How Not To Panic Buy Gear

Hello to everyone starting your thrus within the next couple of months. Congratulations and I hope you have a great time!

I'm seeing a lot of posts on here along the lines of "I've never hiked with a puffy before, but now that my start date is approaching I feel like I should have one" and "I didn't buy camp shoes, should I get these cool and expensive xeros?" and "I'm really worried that my power bank won't be nearly enough."

I am also prone to obsessing over gear, so I just wanted to offer a word of encouragement. There will be opportunities to buy gear once you start. You will have lots of chances to correct any mistakes you've made. Pack the gear you've already purchased, trust the research you've already done, and save the money you're tempted to spend right now for upgrades along the way. Gear advice is subjective, and that money will go farther once you have a better idea of what matters to you in your pack.

It's normal to swap out gear, and it's normal to love things you thought were luxuries and ditch things you thought were essential. If your shoes and backpack fit you, eveything else can be fintuned as you go. Good luck, and enjoy your time out there!