As people have catalogued, backpacks have gotten lighter, pots have gotten lighter, flashlights have gotten lighter, synthetics have replaced cotton and wool, freeze-dried meals have dramatically gotten less salty and far better tasting, and cellphones have replaced cameras for most of us--with better photos! Even my griping about how rain jackets could improve should acknowledge the fact that the old non-breathing ponchos have been replaced by eVent and Gortex with great result.
I haven't owned anything (I believe) with treated down. Don't know if that has been an improvement or not.
Otherwise, gear, compared to say, three decades ago, has truly improved dramatically!
Brian