im sure they do have there uses. But I bought them thinking they would be handy but I had no real plan for them they just looked cool and I still don't really have a good use for them. So in my case they were a little bit wasteful. I my intension for the thread was to list kit you wasted money on for any reason and not just a list of rubbish kit. ie spending hundreds on a high spec sleeping bag only to find it is too warm to sleep in comfortably. the thing with bush craft type kit is a lot is personal preference and experiment trying to find out what is best for you. what works for one person is not always the best choice for someone else
what useless kit have you bought?
- Thread starter philipb
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im sure they do have there uses. But I bought them thinking they would be handy but I had no real plan for them they just looked cool and I still don't really have a good use for them. So in my case they were a little bit wasteful. I my intension for the thread was to list kit you wasted money on for any reason and not just a list of rubbish kit. ie spending hundreds on a high spec sleeping bag only to find it is too warm to sleep in comfortably. the thing with bush craft type kit is a lot is personal preference and experiment trying to find out what is best for you. what works for one person is not always the best choice for someone else
Karrimor hiking boots.
I was stupidly bitten twice with these. Rolled ankle wearing a new pair I bought cheap off a "mate", it was on relatively flat ground too. None existant ankle support. Other pair of boots lasted about three weeks before they were turned into racing-slick, open-toe sandles. Amazingly poor quality.
Falkniven WM1.
This is THE knife that people mean when they say a Mora is better than a knife that costs x 10 (ish) times more.
Lasted 2 days before I had to pass it on. Truly woeful thing.
I was stupidly bitten twice with these. Rolled ankle wearing a new pair I bought cheap off a "mate", it was on relatively flat ground too. None existant ankle support. Other pair of boots lasted about three weeks before they were turned into racing-slick, open-toe sandles. Amazingly poor quality.
Falkniven WM1.
This is THE knife that people mean when they say a Mora is better than a knife that costs x 10 (ish) times more.
Lasted 2 days before I had to pass it on. Truly woeful thing.
A rolled ankle usually means you're not used to having no ankle support to be fair (not saying they are good quality though). I used to wear military boots, and when i went to AB hiking boots, i had to adjust to them. Now i got A hiking boots, and again had/have to adjust. I do notice my ankles are becoming stronger though, and i don't need the support as much as i thought. Especially if you're not trucking around 20kg+ packs.
A retro looking Leica Digilux 3 camera. Should have saved much harder for a real Leica and not just a lens attached to a Panasonic body.
Sits in a corner and never gets used as I find it easier to pack the Cannon G10 semi compact. Unfortunately picture quality does suffer so perhaps it's time to trade them both and invest in something Wayland would approve.
Sits in a corner and never gets used as I find it easier to pack the Cannon G10 semi compact. Unfortunately picture quality does suffer so perhaps it's time to trade them both and invest in something Wayland would approve.
Thats true, but also the sole of these particular boots appeared to move sideways indepentley from the rest of the boot. Ive never experienced that in any kind of footwear before. Such was the zero rigidity in them , I would of been better off in slippers.
Absolutely true!
My most useless buys have been two forays into softshells after folk raved about them. I just can't get on with a non-windproof jacket that weighs more than my waterproof. I was properly taken in by the marketing hype. None have been better than a cheap pertex windproof.
My most useless buys have been two forays into softshells after folk raved about them. I just can't get on with a non-windproof jacket that weighs more than my waterproof. I was properly taken in by the marketing hype. None have been better than a cheap pertex windproof.
Oh boy, I used to have one of these! I was so delighted when I bought it, I was showing everybody. Then it came time to use it - by the time I had it assembled the fire was practically out. Then I cleaned it as best I could and put it away, and cleaned it again when I got home. It was still revoltingly sticky when I assembled it the next time.
One of those things - just a bit too clever for its own good. And the weight!
But thanks Fin for the memories - I'd forgotten!
Nohoval
NONE.
I upcycle + use charity shops eg:
- Vango 2-skin dome tent from SallyAnn, no poles, £2 - poles saved from skip-raids = £ree
- karrimor backpack from skip - clean + wash = £ree
- camo bushbike + bits to fix it up, all from skips incl new tyres - £ree
- Italian size 11 leather mountain boots - £reegle
- rocket & other camping stoves fixed/adapted/made from skip-finds - £ree
It's like leave no trace = living lightly + such fun!
I upcycle + use charity shops eg:
- Vango 2-skin dome tent from SallyAnn, no poles, £2 - poles saved from skip-raids = £ree
- karrimor backpack from skip - clean + wash = £ree
- camo bushbike + bits to fix it up, all from skips incl new tyres - £ree
- Italian size 11 leather mountain boots - £reegle
- rocket & other camping stoves fixed/adapted/made from skip-finds - £ree
It's like leave no trace = living lightly + such fun!
Hear, hear! Havant used half of them in anger, but they so shiny!
I'm going to contradict the cheap boots trend in the thread though. I have some oddly shaped feet, and the only boots I have ever owned that did not give me blisters cost me £30 and lasted 2 years of decent use. Believe me, I still endeavour to find such a fit again!
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To be fair...when folded away, it does make a reasonable self defence tool!
Slainte!
A friend of mine got 2 of these in a sale & gave me one. I can say that the only reason to take it to the woods is to leave it there so it may rust in peace. Its fiddley, heavy enough to stun an ox should you strike it on the head, nope no good, I gave it away on here.
Pocket chainsaws....I use a chainsaw a fair bit, so for going to the woods, I decided to get the full size commando/pocket chainsaw, this has proper handles & a full size chain, man o man, after 5 minutes of using this I had arms like Garth, it was blunter than a blunt thing that's blunt, I was going to sharpen it but never got round to it.
Rob
For me it took over a decade, but my family now do the same, gift cards and such......
I still have them both, if only i had even looked at them before i left i'd have seen straight away they were no good, worst part was the little blighters seemed to have no trouble getting through the nets to get to us but then they didn't even try to get back out once they'd feasted
Maybe you were thinking disaster strikes and no one is prepared as you are with your unravelled paracord bracelet?
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