I'm with you Brian. I just can't afford to buy things I'll end up throwing away. In fact, a friend and I were having this conversation yesterday. We live in a wasteful society; in this country, more and more consumer goods are designed to be lightly used and thrown away. Combined with the idea you have to have the very latest "new and improved" whatever, we seem to be in the process of constantly rebuying the same things while we dispose of perfectly servicable items that are so "last year".

I try to only buy what I REALLY need, and then I'll buy the highest quality item I can budget for. The great thing is, since people tend to dispose of nearly brand new stuff, I can always pick up what I need USED and CHEAP! For instance, a couple months ago I needed a new business suit (I don't usually need to dress for work). After trying on some obviously cheaply made NEW garments at a department store in the $300 range, I settled for a USED suit from Goodwill. For $18 dollars, I got a lightly used suit that fit me perfect. The kicker is it was a Brioni suit, worth probably $3000 new at a Neiman Marcus. It will last me forever, it is incredibly well made, and I only paid $18!

It's one thing I've always been grateful for with the outdoor industry. Well made products designed to be USED, rather than shown off for a week or month and then disposed of. Many industries could learn a few things from gear makers about Pride of Craftsmanship; it seems to be a forgotten ideal in today's society.