Wilson the volleyball — he would definitely be in Tom Hank’s “Gear Hall of Fame”. Gollum’s ring. Linus’ blanket. The Grim Reaper’s sickle. Roy Hobbes’ Wonderboy. Lemmy’s mole? Well, you get the idea. Whether functional, good luck charm or a little bit of both, most of us have a piece of gear we are particularly fond of. The prospect of the latest and greatest replacement does nothing to dull our enthusiasm for our cherished possessions. They’ve been in the trenches with us: frozen in the ice, wilted in the heat, smashed into luggage, munched on by critters and bashed on several continents.

They are delicious, but are they gear?

My personal gear hall of fame is a small and elite collection, comprised of battle proven pieces that have gone above and beyond the call of duty. Amongst the immortalized: my EMS green micro-fleece (circa 1998), my Suunto Vector watch (circa 2004), my old EMS 2500 bright yellow backpack (circa 1993), my Whisperlite Internationale stove (1999), my North Face Slickrock tent (circa 1998), my Hartford Whalers ballcap (circa 1989) and last but not least (the only retired piece of gear in the hall) my Alico hiking boots (1996).

The class of 2010 has some solid contenders but only the very best will be initiated. Now that I think about it, I should actually make an online Gear Hall of Fame and give some solid criteria, such as: I really like the gear. I would consider adding in some non-gear favorite, for example Flavor Blasted Goldfish and the BF Goodrich KO All-Terrain tires. Hmmm….

What about you? What makes it into your Gear Hall of Fame? Do you have any specific criteria? And most importantly, can dogs be considered gear?