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View Full Version : Worst Gear you ever bought - Informal Poll.



Wise Old Owl
04-24-2012, 19:41
Well we did this a few years ago and I saw the mileage in this and hey we can all learn from others mistakes so post what you hate and why....

Here's an example.... the EMS System Three Hat "trucker style" with event as the fabric...

Why? all the sweat stays inside. no matter if its hot cold or rain.

15795So lets get into it! The funny stuff is welcome.... Get your gear on!

Crowe
04-24-2012, 20:02
a SnowPeak titanium dinner plate. *** was I thinking. $15-20. Popped in a microwave dinner to drown my sorrows of the money I just spent and it turns out the Healthy choice steamers bowl/plate is fantasticly FREE at .9 ounces! Yep, that snow peak went back to the store the next day

rocketsocks
04-24-2012, 20:06
Well we did this a few years ago and I saw the mileage in this and hey we can all learn from others mistakes so post what you hate and why....

Here's an example.... the EMS System Three Hat "trucker style" with event as the fabric...

Why? all the sweat stays inside. no matter if its hot cold or rain.

15795So lets get into it! The funny stuff is welcome.... Get your gear on!That is crazy realavent!...last Friday I bought a nylon hat from EMS to replace my gortex camo hat that I've had for years and just got to gross.But I'll be returning the new hat because it comes down about 3/4 over the tops of my ears.At first I thought,well maybe this was by design to keep those ear tops from burning...but really couldn't get my head around it.:D and So.....it's gotta go!shame I really like this one.

Wise Old Owl
04-24-2012, 20:13
Rafter C - can you imagine I was at REI today and there is more crazy lite stuff to look at and the Titanium cups are out of stock.

WhiplashEm
04-24-2012, 20:45
I got a cute little one-shoulder-strap day-pack thing that seemed like a good idea at the time but when I took it out for a spin it really put a strain on just one shoulder. (Duh.) On my way back from the hike I had a wreck and totalled my car and actually tried to leave it in the wreckage, but a well-meaning firefighter fished it out for me and I couldn't ask him to put it back.

Blissful
04-24-2012, 21:08
My first backpack - an cheap external frame pack from Campmor, hurt like crazy

rocketsocks
04-24-2012, 21:14
I got a cute little one-shoulder-strap day-pack thing that seemed like a good idea at the time but when I took it out for a spin it really put a strain on just one shoulder. (Duh.) On my way back from the hike I had a wreck and totalled my car and actually tried to leave it in the wreckage, but a well-meaning firefighter fished it out for me and I couldn't ask him to put it back.That's pretty darn funny!

kayak karl
04-24-2012, 21:20
titanium knife, fork and spoon set for winter use. eventually stuffed them in my sons stocking for Christmas.

Sarcasm the elf
04-24-2012, 21:28
Goretex type rain pants that were both zip off and had an elastic and velcro waist band. No matter how the were adjusted the elastic and velcro caused the waistband to ride down to underneath my hip-belt and chafe.

These were bought prior to my first A.T. backpacking trip. After that first hike I haven't worn 3 season rain pants again.

tuswm
04-24-2012, 21:58
I just asked my GF she said our 8 lb two person REI "backpacking" tent.

Cookerhiker
04-24-2012, 22:31
Alcohol stove - bought at Trail Days from the manufacturer at a discount, got home and experimented, noted it was inadequate for my cooking needs, and gave it to a friend. Never used it on the Trail.

coach lou
04-24-2012, 22:38
We have a box/ shelf/ area, marked *NON-ESSENTIAL CAMPING GEAR*

kayak karl
04-24-2012, 22:47
We have a box/ shelf/ area, marked *NON-ESSENTIAL CAMPING GEAR*
LOL i got the same box. it has a Sterno stove my Dad bought in '55, plastic thing to hold dozen eggs, a few Barlow pen knives, plastic tent stakes (w/plastic hammer), belt with WW I ammo pouches, Colman lantern wicks, etc................... :)

pervy_sage
04-24-2012, 22:52
The MSR Dragonfly multi-fuel stove. Sounds like a jet engine. I was actually embarrassed by the noise it made first time I lit it up at a campground. The complexity of the device and the ease of breaking key components (made of plastic) did not warrant the $100 price tag. It sits in the basement, still broken, collecting dust.

I have since grown wiser and have fallen in love with the simplicity, cost effectiveness and quiet burning of a pop can alcohol stove. I may try the canister stoves others here tout so much, but for now alcohol serves my needs.

coach lou
04-24-2012, 22:58
LOL i got the same box. it has a Sterno stove my Dad bought in '55, plastic thing to hold dozen eggs, a few Barlow pen knives, plastic tent stakes (w/plastic hammer), belt with WW I ammo pouches, Colman lantern wicks, etc................... :)
I have one that holds 6 eggs!

rocketsocks
04-24-2012, 23:08
LOL i got the same box. it has a Sterno stove my Dad bought in '55, plastic thing to hold dozen eggs, a few Barlow pen knives, plastic tent stakes (w/plastic hammer), belt with WW I ammo pouches, Colman lantern wicks, etc................... :)Have a few of those items as well,funny how times change.Those were very inovative items in there time.didn't see a emotiocon for just shaken my head side to sideLOL

coach lou
04-24-2012, 23:13
I have 2 blue enamel Demitase' cups.

atmilkman
04-24-2012, 23:15
Have a few of those items as well,funny how times change.Those were very inovative items in there time.didn't see a emotiocon for just shaken my head side to sideLOL
Oh yes, I remember early innovation. The 2nd time I set foot on the AT was in 1973. I carried a Coleman 2 burner stove like a suitcase. Then after that is when the innovation kicked in. I started carrying a single burner with a full size propane bottle in my pack. That was the start of my "ultra-light" days.

Feral Bill
04-24-2012, 23:16
When I was very young, I bought one of those folding steel Sterno stoves. Absolutely useless.

kayak karl
04-24-2012, 23:23
remember the pup tents where each guy carried a half and the 8lb cotton sleeping bags.

rocketsocks
04-24-2012, 23:24
I guess the most foolish thing I ever bought was a snake bite kit,the yellow one with the plundger.

rocketsocks
04-24-2012, 23:27
remember the pup tents where each guy carried a half and the 8lb cotton sleeping bags.thus the term,"well,there goes the Pup tent boy's"

Franco
04-24-2012, 23:30
I used to work in the same street were all the top Melbourne outdoor shops are, for well over 20 years.
Needless to say I have purchased a lot of "why did I buy that ?" bits.
That comes to mind , disposable ponchos (more thatn one...) a ribbon saw blade , esbit stoves ( I don't like Esbit, so why ?) several Ti pots (I use a couple but why the others?) several Al pot sets, survival blankets, several Lexan bottles ( I use 1 in winter) a poncho/ tarp.
About the best was a pair of full leather Scarpa boots when I was already using runners in the bush...(they still look like new...)
And of course at some point I had to buy a pair of Tevas. Nothing wrong with them, plenty of wrong with my feet after use.
Franco

rocketsocks
04-24-2012, 23:50
Yeah know,I gotta say,I have had a ton of fun over the years contemplating gear/purchases and doing research,prior to the Internet,all that took a tremendous amount of effort and time,and I enjoyed every minute of it.:)

coach lou
04-25-2012, 05:43
remember the pup tents where each guy carried a half and the 8lb cotton sleeping bags.

Yea, but a remember the other guy being a Private, and he carried the poles.

Spokes
04-25-2012, 06:23
Snow Peak Carry On Chop Sticks

15797

sterling98
04-25-2012, 07:25
I had an old Walmart 2 person pup tent. Right up there at six or seven lbs. it wasn't really that bad till the poles cracked and had to get duck taped. When the pole had to be carried sticking straight out of my pack, I told everyone it was a new satellite receiver. :P

bigcranky
04-25-2012, 07:29
Snow Peak Carry On Chop Sticks

We got those for my daughter, and she loves them. Uses them on the trail all the time. Go figure.

Papa D
04-25-2012, 07:52
The MSR Dragonfly multi-fuel stove. Sounds like a jet engine. I was actually embarrassed by the noise it made first time I lit it up at a campground. The complexity of the device and the ease of breaking key components (made of plastic) did not warrant the $100 price tag. It sits in the basement, still broken, collecting dust.

I have since grown wiser and have fallen in love with the simplicity, cost effectiveness and quiet burning of a pop can alcohol stove. I may try the canister stoves others here tout so much, but for now alcohol serves my needs.


I have a Dragon-Fly - - I don't backpack with it much but it occasionally gets the call on a winter trip - - the only component on mine made of plastic is the pump - the simmer valve ("key") is metal on mine. I just finished cleaning and re-organizing all of my shelves of backpacking gear and actually took the Dragon Fly out and cranked it up 2 days ago - - it does sound like a lawn-mower - - about like the old Sveas - - the nice thing about it though is that it cooks like a blow-torch and simmers well - - if you are cooking meals for several people on a winter trip (not just boiling water) and also need to boil additional water for hot water bottles, extra coco and tea, etc., the Dragon Fly and a big fuel bottle does get it done very nicely. Alcohol stoves are great for seasonal backpacking - - not a good tool at all for extended winter trips, mountaineering, etc. - - it's all about the right tool and the right application. IMO / HYOH

T.S.Kobzol
04-25-2012, 07:57
Latest piece of useless piece of equipment is probably a plastic spork I got as a gift. Very first outing I dig the spork in to eat and it breaks right in half. Went back to my titanium fork.

coach lou
04-25-2012, 07:58
We got those for my daughter, and she loves them. Uses them on the trail all the time. Go figure.
I have those very sticks, I keep them in my glove box!

Spokes
04-25-2012, 08:07
I have those very sticks, I keep them in my glove box!

?????............. For whenever the urge to eat Chow Mein hits?

pervy_sage
04-25-2012, 08:12
I have a Dragon-Fly - - I don't backpack with it much but it occasionally gets the call on a winter trip - - the only component on mine made of plastic is the pump - the simmer valve ("key") is metal on mine. I just finished cleaning and re-organizing all of my shelves of backpacking gear and actually took the Dragon Fly out and cranked it up 2 days ago - - it does sound like a lawn-mower - - about like the old Sveas - - the nice thing about it though is that it cooks like a blow-torch and simmers well - - if you are cooking meals for several people on a winter trip (not just boiling water) and also need to boil additional water for hot water bottles, extra coco and tea, etc., the Dragon Fly and a big fuel bottle does get it done very nicely. (IMO)

I will concede that in extreme conditions, say for a zombie apocolypse or nuclear winter, the Dragonfly would be quite useful. For car camping or large groups I will default to the classic coleman two burner camp stove (brass and steel pump by the way), but I don't wish to start a stove debate in this thread.

Lone Wolf
04-25-2012, 08:31
OR gaiters

coach lou
04-25-2012, 09:06
I will concede that in extreme conditions, say for a zombie apocolypse or nuclear winter, the Dragonfly would be quite useful. For car camping or large groups I will default to the classic coleman two burner camp stove (brass and steel pump by the way), but I don't wish to start a stove debate in this thread.

I'm going to have my Peak 1 bronzed

coach lou
04-25-2012, 09:08
?????............. For whenever the urge to eat Chow Mein hits?

I spent a year in Japan, I cannot eat Japanese with a fork. It just doesn't taste the same!

Not Sunshine
04-25-2012, 09:15
the spoon/fork/knife plastic utensil combo made by lightmyfire. it's too short to get into the bottom of those freeze dried meals - my knuckles were covered in food sauce. i only take a titanium extra long spoon now (from backcountry). best $ spent!

also, a backpacking sink/water container. waste of $20. still has the TAG on it 4 years later!

jersey joe
04-25-2012, 10:41
On my thru, I bought a pair of camp shoes at Uncle Johnny's Hostel for $20 that resembled water shoes. The bottoms were so thin that I felt every rock and stick and my feet killed me every time i wore them. They didn't last very long in my pack.

lemon b
04-25-2012, 11:10
Nalgene water bottles. Have 4, never use. They are in my equipment area of the gear that friends of my kids can use at will.

Odd Man Out
04-25-2012, 11:24
I spent a year in Japan, I cannot eat Japanese with a fork. It just doesn't taste the same!

Me too (7 months in Sapporo). I have a pair of lacquered wooden chopsticks - a real work of art and very lightweight. Never brought them hiking, but maybe wouldn't be a bad idea. Beats whittling a pair of chopstick out of a poison ivy branch.

sweeper
04-25-2012, 11:27
A Lowe Alpine camera/fanny pack with 2 bottle holders , needless to say with an old 35mm camera w/ 200mm lens and two full water bottles it weighed about 10 lbs and rode well below my butt.
I have since attached suspenders to it and it is now a comfortable small haul master.

CrumbSnatcher
04-25-2012, 11:27
worst thing i ever bought was a dogpack!

BobW
04-25-2012, 12:37
My worst purchase ever was right after the Rambo movies came out - I needed to carry a "Survival knife" in my backpack. Weighed about 3 lbs. Of course at that time I was in my teens so common sense didn't enter into my thoughts.

Another prize was the "Outback Oven". Besides it's size and weight, the food I brought (to bake) was bulkier and I had to go with bottled gas to fine tune the heat, so my stove (MSR Rapidfire) was heavier than needed for most trips. It was nice for car camping or hiking a couple hundred yards and setting up base camp, but not even close to being practical for backpacking. The plus side is that it came with a heating blanket that traps heat that is light and nice. I still use that on colder trips to trap in heat.

max patch
04-25-2012, 12:48
Water bag. Used once between Springer and Damascus; mailed it home. Threw it away later.

RLC_FLA
04-25-2012, 13:39
Spork and a Sierra Cup

John B
04-25-2012, 13:47
Gaiters. Used once. Never again.

Connie
04-25-2012, 14:11
pervy_sage, +1+1+1+1 (MSR stoves, each one will be better)

Feral Bill, I had the folding oven. Absolutely useless.


coach lou, We have a box/ shelf/ area, marked *NON-ESSENTIAL CAMPING GEAR*


kayak karl, LOL i got the same box. it has a Sterno stove my Dad bought in '55, plastic thing to hold dozen eggs, a few Barlow pen knives, plastic tent stakes (w/plastic hammer), belt with WW I ammo pouches, Colman lantern wicks, etc...................

I have two that hold two eggs each, in my non-essentials box.

I have a collection of these items I have never used once, not once.

I have almost eliminated this kind of spending, but I did purchase a Light My Fire thingy for cooking hotdogs or marshmallows on a stick, the pointy ends squeeze inside a plastic holder. I don't know why I did that? I have never used it.

Resistance is futile?

rocketsocks
04-25-2012, 14:17
worst thing i ever bought was a dogpack!LMAO HeHeHe

hikerboy57
04-25-2012, 14:23
bought an EMS hat last year, breathable and waterproof. no and no.
went to EMS and REI last night with money to spendon who knows what, couldnt find anything i needed to talk myself into buying.
maybe if i visit them on facebook?
i continue to resist.

Tom Murphy
04-25-2012, 14:29
I consider all of these purchases as wasted money.

Eliminated

hatchet
sven bow saw
rambo knife
binoculars
hand crank weather radio
GPS
cell phone
watch
camp shoes
water bladder and hose
trowel
coffee press
mug, insulated
w/p container & strike anywhere matches
emergency space blanket
lantern, battery operated
pen and journal

Replaced with lighter gear

nalgene 1 liter bottles
white gas stove
AL pot with lid [and pot holder]
lexan spork
squishy bowl
multitool
head lamp
tooth brush & paste

flemdawg1
04-25-2012, 14:46
Sigg water bottles, nearly as heavy as a Nalgene, but with a tiny opening and as an added bonus metallic taste in your water.

Magnesium fire starter, a 2 oz rock in your pack when you have a working lighter.

Candle lantern, another useless purchase.

swamp dawg
04-25-2012, 15:47
A stainless steel cook pot and long heavy weight wool socks...nuff said

flemdawg1
04-25-2012, 15:51
Golite jam 2, size medium, I needed a large. So uncomfortable after 1 day of hiking I texted my wife and asked her to fedex my Nimbus Ozone to Neels Gap.

coach lou
04-25-2012, 16:39
Sigg water bottles, nearly as heavy as a Nalgene, but with a tiny opening and as an added bonus metallic taste in your water.

Magnesium fire starter, a 2 oz rock in your pack when you have a working lighter.

Candle lantern, another useless purchase.

Come on now, before headlamps, that candle was state-of-the-art!!!

max patch
04-25-2012, 17:21
Candle lantern, another useless purchase.

That was my second worst purchase. I actually used it for about a month before I passed it on free of charge to some unsuspecting soul.

Cookerhiker
04-25-2012, 17:50
.... The 2nd time I set foot on the AT was in 1973. I carried a Coleman 2 burner stove like a suitcase. ....

Seriously?:-?

Red Hat
04-25-2012, 20:17
The worst for me was my Steripen, which I found to be, not only expensive, but useless. The second would have to be the Golight pack I tried to carry in 2005, before I switched to my Osprey Atmos, before I switched to ULA packs.

Surplusman
04-25-2012, 20:31
On my first forays on the AT (SNP) with the Boy Scouts ca. 1958 we all carried glass bottles of "6-12" insect repellent. It was a clear liquid about the consistency of cooking oil. After slathering it on, eveything you touched became greasy. And what was worst of all was that it repelled nothing.

Wise Old Owl
04-25-2012, 20:44
Wow that's what I am looking for Tom nails it!

Wise Old Owl
04-25-2012, 20:46
On my first forays on the AT (SNP) with the Boy Scouts ca. 1958 we all carried glass bottles of "6-12" insect repellent. It was a clear liquid about the consistency of cooking oil. After slathering it on, eveything you touched became greasy. And what was worst of all was that it repelled nothing.

hmmm Penny oil - I think I still have that in a spray can in the basement.... found DDT last month in the same closet!

mkmangold
04-25-2012, 21:43
I just asked my GF she said our 8 lb two person REI "backpacking" tent.

An 8 lb. tent? Shouldkve brought wood and nails instead?
My biggest mistake was a plastic tube tent. In addition to being dangerous (like sleeping with a plastin bag over your head), we sweated like we were wrapped in Saran wrap.

atmilkman
04-25-2012, 21:55
Seriously?:-?
Seriously. I carried a Coleman 2 burner stove, but it was only to Neels. I was bound and determined to have a hot meal on the trail.

ChinMusic
04-25-2012, 21:59
A hammock...

atmilkman
04-25-2012, 22:08
A hammock...
tssssssss. Trying to make the sound of water hittin' a hot cast iron skillet.

rocketsocks
04-25-2012, 22:42
tssssssss. Trying to make the sound of water hittin' a hot cast iron skillet.here try this one Tssscracklr pop,pop,pop...........never mind that ain't it either.

Sarcasm the elf
04-25-2012, 23:24
I almost​ forgot about the boxes of Coghlans waterproof matches that everyone had when i was in boyscouts. They mostly just broke in half when you tried to light them and if the striker got wet they were useless. For some reason parents kept buying these worthless things for their kids to bring on camp outs year after year.

rocketsocks
04-25-2012, 23:33
What about them knife,fork,spoon jack knife sets,or the mess kits,and the od green army aluminum canteens.

swammie
04-25-2012, 23:34
remember the pup tents where each guy carried a half and the 8lb cotton sleeping bags.

and no floor. And two heavy metal poles. And no ground sheet or sleeping pad. Oh those were the days. You try and tell kids nowadays.....

rocketsocks
04-25-2012, 23:48
and no floor. And two heavy metal poles. And no ground sheet or sleeping pad. Oh those were the days. You try and tell kids nowadays.....And they were down and heavy as heck,and if they were't set out to dry back home you were rewarded on your next trip with an foul smelling tent buddy who went home with a asthma attack.

QiWiz
04-26-2012, 12:38
Got a Mioxx on eBay to try it. Found it to be a very expensive and tricky way to treat water. Sold it on eBay. Good riddance. I'm sure someone here likes theirs, and that's OK too.

Surplusman
04-26-2012, 19:33
I almost​ forgot about the boxes of Coghlans waterproof matches that everyone had when i was in boyscouts. They mostly just broke in half when you tried to light them and if the striker got wet they were useless. For some reason parents kept buying these worthless things for their kids to bring on camp outs year after year.

And...they are STILL worthless!

Wise Old Owl
04-26-2012, 20:39
I almost​ forgot about the boxes of Coghlans waterproof matches that everyone had when i was in boyscouts. They mostly just broke in half when you tried to light them and if the striker got wet they were useless. For some reason parents kept buying these worthless things for their kids to bring on camp outs year after year.

Recently I have been thinking about that... Why can't we send them out with micro BIC lighters?

Sarcasm the elf
04-26-2012, 21:26
Recently I have been thinking about that... Why can't we send them out with micro BIC lighters?

The answer I always got from the scoutmasters was that scouts were less likely to screw around and do something stupid with their limited number of matches than they would be if they had a lighter that could light hundreds of times.

We eventually started bringing lighters anyway, and then proceeded to prove that the scoutmaster's theory was correct.

Beuhler
04-27-2012, 21:24
Thermarest trekker chair. 4 years old. Never been used. After buying it I couldn't bring myself to take my very-important-for-a-good-night's-sleep inflatable pad next to a camp fire and sit on it.

Runner up: iPood Trowel.

ScottP
04-27-2012, 23:01
took an 80+ pound extra wide aluminum fishing canoe on a long distance canoeing trip. With lots of portaging. Oops

swammie
04-28-2012, 10:52
And they were down and heavy as heck,and if they were't set out to dry back home you were rewarded on your next trip with an foul smelling tent buddy who went home with a asthma attack.

I found that down army sleeping bag in my garage the other day...duct tape and all. heavy sucker.

Grumble
04-28-2012, 14:32
The answer I always got from the scoutmasters was that scouts were less likely to screw around and do something stupid with their limited number of matches than they would be if they had a lighter that could light hundreds of times.

We eventually started bringing lighters anyway, and then proceeded to prove that the scoutmaster's theory was correct.
This summed my thoughts precisely.

Grumble
04-28-2012, 14:37
My list consists of everything purchased based on a Backpacker Magazine Editors choice award. Lesson learned...eventually.

Bucho
04-29-2012, 21:26
Steripen, an electronic that you have to stick in the water but isn't waterproof *face palm*

ChinMusic
04-29-2012, 21:36
Steripen, an electronic that you have to stick in the water but isn't waterproof *face palm*

LOL, the part that you are suppose to put in the water is.......*face palm*

SassyWindsor
04-29-2012, 22:21
Winter gloves with five fingers each, after hiking in freezing rain and extreme cold and removing gloves at camp the fingers, in one glove, pulled inside out and froze. I could not get them pulled back through, even after warming up, the wet glove fingers just knotted up. I did have some light polypro liner gloves and had to hike with one hand in my pocket until I could get somewhere to buy mittens.

Sarcasm the elf
04-29-2012, 22:33
Winter gloves with five fingers each, after hiking in freezing rain and extreme cold and removing gloves at camp the fingers, in one glove, pulled inside out and froze. I could not get them pulled back through, even after warming up, the wet glove fingers just knotted up. I did have some light polypro liner gloves and had to hike with one hand in my pocket until I could get somewhere to buy mittens.

Absolutely agree. I switched over to mittens with liner gloves a couple years back and the difference was amazing. I used regular gloves one last time while hiking MT. Washington last December and after the case of the screaming barfies (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Screaming%20Barfies) that they caused I don't think that I'll ever use regular gloves again for a non-technical hike.

Wise Old Owl
04-29-2012, 22:33
A hammock...

OUCH - what were you thinking! - Honest I am so kidding.....wheres those damn smileys....

Oh and add - the Magnesium bar and striker that dulls a Swiss Army Knife in seconds....

Maddog
04-29-2012, 22:38
Steripen! It over-heated and melted in my hands the first time I used it! :(

Tom Murphy
04-30-2012, 10:54
Forgot this one - Ice fishing gloves that I bought for my winter backpacking trips.

Way too warm and no way to regulate, so they were soaked with sweat after the first day and still wet the next morning, would have been frozen f I hadn't had them in my bag with me overnight.

They are great for shoveling the driveway but I don't use them on winter day hikes or winter backpacks.

Bucho
04-30-2012, 22:05
LOL, the part that you are suppose to put in the water is.......*face palm*

Nope, made in China.

My first steripen classic was barely sorta water resistant at the water sensor and got messed up to think that it was in the water at all times. The one Hydro-Photon replaced it with wasn't water resistant at all at the water sensor and got messed up to think it wasn't ever in the water.

Wise Old Owl
04-30-2012, 22:10
WisperLite.

ChinMusic
04-30-2012, 22:14
Nope, made in China.


So is the iPhone and a myriad of other products

Jim Adams
04-30-2012, 22:45
....a computer.

geek

Bucho
05-01-2012, 15:12
So is the iPhone and a myriad of other products

And a myriad of such products have been recalled. It's been well documented that there are problems associated with production in China, some companies manage to keep a handle on it with strict oversight and stringent quality control. Whereas Hydro-Photon has spent years with their 40 micron pre-filter labelled 4 micron.

Monkeywrench
05-01-2012, 16:24
The MSR Dragonfly multi-fuel stove. Sounds like a jet engine. I was actually embarrassed by the noise it made first time I lit it up at a campground. The complexity of the device and the ease of breaking key components (made of plastic) did not warrant the $100 price tag. It sits in the basement, still broken, collecting dust.

I have since grown wiser and have fallen in love with the simplicity, cost effectiveness and quiet burning of a pop can alcohol stove. I may try the canister stoves others here tout so much, but for now alcohol serves my needs.

I have a Dragonfly, and have used it for years. Don't carry it on summer backpacking trips much anymore, but it's a blast furnace for melting snow in the winter, and I use it when my wife and I bike tour every summer. On those rare occasions when we can't find any camp gas for it (it gets harder and harder to find every year) we can just pull up to a gas station and fill up with unleaded.

Franco
05-01-2012, 20:50
odd that when a "Made in China" product is recalled it is because it's Made in China but when an American (or Aussie...) product is, it has nothing to do with the country of origin.
Franco

Prine
08-16-2012, 14:28
85% of the "china made" crap, I've taken a roll of the dice with.

Prine
08-16-2012, 14:33
odd that when a "Made in China" product is recalled it is because it's Made in China but when an American (or Aussie...) product is, it has nothing to do with the country of origin.
Franco

Not that odd, when you look at a list of the recalled products and 98% of them come from China. Unfortunately the other argument could be they do make a larger portion of consumable products therefor they will have more recalls???

Train Wreck
08-16-2012, 15:33
Great thread!
Sounds like we have the makings of a Cyber Swap Meet! Rocketsocks will collect, pack, and mail out all the offending goods to their proud new owners. Free of charge, naturally.:D
Let's see...what do I have?
I have...ah, there it is....**drum roll** For canoe camping, I One triangular folding stool that seats NO ONE comfortably! The seat is only about 9" square. Feels awkward to women, guys look at it askance, dumps you unceremoniously with no regard to gender if you shift position.
What am I bid?

Buffalo Skipper
08-16-2012, 15:39
Great thread!
Sounds like we have the makings of a Cyber Swap Meet! Rocketsocks will collect, pack, and mail out all the offending goods to their proud new owners. Free of charge, naturally.:D
Let's see...what do I have?
I have...ah, there it is....**drum roll** For canoe camping, I One triangular folding stool that seats NO ONE comfortably! The seat is only about 9" square. Feels awkward to women, guys look at it askance, dumps you unceremoniously with no regard to gender if you shift position.
What am I bid?

I feel I need pics of an unceremonious dumping before I can commit....

Train Wreck
08-16-2012, 15:44
I feel I need pics of an unceremonious dumping before I can commit....

pis always come out blurry because photographer was LHAO at the time.

avalonmorn
08-17-2012, 03:25
Eno slap straps.....nuff said.

Wil
08-17-2012, 05:20
I guess the most foolish thing I ever bought was a snake bite kit,the yellow one with the plundger.Mine was the greenish-grey suction cup thingie. Carried it for years and never bitten so I guess it worked!

Actually only even saw two-three rattlesnakes during the time I carried the kit. Dozens afterward. My attitude changed. They were there first. I am a visitor into their home and try to be an inoffensive guest.

jeffmeh
08-17-2012, 06:42
Sigg water bottles, nearly as heavy as a Nalgene, but with a tiny opening and as an added bonus metallic taste in your water.

Magnesium fire starter, a 2 oz rock in your pack when you have a working lighter.

Candle lantern, another useless purchase.

Hey, I use my candle lanterns at home on the rare occasion we lose electricity.

Jim Adams
08-17-2012, 09:12
I bought a pair of OZARK TRAIL hiking boots at WalMart just to get me 50 miles to my next mail drop with my good hiking shoes in it....they fell apart at the 27 mile mark. I would have been better off hiking in my crocs.

geek

msupple
08-17-2012, 22:35
Silnylon rain suit with no zips...what the hell was I thinking????

Hairbear
08-18-2012, 08:26
a magnum condom,a friend told me they make good emergency water carrier.never used it for water but it makes one hell of a hulla hoop if you cut the center out.

Wise Old Owl
08-18-2012, 08:48
odd that when a "Made in China" product is recalled it is because it's Made in China but when an American (or Aussie...) product is, it has nothing to do with the country of origin.
Franco

As a kid the crappy toys all had made in China vs Tonka and few others... That was 45 years ago... Look at how far a farming culture can go. Now its hard to find any gear that doesn't say made in China... This is why its so important to support cottage companies right here when possible.

Wise Old Owl
08-18-2012, 08:53
Silnylon rain suit with no zips...what the hell was I thinking????

I guessing Pit Zips - A couple of years ago we had a cool thread of dual use stuff ideas and Poncho was a clear winner. People tend to forget how much we perspire when getting drenched - Hense when I started this thread - I thought a Event Cap was a good idea... it was aweful.

Here's my Sil Sea to Summit Poncho

17082

Cadenza
08-18-2012, 19:49
a magnum condom,a friend told me they make good emergency water carrier.never used it for water but it makes one hell of a hulla hoop if you cut the center out.


That's the funniest line so far. ;)

Tacky Hiker
08-21-2012, 16:58
Coleman F1 Lantern along with many other items I purchased and never end up using !

Chaco Taco
08-21-2012, 17:34
trowel, never use, pointless. Left in a hiker box

sublimety
08-21-2012, 17:39
Pocket chainsaw, heavy and exhausting. I keep warm from the effort put into using it. No camp fire needed.

brill540
08-21-2012, 18:05
I didn't have much money when I first started, and didn't think to check online reviews for things. Brands to avoid: Campmor, Gander Mountain, Slumberjack. Slumberjack may not be awful, but they sure as hell lie on their temperature ratings. Ended up having to buy just about everything twice.

Eureka and Columbia are the only "cheap" brands that make good gear that I've found so far.

grayfox
08-21-2012, 20:32
One thing about getting older is having a closet full of stuff that is hard to justify having spent money on. I tend to blame advancing technology and an expanding waistline.

I was in a store once and two guys were looking at collapsable fishing poles. The older guy says to the younger one who was eyeing a small lightweight one, "Son, if you want one of those I will give you directions to the bush I threw mine into yesterday." I left out the more colorful language.

Deadeye
08-21-2012, 20:32
Black Diamond z-poles. Broke before 30 miles, and BD wouldn't do a thing about it, told me UL equipment wasn't built to stand up to use.

Sarcasm the elf
08-21-2012, 22:52
Black Diamond z-poles. Broke before 30 miles, and BD wouldn't do a thing about it, told me UL equipment wasn't built to stand up to use.

That was one of the worst pieces of gear I DIDN'T buy. I've got regular weight black diamond poles and love them, but the z-poles arent built to stand up to trail use.

To make matters worse, the elastic that holdsthe pole sections together doesn't work right in cold conditions. I hiked with someone who brought a pair of these to the whites last winter, when he took them out to use them in single digit temperatures, the poles happily maintained their "Z" shape - worthless in those conditions.

Wise Old Owl
09-14-2012, 01:19
+1 on slumberjack

Whats wrong with Campmor?

Rasty
09-14-2012, 01:29
+1 on slumberjack

Whats wrong with Campmor?

Maybe the Campmor brand items. I've purchased a few Campmor brand clothing items like pants that fell apart really fast.

Wise Old Owl
09-14-2012, 01:54
Interesting,,,, OK

Deacon
09-14-2012, 06:03
Pocket chainsaw, heavy and exhausting. I keep warm from the effort put into using it. No camp fire needed.

Yeah, I have one of these. It's basically a 3 foot long chainsaw "blade" with rings on each each end just large enough to get one finger through. You have to be a superman to pull it back and forth. It came in a nice canvas case.

I bought it in 1983, but can't seem to let go of it. Anyone want it for, well, you name the price.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sman
09-14-2012, 15:27
Small one man tent --- Not a good ideal if you 6'2" and weigh 300lb

BabySue
09-14-2012, 16:07
Easton trekking pokes. I bought their cheaper ones & knew they would be a bit heavier, etc. They both bent with normal use (no throwing, falling, ice axe use, weaponizing, etc.). They advertise a lifetime guarantee but wouldn't replace or repair them when they got to the point of having a pronounced bend after less than a year.

hikerboy57
09-14-2012, 16:17
marmot precip rainhat. i have bad luck with hats. bought this one for my maine sobo section hike,way too hot . ended up buying a canvas baseball hat at abol bridge.
anybody want it, send me a pm.it might make a great water carrier.

T-Rx
09-14-2012, 16:31
trowel, never use, pointless. Left in a hiker box

+1 on the trowel. Carried it on one trip. Never again. I use a boot heel, stick or trekking pole now.

10-K
09-14-2012, 17:43
MSR Hyperflow water filter.

Should be named "Hyperblow".....

hikerboy57
09-14-2012, 17:54
MSR Hyperflow water filter.

Should be named "Hyperblow".....

Have you heard about the SAWYER IN LINE WATER FILTER?

10-K
09-14-2012, 17:59
You mean the SILWF?

ChinMusic
09-14-2012, 18:00
MSR Hyperflow water filter.

Should be named "Hyperblow".....
I think Hyperblow would have worked out better for simple mind.

hikerboy57
09-14-2012, 18:00
You mean the SILWF?
THATS THE ONE!!!!!!!!
i guess you've heard

coach lou
09-14-2012, 18:48
I got this Grey T-shirt, Says 'Maine, the way life should be' , found it in my car, way too small for me!:rolleyes:

Drybones
09-14-2012, 18:54
It wasn't mine, but for someone it was a 12" cast iron skillet, someone left it beside the trail in the middle of nowhere. If could have carried it I would have taken it home and used it as a boat anchor.

HikerMom58
09-14-2012, 19:00
I think Hyperblow would have worked out better for simple mind.

Ha ha..... I can't stop laughing....this is got to be the funniest comment EVER.... haha!!

Bucho
09-14-2012, 20:51
MSR Hyperflow water filter.

Should be named "Hyperblow".....

Out of curiosity, why did the hyperflow hyperblow?

hikerboy57
09-14-2012, 20:56
Yes tell us your tale of woe with the hyperflow hyperblow.
We Want to know What made it so.

Wise Old Owl
09-14-2012, 22:06
Unbelievable/

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?87959-Help!!!!!

HikerMom58
09-14-2012, 22:09
You guys are too funny...I can't stop laughing....slow mind-simple mind..... haha!! Do tell about the hyperflow hyperblow.. Ahh..haha!!

Wise Old Owl
09-14-2012, 22:22
HM it is funny... sad at the same time... somebody recommend a slumberjack.... Please/

HikerMom58
09-14-2012, 22:31
Well, WOO.. I was just laughing at ChinMusic's comment... then I read the others comments! :) I just don't know what to think about anything else... I didn't see your comment about the other person until just now.

Wise Old Owl
09-14-2012, 22:34
HD I can see we are going to have good times.

RevLee
09-14-2012, 22:36
Early on I picked up a stainless steel cup that fits perfectly around the bottom of a nalgene bottle. Besides being heavy, if you think about it you're always putting a bottle down on surfaces you wouldn't want contaminating your cup. It never made it to my second backpacking trip.

HikerMom58
09-14-2012, 22:40
HD I can see we are going to have good times.


HD?... Did you mean HM? ;)

Wise Old Owl
09-14-2012, 22:41
RevLee its still perfect for making instant coffee on a alcohol stove - don't toss it in the opps storage tote yet.

Kiyu
09-15-2012, 01:04
Early on I picked up a stainless steel cup that fits perfectly around the bottom of a nalgene bottle. Besides being heavy, if you think about it you're always putting a bottle down on surfaces you wouldn't want contaminating your cup. It never made it to my second backpacking trip.

Sitting at a shelter table having a cup of coffee, nothing on one's mind, looking at your nalgene bottle, then realizing what unspeakable events may have happened on that table and you just put them in your cup.
That slap forehead moment must have just about knocked the top of your head off.<G>
See stolen signature.
Kiyu

RodentWhisperer
09-15-2012, 10:55
On a Martha-Stewart-would-call-it-a-good-thing moment, I bought a complete set of MSR backcountry kitchen implements-- S/P shaker, pasta strainer, spatula, serving spoon, etc. I've never used half of those things, and seriously doubt any hiker would. Even car campers would find them pointless!

slow mind
09-15-2012, 21:23
Dude get off my back. Lighten up. I own a slumberjack. It's huge heavy comfy and absolutley petfect for cruising on my sailboat, hiking not at all good. All I have been doing is cracking jokes and ranting a little, you have been calling out insults from the top of your ol tree. GFYS

HM it is funny... sad at the same time... somebody recommend a slumberjack.... Please/

coach lou
09-15-2012, 21:30
trowel, never use, pointless. Left in a hiker box

Oh man, I have one of those. Some one here said it was for AYCE hiker feeds:)

cabbagehead
09-15-2012, 22:32
American Eureka Solitaire
All the poles broke.

Hot Sauce 2011
09-17-2012, 22:02
+1 Osprey bladder and hose. Terrible. Leaked awful, a common complaint, and I replaced it with a Platypus, which was fine, and with that I ditched the hose. If you need to drink, stop for a minute, take your pack off, catch your breath, cool down, and drink. If you're in such a hurry that you can't relax while you drink your water...hell, you probably work hard enough sucking through that hose to offset the benefits of stopping and drinking. Gatorade/ Powerade 32 oz. bottles, all you need.

Papa D
09-17-2012, 22:05
Outdoor Research Advanced Bivy Sack - unless you like sleeping in an clammy steam bath

Wise Old Owl
09-17-2012, 22:41
+1 Osprey bladder and hose. Terrible. Leaked awful, a common complaint, and I replaced it with a Platypus, which was fine, and with that I ditched the hose. If you need to drink, stop for a minute, take your pack off, catch your breath, cool down, and drink. If you're in such a hurry that you can't relax while you drink your water...hell, you probably work hard enough sucking through that hose to offset the benefits of stopping and drinking. Gatorade/ Powerade 32 oz. bottles, all you need.
I do both...Last thing I want to do is clean a platy.

Feral Bill
09-17-2012, 23:01
I finally remembered! A WW II vintage British army packboard. An aluminum monster of unparalleled discomfort. Anyone else remember those?

Kiyu
09-18-2012, 05:33
A partial list, some of it I still have....blush.
Mid 1970s, a 3 dayer into Big Run in SNP.....trying to impress my son with my vast knowledge of the great outdoors.
The hike in was down from Skyline Drive but carrying all this junk back up and out nearly killed me.
Aforementioned by someone yellow plastic egg carton, candle lantern, flashlight with extra D cell batteries.
Nesting aluminum pots...light but too big for packing and hard to clean.
Coleman single burner “back packing” stove....would have been better off bringing my orange, folding steel Sterno stove instead.
Coleman whateverwaslayingaroundforinsulation sleeping bags....big & heavy.
Vinyl beach blow up mattresses.
J.C.Penny summer vented tent..no fly.
Blue enamel coffee pot.
Chukka shoes for around camp. It is amazing how quickly the heavy soft crepe soles of these things will melt and stick to the hot grate of a brand new Coleman stove when the first time operator has a flame up and the only thought which comes to mind to put it out is to stomp on it. The flaming stove will come off after a couple kicks of increasing intensity motivated by panic. My son was very impressed and watching me hop around he learned several new oaths he'd not heard before.
11 inch Wagner griddle....because “nothing tastes as good in the great outdoors as bacon and eggs fried on a cast iron skillet.” I forget where I heard that.
I justified carrying it because of the weight I saved by not bringing along too much cotton clothing.
Or the later needed rain poncho I'd left in the car.

I'm too old and run down to do much hiking anymore but each fall my son and I go up to the Blue Ridge camping and fly fishing. Around the campfire sipping a glass of local wine invariably that trip comes up and we still get a couple of good laughs out of it even after all these years.......but we still cook using the aluminum pots, skillet and blue enamel coffee pot.

Velvet Gooch
09-18-2012, 07:32
Back in the day... ECWCS Gen I "bear suit." Dat itch

OzJacko
09-18-2012, 07:42
l'd just like to say that despite it not being "ultralight" I love my single wall stainless steel mug (with lid) that I got for $1.00 from a Salvation Army shop.
I've even made it its own pot cozie!!

Drybones
09-18-2012, 07:51
l'd just like to say that despite it not being "ultralight" I love my single wall stainless steel mug (with lid) that I got for $1.00 from a Salvation Army shop.
I've even made it its own pot cozie!!

Bought one of those. After wasting a lot of fuel and time waiting for the water to heat, I came to the realization it must be double wall...never did get that water to boil.

OzJacko
09-18-2012, 07:58
Bought one of those. After wasting a lot of fuel and time waiting for the water to heat, I came to the realization it must be double wall...never did get that water to boil.
Mine makes soup or coffee beautifully. Sits perfectly on the Evernew stove set.
I can't think of anything that didn't at least serve the function I bought it for at the time.
Many, many things have now been replaced by better/lighter etc.
I think my wife has bought me about 15 bug headnets by now though. I have at least 6 or 7 still in their wrapping.
Funny thing is, if she is in the vicinity the mosquitoes all bite her and I get away scot free!:banana

Bucho
09-21-2012, 22:47
Outdoor Research Advanced Bivy Sack - unless you like sleeping in an clammy steam bath

Ouch, I like my coffin.

Leanthree
09-22-2012, 02:01
Synthetic Sleeping Bag.

Wise Old Owl
09-22-2012, 09:33
finger ring wood saw....or wire saw.

canoe
09-22-2012, 10:34
A partial list, some of it I still have....blush.
Mid 1970s, a 3 dayer into Big Run in SNP.....trying to impress my son with my vast knowledge of the great outdoors.
The hike in was down from Skyline Drive but carrying all this junk back up and out nearly killed me.
Aforementioned by someone yellow plastic egg carton, candle lantern, flashlight with extra D cell batteries.
Nesting aluminum pots...light but too big for packing and hard to clean.
Coleman single burner “back packing” stove....would have been better off bringing my orange, folding steel Sterno stove instead.
Coleman whateverwaslayingaroundforinsulation sleeping bags....big & heavy.
Vinyl beach blow up mattresses.
J.C.Penny summer vented tent..no fly.
Blue enamel coffee pot.
Chukka shoes for around camp. It is amazing how quickly the heavy soft crepe soles of these things will melt and stick to the hot grate of a brand new Coleman stove when the first time operator has a flame up and the only thought which comes to mind to put it out is to stomp on it. The flaming stove will come off after a couple kicks of increasing intensity motivated by panic. My son was very impressed and watching me hop around he learned several new oaths he'd not heard before.
11 inch Wagner griddle....because “nothing tastes as good in the great outdoors as bacon and eggs fried on a cast iron skillet.” I forget where I heard that.
I justified carrying it because of the weight I saved by not bringing along too much cotton clothing.
Or the later needed rain poncho I'd left in the car.

I'm too old and run down to do much hiking anymore but each fall my son and I go up to the Blue Ridge camping and fly fishing. Around the campfire sipping a glass of local wine invariably that trip comes up and we still get a couple of good laughs out of it even after all these years.......but we still cook using the aluminum pots, skillet and blue enamel coffee pot.

That is so funny...cause its so familiar

Wise Old Owl
10-02-2012, 20:46
Dude get off my back. Lighten up. I own a slumberjack. It's huge heavy comfy and absolutley petfect for cruising on my sailboat, hiking not at all good. All I have been doing is cracking jokes and ranting a little, you have been calling out insults from the top of your ol tree. GFYS

Slow mind - I went out of my way a few years ago to take my son backpacking and I saved over five months "at the time" precious dollars and bought $79 dollars each...Slumberjacks (lite).... ! I honestly felt taken advantage of, (I was clueless) they sucked - and when I called the so called customer service - they were awefull!

I am not a dude and if I want to "lighten up" I have a headlamp for that.:rolleyes: That means "I am a little sarcastic"

Everyone is with a "little" opinion, As a group we need to have that, its social. take it with a grain of salt.... there must be a reason.... If ya don' agree - it's OK! This was not about U, I agree we are Oil and Water. Not a biggie... I will accept going forward I will tone it down with you....

If you are unhappy with this explanation feel free to PM and lets work together.

geomaniac
10-02-2012, 20:55
remember the pup tents where each guy carried a half and the 8lb cotton sleeping bags.

I do remember those..they were standard issue when I was in the Army.

Franco
10-03-2012, 04:38
finger ring wood saw....or wire saw.

had one of those too. I must have been bored out of my mind...

Wise Old Owl
10-03-2012, 19:17
I agree Franco - there's a lot of cheap stuff that really should be left at home...

MuddyWaters
10-03-2012, 21:38
WWII era US Army mountain cold weather down bag. I bought it in 1982 when I was in high school, because we did all our outdoor shopping at the army surplus store, there wasnt anyplace else back then where I came from.

It extremely heavy, leaks feathers, some of the feather clumps feel like parts of a chicken are still attached, but did serve its purpose for me at the time.

Northern Lights
10-03-2012, 21:47
I bought an osprey bladder, someone on here warned me they leaked, and sure as heck two days into the Smokies that bugger started leaking. Had to stop in Gaitlinberg and get a new one, I was lucky enough that they gave me a platy for free. Apparently they get a few from Platypus each year for hikers to give away for free. Which reminds me I need to send a thank you to them...

coach lou
10-03-2012, 22:07
WWII era US Army mountain cold weather down bag. I bought it in 1982 when I was in high school, because we did all our outdoor shopping at the army surplus store, there wasnt anyplace else back then where I came from.

It extremely heavy, leaks feathers, some of the feather clumps feel like parts of a chicken are still attached, but did serve its purpose for me at the time.

My dad brought 3 M-1949 Down mummy bags back from his time. I used mine through my youth. I took his over 30 years ago, with a cover, 9lbs. I was always warm as toast. In '04' it was retired to my friends dog house in Montana. It served me very well. I replaced it with the Western Mountaineering Puma. 3lbs, warm as burnt toast!

simply_light
11-07-2012, 13:10
Zinetic Pocket Slippers - One of the shoes came rolled up from the manufacturer and even after a month rolled backwards, would not lay flat. Also, the mesh tops are super fragile and the bottoms very uncomfortable. I wasn't comfortable even giving them away, so I ended up pitching them in the trash.

oldbear
11-07-2012, 13:40
Oddly enough it was a first generation MSR Whisperlite
I bought it replace my trusty old Svea 123 But it never quite worked as well as MSR claimed

bogey
11-07-2012, 14:18
actually it wasn't my intent to use for backpacking, but the Bunton Glorb was the most memorable of my questionable purchases. butane, with one of those slightly Coleman style socky mantles that seldom survived taking the lantern out of its case. You could if you want to, actually burn the thing without a mantle, it lit like a candle but cost like $40 or so.

Spirit Bear
11-07-2012, 16:35
two nalgine bottles
A platipus (cheap knock off one from wal-mart) I never use it, I hate filling it up then sticking it back in the pack, to much extra work. Much prefer my gatoraid bottles or any cheap recycle bottles
A compass, the one for reading maps
a bear bell (got it after my first encounter with a bear)
A snake bite kit, the one with the yellow plunger device, i have no clue how to use it if I do get bit
stuff sacks-I use ziplock bags now
A coleman rain jacket (heavy and doesnt keep rain out-the hood sucked too)
Silk Sock liners (wore a hole in them after 20 miles and they never did ****)
A whistle (realized my pack had one bilt in on the shoulder strap) not that i even need a ****ing whistle
Trail guide and map (only need one, not both)
Coffee (huge smell in the pack and no time to brew it in the am)
Coffee Creamers (rookie mistake)-backpacking is not the same as camping

TheYoungOne
11-07-2012, 17:34
I have 2,

About 3 years ago I bought a pair of Columbia boots at Sports Authority for hiking. I was new to hiking the AT and I thought I was smart getting a "lightweight boot" instead of using my big and heavy boots, and that I would have better ankle support. Boy those Columbia boots were lighter then the Merrel Moabs so I bought them, used then for yard work a few times to break them in then took them on a Rocky day hike from Port Clinton PA to the Pinnicle. The problem was the soles were thin, and the boot had no shank. I did not use insoles like superfeet, and the factory insoles were paper thin with no arch support. I would have been better off with trail runners or big bulky boots. Needless to say I felt every single rock, and DESTROYED my feet. I have had problems like Plantar Fasciits ever since. Please say no to Columbia footwear.

Outdoor Products Backpack Poncho - I bought this in REI. Think of a large heavy rubberized tarp. Now think of that large heavy tarp over your body while you hike. Now imagine a baby being born. The baby's head squeezing out of the birth canal and seeing the world for the first time. Put on a Outdoor Products Backpack poncho and you will understand all of this. Its huge, and heavy, yet the hood is small and is hard to get on and tight to your head.

http://www.allequipped.net/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/o/u/outdoor_products_574_regular_backpacker_poncho_-_polyurethane_nylon.jpg

kayak karl
11-07-2012, 17:48
http://image68.webshots.com/468/0/8/30/2997008300104593866ByGWle_fs.jpg


took this pic of an AT old book i have somewhere.

1973 Icewater Shelter

don't know who they are.

the gear cracks me up :)

hikerboy57
11-07-2012, 18:00
left handed smoke shifter. hasn't worked from day 1.

slims
11-10-2012, 10:42
Started out my thru-hike with a generic $5 Poncho. Needless to say it didn't survive the first proper rain storm without ripping. Ended up getting a nice Mountain Hardwear Rain Jacket at Outdoor 76 in Franklin. Worth the money.

Pedaling Fool
11-10-2012, 10:44
Tent footprint. Didn't buy an actual footprint, just material, luckily because footprints are expensive and totally useless.

RED-DOG
11-10-2012, 12:09
The Sawyer Squeeze or the Steripen is the worst gear i have ever bought.

tammons
11-11-2012, 10:15
74, bought my first down -20dF V baffle mummy bag. Expensive for back then.
About a year later noticed down was shifting. Opened up the seam and the baffle ends were open - all of them.

Wise Old Owl
11-11-2012, 12:03
two nalgine bottles
A platipus (cheap knock off one from wal-mart) I never use it, I hate filling it up then sticking it back in the pack, to much extra work. Much prefer my gatoraid bottles or any cheap recycle bottles
A compass, the one for reading maps
a bear bell (got it after my first encounter with a bear)
A snake bite kit, the one with the yellow plunger device, i have no clue how to use it if I do get bit
stuff sacks-I use ziplock bags now
A coleman rain jacket (heavy and doesnt keep rain out-the hood sucked too)
Silk Sock liners (wore a hole in them after 20 miles and they never did ****)
A whistle (realized my pack had one bilt in on the shoulder strap) not that i even need a ****ing whistle
Trail guide and map (only need one, not both)
Coffee (huge smell in the pack and no time to brew it in the am)
Coffee Creamers (rookie mistake)-backpacking is not the same as camping

Nice list.... When I am with a large hiking group the whistle is used to signal the leader the stragglers aren't even close. Coffee Creamers are ok use a glad box...

A couple of members here posted the Coleman Poncho / backpack rain gear and yea I agree there are lots of better choices. I leave stuff like that in the car for occasional use. I keep a $1 clear disposable poncho and repack it.

Country Roads
11-11-2012, 19:41
My Campmor silnylon poncho. I am short and every time I had to make a climb (which is every mile or so), I had to hold it up like a frontier woman holding up her skirt or I would trip over it. Sent it home from the Blueberry Patch Hostel and went with my $15 Wally World water repellent jacket.

Train Wreck
11-12-2012, 03:18
A pair of Vasque Breeze: boots to replace the older style skywalk model. They made the boots lighter at the expense of support. I am currently nursing a badly sprained ankle due to my poor choice

Furlough
11-12-2012, 09:33
left handed smoke shifter. hasn't worked from day 1.

Same here, that and the Bacon Stretcher were both worthless.

staehpj1
11-12-2012, 09:48
For me that would be a titanium sierra cup. I carried it for a month and used it once. I really didn't like it at all for a myriad of reasons including that stuff got cold in it super fast, with hot stuff the rim got too hot, it was way to easy to spill, it was kind of expensive, it was awkward and too small to cook in. I should have remembered that I hated the stainless one I bought a few decades ago.

staehpj1
11-12-2012, 09:50
The Sawyer Squeeze or the Steripen is the worst gear i have ever bought.
Funny how different folks preferences are, I would list the squeeze as one of my best purchases.

Bucho
11-12-2012, 22:50
The Sawyer Squeeze or the Steripen is the worst gear i have ever bought.

What went wrong with the Sawyer Squeeze?

mrgadget921
11-14-2012, 15:21
Bought one of those. After wasting a lot of fuel and time waiting for the water to heat, I came to the realization it must be double wall...never did get that water to boil.
ROFLMAO! did the same thing with a stainless thermos!.....live and learn!

mrgadget921
11-14-2012, 15:33
seriously worst ... tech support.... was Delorme Inreach! great idea! poor packaging / advertising / disclosures.... if they had disclosed billing subscription rates I would still be a happy camper and supporter. their subscription rates are not to be found in any brochure or sales packaging... until you register the unit!!!
AM STILL BEING BILLED FOR SERVICES NOT RENDERED!

FarmerChef
11-14-2012, 17:11
Collapsible coffee filter. I had this wild idea that I could grind home-roasted coffee and enjoy all the comforts of home right on the trail. Well, no matter how fine/course I ground the coffee the water would just sit in the filter and slowly dribble down into my cup. Problem was, by the time it was done dribbling my piping hot coffee was lukewarm. :(

Wise Old Owl
11-14-2012, 17:28
mrgadget921 (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/member.php?40193-mrgadget921) So how much is the monitoring?

Hoofit
11-14-2012, 18:04
I'm guessing I am one of only a few that overestimated the bear threat to the point where I brought a gun with me on the trail - not your average Colt 45, nope, I brought the flare gun from my safe boater arsenal!!
By the time I reached Neil's Gap and haD the proverbial shakedown, it was on it's way back home....
Looking back on it, I probably would have come closer to setting the forest on fire than holding off a bear, glad it didn't come to that...

Wyatt
11-20-2012, 13:42
The worst items I ever bought were some nylon stuff sacks off of Ebay. They looked like military surplus, but were advertised as being "new and unused". The price was crazy cheap for a set of five or six of the bags. It turns out that they were some sort of Vietnam war era dry bags. They looked brand new and must have been stored in a warehouse somewhere for years and years. The only small issue was that they smelled like a mix of dog pee and rancid baby vomit. I washed them with baking soda, left them out in the sun to dry, tried everything I could think of. The smell made my wife want to throw up and I couldn't get rid of it, so I had to toss the bags. Much later, I figured out that the urethane coating on them must have been breaking down and causing the stink. Eh, well. Live and learn. :rolleyes:

Six-Six
11-20-2012, 15:53
Gander Mountain brand clothing - I bought it because I started out being price conscious. Used it once and then bought better quality clothes and wear them ALL the time. You get what you pay for......should be tattooed on my forehead.

Drybones
11-20-2012, 16:56
Collapsible coffee filter. I had this wild idea that I could grind home-roasted coffee and enjoy all the comforts of home right on the trail. Well, no matter how fine/course I ground the coffee the water would just sit in the filter and slowly dribble down into my cup. Problem was, by the time it was done dribbling my piping hot coffee was lukewarm. :(

http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___29570

Farmerchef...you may be interested in the above, $2.99 for 40 filters that allow you to use whatever coffer you want. I tried lots of instants, even Starbucks, but it all tasted like instant, started using these filters and my regular coffee, works well.

jeffmeh
11-20-2012, 18:55
Same here, that and the Bacon Stretcher were both worthless.

Agreed. Carrying the elbow grease was a waste also. Once I started counting grams, though, I did become a fan of dehydrated water.

Wise Old Owl
11-22-2012, 23:29
Can I quote you both on that and make it my personal signature?:rolleyes:

ChinMusic
11-23-2012, 02:32
A hammock......

Thunderbird
11-23-2012, 14:38
I had a Coleman small camp stove, a real good cooking stove but had trouble with fuel leaks. Just replaced with a MSR Whisperlite International hopefully this stove will be better.

bamboo bob
11-23-2012, 14:39
+1 on the trowel. Carried it on one trip. Never again. I use a boot heel, stick or trekking pole now.

I guess that's why 6" catholes are a thing of the past.

bamboo bob
11-23-2012, 14:52
" I brought the flare gun from my safe boater arsenal!!"
By the time I reached Neil's Gap and haD the proverbial shakedown,.[/QUOTE] I recall that in 2002 there was a flare gun in the hiker box at Neels Gap. There were no flares so I presumed that the owner used them all. There was also a machete.

Seldomseen
11-25-2012, 18:38
X-frame air mattress.

Wise Old Owl
11-25-2012, 18:59
A hammock......Wow Chin, there are only 11 acres left of "REAL prairie in Illinois- I have been there. - can't find two trees and give a "good ol boy try"?

After a few tries it beats tents hand's down... seriously!

sheepdog
11-25-2012, 19:15
A vargo titanium alcohol stove.

Sarcasm the elf
11-25-2012, 19:20
+1 on the trowel. Carried it on one trip. Never again. I use a boot heel, stick or trekking pole now.


I guess that's why 6" catholes are a thing of the past.


I can dig a proper cathole with my trekking pole tip, though it does take a bit of time. I would agree that anyone who uses a boot heel or a stick and thinks they are digging deep enough are probably kidding themselves.

Wise Old Owl
11-25-2012, 19:26
Ahh yes it so sucketh, folks have pooped for 100,000 years without cat holes... but there is e-coli..in the poop. there goes the woods.

Seldomseen
11-25-2012, 20:46
Are you using the vargo with a titanium pot? It does not work with stainless steel.

Sarcasm the elf
11-25-2012, 20:54
Ahh yes it so sucketh, folks have pooped for 100,000 years without cat holes... but there is e-coli..in the poop. there goes the woods.

Yes but for 99,850 of those years, we did not have a proper understanding of the spread of infectious diseases. :-? Besides, stepping in a poorly placed pile sucks :eek:

Nicknack
11-28-2012, 12:52
Mountain Smith Hiking poles, used them once and they were terrible, they kept collapsing! Returned them and got Black Diamond ones, much better!

Grady Wilson
11-28-2012, 13:03
"Worst Gear you ever bought"

That 8 person Coleman dome I used up on Blood Mountain. That SOB was bigger than the damn shelter! It was an epic night!

EriKelly
11-30-2012, 22:14
25 dollar "20 degree" synthetic bag from amazon. took it up mount washington for a nice day hike with some friends in march. It was possibly the worst sleeping bag iv ever seen and we were caught in a blizzard near the summit. camped out with minimal gear in the lake of the clouds emergency shelter from snow and visibility. i ended up on the floor with no ground sheet no pad and this bag. NEVER AGAIN

hikerboy57
11-30-2012, 22:25
25 dollar "20 degree" synthetic bag from amazon. took it up mount washington for a nice day hike with some friends in march. It was possibly the worst sleeping bag iv ever seen and we were caught in a blizzard near the summit. camped out with minimal gear in the lake of the clouds emergency shelter from snow and visibility. i ended up on the floor with no ground sheet no pad and this bag. NEVER AGAIN
shoulda taken a ground sheet

Wise Old Owl
12-04-2012, 20:11
Yes but for 99,850 of those years, we did not have a proper understanding of the spread of infectious diseases. :-? Besides, stepping in a poorly placed pile sucks :eek:

Oh OK you win thats why our forefathers had boot scrapers at the front door... Maybe I will change my mind when the horse folk bag their poo on the trails.... (when ya grow up around farms ya tend to not care)

q-tip
12-05-2012, 11:29
I bought a Bora '95 for a trekking trip in India. I had about 20 lbs of gear and the thing was huge. I have never used it since, and at $500, and expensive dust collector.

gregpphoto
12-05-2012, 11:33
Yes but for 99,850 of those years, we did not have a proper understanding of the spread of infectious diseases. :-? Besides, stepping in a poorly placed pile sucks :eek:

Yea, if nothing else, dig a cathole so I dont step barefoot in poop like I did by Slant Rock in the Adirondacks. Someone pooped about 4 feet from my tarp, didnt even try to bury it, and yeah, stepped on that in the middle of the night. BAREFOOT!

gregpphoto
12-05-2012, 11:36
Agreed. Carrying the elbow grease was a waste also. Once I started counting grams, though, I did become a fan of dehydrated water.

A chemist friend of mine told me this is possible, but its offset by the weight of carrying the hydrogen in a tank.

atmilkman
12-05-2012, 11:45
Yes but for 99,850 of those years, we did not have a proper understanding of the spread of infectious diseases. :-? Besides, stepping in a poorly placed pile sucks :eek:
But, stepping in a properly placed patty can be so rewarding. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qH9R-GRPbqw