Standing atop the old stone tower on the summit of Douglas Mountain this week, I was struck by the number of options before me. To the northwest I could spot a handful of Maine’s western mountains, along with the ghost of Mount Washington in the distance. To the east, late-season kayakers paddled on Sebago Lake. Beyond Sebago, cars streamed to Portland and Maine’s coast.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m right there with you, suffering along with the very same affliction. Try as I might to limit my indulgence for new gear in preparation for a recent European hike — a two-week, 125-mile trek around Mont Blanc through France, Italy and Switzerland — I came up short in the resolve department. That’s right, despite really having all the gear I needed, I nonetheless ended up with a half-dozen new items in my pack. I should know better than to think otherwise.