what's turned your head this year?

[Rabbitsmacker]

hello all, i was just pottering about the house thinking about all the kit i have and don't have as we all must do, then i was thinking about the lack of finances to aquire new kit, and thought out of the stuff i've bought this year, whats been the most radical or thought process changing item? or even the most brilliant peices of kit? also whats the worst?

the item(s) could be anything, cheap or expensive, large or small, but what i'm interested in is this..what have you bought this year thats really impressed you and made you re-think the way you use your kit?

and what have you bought thinking it would be the mutts nuts and been dreadfully dissapointed?

for me, my best purchase, in fact i bought a second it was so good...

softshell!

used fleeces before, but am now a complete convert, one is hooded tog24 jobby another one is a cotton traders one from work. top job, love them, they are a bit clammy when working hard, but so fantastic i doubt i'll go back to a thick fleece again.

biggest dissapointment...
LED conversion for my AA maglite. with push button on/off switch. dropped the torch and the LED's moved inside the houseing and shorted the circuit making the unit go very hot and a thin wisp of smoke came out, pulled the LEDs back into place and it works ok, but the batteries now rattle in the handle and it just doesn't feel as strudy as the standard configuration. if it ain't broke....don't fix it, or KISS would seem very apt.




xmas is coming, lets fine tune the lists for santa!

 

[sapper1]

Best bit of kit I bought this year was a golite rucksack.A little less capacity than my vulcan but stronger and about 4lbs lighter.

 

[Paul_B]

Probably my best purchase ticks so many of your criteria. It was a bargain (£100 down from £280), it has completely changed my thinking in some way and it works very well at what it is meant for. What is it? Well it is a Golite Quilt! Basically its a hoodless sleeping bag with most of the bottom not there but repllaced with a popper at the neck and two straps to hold a sleep mat. You put your feet into a foot end of a sleeping bag and put your mat inside the straps so it stays in place (however it is not necessary as you just wrap yourself with the quilt and it works as well. It is good to -7 apparently and I was absolutely toasty at close to zero in fact too hot but I just lifted the edge of it and cooled down.

Anyway my advise is to get a quilt and don't look back. Mine weighs about 700g for an XL version (i need it being 6'5" tall). It has changed my view on what is needed. Now I am tarp and bivvying in preference to any tent even in bad weather. That was all down to the quilt tipping me over the edge and into accepting that lightweight gear and reducing the amount of kit you take can still be safe and sufficient for your needs in a lot of weather.

My worst kit? Well this year I have to admit that I haven't made any bad purchases. I do have another good purchase that has also made me reconsider my gear purchasing strategy. I bought a 6 pack of Dr Pepper. What has that to do with gear? Well i made my first can based meths stove. It was so easy and very satisfying making my own gear. It even kind of worked despite the poor jetting and a slight leak from the seam. Still it has made me wonder what other piece of kit I could make. Now for me that is a real revolution as I am very cack handed and definitely not good with my hands.

 

[Paul_B]

I bought a custom sack that absolutely kills my back because i cannot make the central alloy stave bend to fit my back so all the weight of the sack and contents buries the stave into the base of my spine. I just remembered that bad purchase. I forgot it because like a lot of things that don't fit my thinking or didn't work it got buried out of sight and out of mind!

 

[AJB]

Worst thing I've bought this year was the red (and cheaper) version of this

http://www.heinnie.com/Lighters/Wenger-Lighters/Wenger-Lighters-WL2-Soldier-Chrome/p-101-293-541/

just not very good at all!

 

[sapper1]

Probably my best purchase ticks so many of your criteria. It was a bargain (£100 down from £280), it has completely changed my thinking in some way and it works very well at what it is meant for. What is it? Well it is a Golite Quilt! Basically its a hoodless sleeping bag with most of the bottom not there but repllaced with a popper at the neck and two straps to hold a sleep mat. You put your feet into a foot end of a sleeping bag and put your mat inside the straps so it stays in place (however it is not necessary as you just wrap yourself with the quilt and it works as well. It is good to -7 apparently and I was absolutely toasty at close to zero in fact too hot but I just lifted the edge of it and cooled down.

Anyway my advise is to get a quilt and don't look back. Mine weighs about 700g for an XL version (i need it being 6'5" tall). It has changed my view on what is needed. Now I am tarp and bivvying in preference to any tent even in bad weather. That was all down to the quilt tipping me over the edge and into accepting that lightweight gear and reducing the amount of kit you take can still be safe and sufficient for your needs in a lot of weather.

My worst kit? Well this year I have to admit that I haven't made any bad purchases. I do have another good purchase that has also made me reconsider my gear purchasing strategy. I bought a 6 pack of Dr Pepper. What has that to do with gear? Well i made my first can based meths stove. It was so easy and very satisfying making my own gear. It even kind of worked despite the poor jetting and a slight leak from the seam. Still it has made me wonder what other piece of kit I could make. Now for me that is a real revolution as I am very cack handed and definitely not good with my hands.

Been seriously considering one of these,how much room is in them I'm 6'4" and 20 stone.My main concern is will it cover me and still have some to tuck underneath me.

 

[Retired Member southey]

My best thing is a tinder box from sharkdesigns, wifey bought it for me, and i haven't taken a lighter out with me since, great little tin with a mognifiying glass in the top and enough room for a Whittler kev steel, a few layers of amadu, couple of small cramp balls and some sizle.

poorest buy? Not meaning to be smug, but I don't think i've been dissapointed in any thing so far. but then I'm a tight wad so research all my purchases for weeks before i decide.

 

[Metatron]

My best purchase would have to be a one liter kelly kettle, it has removed the need for me to carry fuel, works in all weather conditions and you can stick a pot on top if needed. A close second would be the large Dutch oven I picked up, I would not want to lug it to far but if there is a group of people or its a long trip, its a great thing to have as you can make everything from Shepherds pie to bread in it.

 

[Mike8472]

My biggest surprise was one of these:- http://orcind.com/webstore/proddetail.asp?prod=16932
I had been into hammocking and bought one of these when I was bored at work and thought it looked cool. to my surprise when it arrived it was hardcore! the build quality was amazing and the material was light but heavy duty. Now I find myself rarely using the hammock and using this instead

the second thing was discovering military ponchos. I had never considered using one before for walking or camping and I was amazed at how just a relatively small square of material could be so versatile.

 

[ex-member Raikey]

made loads of changes this year based on the practical side of my outings.

from maxpedition falcon to a second hand NI patrol pack

from crusader cup set up (back) to the swedish trangia mess kit

from sleeping bag to wool blankets

so nothing thats not been done before but just how my methods have evolved.

 

[JonathanD]

My best purchase this year (apart from sharps) would be my Eped hammock combi.

 

[Nonsuch]

Kuksas in a Finnish supermarket. Good quality, £4 each

NS

 

[JonathanD]

Kuksas in a Finnish supermarket. Good quality, £4 each

NS

That's amazing. I'd of bought the lot and slung em on Ebay.

 

[Shewie]

What's turned my head this year was Nell McAndrew coming out of All Saints down at Clarence Dock with a lovely short skirt and skimpy top.

Kit wise there's quite a lot ...

Warbonnet Blackbird hammock
Whoopie slings
Silnylon Ogee tarp
GSi Duckjug and coffee filter, a revelation in canoe trip breakfasts for me.
Discovering that tiny diameter cordage can replace my paracord on all my setups
Nova Craft Bob Special - still easy enough to throw over my shoulder yet big enough for a two week trip

 

[Robbi]

@ mike8472

they sell those little tents in my local fishing / sports store as bivvys for overnight carp fishermen, they even do a folding camp bed that goes inside it.

must admit they look good but what about storing kit ?

 

[Wayland]

I'm still enjoying my Transit Compass, amazing value.

 

[3bears]

has to be my 5.11 push, most versatile bag I've ever had- hold all my junk too lol

 

[Teepee]

For me, it has to be Whoopie slings with loop shackles, and my Gossamer gear rucksack.

Its cut loads of weight, eliminated knots and stretch on my hammock set-up, made organising my pack a breeze and generally made life outdoors much easier.

 

[mitch66]

hi, a blow-up poundland pillow has been one of the best things i bought this year. one of the things that has come to light though is i only use 25% of the crap i take with me but the weather has been kind so far. i'd rather have it and not use it, than not have it.

 

[Highbinder]

Silnylon Ogee tarp

Just watched http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjZrlMutVAU

WOW i want one!