TL;DR Modern gear is actually much better than what they wore a few generations ago. More flexible, waterproof, requiring less thought, better and overall lighter. Even with lots more effort and investment, there remains a significant difference between two brothers when one insists on wearing recreated ancient gear.

Well, whadaya know!

But I bet you didn't know that you can find modern pro hiking shoes that are even heavier than the old ones they recreated!