I’m a belt and suspenders guy so I believe in redundancy - having two things that contribute to the same goal isn’t exactly “multi-function” The problem I have with multi-function is, if the item breaks (or runs out of battery power) you’ve now lost the use of two or more functions. I was thinking of that bike component to the shelter. I’ve seen the ad. When I saw it, I thought - that’s nice - until you want to keep your camp setup and still go biking.
A “real life” example was when a kayaking partner showed me how he didn’t need an extra line to rig up a clothesline to dry some gear; he could just use his tow line. But then, when we went for a day paddle from camp, He didn’t have his tow line because it was - multifunction - being used as a clothes line. We didn’t need to use it as a tow line then, but you bring safety gear not becuase you know you will need it; it’s along because you might need it and the solution it provides to an incident is worth the weight/bulk of carrying it.
The choice of having a pole for the tent - freeing up the bicycle - is certainly up to the owner. But in my experiences, I’ve seen more multi-function go wrong than goals not met because a pack was a few ounces heavier. That said, as a bow to my UL friends, I did buy a titanium spoon this summer (its longer handle might make it more useful than my 20 year old Lexon plastic spoon). But I’m just using it as a spoon and not as a alternate spade to dig cat holes.
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