I bought a $200 GPS unit for the Wind River Range and barely used it

I was so sure I needed all the tech for a 5 day loop in Wyoming last August, but the trail was so well marked I just used my paper map. That thing is still in the box with the tags on. Anyone else find themselves over-prepping with gear they never touch?

4 comments

4 Comments

skyler_johnson322mo ago

My Wind River trip last year had the same thing happen with a satellite messenger. Carried it the whole time, never turned it on. @joseph_green13 I get your point, but it's not just about the money. It's the weight in your pack and the mental clutter. You start questioning every piece of gear. That extra pound adds up over 50 miles. Makes you less likely to want to go again.

aliceharris2mo ago

Ugh, that's so real. I mean, it's like how we all carry around phone chargers "just in case" and never use them.

tessap976d ago

Did you at least get to mess with it on the drive out there? Honestly, I did the same thing with a fancy water filter for a trip in the Gila. Bought this expensive gravity setup, carried it 30 miles, and never even took it out of the bag because every stream was crystal clear and I just used my old squeeze bottle. Ngl, I still keep it in my car trunk like a trophy of my own dumb optimism. But I feel you on the weight thing - that GPS probably felt heavier in your pack than on your credit card statement. Sometimes the best gear is the stuff you leave at home, you know?

joseph_green132mo ago

Honestly, the "over-prepping" thing gets talked about like it's a huge mistake. Tbh it's just a $200 thing sitting in a box, not a life crisis. People buy clothes they never wear or kitchen gadgets they never use all the time. At least you had it if the trail was a mess or you got turned around. Seems fine to me.