From Simplicity to Spending - The Trail Runner's Gear Journey
People desire a plain way of living; they want to get away from noise and connect with nature. They wish for the sense of freedom that comes from walking on a dirt path. We consider a life with little clutter and a return to basic needs. But then we see our gear closet. The difference between what we want and what we have stands out.
We tell ourselves it concerns the feeling of the event and the connection. And this is true. But it also concerns having the correct shoes for the ground and the proper pack for the distance - it also concerns the suitable layers for the changing mountain weather. A GPS watch tracks every step, every rise in elevation, and every calorie burned because people want information. A hydration vest holds enough water to supply a small desert area. We also have trekking poles, a headlamp, a first aid kit, an emergency blanket along with different nutrition products - these items give energy for adventures that last longer than most people's workdays.
We begin with good plans. We get a pair of trail shoes, a water bottle in addition to maybe a simple running pack. But then we learn about ultra running and the appeal of longer distances. We also discover the demands of more complex ground. With that discovery comes the certain growth of our gear collection. Each new adventure appears to need a new piece of equipment. It needs a special item made to improve how we perform, raise safety, or just make the event more pleasant. The "plain life" starts to appear rather... filled with gear.
We find reasons for it, of course - it means we put money into our health, our safety next to what we like to do. And this is correct! But it also shows the powerful draw of high tech gear that improves performance. We become experts on light fabrics, airy covers along with designs that fit the body well. We spend hours looking into the newest models, comparing features as well as worrying about the best fit. We become gear fans, even when we speak about living a plain life.
So, the puzzle stays. We go into the wild to get away from material goods, only to find ourselves among... a lot of items. But these are good items - they are items that let us explore farther and push our limits. They also let us connect with nature in ways we could not do without them. Perhaps looking for a plain life does not mean having nothing. Perhaps it means having the correct items, the items that improve our experience and let us fully embrace the wild. This applies even if those "correct items" cost a lot of money.
