Matthew Dickerson, Addison Independent, November 26, 1998 (reprinted by permission)
There are three types of people in the world: those who can count and those who can't. When it comes to equipment for outdoor sports, however, there are only two categories: necessities, and gadgets.
Every once in a while there is introduced to the sporting world a new product known as a "necessity"--an item that every hunter, angler, or backpacker has always known they absolutely needed and were just waiting for somebody to invent. These products don't always revolutionize the sport, but at the very least they sell themselves. For example, whoever invented shock-corded tent poles (those neat hollow tent poles that have elastic cords inside) had obviosly spent too many hours on camping trips trying to get tent poles together. Wouldn't the world be a better place if tent poles, even when collapsed, stayed together? Having once used shock-corded poles, I can't imagine living without them.
Or consider Gore-tex. In general, I'm a fan of natural fabrics. Wool is a marvelous thing. It's warm, and has the useful property that it retains its insulating ability even when wet. But it has its drawbacks. In particular, it doesn't work as a raincoat. Traditional raincoats, on the other hand, don't fit the bill for any activity in which the wearer might perspire. Thus ever since the time when the first caveman went for a hike on a rainy day, the world has known the need for a fabric that was simultaneously both waterproof and breathable. (Not to mention the fact that every since the first caveman went backpacking on a rainy day, the world has questioned the sanity of backpackers.) We just had to wait a few thousand years for Gore to invent such a textile. Now it appears everywhere: raincoats, hats, pants, tents, waders, and even the shoes I'm wearing.
On the flip side of the coin, there are also those new inventions for which the "need" is created not by nature but by marketing--inventions that are lovingly referred to as "gadgets". Pick up any sporting goods catalog, or walk into your favorite outfitter, and you will find walls full of gadgets. And the funny thing is, they sell. Why? Because sportspeople love gadgets. For one thing, we have a difficult time discriminating between gadgets and necessities. My favorite Calvin and Hobbes strip hangs on my office door. In the final frame, Calvin comments, "Hey Mom, I saw a bunch of products on tv that I didn't know existed, but I desparately need." Many of my non-angling friends, for example, might look at my fishing vest and think it was full of gadgets. But I happen to know that my "clip-on retractor" (a little "tool" clipped to my vest and to which I attach other "tools", allowing me to pull the other tool a short distance away from my vest and have it automatically retract when I let go) is unquestionably a necessity.
On the other hand, one nomination for the gadget category is the "spinning
reel" attachment for compound bows. As the advertisements lead us to
believe, the fishing line is attached to the arrow and feeds out of the
reel, thus solving the age-old problem of tracking wounded game. A neat
concept, but I've yet to talk to any bowhunter who has successfully used
it. (I have heard, however, that it's a wonderful tool for bow-fishing.)
But rather than continue with my list, perhaps we should hear from readers
what your favorite gadgets (or necessities) are. Send
me a list of your personal favorites.