Gear for pennies challenge

[tim_n]

I'd like to put together a resource for outfitting a scout (or guide) for less than £100. I've seen mr fenners guide (bought one a few years ago)

Suggestions so far include:

- Penny stove made from cans.
- Home made pots (borrowed from mr fenner)
- Hammocks with building tarp sheets etc. (I think I costed these at £10 each not inc tarp and paracord)

 

[mountainm]

Check out the tenth wonder camping hammocks for a tenner on ebay.

 

[tartanferret]

Poundland may have things to offer for this, off the top of my head...

Mess-tins,
"sigg" style aluminium drink bottles,
paracord
cutlery clips
collapsable / roll up water carriers.

thats the kind of things i saw last time i ventured in there.

good luck

jon

 

[mountainm]

tbh tents may be a cheaper option.

 

[Paul_B]

Argos outlet on ebay has some very cheap tents on offer I believe. Heard there is a lichfield one that is good for something like £15-24 or so.

 

[Harvestman]

If you include a knife it would have to be a mora.

Carve your own spoon, or buy one of those awful cheap sporks.

Endicotts are selling plastic mugs for 10p, and their haversacks/bread bags/gas mask bags make a good cheap alternative to a rucksack.

 

[craeg]

Wilkinsons sell coffee/sugar/tea caddies which are stainless steel and make great billies. Also they sell SS utensil holders which can easily be modified into hobo stoves.

ATB
Craeg

 

[AntMan232]

Army style nesting mess tins can be bought cheaply, made by gelert, I got mine from here, http://www.charliesdirect.co.uk/products/gelert-2-piece-camping-mess-tin-set , may not be the best place, but I can vouch for the mess tins.

 

[lannyman8]

tin can hobo stoves and billies, the 1 litre dog food can's are ace and cost £1-3 each...

 

[Chiseller]

tin can hobo stoves and billies, the 1 litre dog food can's are ace and cost £1-3 each...

But not from the dogs point of view

 

[Chiseller]

Find your local ragman/textile recyclers. Ask them to save a selection of sleeping bags , waterproof coats , blankets etc and in return your scouts etc can wash their vehicles or the like ? I know rag prices and it would be feasable and good for community spirit.

 

[Jonboy83]

For a knife, get them to make their own good bit of hands on experience for them get mora blades here http://www.moonrakerknives.co.uk/knifeblades.htm
£4.95p a blade and im sure handle materials are available free-ish can get tarps 6ftx6ft for £2-£4 quid in pound shop. netting type travel hammocks £6 on eBay
got my eurohike 45 rucksack from a charity shop £2.50p brand spanking new. dried milk tins make good stoves, or even mini stoves from golden syrup cans
charity shops again for blankets local one here sells black bags of blankets for £1 bag,

 

[Realbark]

Meths fuel containers - ebay or charity shop hipflasks (about £3.00)

 

[hedgerowpete]

it can be done as you can see from the posts above, all of which i have done, i have brought all my bush gear for less than £90 so far and all of it at shop prices

sleeping bag is a four season ex army £25 (wolverhampton army shop)
tent is a fishing beach shelter £16 (flea bay)
waterproof outer clothes are pvc builders ones for £6
Knife is a carbon steel Mora for £16
sighting compass £12
ruck sac 60 litre £12 (fleabay)
sleeping bag ground mat, silver tin foil bubble insulation found in skip http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Construction+Materials/Insulation/d210/sd2738

stove is a ultencil holder hobo brought for a quid from a pound shop, the same for the tiffin tin set as pots and pans, cutlery and serving ultencil .
boots are either wellies or work boots either cost a tenner from the markets

ok so we dont have ventile clothes or cheap and nasty gortex and hand crafted leather boots or a knife so expensive a normal person would never take it out the house in case they lost it or blunted it.

but i go to the allotment and the woods and enjoy myself, i still cant do fire by friction lol and i hate waking up cold, but i can still enjoy myself when i want and one day i will be able to identify more than a few trees and plants maybe even get it up to a hundred names.

you never know one day i might even identify and pick and eat a mushroom from the wild rather than spending ages studying it and then walking away from it!

 

[Paul_B]

Meths fuel containers - ebay or charity shop hipflasks (about £3.00)

Meths fuel containers - coke bottle saved after drinking!! Save the planet by re-using after emptying! Surely good to teach scouts that.

 

[Paul_B]

BTW as a former cub and scout (from about 27 years ago) I was wondering what badges are relevant to bushcraft skills and activities?? Perhaps I should ask on another thread. Just wondered if there are any new "green" badges been created in the last 20 odd years.

 

[tartanferret]

Meths fuel containers - coke bottle saved after drinking!! Save the planet by re-using after emptying! Surely good to teach scouts that.

Is there a time limit on meths being stored in PET drinks bottles? After all it comes in flimsy plastic bottles.

I've got a large trangia bottle, which i'm thinking is too large for a weekend away. I was going to try a poundland Sigg-type bottle (red of course) but the quality of seal on a cheapo bottle makes me concerned.

Anyone used one? or replaced the seal with a sigg one?

 

[Ogri the trog]

While the acquisition of kit for budget prices is certainly do-able, it often takes an extended period of searching or the application of "re-crafting skills" which in themselves takes time to learn and become proficient. The "need" for "this, that and the next thing" within limited time-frames is what has driven us to become so money-focussed, loosing the skills to adapt, re-purpose and make the things that we are likely to need way into the future.
To my mind it is more important to transfer the skills that will prove useful in later life than scratching together kit that they can't currently see any value in.

Better use of the £100 would be to show the Scouts your own kit and what is possible, then pay a years membership to BCUK for the six most interested individuals!

Ogri the trog

 

[Paul_B]

Obviously never heard of the tiger paws tent for £25. Cheap, light and actually rather good. So much so that they stopped selling them and the price for second hand ones went through the roof. Cheap gear does not always mean tat it can be quite good to get someone out into the countryside safely and with a degree of comfort too. Who knows from a £100 kit they might become hooked and surely that is good. To get kids out doing stuff positive in the outdoors rather than indoors on the x-box 350!!

The only thing it will take is time to search out the cheap but good gear. That is why a good post like on here where ppl can post what they have found that is good and cheap. It saves the OP time perhaps but still gets some outdoors.

I don't know the shelf life of plastic bottles but I have kept meths in the original bottles for many years (about 6) without any leakage at all. I do however have heard of some people putting industrial ethanol in a normal plastic bottle and the lid fuses tight after a short time. They would have to puncture the bottle and lid a few times to get it out. This is however not commonly obtained industrial ethanol without the methanol and other additives in it.

I do know some who store in baby bio fertilizer bottles, shampoo bottles, eye drop bottles and many other types of cheap or re-used plastic bottles without problems at all. That includes no leakage which is important. Personally I have used a small flip top (screw on) topped bottle for my meths as it weighs next to nothing and gives accurate pouring control for precise quantity measurement and directionality. Afterall minimising fuel wastage is essential to minimise weight of fuel on longer trips, right?!!

 

[hedgerowpete]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-PRO-A...ackpacksRucksacks_Bags_EH&hash=item3cc0376b3f

its not me selling it but heres a ruck sac delivered brand new for £15 it should easily last a few seasons for you