The annual REI dividend has always been something to look forward to in March of each year. This year I had $88 and change to spend, plus their usual 20% discount coupon for a full-priced item and something from the REI garage.

After scouring the REI website for something that I actually needed I finally burned out on looking, and realized that I have finally hit the "peak gear saturation point". After spending a cumulative total of about three hours looking, I discovered that I don't need or want anything outdoor-related any more. "How could I possibly have found myself in such a first-world dilemma?" I asked myself.

After giving this a lot of thought, I would like to postulate the unscientific theory that there's just too much out there nowadays. Dozens of companies selling tens of thousands of items; hundreds of backpacks to choose from; multiple cooking systems; tents, tarps, hammocks, bivvies made of every conceivable fabric, and in every conceivable configuration and color; thirty or forty different headlamps, and; umpteen different types of tent stakes, etc. etc. etc.

We are truly spoiled these days. I remember my Boy Scout days when all I took with me on an outing was a pack, a sleeping bag, a flashlight, some matches, a cook kit and some food and clothes and a canteen full of water. I didn't weigh my pack or study each piece of equipment to see how it could be improved upon - I just shoved everything in the pack and went.

Sorry for rambling and maybe ranting a little but I'm curious what everyone thinks about the giant industry that has sprung up, from some very humble beginnings. Oh, and I eventually did find something to buy - the new 38L Granite Gear Crown 2 pack. I think it's time to start divesting myself of some of the trappings, now that I have a smaller pack....