by rcaffin » Mon 02 Sep, 2019 2:18 pm
In all this one should remember that the quality of the gear available HAS changed. A light-weight Paddy A-frame tent in the gold colour was fairly light, for sure, but it also leaked badly in heavy rain. Coated synthetic materials do not leak.
Sleeping bags in those days had heavy shells with a bit of down in them; today the shell is much lighter but probably has a fair bit more down, all for the 'same' weight.
By and large, they did not have UL insulated air mats in those days. If you took a LiLo, it was heavy and cold.
Given a choice between ye oldie oiled Japara jacket and a modern coated synthetic jacket ...
To be sure, the weakness of the AU$ is a factor, but the reluctance of Oz retailers to carry UL gear and their enthusiasm for 150% markup may also be a factor. True, bricks and mortar costs these days (ie rent) is a serious problem, relative to buying from the web or from the manufacturer. When I have to buy, which is not that often, I buy from the mfr overseas and pay the freight: the total is usually (literally) half the Oz retail cost.
Cheers
Roger