A great write up on Outside Magazine. 

The Most Influential Gear of All Time

We’ve scoured the gear archives and the history of sport across continents and eras to compile our first attempt at an authoritative list of the 100 most important outdoor inventions ever

By: Berne Broudy and Andrew Freeman

http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-gear/The-Most-Influential-Gear-of-All-Time.html

Each item goes to a link with the history of the item. The Primus stove looks way cool.