Tools

In this post I want to talk about why it is important to me that my tools be simple and without too many features.
I spoke already about minimalism and gear and I covered a little about how I chose my tools, however I wanted to explain why I like the tools I buy and why I buy them. By tools I mean physical tools that help me finish a task, allow me to carry gear, provide me with information, protect me and let me fix stuff.

Too many features can make a tool very complicated. Complexity can result in the tools failing to provide the service they were intended for. I learned early on during my service and while climbing that the simpler a piece of gear is, the better it will perform when you need it.

Richard J. Machowicz wrote in Unleash the Warrior Within:

Combat is an incredibly intense microcosm of life. In the space of a few minutes you can run the entire gamut of emotions—from fear to hate, from loss to triumph. It is an extremely powerful metaphor. Combat requires the ability to focus like nothing else. In combat, action has to be simple and it has to stay simple. Under the life-or-death pressure of an attack, even the slightest complexity will lead to confusion, and confusion can get you killed. Success in combat is about thinking and acting decisively, cutting through fear and achieving clarity in rapidly changing circumstances.

I tend to choose my tools having the above in mind. Before I buy a tool I try to imagine how would I use it under stress (like in combat) or when oxygen deprived (like while alpine climbing). I try picture all the features and whether they can all be learned and become second nature to me so I can use the tool without too much thinking.

I know this is a bit extreme but I’ve had bad experiences with overcomplicated tools breaking in exactly those situations, when you need them most or by being to complex for me to handle them while under stress. Like in software, feature bloat can affect tools as well.

Let’s take for example backpacks. Backpacks are everywhere and they come in a gazillion shapes, colors, fabrics and sporting a lot of features. I was exposed to two kinds of backpacks early on in my life: the rucksack in the military and the alpine climbing pack.
The rucksack is a tough backpack that was designed to carry a lot of gear from point A to point B. Soldiers often live out of their packs for weeks on end so rucksacks are also designed for durability and simplicity. Alpine climbing packs, on the other hand, were designed to be light, carry only the essentials and be as minimal as they can be, often leaving unnecessary features out like extra straps, lids, etc. They are usually made out of really high-tech water-proof breathable and lightweight fabrics. They embodied the minimal backpack.

I own alpine climbing backpacks, however they are not very useful for everyday activities. They lack organizing compartments for example, or they are too small/big for use as a day pack. What was I left with then? The mainstream packs usually look like this, with plenty of features that are, in my opinion, unnecessary. Straps everywhere, pockets for water bottles, slings under the pack bottom to attach stuff, zipper that don’t open all the way making finding stuff inside harder and fabrics that are OK for a school student but won’t last a long time. So, too much complication on a product that is not intended to last.
Then I found GORUCK. GORUCK’s founder is a former Green Beret (US Army Special Forces). He used and abused a lot of gear and understands that simplicity is paramount. He also understands that people want quality on the gear they buy. He decided that since he couldn’t find something like this on the market he would have to built it himself. The GORUCK GR1 was born. The GR1 is a day pack that is simple, tough and provides ways for customization (you can attach pouches and other gear to the interior or exterior). It comes with a minimal set of organization pockets and a laptop compartment. The fabric is tough and it highly weather resistant. This pack will last. It is an expensive pack, but one designed with a lifetime in mind (GORUCK provides lifetime guarantee). I wrote a full review of my GR1 at My Bag is Badass.

Another example are watches. Watches, like with backpacks, come in different shapes and sizes. They also come with a lot of features. Watches like this one for example come with chronographs, moon phases, date and other features. Others come with 3 alarms, stopper and countdown timers, altimeters, barometers, compass, etc, etc. I own one of them, a Suunto Vector, a while it’s a great watch from a fantastic brand more often than not I find myself trying to figure out how to get to one of the functions and how to calibrate it. After several weeks of not using it, it might be hard to remember all the features. Now try to work this out while at 20,000 feet and oxygen deprived. It becomes hard.
That’s why I settled on very minimal and simple watches that are tough as well. One of them is the RESCO Patriot. This is a watch that has been simplified to the minimum needed: just tell the time. I like that. I use this watch on very physical demanding activities, where sometimes stress is added. I don’t have to remember that if I am on altimeter mode I have to press the top-right button 3 times to get to the time. Another added value is the ability to be legible in virtually any light conditions. The simple face with large hands and bright lume is certainly a good feature.
As a side note, the Patriot is a mechanical watch. These are very complex pieces of gear. I like the fact that this watch is so simple at face value but has such a complex heart.

So, tools can be minimal as well. Like with everything I am trying, practical minimalism is the idea. If I need a drill with several power settings that can drill concrete, wood or plaster, then that’s what I will buy, however I will try to find the brand and model that not only is the best I can buy for the money I have, but will provide me the features I need for the work at hand is a very simple and uncomplicated way.