The snack shared halfway can matter more than the impressive equipment carried all day.

Preparation gets most of the attention and rarely supplies the memory. What people recall from a long day out is usually a shared orange on a wall somewhere, rather than the excellent boots or the well-packed bag, because that was where the company actually happened. Equipment supports a day without making it. Meaning tends to arrive in the pause rather than in the gear.

On your next outing, bring something to share and plan a stop to eat it. Notice afterwards which part you describe when somebody asks how it went.