[Eric Hansen]

https://www.backpacker.com/gear/these-20-pieces-of-gear-changed-backpacking-forever/ Their 20 include the therm-a-rest, Nalgene bottles, Leki adjustable poles, Early Winters Gore Tex Jacket, MSR Whisperlite Stove and more Interesting, thought provoking - and memory provoking for some of us elders - list of game changing gear in the history of backpacking.

[HitTheTrail]

Yeah, lots of nostalgia since I lived through all of those. It is true that nalgene revolutionized the water container and became a generic term for almost any backpacking bottle. But things have a way of moving on. It's an oxymoron to use nalgene in the same sentence as "lite weight", since it weighs half a pound empty. I can't believe how many people I see still carrying them when a smart water bottle is around one ounce and can be safely used at least several times.

Smart water bottle. Around one ounce.

[BigBrunyon]

Clearly it's JET BOIL. JET BOIL gives ypu the freedom to sodium-up in camp. Gives you a BOIL. JET BOIL remains the WAY 2 GO in the cook scene

[Worthington]

[HitTheTrail]

[texasbb]

[Chief Joseph]

I still use a 3/4 length Thermarest, sure it weighs just over a pound but is much more durable than the expensive ultralight items.

[awilsondc]

What?! No Bluetooth speaker? No toothbrush with the handle cut off?! NOT ONE MENTION OF TRAIL SNACKS?!?!?! I dunno, man...

[Gil]

Memories, what memories. My Lowe Alpine Expedition lasted a couple decades. I still use my Early Winters Gore-Tex bivvy and Cascade Designs pad from the 70s. I never used a Magellan hiking, but it worked great on a Pacific crossing.

[Brian Curtis]

There was a lot of fun nostalgia in that article. The one entry I disagree with was the Whisperlite Stove. Yes, we all jumped on that bandwagon at the time, but we hadn't gone from heavy, bulky stoves. Prior to the Whisperlite we were using canister stoves from Camping Gaz and now we are very happily back to using canister stoves. The Whisperlite was an unfortunate backslide along the way.

[HitTheTrail]

[texasbb]

[Malachai Constant]

Interesting list Magellan was a client of mine what the article misses is the real breakthrough in GPS for hikers came in 2000 when the military removed dithering in the horizontal dimensions. Before that GPS was only accurate to within 100m without military equipment or a differential signal. Garmin was formed later by former Trimble employees. I know Larry Penberthy back when he developed the positive clearance Ice Axe and popularized aluminum shafted axes by selling them below cost. His MSR stoves were spectacular until an early adopter burned his house down. You haven’t lived until you spent the night in a tent full of people who had been eating Power Bars made of oat bran. Those Early Winters Parkas were cool but instantly delaminated.

[Brian Curtis]

[mike]

Re: Goretex. I thought that the Light Dimension came first? Right after the Omnipotent which was revolutionary as well. I used one of first ones and it clearly was way ahead of the typical REI type A-frames. I think that the NF domes were at about the same time. Mid 70's. But they were really heavy. A friend of mine who was leading trkking groups used them for base camp tents.

Light Dimension

REI A-frame