On my Southbound thru I got to see a lot of hikers headed the opposite direction. One of the beauties of the trail, to me, was seeing the diversity of equipment and how people were meeting their essential needs. I saw someone who had gotten all of their equipment at Kmart, another one who got all of their gear at an army surplus store, another who made their equipment, another who had cut a deal with some high-end manufacturers and had all proto-type equipment. ALL of these folks were making it just fine. I like learning about new equipment and methods and also learning about old methods. I certainly don't think everyone should do things the way I do and I still get a kick out of seeing what folks put together to get out there.