Ahjno said:
Yes Johan, that is the very beastie, they will do the job, but they are nowhere near as effective as the light my fire or other types, they are quite thin as well so you will get limited usage out of it.
Bad Kit/Ideas
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Yes Johan, that is the very beastie, they will do the job, but they are nowhere near as effective as the light my fire or other types, they are quite thin as well so you will get limited usage out of it.
I have several rods and the BCB is what I carry everyday; it's a small and convenient emergency backup to my cigarette lighter. I reckon the ones stuck to magnesium blocks are more of a waste of money. They are big, the magnesium blows away before you can make a pile of scapings, and the rod comes detached from the block.
These Tinder Cards are pretty disappointing. They'll ignite with a spark as advertised, but because they are not water proof you are better off with [font=Arial, Arial, Helvetica]Tinder-Quiks[/font] or similar.
Credit-card sized fresnel lenses are no good for lighting fires in the British climate. Especially at night.
These Tinder Cards are pretty disappointing. They'll ignite with a spark as advertised, but because they are not water proof you are better off with [font=Arial, Arial, Helvetica]Tinder-Quiks[/font] or similar.
Credit-card sized fresnel lenses are no good for lighting fires in the British climate. Especially at night.
Don't know if this is a bit of bad kit or not, but I've just been sent a link to this firesteel....if I don't say it's not very good I'll be given one as a present by the friend on my birthday......anybody know?
http://www.firebox.com/index.html?dir=firebox&action=product&pid=908
Cheers,
Toddy
http://www.firebox.com/index.html?dir=firebox&action=product&pid=908
Cheers,
Toddy
Toddy
They're good for one handed use although need something solid to push against. Certainly don't belong in the bad kit pile.
They're good for one handed use although need something solid to push against. Certainly don't belong in the bad kit pile.
Hey Toddy,
I saw this at the Wilderness Gathering last year, its a pretty good bit of kit. It's distributed by Woodland Organics who do Hennessy hammocks and made by the same company as wetfire tinder, so it should be good
BTW - i have no affilly-wotsit to Woodland Organics.
Neil
I saw this at the Wilderness Gathering last year, its a pretty good bit of kit. It's distributed by Woodland Organics who do Hennessy hammocks and made by the same company as wetfire tinder, so it should be good
BTW - i have no affilly-wotsit to Woodland Organics.
Neil
They are good kit.
Disadvantage are that you need to press them against something so they dont lend themselves to lighting Trangias etc .
They are bulkier than a simple firesteel and they have moving parts so are not as reliable as a regular firesteel.
Advantages are that they are bigger and should last longer.
They produce more sparks than a standard firesteel
They are safer than using a knife blade to strike a regular firesteel.
Not bad kit but perhaps more than is needed for most situations but great to teach kid's with as they don't use a blade to strike them.
rb
Disadvantage are that you need to press them against something so they dont lend themselves to lighting Trangias etc .
They are bulkier than a simple firesteel and they have moving parts so are not as reliable as a regular firesteel.
Advantages are that they are bigger and should last longer.
They produce more sparks than a standard firesteel
They are safer than using a knife blade to strike a regular firesteel.
Not bad kit but perhaps more than is needed for most situations but great to teach kid's with as they don't use a blade to strike them.
rb
Thanks for the information folks; nice photos RB
Maybe I'll just keep quiet and see what my birthday brings right enough then
Actually, I might see what the budget is for the Summer bushcraft activities for kids, this may be a goodie for them too.
Thanks again,
Cheers,
Toddy
Maybe I'll just keep quiet and see what my birthday brings right enough then
Actually, I might see what the budget is for the Summer bushcraft activities for kids, this may be a goodie for them too.
Thanks again,
Cheers,
Toddy
One thing to point out is that the Blastmatch can be used with a knife like a regular firesteel. I keep one in my car. Not in the bad kit list, but probably more mileage for the money in a regular Swedish firesteel.
My "A Wright" sheffield penknife has been my worst buy so far. It was the first knife I've bought myself (I got a mora based on a million good reviews, so it doesn't count) so I didn't know what I was doing. I later found that the bevel was carved at about 45 degrees, was not at all sharp, and was not even very straight. After much messing about with a friend's poor amateur regrinding I finally got it vaguely sharp and it broke (a little unintended twisting action, the scales seperated around the hingepin, and the blade went sideways) the first time I used it for anything remotely challenging, which was only cutting/ scavenging nylon straps and buckles from a bag someone had thrown away.
I've learned my lesson, and am sticking with my trusty 3 inch locking opinel until I get back to britain, at which time I'll have to find a new non-locking knife.
Has anyone else had any problems with these things? Did I get seduced by history and looks, or are these things normally better?
the first time I used it for anything remotely challenging, which was only cutting/ scavenging nylon straps and buckles from a bag someone had thrown away. I've learned my lesson, and am sticking with my trusty 3 inch locking opinel until I get back to britain, at which time I'll have to find a new non-locking knife.
Has anyone else had any problems with these things? Did I get seduced by history and looks, or are these things normally better?
Still got mine lying around somewhere What a load of rubbish it was. I believe it claimed it could be used to slide down a "death slide" wire too. The non-shiny emergency mirror in the sheath was another classic. And how long was the tang? about 2cm? Not much considering the size of the blade! Still, my parents bought it for me in about 1987 and it shut me up for a fair while so it was probably worth the 12 quid to them at least
Motorbike Man said:My first proper survival knife. It was one of those things with the hard plastic sheath which contained things like catapult elastics for the fold out catapult on the sheath. These were unbelievably accurate, but only at getting your eye when the elastic pinged off, there was a so called harpoon which you were supposed to fix to a spear with the 6" of nasty nylon string but was so blunt it would bounce off of a block of butter, and to top it all off, you could attach the blade to the sheath and use it to cut wire, or at least toffee. If you were lucky
I believe the edge bevel is set up between 20 and 25degrees per side. I don't like it but it does stop them chipping when people pry with them. It's something which I'm going to mention to them though. Blades are used in a few models so they tend to go a bit off on purpose to have space for other blades. It's something I don't like but most do that (victorinox being one of them). Other then that I've had no issues with quality for money (in the UK).philaw said:
Regarding the blast match
I was told they were designed as part of a survival pack for aircraft crew and can be used when you have very limited control of your hands. They meet that brief very well but I feel that a normal firesteel is better for bushcraft. I don't think they last any longer as they make a lot of sparks but since these aren't as crotrolled don't light things any better.
I have a love hate thing going on with a coleman duel fuel stove. When it's working properly it's stable easy to use and cooks food quickly and is cheap to run on petrol It is also great for bad weather both very cold and very windy. However it seems to need stripping down very often to get the performance out of it and is heavy if your carrying it around. I'm not sure it's worth it.
K
KenC
Guest
GPS (Aside from some extreme situations e.g. unmapped jungle/ featureless desert).
Heavy, single use bit of kit, work for <20 hours on a new set of batteries (so no good for mutli-day expeds), easy to go wrong with, don't give you a decent bearing unless you're moving, can't be used to take bearing on anything else, and you *still* need to carry a compass and map to navigate properly.
K.
Heavy, single use bit of kit, work for <20 hours on a new set of batteries (so no good for mutli-day expeds), easy to go wrong with, don't give you a decent bearing unless you're moving, can't be used to take bearing on anything else, and you *still* need to carry a compass and map to navigate properly.
K.
I have a etrex legend and would not use it in my mountaineering role if my life depended on it, the signal is usually out by more than 20 or so feet and would end walking of a cornice or ledge. The batts only last a few hours and even less if I use the light function. The only time I use it now is to get myself out of bad traffic down the M62, give me a map and compass any time.
I have to admit I am pretty dissappointed with gotex kit too although I think this may be because the kit I usually buy is "used", I guess it gets brittle after a certain amount of use.
The most dissappointing kit I have ever bought was an expensive carbon steel knife... blade snapped off while carving a walking stick!
Other stupid things I have bought are cheap 5 season sleeping bags that you freeze in, in the middle of summer and badly fitting highly recommended shoes.
The most dissappointing kit I have ever bought was an expensive carbon steel knife... blade snapped off while carving a walking stick!
Other stupid things I have bought are cheap 5 season sleeping bags that you freeze in, in the middle of summer and badly fitting highly recommended shoes.
Most annoying bad piece of kit recently was the humvee version of the palight - ridiculous 2 inch circle of light at 4 ft - what use is that?? dont get me wrong, the survival version that i bought for the wife is pretty good but the humvee is horrible - and its bigger too
Doc said:
That sums it up. I never gave in and now lots of people agree with me that it is expensive, and evidence points to its habit of failling.
I have been sat here reading this thread and I do not think I have an item to add.
Yep, I had one of those survival knifes and looking back on it, it did not get a lot of use, but my bushman is in the same boat now. It must be the personnel choice thing, because I loved mine, improved it as surgested in S, W & T. It could be that you all had the Altor, or the cheap chinese rip off, but my Explora was brillant if under used.
My Bushman, really good knife and would recommended it to anyone, but I must admit it sits in its sheath most of the time. If it is not a mora job, it is a billhook job.
Just thought of something, my cheap Aldi fleece, love it but you have to wear a wicking t-shirt, or even with it open you get a wet back. Forgot this recently on Exmoor, to cold to leave it open, I was lovely and warm but soaked to the skin.
I have the Army kit problem in the other direction, (this also applies to other makes of combats), what is the point of the lower pockets on the legs if they are level with my knees so I cannot use them?
Heres one. The us army cot. The one you need the crowbar to assemble. The one that's so taught that it's like sleeping on a sheet of iron (i was going to say a sheet of plywood, but that has some insulating quality).... That is seriously crap.
Sounds like a case of mismanaged expectations. I bought mine primarily for in-car navigation, but I take it with me when I'm walking too. It provides a backup to map and compass, especially valuable when visibility is poor. You don't have to leave it on continuously; you can switch it on to check your location, then switch it off. Batteries last ages like that. It can be a convenient way to make a record of a trip, which you can later attach (digital) photos to on a PC.KenC said:
Different models vary, of course, but I wouldn't say my Garmin GPSMap 60 was "bad kit". I'd say it was verging on irresponsible to venture into the wilderness without one. Even if it got left at the bottom of my rucksack I'd still want it with me to help if/when I get lost. There are loads of "rescue" stories that GPS would have helped avoid.
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