what useless kit have you bought?

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philipb

Forager
Feb 20, 2016
234
8
wales
I'm a huge fan of grimlocks but only really for attaching things to a plate carrier, so not really typical bushcraft use. I used four on the back to attach a camelback and one on the left shoulder to attach a rifle sling. Their advantage is that they release under a load of 50 or so kilos so you don't get hung up on gear if it catches when descending. They are handy for clipping gloves quickly too.

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
 

NS40

Nomad
Nov 20, 2011
362
4
Scotland
A couple of Poundland 'she-wees'.

Added one to the pack my wife keeps in her car for emergencies (snacks, blankets, torch, walking boots, etc) and another in our camping gear box. At £1 a throw t's a bargain.
 

chimpy leon

Full Member
Jul 29, 2013
548
145
staffordshire
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.
 

IC_Rafe

Forager
Feb 15, 2016
247
2
EU
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.
 

Klenchblaize

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nov 25, 2005
2,610
135
65
Greensand Ridge
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.
 

chimpy leon

Full Member
Jul 29, 2013
548
145
staffordshire
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.

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.
 

Angry Pirate

Forager
Jul 24, 2014
198
0
Peak District
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.
 

Nohoval_Turrets

Full Member
Sep 28, 2004
348
10
52
Ireland
Grilliput "portable" grill.

This achieves a unique distinction in being both heavy and fragile.

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
 

nic a char

Settler
Dec 23, 2014
591
1
scotland
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!
 

Totumpole

Native
Jan 16, 2011
1,066
9
Cairns, Australia
Shiny things, lots of shiny things, all kinds and makes of shiny things.......:aargh4:

D.B.

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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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

To be fair...when folded away, it does make a reasonable self defence tool!

Slainte!
 

woof

Full Member
Apr 12, 2008
3,647
5
lincolnshire
Grilliput "portable" grill.

This achieves a unique distinction in being both heavy and fragile.

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
 

GGTBod

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 28, 2014
3,209
26
1
Learned that one the hard way myself.

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
 

bluey1610

Full Member
Apr 30, 2012
65
0
uk
Worst small axe I've ever owned. Bought it because it was cheap. 😕


Sent from my iPhone because I have an iPhone
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