>>1265975When someone refers to a piece of gear as a "meme" it means it's something that's trendy, popular, or even encouraged, even though actual experience and critical evaluation (of cost, usefulness, awareness of competing options, etc) will inform you otherwise.
Posts by people who fell for the meme:
"Hey gais which Camelbak is best for ultralighting?"
"Who likes to go Enoing at Uni?"
"Which color Beats™ br Dre® should I get?"
"Rate my Leatherman"
Now that said, not every item that's popular or trendy has to be a meme. SOS pads are in fact the best quality steel wool soap pad and that's why they're just called SOS pads. The Stanley Steel Cooker with Nesting Cups is a great piece of kit. Hammocks are objectively superior to tents, etc.