Rant: My old tent from a decade ago is a whole different beast than my new one

I was cleaning out my garage in Portland and found my first real backpacking tent, a basic two-person model I bought in 2014. Setting it up again, the poles felt heavy and the rainfly was this thick, crinkly plastic that weighed a ton. My new tent, which I got just last year, uses way thinner, lighter materials but somehow feels tougher and packs down to half the size. The big change seems to be in the fabrics and pole tech, making everything less bulky without giving up strength. It's wild how much lighter you can go now for the same amount of shelter. Anyone else have an old piece of gear that feels like a relic compared to the modern version?

3 comments

3 Comments

matthew16615h ago

That "thick, crinkly plastic" rainfly description hit home. I still have a sleeping bag from that era that stuffs into a brick the size of a microwave. Feels like packing for a siege.

rubyshah12h ago

Brick the size of a microwave" is the perfect way to put it. Lee_reed has the right idea upgrading, but I'm weirdly attached to my old gear. That bulky stuff just feels more real, like you're actually going on a trip and not just glamping. New gear is cool but it lacks soul.

lee_reed13h ago

Yeah @matthew166, I finally just gave in and bought a new down bag, it packs down so small now lol.