My husband is an camping gear brand snob. I wear free stuff. Is his ridicule legit?

BY BERNADETTE RANKIN

The rain was just starting when I stopped hiking to rummage through my backpack. As I pulled out an L.L. Bean rain jacket, I heard a judgey chuckle behind me. I gritted my teeth and barked out to my husband: “It’s a good jacket!”

He snickered at me, hearing “good” and replacing it with “free” (courtesy of L.L. Bean credit card points) as he pulled his $260 Montbell rain jacket from his pack, launching into our most common debate: What is “good” outdoor gear? And how much is a label worth?

And so, when he wasn’t around, I grabbed his Montbell jacket to conduct a less-than-comprehensive showdown. Half the weight of mine, I marveled at how light and flexible his jacket was. My own felt cumbersome and about as nimble as a 1970s station wagon. I wadded up his jacket and gaped at the resulting compact biscuit shape, while my jacket looked like a whole damn canister of them. I glared critically at both jackets and realized every detail of his was made with an ultra-light backpacker in mind while mine was made for changing a flat tire in a downpour. 

My husband’s jacket was clearly the better product but was it worth the high price? He still thinks so. I would have answered with a resounding no…until I won permits for the John Muir Trail. And now, as I train for that epic goal, the thought of wearing a piece of gear that will work against me is a weight I’m no longer willing to shoulder, while the high price of quality gear is one I am definitely willing to pay.