Biggest gear fail

[tomlinson]

I spent 4 days hiking near Big Sur a couple of years ago. Felt crazy out of shape 1 mile in and could not figure out why. Out of breath, achy...turned out to be the flu but manageable for the two days hiking in. Turned around when the fever crept up, but still had two days hiking to get out. My plan was to get long exposure night shots of the stars, so on night 3, after a day of feeling like crap, I dragged myself 2 miles up to an outlook, set the camera on long exposure and hoped no one would steal my very expensive gear overnight. Dragged ass back to camp and woke the next morning feeling even worse. Hiked back to the outlook to get my gear, looked at the camera, no images at all. Forgot to turn off auto-focus, rendering the camera inoperative at night. Hiked back to my car, got a hotel, slept for two days and then flew back to Boston. FAIL.

[Dogwood]

And then there are gear fails from brand new items directly out the big box store door---think Ozark Trail tents. Total pieces of crap.

Add to that Embark brand tents. Both Ozark Trail, exclusively sold at Wally World, and Embark, only seen by this person at Target, have the lowest quality tent poles, tent pole sleeves, and stakes. They are aimed for low economical markets for the occasional camper not for thru-hiking or backcountry(backpacking) enthusiasts.

I too wonder if we too often blame gear failing on gear when perhaps it is sometimes more accurate to say the consumer - a human - failed the gear?

[clusterone]

UPDATE 3 - Pack is back in my hands! Could not expect a faster turn-around. The repair work is amazing. Entirely new design for how the mesh attaches and is tightened. The poles feels like they are now capped, and designed to distribute the load across the entire strap/ now sleeve. They updated all four attachment points , and included a new mesh back with new hardware.

TWO THUMBS UP FOR ZPACKS!

BEFORE: AFTER:

UPDATE -- Zpacks responded within 24h and said the would repair the pack, just mail it to them!

[SWODaddy]

Nothing too bad while hiking.

My biggest fail a couple decades ago while car camping was setting up my 3-man Eureka dome tent at a campground, realizing I had forgotten the tent stakes after setting it up, then hearing yelling as I walk to the car, only to turn around and see my tent bouncing like a giant beach ball into the river.

I actually jumped in and saved the tent. This was the VA state campground (can't remember the name) overlooked by the old civil war shot tower - near Wytheville, IIRC.

[HighlandsHiker]

Ha! Sounds like New River State Park. The river is pretty wide and decently fast-moving through there . . . you're lucky to have saved the tent!

That's a very scenic campground - and nicely situated near the bike path. Worth a visit.

[Wildmtnchild]

Once my jet boil caught fire and the plastic melted. Another time, same trip, my filter clogged and just wouldn't unclog.

[dervari]

I bought a melted jet boil at the REI Garage Sale so I could have a second cup. Did you return to REI?

Had a Miniworks fail when I forgot to put the duck bill valve back in after cleaning.

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[Sarcasm the elf]

Reposting from several years ago.

The first ever overnight I did as an adult had a memorable experience. My buddy and I had just dropped a good chunk of money buying gear for backpacking even though we couldn't afford it, in order to make ends need and still hike, my buddy who had no experience made his own soda can alcohol stove for the trip.

I was skeptical at first, but he tried it out in his kitchen and the soda can stove worked well, it boiled water quick enough and was practically free, so I agreed to use it. He even bought a MSR backpackers pot to go with the stove.

On our first day out we made it seven miles ( a big deal on your first trip wearing a pack in over a decade). We got to the campsite and I proceeded to make dinner. I removed the stove that was nestled in the new cookpot, lit it with the denatured alcohol I bought and made couscous.

The first few bites were okay, but then I accidentally took a bite from the part that was at the bottom of the cookpot and my mouth exploded in pain and sent signals to my brain that we were under attack. I instantly turned green and without consciously knowing what happened I ran close to the edge of the tent site and spit out everything in my mouth, replacing it with dry heaving. Not knowing what happened, I unsuccessfully tried to rinse my mouth out as my very concerned hiking buddy tried to see if he could help. He said so something to the effect of "I've never had couscous before but this tastes terrible". To which I responded that I ate the stuff all the time and that this must save been contaminated.

After a brief discussion, the truth came out. It turns out that my buddy was too lazy to buy proper cooking alcohol when testing his stove. Instead he grabbed the only flammable liquid he had available, his girlfriend's nail polish remover, and used that for his first few trial runs. The problem is that nail polish remover does not fully burn down and instead leaves a residue that tastes something like rocket fuel. Turns out that since he hadn't washed the stove before putting it inside the cookpot, all the residue was shaken out into the cookpot.

Not an experience that I will soon forget.

[Bronk]

If you buy a used tent, do this to it before you trust it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wARB3Ljv404

[theinfamousj]

There are several operator errors, such as a college aged me who, discovering she could fit her adult self in a Wal-Mart Kids Tent (diagonally, no really, it works) promptly proceeded to spray the sides of the nylon tent with a fine mist of deet.

It had been amazingly waterproof and a great workhorse of a tent until then. Now it is a lending tent for fair weather only.

And to replace it? I went with something that cost a factor of ten more and provided minor weight benefits, and no space benefits. 🤔

I have had Merrill shoes disconnect from the front of their soles while on the trail (Yay duct tape). I once misplaced a bottle of iodine I was using to treat water (hiking partner had enough extra to get me through). And once, my beloved Cocoon AirCore pillow got a leak and I found myself pillow less (slept on hard, lumpy gear). But so far, knock wood, that is all I can report.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[theinfamousj]

Its close to impossible to fix a "crocodile mouth" on this type of boots other than to tie it with whatever you have handy.

I'm thinking about carrying a bunch of prefabricated U-clamps and a piece of cooper wire on the next trip due to the omnipresent demand to repair shoes.

I don't know what a U clamp is, but if you make or point me to a video, I still have the Merrills and would love to give their repair a shot and pick up a new gear repair skill!

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[Teacher & Snacktime]

My husband and I went on a bike hike from Bristol RI to Provincetown, MA and back. I borrowed a small tent from a family member who was an experienced camper. This was their daughter's tent, which was stored in a nice dry closet, so we didn't bother to open it up or check the condition. It was perfect; no wear, no tears. Unfortunately however, it appeared that the closet in which it had been stored also served as their cat's toilet. Try to get that smell out of the nylon when it's been heated up by the sun! Thank God for the local Benny's (all purpose store)!

[Leo L.]

I don't know what a U clamp is, but if you make or point me to a video, I still have the Merrills and would love to give their repair a shot and pick up a new gear repair skill!

In lack of English knowledge I just named it U-clamp.
Its a piece of stiff and sturdy steel wire, both ends pointed sharp, and bent to a U-shape.
Farmers use this to nail the barbed wire to the posts.
The only (small) problem with the prefabricated U-clamps is, that their back (the base of the U) is round, it would be better to have it rectangular.
I use scrap pieces of barbed wire to produce mine, because its the best wire I can get in the desert, and its already pointed on both ends.

OK, I've just made one for you:

[theinfamousj]

In lack of English knowledge I just named it U-clamp.
Its a piece of stiff and sturdy steel wire, both ends pointed sharp, and bent to a U-shape.
Farmers use this to nail the barbed wire to the posts.
The only (small) problem with the prefabricated U-clamps is, that their back (the base of the U) is round, it would be better to have it rectangular.
I use scrap pieces of barbed wire to produce mine, because its the best wire I can get in the desert, and its already pointed on both ends.

OK, I've just made one for you:

Thank you!

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[BuckeyeBill]

Check in the electrical department at Lowe's or Home Depot. You should be able to find flat heavy duty staples used to secure electrical wiring in homes.

[Leo L.]

Check in the electrical department at Lowe's or Home Depot. You should be able to find flat heavy duty staples used to secure electrical wiring in homes.

For those outside the US - could you upload a pic?
I think, me as a boy 50yrs back was the last person here who fastened electric wires with staples.

[Glacier]

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Gardner-B...-175/100036901

[Glacier]

romex staples work

[MtDoraDave]

Here are a couple images to help visualize. They are thick enough steel that would be hard to bend without pliers or a hammer... so I don't know that this would work for a hiking shoe repair.

Romex staples.


Romex is what we call the insulated wiring we use in houses.

[egilbe]

I broke a BD carbon Fiber trekking pole section this weekend while looking at waterfalls. I tripped and landed on the pole, snapped it in half. Carbon fiber seems pretty brittle.

C4715637-4A61-4C8A-A4A9-E44A035035E0.JPGIMG_0092.JPG348F0A36-0BAD-4E00-85BA-DE3BEFE3D4E4.JPG

Of course, it was pretty rocky.

for those who are curious, that's Frye brook at the base of Dunn's falls. The AT crosses right at the top of that falls and no one would no they were feet from a 70 foot plunge unless they took the trail leading down to the base of the falls. I can't imagine a worse place to cross the brook.