>>2340857California has such a large impact on hiking that some gear choices that excel in that climate have become the norm in the rest of the country despite obvious flaws.
For instance, most of California has a very predictable rainy season. It’s a cycle of summer time droughts and wet “winters.” This has most likely influenced the choices of rain gear people use. Why else would a rain jacket be the norm?
If you live on the East Coast, temps are already too warm for a jacket. They’ve almost never cool enough in the South, outside of winter (the driest time of the year). And the Midwest isn’t far behind; it’s just starting to warm up there, but soon enough it will be too warm to justify a rain jacket. And this summer, most people shouldn’t be using jackets; it’s just too warm in most of the country, or not raining at all on the West Coast. But jackets are still the norm.
The same goes for alcohol stoves, which aren’t allowed in a lot of the state. They excel in the rest of the country, but are still a niche item.
