Tents and Computers

I was in the desert recently, doing some old-time family camping and jeeping.  My wife and I used to backpack all the time, but with two kids it gets very difficult to fit into a backpacking tent and fit all your gear into you backpacks.  So we threw in the towel and got a family camping tent.  It's actually called the "Family Camper 7"  It is big enough for 8 adults, so two adults and two kids (with all gear needed for a 1-year-old and a 3-year-old) just fit.  The tent is made by Springbar, a company here in Utah that's been making quality tents forever.  We have proof of this: We were camping with my wife's family, and at our camp we had our brand-new springbar, my in-laws had their "new" Springbar (25 years old) and their "old" Springbar (35 years old). My brother-in-law also had his "new" Springbar that he bought used for $75, which we figure is probably about 50 years old.

What, you may be asking, am I doing talking about tents in a tech blog?  The ages of the tents involved should answer the question.  If you take a look at a Springbar, you can see why they last so long.  They are solid canvas with heavy-duty zippers.  The pole system is simple, built out of steel poles instead of fiberglass, and is external.  One person can pitch a tent in about 20 minutes, two people in about 10.  All the seams are doubled over and double-stitched, so you don't have to worry about one coming open.  Yes, these tents are much, much more expensive than ones you would get at Costco or other places, but if they last upwards of 50 years I would say it's worth it.  

Forgive the partisan view, but this is strongly reminiscent of the way Apple does things.  My father-in-law, the same one that has two Springbar tents, also has an original PowerMac, an original iMac, and (finally) an original Intel iMac, which I made him buy when I got tired of doing tech support on OS 7.  But the computers are well-built, well-designed, and durable.  they cost more, but they last, and they are something that you can be glad you own for a long time. 

Don't get me wrong; there is a place for inexpensive tents that you can take anywhere, and there's a place for do-it-yourself tents.  My cousin's husband has a "tent" that is a pole and a blanket. He uses it for snowcamps, and it's perfect for what he does for a living. Carrying a 70 pound tent  in his pack is just a little stupid. All I'm saying is that there is great value in having something that is simple because it was well thought out before it was ever built.