UKC

Exhibit A; things that carry water.

They just need a container bit and a lid bit that creates a seal. They should be separable and easily washable. Any valves, tubes mouthpeices etc are just places to mke friends with black mould and bacteria.

Simple ones are cheaper too.

Pants

I do prefer technical pants for long duration exertions. 

Exhibit C - pillows. Inflatable or packable pillows are an abomination. Take a real one if car camping /soft. Or use your jacket 

Are you american or british old boy?

No, jackets slide out from under your head and you keep waking up to rearrange it. I have a lovely wee inflatable pillow which is not slidey and packs down to be tiny.

Put your jacket in a stuffsack/dry bag and it negates those issues. If you’re going light, go light. If not, take a proper pillow!

Stuff sacks are just as slidey as jackets! My pillow has a non slidey surface. I don't know what weight it is, but really next to nothing and it adds so much comfort. A good sleep is important to me!

Edit: just looked it up, it weighs 79g! It packs smaller than my fist

Beanie hats don't need to be technical! The ones I crochet are absolutely sufficient!

One sock. Let's face it; a pair is bordering on the worryingly complicated.

Crocheting looks pretty technical to me...

Nah, so easy my Granny managed it

I have been give several pairs labelled left and right.

I rest my case.

Just get out of there, now. It'll only get worse!

Brexit.

I've heard that you can get a red, white and blue one rather than the complex one.

You Luddite! I bought asymmetrically padded mountaineering socks (Falke TK1 Wool) a few years ago I will never go back!

CB

Ah, but grannies are known to be very technically skilled - that’s why we don’t teach them to suck eggs! 

arseholes!

don't you have any concerns about leakage?

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!

There's an outdoor kit industry that needs to be kept going! ;p

Rucksacks. 

The irony is that the retailers that get this and keep their packs really clean are often the more expensive.

The other irony is that the more 'stuff' there is on the rucksack the less I understand what it is there for. All the weight and bulk increasing toggles, loops, flaps straps etc etc. And they never come with instructions to tell you what was in the designer and product marketing and development teams minds when they designed it. Leads me to conclude most of it is just chucked on for effect.....

Gear loops must be the perfect example of frippery on backpacks. There is absolutely no reason for them to exist because, if you do need gear on loops, you also need to be wearing a harness with which to use that gear -- no backpack waist belt is rated.

Do you mind posting a link?  I get trapped nerves in my neck if I try to use a jacket and I haven't found an inflatable pillow I like yet.  It's been really sucking the joy from camping for me as it takes 2-3 days to clear up after it happens!

https://www.trekkinn.com/outdoor-wandern/sea-to-summit-aeros-premium-pillow...

Sorry for the German site, I'm in Munich at the moment and it's all my phone is bringing up! The name is the same though 

Never underestimate the technical capabilities of Granny!

Thank you!

Depends on the backpack.  On smaller packs, I entirely agree.  However, on the occasions when I have climbed with a larger pack I like to have the waist-belt done up so it stays stable, but that often occludes the gear loops on my harness so I do use the ones on the pack.

Having said that, in general I agree that there is just too much unnecessary stuff on rucksacks.  Although it can be entertaining trying to match up all various gadgets with the manufacturer's description

outdoorgb.com sells Sea To Summit stuff online btw

I have never understood what they are ('technical pants' I mean (or, should I say, 'technical pant' - plurals being so 2000s), rather than 'long duration exertions.')

What form does a pants/pant have to take in order to qualify as 'technical'?

I prefer not to wear any pants at all for my long duration exertions...

Absolutely. Long johns all the way for that sort of thing.