Your favourite piec of kit?

Roen

Hi all,
just wondering what everyone's favourite/cant be without bit of outdoor kit was.
Mine is most definitely my Thermarest, followed very closely by my Swedish army stove.

Takeshi_Kovacs

Good question, honestly i can't quite remember what was the handiest bit of kit i used out camping and hiking (been a while, but am going to try and get out every weekend now..). One contender would have to be tinfoil. Yes, tinfoil, and some bananas, and chocolate. Best after hike dessert, ever. Split the banana down the centre, mash a bit of chocolate into it, and entirely wrap it tinfoil. Toss it into the embers of the camp fire for a few mins and hey presto, smoky, chocolately, slightly burnt banana.

That said the leatherman i had was very handy bit of kit, until i lost it camping in Killarney few years ago..


By the way, great gallery of shots you have there!

Roen

It's a bit odd, but I never got into the whole Leatherman/multi-tool thing. I'm the type of person that loves gadgets as well so you'd think I'd be first in line to get one.

piraka

Has to be my stainless steel penknife bought in alpha bargains all off 30 yrs ago for about £1.50. It is still in my little green bag of essentials that is packed every weekend and trips abroad.

hmmm

My platypus - never really "got it" until I was given one as a present, I think it's the bees knees now. Hiking sticks are a close second.

Evil Phil

Probably my swiss army knife or my hiking boots.

I've a great little camping kettle which isn't indespensible but I always curse myself if I forget it.

Roen

hmmm wrote:

My platypus - never really "got it" until I was given one as a present, I think it's the bees knees now. Hiking sticks are a close second.

I've had two of those gadgets, one lasted a year in Africa (happy days) and the other (the hoser variant) lasted three days before it started leaking. I reckon the hoser leaked because of the placement of the cap in the corner, while the other normal one was grand. I managed to use a lighter to reseal the leak but it kept splitting and I eventually tossed it.

BeardyGit

My Jetboil PCS stove and newly purchased coffee pluger/java kit.

www.jetboil.com

An amazingly fast and convenient piece of kit. I combine it with my 'Light My Fire' Outdoor Meal Kit for a complete cooking/brewing solution.

Light, convenient to carry and small in overall size.

Great kit.

I'll second the whole thing about not really getting the Leatherman thing - Can't see the point in the outdoors if you have a good Swiss Army knife.

Gil

Takeshi_Kovacs

Well i actually had a swiss army knife at first (always wanted one after watching MacGyver) which had a lock on it to stop the blade from snapping shut unexpectedly, which was great, but i thought the build quality wasn't great. The little wood saw in it broke, and the plastic fairing started to come off after only a few months. I guess they don't make them like the old ones.

I remember one of the lads i used go camping with had a swiss army knife which must have been at least 10 years old, it was made of pure metal and no plastic to break. Great little knife it was.

The leatherman, i wouldn't have bothered with a first, but i got it at the right price, and it was a solid piece of kit, couldn't fault it. Pity i lost it

BeardyGit

Takeshi_Kovacs wrote:

Well i actually had a swiss army knife at first (always wanted one after watching MacGyver) which had a lock on it to stop the blade from snapping shut unexpectedly, which was great, but i thought the build quality wasn't great. The little wood saw in it broke, and the plastic fairing started to come off after only a few months. I guess they don't make them like the old ones.

I remember one of the lads i used go camping with had a swiss army knife which must have been at least 10 years old, it was made of pure metal and no plastic to break. Great little knife it was.

The leatherman, i wouldn't have bothered with a first, but i got it at the right price, and it was a solid piece of kit, couldn't fault it. Pity i lost it

You see, theres's the thing. Imitation swiss army knives aren't worth a sh1te. If you want something that will last, just buy a Victorinox knife and be done with it.

Here's the soldier model with the aluminium handles:
http://www.victorinox.com/index.cfm?site=victorinox.ch&page=234&lang=E

I've owned a few and have never broken a blade. I've seen others break blades only when they abused their knives, and I've never seen a Vic knife lose a handle.

Roen

I think that the major problem with gear failure is that people tend to use things for purposes they were never made.
I've seen lads batter tent pegs in with the handle of a swiss army knife. The knife wasn't meant to be a hammer and the peg wasn't made to be hammered (too much). They then moan about their piece of **** knife when it all of a sudden stops working.

Alun

My trusty Silva compass, about to enter it's 36th year of service! I got it when I started orienteering at school when I was 15 and it's still going strong

P.S. yes I am that old

BeardyGit

Hey Alun,

I hear Leatherman are doing a new model of utility knife....

It's called the Zimmer-man

It comes with a gadget for opening jars and a thing for taking stones out of old peoples shoes.



Gil

Alun

Gil_Dub wrote:

I hear Leatherman are doing a new model of utility knife....

It's called the Zimmer-man

It comes with a gadget for opening jars and a thing for taking stones out of old peoples shoes.

I might be getting on a bit, and not quite fit the usual demographic of a boardsie, but there's life in the old dog yet! In fact, I've just come back from 5 days close to the Arctic Circle in Swedish Lapland on a dog sledding adventure tour with temps down to -36 celsius! Anyone for a trip across a "not quite as frozen as it should be" frozen lake?

BeardyGit

Alun wrote:

I might be getting on a bit, and not quite fit the usual demographic of a boardsie, but there's life in the old dog yet! In fact, I've just come back from 5 days close to the Arctic Circle in Swedish Lapland on a dog sledding adventure tour with temps down to -36 celsius! Anyone for a trip across a "not quite as frozen as it should be" frozen lake?

Ah, frozen enough as long as you keep moving! Looks great - I've not been that far north yet (in Finland), maybe next winter. Did you get to try any elk or reindeer? Nothing as good as campsite deer steak with turnips and potatoes.

So, back on topic then - What's you favourite piece of *winter* equipment/clothing?

Alun

Gil_Dub wrote:

Did you get to try any elk or reindeer? Nothing as good as campsite deer steak with turnips and potatoes.

Ate nothing else for 7 days Elk kebabs with tunnbröd anyone ? Sick of the stuff when I got back!

cerebus

Gil_Dub wrote:

I'll second the whole thing about not really getting the Leatherman thing - Can't see the point in the outdoors if you have a good Swiss Army knife.

Gil

One thing the Leatherman gives you that a Swiss Army knife usually doesn't is a reasonably good set of pliers - can be invaluable.

Makes some gear repairs (stoves, skis, tents, whatever) a bit easier at times.

BeardyGit

That's a great point Cerebus,

I hadn't thought of that before.

Gil

scorphonic

O this is an interesting post, when you go camping you obviously require a knife of some sorts, what is the legal size that you are allowed to carry while out camping? I have a swiss army knife, a military style survival knife, a bit bigger than the swiss army knife, and a few others but what are you only allowed to have on your person?

BeardyGit

A swiss army knife is quite adequate for most things in Ireland. It's also safer, more versatile and easier to carry in your pocket and so on....but....

I also carry a beatifully crafted Lappish knife from Finland which I was given as a gift when visiting there at christmas:

http://www.marttiini.fi/puukot/shop/english/prod.asp?ContID=224

I wouldn't consider carrying this around anywhere else of course, but when I'm camping I use it as my 'kitchen knife' for preparing food etc. It always goes in the bottom of the rucksack when I'm finished using it though. If I were you, I'd stick with the SAK or get an 'outdoorsman' type knife (as above), as opposed to a military style knife - That goes double if your survival knife has a serated spine - I wouldn't take one of those out of the house if it were me.

Evil Phil

I have my trusty swiss army (as above) and a large Petzl Spatha which is a rope knife but makes a great kitchen knife as its razor sharp.

kiwijbob

I just love my cooler box - table, chair,
storage, cutting surface, keeping beer/food
cold, foot rest....I can see me now ahhhhh:cool:

mayhem#

My Bakepacker outdoor oven:http://www.bakepacker.com/bak.html
Nothing beats fresh croissants in the morning and it's perfect for pizzas also!

E.

Donny5

Apart from things already mentioned (boots, compass, knife), I've have to go with my poncho!

bitemybanger

It would have to be my Leatherman, use it every day in or outdoors

peter-pantslez

got a lovely new back pack for crimbo and have to say im delighted with it it a 'deuter 35+ alpine' pack

its like having an arm chair on your back (comfort wise not weight wise:D)

i use it for climbing. it has gear loops around the waist band and all.

majiktripp

My fav. piece of kit - got on ebay
http://www.toollogic.com/index-outdoor.htm
It's bloody brilliant.

peter-pantslez

majiktripp wrote: »

My fav. piece of kit - got on ebay
http://www.toollogic.com/index-outdoor.htm
It's bloody brilliant.

thats the dog bol**x im abit of a gadget nut and think il be investing in one of them:D

majiktripp

It is indeed an awesome piece of kit, you only get one of the 3 attachments with it (I chose the firestarter one) but its well worth the money, good blade, nice locking mechanism and very loud safety whistle built into the handle.

wet-paint

Merino thermals ftw. Love em.

majiktripp

Thought we should all add this to our kit bags.
http://www.trekking-mahlzeiten.de/trekking-mahlzeiten-online-shop/produkte/Zwischenmahlzeiten_507/Cheeseburger_in_der_Dose_4641.html
Cheeseburger in a Can.
Delish....

mayhem#

This grub's not too bad either: http://alpineaire.com/products.html

Roen

mayhem# wrote: »

This grub's not too bad either: http://alpineaire.com/products.html

No accident they're located in Montana.
I could see expeditions and the like using the bulk products, but what person would genuinely have use for 18 months of freeze dried food?