All very true. The last thing I'd recommend is to stay home because your gear isn't as good/trendy/high-speed as you wish it was. There are a few exceptions to that for safety, but safety is generally more about the person than the gear.
Outdoor gear is increasingly specialized and what works for me where I hunt will likely be a poor choice, or simply unnecessary for others. People are built differently too, and I have a hard time taking sweeping statements about pack and boot fit seriously.
There is certainly a vetting process that has to happen, and that process gets expensive, especially when you can't learn from other people's experience. That is where forums like this are extremely helpful.
I hate the "new best thing" syndrome, but at the same time we are lucky to have access to tons of new (and old) great gear. I'm as guilty of being a gear junkie as anyone, and it is fun to try out new stuff. It is when it becomes all about the gear instead of about the hunt that it becomes....well, funny.
