Bad Kit/Ideas

[StormWalker]

Evening all,

Over the past few weeks I have watched with great interest all the differing reveiws about great peices of kit which people have bought, but as I am new to bushcrafting I am also wondering what products are out there which are not as great as the manufacturers would have us believe.

I know nobody likes to admit they spent their hard earned cash on a peice of junk, but please help a new starter.

Cheers

SW

 

[khimbar]

That Maya fire starting wood stuff in the little tins from Light My Fire. Cotton wool is lighter, cheaper, packs down denser and takes a spark first time, every time.

 

[marshall4771]

I spent my cash on " light my fire" - what a waste. I ended up trying to light the whole tin with a fire steel. no chance, I wont buy this rubbish again (serves me right really - short cuts dont work )

Shaun

 

[Ogri the trog]

Yup, me too,
Got hooked by the hype of Maya dust - the only thing of any real use is the tin.
Stick with birch bark or cotton wool - much cheaper to get hold of and whats more, they work!
Also, I regularly get tempted to buy a really expensive knife, but at the last moment, a wave of sanity kicks in. Will it really cut any better than a cheaper knife? Maybe it will and maybe it wont, either way I keep on saving the big bucks that I haven't spent on it! And I'm really getting to like the kit made knife from Brisa that I made.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[morch]

Yea i'm afraid i made the same mistake, sounded great but wasn't.

 

[TwoFourAlpha]

I feel slightly better that I only paid 99p for a tin of maya dust when the YHA shops were closing. I still feel ripped off though. I got it home, tried it, decided it was useless and binned it. I went back to the old faithful cotton wool soaked in candlewax. I keep that in the maya-dust tin.

Also I recognised it for what it is ( I'd just been fitting some new doors ) and made my own. It's power-planer shavings. I had better success with shavings from an old pine shelf. ( true )

 

[Doc]

You often need a trip outdoors to find what doesn't work.

I have an LED torch with a button you press to switch it on. Easy to get knocked on by accident - when I came to use it the batteries were dead. Fortunately I had candles. I have a ham radio transceiver with the same design fault.

I have a lightweight waterproof that I foolishly bought without examining it closely. Seams are not taped, and no flap over zip. It's not completely useless, but I wouldn't use it in the hills - it does leak after prolonged rain.

 

[rapidboy]

I never tried the Maya dust ,once i discovered birch bark i never looked back.

I think the only bad "bushcraft buy" i have made is a BRKT Northstar.
IMO It was not a be all and end all bushcarft knife that it was supposed to be.
I returned mine and got a refund so i spent the money on a Fallkniven F1 (actually spent less on the F1) I'm waiting for the F1 at the moment and i hope it lives up to my expectations from other peoples reviews.

After reading reviews my Hennessy Hammock was a little lighter duty than i expected (although in use it has proved to be fine) and i didn't get along with the GB mini or find it particularly useful ,but pretty much what the guy's on here use is top kit.

Kit choice is a very personal thing so just because the Northstar wasn't for me it doesn't mean others don't think it's great (many do).

Did you have anything in particular in mind StormWalker ??

rb

 

[Hoodoo]

Probably the worst was Integral Design's Sil Shelter. During a heavy thunderstorm, I could watch the water droplets smash through the taut silnylon shell and explode in a mist. I got real wet. Sent it back to ID and got my money back.

Don't have much use for those tiny space blankets. Never cared for hydration bladders though I know lots of folks love 'em.

I've yet to understand the fascination with cotton smocks. Not much use when wet are they? Something to give you hypothermia?

 

[StormWalker]

Thanks everyone,

After this I can confidently say that Maya dust will never be something i will put in my pack.

But no doubt that i will learn from my own mistakes.

Speak to you soon,

SW

 

[jamesdevine]

I have made a few bad buy's namly a pair of Solomn boots that after two wears I decide to return to my old leather boots. 4 years on and they are in plastic bag in an un used room. I am selling if anyone interested.

My main problem has been buying top kit and not get enough time to use them my hennesy is an example I got it a year ago and other the using it for that week it's only seen the light of day once since then. A waste but I am thorn between selling it on and keeping it becuase it's so comfortable. We'll see.

Buy what you need not what you think you need is the moral here. Keep it simple and safe the money to spend on get you to the wilderness not on over loading yourself and never using it half of it. I need to listen to myself more.

James

 

[zambezi]

I was seduced by the bomb-proof appearance of the Karrimor Boma 30L day bag. It has a plethora of zips [one of which is 100% waterproof] and more compartments than you need to lose a set of car keys. The outer skin is made of the same material as a sea going RIB [Hyperlon?] and is described as "almost indestructible".

Mayhap. But its complexity conspires to reduce its useful carrying capacity since filling any one pocket expands the bag inwards and pinches space from any other storage nook. Also, it is one heavy bit of kit! Probably edging 3kg on its own.

This acquisition clearly reminded me of the KISS principle: Keep It Simple Stupid. The Boma's replacement will be a lightweight, single compartment sac with a waterproof liner.

 

[fiacha]

and i didn't get along with the GB mini or find it particularly useful
rb

don't worry mate, i'm putting it to good use now

Buy what you need not what you think you need is the moral here. Keep it simple and safe the money to spend on get you to the wilderness not on over loading yourself and never using it half of it. I need to listen to myself more.

i'm guilty of this aswell. i think buying kit is my way of compensating for not having the time to get out and use it !

 

[rapidboy]

don't worry mate, i'm putting it to good use now

Glad to hear it ,that's what i mean about kit being a personal choice.

rb

 

[JimH]

Goretex lined boots:

Your feet may vary, but I sweated in em so much I may as well have been stood in a stream. Stank afterwards, too. For ever!

Army lightweight mesh hammock:

Is our army comprised of tiny stunted goblins? NO! Then why does this item appear to have been designed for someone around 4'9" tall?

Anything made from DryFlo/coolmax:

Wear for 20 mins of strenuous activity, smell like a dead dog for the rest of the trip. Wool is a hundred times more civilised (and fireproof)

Jim.

 

[Rod]

Anything Gore-Tex

Biggest waste of time and money ever!

 

[jamesdevine]

This acquisition clearly reminded me of the KISS principle: Keep It Simple Stupid. The Boma's replacement will be a lightweight, single compartment sac with a waterproof liner.

Black bin liner and a weightless spare one in a pocket just encase.


James

 

[weekend_warrior]

Black bin liner and a weightless spare one in a pocket just encase.


James

I'm a double bagger myself - no point having the spare after your kit's all wet..

 

[Viking]

Don´t ever buy things that are free in nature or that you can make yourself. Maya dust is easy do yourself and the same thing with maya sticks.

Worst buy you will make will probably be a knife, lots of money for something that you might end up not liking. I guess everyone here has a lot of knives that is collecting dust in a drawer.

 

[bambodoggy]

I'm a double bagger myself - no point having the spare after your kit's all wet..

My bergan, side pockets and day sack all have their own black rubberised canoe dry bags in them as a lining. This is the only why to 100% garentee my kit will stay dry... I learned this back in the TA when upon arrival in Breacon and climbing out of the transport each weekend at least one of the staff nco's would grab the nearest bergan and sling it in the nearest river....you soon learned to waterproof your kit that way. It can then be used as a floatation aid when crossing water too...we didn't use bridges...ever lol

My worst bit of kit is a toss up between those mesh hammocks Jim was talking about and the utterly useless little "Commando" wire saws...total tosh!

Bam