I must be on the other side of the spectrum. I don't want most of the items on his list.

The one I sometimes take is a pillow. I really don't have much use for it when I am hammocking, but I use it as a stuff sack for my extra clothes anyway.

The one I would give a try is the Leuko tape. He is right, the Mole Skin usually fails.

After that, I don't use poles, I have a bladder but stopped using it, no satellite for me, no cell phone - so no apps - I use paper maps. Yah, I'm probably gonna die.

My post is almost the same as Scotty. I carry a pillow that I don't like and one of these days I'll probably upgrade. I bought some Leuko tape years ago based on its rave reviews and have never used it (can't remember the last time I had a blister). But it's there if I need it. I admit that a chair seems intriguing but I'm not old enough to get one yet. It reminds of the old saying that you can be comfortable hiking or you can be comfortable camping and this strikes me as camping gear.

Fellow member of the no-app paper map brigade. I thought I was the only one left who doesn't carry a cell phone. There's seldom a signal where I hike anyway. Maybe if PLB functionality comes to prepaid Android I would consider it, because I do carry a PLB when alone in remote areas. Just replaced the battery pack in mine, in fact. Almost easy and painless.

max.patch, I like your maxim about "you can be comfortable hiking or you can be comfortable camping" - it does capture the dynamic succinctly.

As for gear I wish I had bought sooner, I'll say a backcountry or travel bidet. Both at home and when traveling, it has been a life changer for the better. I wish I had adopted that method sooner.

In the maybe category, I'd put a hammock camping setup. I love its advantages over tent camping, but it comes with a learning curve of its own, and no small amount of fiddle factor. So I have mixed feelings.

In the ironic category I'd put Katoolah Microspikes. I wish I had bought them sooner because I went out and bought them the day after I really needed them. But the irony is that I've not needed them since.

On the plane today I met a chemical engineer who is one of the people who works on bullet proof fabrics and dyneema.

Meh, mostly he wanted to talk about the new fabric for bullet proof vests that can stop those armor piercing bullets. It's a fabric with a ceramic outer layer.

Kathy and I both have trekking poles, I bought an Inreach mini but have never activated it.