I think it was Yvon Chouinard who said, in reference to mountaineering, "you've got to get obsessed, and stay obsessed!". Always liked that.
Patagonia is real gear, built to last. Their Capilene was arguably revolutionary. For strenous outdoor activity in general their stuff has been uniformly excellent for me- mostly hiking and skiing; I haven't hunted much in Patagonia stuff (other than Capilene) due to the colors...
I'm kind of an "eco-redneck" too if I can borrow the phrase <g>. I have no problem with Patagonia; they are not anti-hunting. That said most of my hunting gear is made by someone else because I like camo.
