Common survival and outdoor items.

[BigMonster]

After over 20 years of trying out, rethinking and upgrading my outdoor kit I have reached the point where the few items I own are top quality. Many space technologies and the best goose down works for me to keep me warm and comfortable and my back in top condition. It's a true joy to use and play with.

But the more I travel abroad and more I'm busy with my life, the more I appreciate common items that can be used for outdoors and travel. Stuff I'm not afraid to use, things that can be easily replaced if lost at the airport or given to a friend. BIC lighter, plastic tarp, trash bags, common pots and utensils, powerbanks and torches, even a kitchen knife. UltraLight and MYOG guys are especially good at this.
I come from a very poor household and what used to be a necessity in my teens when scouting and bushwacking, is now a very intriguing and liberating concept. Especially when a lot of the basic items got really good over the years. For anything outside extreme environments you would be perfectly happy with basic sleeping bag and waterproof jacket and the cheapest fleece, a headlamp from poundland and a BIC lighter in your pocket. My car kit is a perfect example of this. For about £20 I have a box with lighters, tarp, candles, bottles of water, cans, plastic bags, duck tape and other bits.

What is your favorite "cheap" item? For me is the butane lighter, for pennies you get a pinnacle of our civilization, fire at your fingertips (I don't want to admit how much money is in my fire kit, damn you Exotac ).

 

[TeeDee]

After over 20 years of trying out, rethinking and upgrading my outdoor kit I have reached the point where the few items I own are top quality. Many space technologies and the best goose down works for me to keep me warm and comfortable and my back in top condition. It's a true joy to use and play with.

But the more I travel abroad and more I'm busy with my life, the more I appreciate common items that can be used for outdoors and travel. Stuff I'm not afraid to use, things that can be easily replaced if lost at the airport or given to a friend. BIC lighter, plastic tarp, trash bags, common pots and utensils, powerbanks and torches, even a kitchen knife. UltraLight and MYOG guys are especially good at this.
I come from a very poor household and what used to be a necessity in my teens when scouting and bushwacking, is now a very intriguing and liberating concept. Especially when a lot of the basic items got really good over the years. For anything outside extreme environments you would be perfectly happy with basic sleeping bag and waterproof jacket and the cheapest fleece, a headlamp from poundland and a BIC lighter in your pocket. My car kit is a perfect example of this. For about £20 I have a box with lighters, tarp, candles, bottles of water, cans, plastic bags, duck tape and other bits.

What is your favorite "cheap" item? For me is the butane lighter, for pennies you get a pinnacle of our civilization, fire at your fingertips (I don't want to admit how much money is in my fire kit, damn you Exotac ).

I'm going to be boring but. Mora.

 

[BigMonster]

I'm going to be boring but. Mora.

I actually have a story about that. In my scout group every single one of us was dreaming about a proper rambo/military/survival knife. Any surplus or china clone was always in high demand. One of my friends, Kamil, found an old Mora in the field when his dad took him hunting. Mind you 20 years ago it was just a piece of metal in a hard plastic handle. Very unimpressive looking device so we didn't pay much attention to it.

Turns out he was smarter than all of us as most military knives are actually crap for anything but stabbing spam cans and his knife was the best in our crew
Sometimes I feel I made a full circle.

 

[Man of Tanith]

mil sup poncho

osprey bottle and crusader cup

mora


i stray from all 3 when a pretty blade or gucci bottle/mug set (cough Ti cough) catches my eye.

The Poncho was all i used when i first started "bushcrafting" then strayed to bigger and better tarps.

then i admit my foolishness and return to them, the simplicity yet effectiveness of all three help keep my eyes on the reasons i started going out in the first place-to be comfortable with "less".


id also agree with the bic/clipper/poundland lighter

 

[TLM]

For me is the butane lighter

Only works for half a year in this part of the Taiga. (Or it has to be next to one's skin all the time.)

 

[Broch]

My 50p car boot fair axe head (early 20th century) that does everything a GB axe does

 

[MikeLA]

The same as above my osprey bottle and crusader mug
and a huntsman Swiss army penknife.

 

[grizzlyj]

Wheelie bin bin bag as rucker liner or poncho.

 

[henchy3rd]

I’ve many a good quality item, but my cheap Lixada stacking stove nestles neatly with every inch of its entirety, had it for years & still going strong.
Oh yeah.. some free brick ties with one end cut off,which sit on top & stop things from falling off. They also can be used as a pot stand over a fire if stuck into the ground & slot into the bush box too

 

[forrestdweller]

probably the 120mms "handcaster" (=handline, a.k.a "cuban yo-yo) i bought 2003 in Broome for AU$ 2.85 -- caught many fish on it and it's the best language class i bought as well (== meeting folks at the fishing spots and practising my australian); also still have it's 'sibling' picked up between some rocks at "Ivanhoe Crossing" near Kununurra in 2006 (the location of the "river crossing" scene in the movie "Australia" )

and a folding magnifying glass given to me in the early 1990ties -- firestarting and pyrography
honorably retired and only used on special occassions: a plastic 500ml canteen i got as a kid from my long-dead aunt: it has been on top of Uluru and mt. Fuji amongst other places...

 

[billycoen]

Speedster windshield and pot stand,cheap as chips,but does the job,packs away to nothing,and weighs less than any Titanium i've ever owned.

 

[Erbswurst]

They always throw military surplus equipment behind you every corner. One just has to buy what's currently dirt cheap.
If you really depend on a low budget you simply have to choose what's the cheapest on the current military surplus market and will get a very well working very durable equipment on a pocket money budget level. And if you keep your packing list as short as possible it will for sure stay a lightweight equipment.

The stuff below is perhaps not the cheapest that's offered currently but it's always pretty cheap and in this case a selection of the best constructions that are available as military surplus.

I mixed in here a few Solognac products, but used field uniforms will do as well of course. Austrian ones are plain olive green and currently cheap as chips.

Rucksack Dutch army Sting, used, or similar

Sleeping bag
Used Dutch or British army copy of the Carinthia Defence 4 or better the original new or something similar
Bivvy bag, used British, Dutch M 90 or German army version in good condition
Army closed cell foam roll mat, used.
Military poncho, used German, Austrian, Dutch or US army version in good condition instead of a larger tarp
Cordage
2x 3 metres to tension it as lean to shelter, and 1,50 metre to make a tripod.

Fleece jacket Solognac Fleece Recycled 500 or similar
in a dry bag as pillow too,
together with
Spare underwear 1X
Briefs and T-shirt, cotton.
Woolen spare socks 1X
Swimming briefs 1X

Toilet paper in a zipp lock freezer bag
Wash kit
Folding tooth brush, tooth cream, biodegradable soap in a small bottle and disposable razor (Wilkinson's) wrapped into a small microfleece towel and stored in a zipp lock freezer bag. Plastic signal mirror for shaving.

Food
In an olive green dry bag that you can hang mouse proof into a tree or in the
Mess Kit used from the German, Austrian, Finnish, Swedish, Russian or Rumanian army
Esbit stove used from the German army (or British army folding stove, especially if you choose a British army bottle with BCB stainless steel Crusader mug.)
Spoon stainless steel from the flea market
Candle In a zipp lock freezer bag, a few drips of wax can be used as a fire starter
Matches and 2 x Bic cigarette lighters
Head lamp Petzl e+lite


ON THE MAN:

Mountain boots Schladminger 100 or Austrian army (Not the current light model!) new
Woolen Socks relatively thick
Underwear
Trousers or shorts, polyester-cotton blend, Solognac Steppe 300 or Shorts 100 or similar
Handkerchief , cotton
Several times folded usable as pot holder and pre filter before water purification by boiling.
Purse
House keys
Matches or Bic lighter
Belt Solognac 100 or similar
Knife, Hultafors GK, Mora Companion HD, Opinel No8 Carbone or similar
Canteen with mug and belt pouch
from any NATO army used
T-shirt
Shirt
Buttoned long sleeved shirt with two pockets and flaps over it. For example Austrian army, heavy version KAZ 75 used.
Compass Suunto Clipper or M-9 or whatever you have
Topographical map
1:50 000

 

[Wander]

I have a cheap frying pan bought from Wilkos (can't remember when - at least 15 years ago) for about £1.50.
And I still use it.
Without sounding like Trigger from Only Fools, I've had to replace the handle a few times, but it's still going strong.
Here it is in use...

 

[Van-Wild]

My 50p car boot fair axe head (early 20th century) that does everything a GB axe does

Ooooh sounds beautiful, can I see that axe?

Oh and for me, got to be the lixada Little Bug clone. £7 off the bay.

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk

 

[TeeDee]

Ubiquitous as you like and useful for walking but you can't beat a good solid leather boot to get a brew up bubbling away in.

Purifies the water and enhances the flavour with a certain infused Je ne sais quoi.

 

[billycoen]

You're not a certain Limey called Pete are you?