respect, can easily cost more than ten times as much. At some point you will find yourself suspended by that rope in a situation where rope failure would mean certain death. Yu will be glad you spent good money on that rope and the gear that accompanies it.

Same story with sleeping bags packs, shoes, and a whole lot of other items. Of course you look for good gear that is a bargain because the most expensive is not necessarily the best. Any rational customer looks for the best bang for her dollar.

Let me check out my gear and see what the cost amounts too. This will take a while....