Modern gear has never been better but does that automatically make us better outdoorsmen? This episode was inspired by a recent experiment that tested 100-year-old Everest gear against modern high-altitude equipment. The results were surprising, and they raise a bigger question that applies just as much to the Maine woods and waters: Is the real difference between traditional and modern gear about performance or about understanding? This isn’t an argument against technology. It’s a conversation about skill, dependence, and what happens when gear fails, conditions turn, or plans change. From wool and compasses to GPS units and optics, we explore where modern gear truly helps and where it can quietly replace awareness, adaptability, and experience. Let's be honest, the woods don’t care what era your gear comes from...only whether you understand it. Enjoy! If your interested in reading the article referenced in this podcast, see the link below👇 "100 Years Later, George Mallory’s Primitive Everest Gear Takes on a Himalayan Peak" https://www.climbing.com/gear/new-study-george-mallory-everest-gear/