what useless kit have you bought?

C_Claycomb

Moderator staff
Mod
Oct 6, 2003
7,629
2,701
Bedfordshire
When I first saw the title of the thread I immediately tried to think what I had bought that would count, and I admit that nothing came to mind. Then I started reading and saw many old acquaintances that I had merely succeeded in blanking out of memory.


  • Maya dust. Tried it a few times, worthless. Horrible tin to open with cold hands, saw dust just scatters.
  • Pocket Chainsaw. Did use in anger once or twice, but mostly only for sawing things way above head height.
  • Cheap multi-LED head torch.
  • Snugpak Rocket Pack rucksack. Back was so short it was only suitable for wearing above belt kit. Killed my back within a few hundred yards every time I tried to use it.
  • Vango Triad Stove. Slow, hard to light, sank into any ground softer than cement.
  • Country Covers Rain Shield jacket. In fairness, they did alter the design some after my purchase, that would make it better, but the one I got was terrible. Got properly wet in it every time it rained!
  • Rogue Ranger boots. Lovely leather lined, really wanted to love them, but they are heavy, have no supporting shank to speak of, which means they are exhausting to walk in unless all your other shoes are flip-flops, and the leather succeeded in being both a totally non-breathable yet soaked through the slightest rain or dew.
  • Snugpak bivi bag. had to sell this because my 5'8" x 155lb body could not fit inside it while leaving room for anything more than a summer spec Snugpak No6 bag.
 

dasy2k1

Nomad
May 26, 2009
299
0
Manchester
A woodland edge firebox....
Weighed a ton and couldn't keep a fire going in it for more than 30s before it went out of its own accord, and when it was burning you got more smoke than heat! If I remember correctly it ended up on the gift it on thread ages back!

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Bishop

Full Member
Jan 25, 2014
1,720
696
Pencader
Poundland enamel camping mug :mad:
Three months old, four trips out, less than thirty cups of coffee in its life and never been used for boiling water over a stove or fire.
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Dec 27, 2015
125
28
Pembroke
Sleeping bag off ebay, waterproof and comfort rated -10 extreme -15. Lying gits! freezing your nads off at 0 degrees is taking the mick. So bought an old58 pattern sleeping bag, best I owned.


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Bowlander

Full Member
Nov 28, 2011
1,353
1
Forest of Bowland
Poundland enamel camping mug :mad:
Three months old, four trips out, less than thirty cups of coffee in its life and never been used for boiling water over a stove or fire.
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Got me as well, bought 3. Can't remember what I paid for them though ;)

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having a semi-nomadic lifestyle puts a limit on what I can buy and carry....

for lack of other options I bought a pair of jungle boots in 2008 in Darwin when they were discounted from 150AU$ down to 100bucks. the zip failed shortly afterwards so I went back to the shop and got replacements. short time later: zip fails again..... . this time I insisted on a refund. a few weeks later they had the boots down to 30AU$ and a sign "" zips might be faulty; no refund/replacement given""..... ( not sure but I believe they were """ magnum"""brand)

a LMF ferro rod-- long time ago thrown out for its unreliability, ferro rods have become a pet hate of mine since then.....
 

Tiley

Life Member
Oct 19, 2006
2,364
377
60
Gloucestershire
I know that this will be heresy in the minds of a number of bushcraft fans, but I bought a Swedish LK70 pack. I changed the belt for something more supportive but found the thing both uncomfortable and really heavy when empty. In the end, I dumped it in the bin at the Wilderness Gathering a few years ago and shed not a tear.

The wire saw/pocket chainsaw has been mentioned and really is useless.

I would also add my Garmin Etrex GPS thing. On one occasion in winter, with the snow swirling around and visibility pretty poor when it was there, I tried it out to see how accurate it was. I knew exactly where I was - on top of Great Gable, by the Fell and Rock Climbing Club Memorial - and the GPS put me about 50 metres away, on the steep side of Great Gable. Now, I know things have improved since then but that single episode, allied to other, later adventures with said GPS, really dented my faith in the technology and now I rely on my map, compass and watch with the occasional look at my altimeter.
 
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moocher

Full Member
Mar 26, 2006
642
98
50
Dorset
Wire saw,back in the nineties , survival tin, and a Zippo lighter which whilst is nice to look at and use ,But dried out practically overnight and made my v8 8 mpg landy look frugal on petrol. Also most of the impulse buys from the classifieds on here as not used them.Need to get in the loft and destash I think.lol
 

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