Oldest gear you use?

[Mags]

About the P-38. More than just a can opener...

I've used mine to open beer bottles. Very useful skill, esp. on Western trails where there are more microbrews. :-)

My oldest, still being used gear, is not all that old to be honest. It is generic circa 1996 day pack I bought from Sportsman Guide for $25 that same year.

I can't believe how well it has held up for the price. Now, it has salt/sweat stains, ground in red dirt from canyon country, is faded from the sun, has to been to Mt. Washington in the winter, etc. etc. I use it almost every day and it shows! (Also carries my books, coffee mug, etc.Lots of coffee stains, too ) The stress points are restitched with dental floss.

So, it is only 11 yrs old..but it has had a charmed life!

http://www.pmags.com/gearpics/pack_front.JPG

(Yep..those are trail patches. Up until 1 month ago, I hadn't owed a car in 6 years! The patches are my "wicked cool bumpah stickahs"!)

[The Weasel]

I use my JanSport external frame pack, bought in the early '80s, with the very unique semi-rigid hip suspension system (padded, hinged aluminum) that hasn't been available for decades; it did the first 500 miles of my AT walk, and it is still my preference for weights over 30#.

Key to having gear last is to buy high end gear with lifetime warranties, which is very unique to backpacking gear. My pack has been rebuilt 7 times by Jansport (all zippers replaced at least once from the 6 compartments, fabric at top replaced, one broken frame rod, straps) and is good for, well, life. Sierra Designs sleeping bag (1984) refilled with down twice, zipper replaced.

I think top companies MAKE money by having lifetime warranties. I praise them (by name) all I can, they've made more off of me telling others (esp 25+ years of Scouts) buying based on recommendations than I can ever cost them. REI, by the way, is just as good - lifetime even if the mfg'er doesn't!


Good stuff is worth the extra money.

The Weasel

[jasonklass]

My body is probably the oldest piece of gear I use!

[Jim Adams]

I use my JanSport external frame pack, bought in the early '80s, with the very unique semi-rigid hip suspension system (padded, hinged aluminum) that hasn't been available for decades; it did the first 500 miles of my AT walk, and it is still my preference for weights over 30#.

Key to having gear last is to buy high end gear with lifetime warranties, which is very unique to backpacking gear. My pack has been rebuilt 7 times by Jansport (all zippers replaced at least once from the 6 compartments, fabric at top replaced, one broken frame rod, straps) and is good for, well, life. Sierra Designs sleeping bag (1984) refilled with down twice, zipper replaced.

I think top companies MAKE money by having lifetime warranties. I praise them (by name) all I can, they've made more off of me telling others (esp 25+ years of Scouts) buying based on recommendations than I can ever cost them. REI, by the way, is just as good - lifetime even if the mfg'er doesn't!


Good stuff is worth the extra money.

The Weasel

VERY TRUE!
geek

[Drala Hiker]

Though I've replaced basically everything as I moved a LW kit, I still use a couple of circa 1977 Early Winters stuff sacks, orange color with the green EW label. EW had a lot of great stuff back in the day. I keep the bags mostly just to brag that I'm still using them! They're still in good condition, the poly wp coating still in tack.

I also have a Svea 123, circa 1976, kept out of nostalgia, I guess. No doubt the seals need to be replaced, so I wouldn't think of firing it up. It was a heck of a stove once a separate pressure pump became available.

[sj_viperjock]

As I was filling that out I realized that some of my gear is older than I am, doh.

Thanks grandpa for giving me all your camping gear!

[Quoddy]

I happened to look at a shelf in my basement where my wife had placed my "old time" gear after moving here in October. The old Eureka tent, aluminum nesting pots, but what really caught my eye was the brass SVEA 123 stove. I couldn't resist picking it up, bringing it to where my current gear is, and I began to polish it. What memories this one brings back of many wilderness trips in Canada and a couple in northern Maine.

[danbsc]

K-mart tent that was at least 15 years old, It got plenty of use until I replaced it last year with a Big Agnes Starvis II. Other than that the big honkin two burner coleman gas stove (Larger than a breif case and smaller than a suitcase.) I still use it and put the propane attachemnt, but not used on a pice of a trail that was longer than a mile).

[Skidsteer]

I happened to look at a shelf in my basement where my wife had placed my "old time" gear after moving here in October. The old Eureka tent, aluminum nesting pots, but what really caught my eye was the brass SVEA 123 stove. I couldn't resist picking it up, bringing it to where my current gear is, and I began to polish it. What memories this one brings back of many wilderness trips in Canada and a couple in northern Maine.

Yep. Those stoves are works of art. Everybody that owns one seems to be sentimental about it to some degree.

[Egads]

I've just about finished replacing all my old heavy car camping gear from the 70s & 80s. (when I was young & dirt poor) Sleeping on the ground in 40* bags into the 20s brings back memories.

Hooray for hammocks.

[leeki pole]

Silva compass from around 1972 when I was a tenderfoot.

[rafe]

Yep. Those stoves are works of art. Everybody that owns one seems to be sentimental about it to some degree.

Not me. Mine's gone. Good riddance. I ditched it shortly after I bought my Whisperlite in '89 or so. Now, if that old Whisperlite ever craps out, I'll be upset. It and I have covered a lot of ground together.

[kyhiker1]

My P38 of 10 years and my favorite aluminum pot going on 15+ years old.

[frieden]

Marine Corps cover - issued 1967.

[gjbu]

Peak 1 lantern and stove from 1981 and 1982.

[Kiyu]

I use my JanSport external frame pack, bought in the early '80s, with the very unique semi-rigid hip suspension system (padded, hinged aluminum) that hasn't been available for decades; it did the first 500 miles of my AT walk, and it is still my preference for weights over 30#.

Bought one a long time ago because of a bad back - it transferred the weight to the hips well and was a really neat idea. Dug it out last year to try on, brushed off the cat fur & dust, strapped the belt on and it slipped down past my hips. Got old, fat and lost my butt.
I stripped off the bag, readjusted it and it feels good again….I’ll worry about the butt thing later. I’m going to set it up so I can strap bags on it horizontally as I wanted to do years ago but never got around to it. One of the folks here uses one of these<O</O
http://www.luxurylite.com/packindex.html
which is basically the same idea but a lot, lot better set up. It is really tempting to get one now but I like the idea of converting my existing frame.
<O</O
Kiyu

[atraildreamer]

I ran across Happy Jack on Kinsman Ridge last month. He was out for his first extended hike (a week) since he thru-hiked SOBO in '85 and was still lugging his 24 ounce(!) Optimus 8R white gas stove; the same model I purchased in 1973 (and it still works great as an emergency stove when our power goes out).

I have an Optimus 8r, purchased in 1972, and I found out that the fuel tank still had gas in it after MANY (10+ ) years. Considering the price of gas today, the fuel is probably worth more than the stove. I don't want to dump out the gas, and I'm afraid to light it up and see what happens.

Any opinions about what to do?

[TOW]

Thermarest purchased in 2001. I have sent in two times for repair and it still holds my fat butt up.

Alcohol stove also purchased in 2001, takes a beating and keeps on ticking.

Butterfly pliers and knife set purchased in 2000 for a whopping five bucks.

[Programbo]

I happened to look at a shelf in my basement where my wife had placed my "old time" gear after moving here in October. The old Eureka tent, aluminum nesting pots, but what really caught my eye was the brass SVEA 123 stove. I couldn't resist picking it up, bringing it to where my current gear is, and I began to polish it. What memories this one brings back of many wilderness trips in Canada and a couple in northern Maine.

Best stove ever made

[strnorm]

old gear for old folks, my p38 and my dog tag from the 1960s, plus my external frame pack made by us.camper, it must be 20 years old