I thought about this after reading the "Good Old Days" thread in Listening Point.

It's about ancient gear that prevails today in pretty much its original form because it remains superior to most/all attempts to innovate it. Every electric guitar player knows that amplifiers employing vacuum tubes provide a richer tone than ones using transistors. These are generally the most sought-after and expensive amps. Yes...vacuum tubes are not necessarily a remnant of your grandpa's RCA!

Perhaps an example for our purposes is canoe technology which has really advanced but I still see a lot of cedar-strip canoes out there. But while these canoes continue to be employed, their numbers pale in comparison to the newer designs.

I'm just wondering if there's a piece of camping gear that continues to be widely employed in its nearly original form versus modern attempts to "improve" it. Or perhaps it's just a personal item for you?

It’s true that newer is not always better.

I still paddle a cedar canoe both wood/canvas and Cedarstrip. They are absolutely superior to Kevlar canoes and weigh just a few pounds more.

I still wear wool.
My boots are moose hide.
My paddle is made of wood.
My compass has a real needle and not a digital screen.

That’s just me, I’m old fashioned.
Life is easier for me this way.

Everything we need to know about being in the woods has already been invented and taught but we have forgotten most of it.
Tom

Strike-anywhere matches.

This doesn't meet the widely employed criteria anymore, but it's something I still consider to be superior to what has come after:

Closed-cell sleeping pads.

They are bulkier than the inflatable ones, but they can be packed in a variety of ways. And they're lighter, cheaper, more versatile, and more durable/reliable. I like a firm mattress anyway so they check the comfort box just fine for me.

I second Tumblehome on WOOL.

So much better than synthetics for backcountry base layers and mid-layers. I love that it's naturally derived and does a great job of limiting stink on a longer trip to the backcountry.

poncho liners.

Coleman single-mantle red 200A whitegas lanterns.

Oilcloth/waxed canvas gear bags and ground cloths.

And old Tung Sol 5881 brown base power tubes
And RCA Blackplate 6L6GC power tubes
And Mullard 12 AX7 preamp tubes