In my university days I climbed Mt Fuji at night for the sunrise in jeans, running shoes and a little tiny pen light. At the top there were people with small oxygen tanks (understandable, there are legitimate medical concerns for some). I'd do it differently today. :)

I'm ignoring the point of the article, but I'm currently in a country with a strong hiking culture. Everyone is decked out with every piece of hiking gear imaginable for a short trek up a hill (2 hour round trip?). It's a bit of a status thing. Well... maybe there is a connection to the article. Do we sometimes avoid simple tools in startups because of ego/status concerns?