Favourite kit of the year.

[Hodge]

As the end of the year is nigh,what are your best bits of kit that you have acquired this year and why do you think it is good?

 

[Kadushu]

Technically I bought this last year but it was right at the end of December...
Pathfinder 8" skillet. I found 6" too small sometimes and 10" is larger than necessary so this is perfect.
- stainless steel
- thick base, thin sides and handle so it cooks well but is relatively light
- lid, keeps the steam in so food doesn't dry out, stops fat spitting everywhere, retains heat
- handle folds away

I've used it a lot and it's just a pleasure to use. Sadly I think the price has shot up in recent months.

 

[gra_farmer]

Mine has to be my small off grid camping battery build. A simple li-po4 battery 36ah so portable, but has a solar charge regulator, voltage regulator, led light strip, 4 x USB A and a female 12 volt car connector. So a 300w inverter can be attached. Small but very able power stations at around half price of the ready built versions with a similar capacity. Is it pretty maybe not, does it work well and portable yes.... importantly did I enjoy putting it together, yes.

This gets used all the time charging small electric items and powering my work laptop (as I move around my home avoiding the noisy children).

Pictures below:

 

[punkrockcaveman]

On the carving front, my twca cam from Dave Budd has been a game changer, its a brilliant bit of kit.

My most used bit of kit that I didn't buy but made was an 8 inch hardboard strop wheel for my cheap aldi bench grinder. It's saved me loads of time, and because it's so easy and quick to use I'm sharpening my tools to a better standard more often.

 

[Kadushu]

On the carving front, my twca cam from Dave Budd has been a game changer, its a brilliant bit of kit.

My most used bit of kit that I didn't buy but made was an 8 inch hardboard strop wheel for my cheap aldi bench grinder. It's saved me loads of time, and because it's so easy and quick to use I'm sharpening my tools to a better standard more often.

Is that the type with a slow turning whetstone 90 degrees to the other wheel?

 

[punkrockcaveman]

Is that the type with a slow turning whetstone 90 degrees to the other wheel?

It's one of the ones with a stone on the left and a belt on the right- but I've flipped it 180 so the switch is on the back so the strop wheel moves away from you. Makes it much safer and easier to use!

 

[Danceswithhelicopters]

The Grayl water filter. Had the original from the original Kickstarter campaign and it traveled the world and the UK purifying water, keeping me from falling ill and saving hundreds of disposable bottles from landfill.

Left it by accident on top of a bear box in Canada and went out and bought a new style one which just saw me through an Africa trip.

I hope the lost one is doing a good turn for its finder.

 

[Tengu]

I honestly dont know.

I got lots of nice new kit for my trip to Scotland....but I had a place to stay and stayed longer than I intended, so I have not done much outdoor stuff at all; except I have been mostly out of doors...

My best thing was discovering the flammable joys of birch bark....Whoosh!

 

[BigMonster]

My tent MSR Hubba Hubba NX. As a big person I never considered tents as a viable option. The space it offers at 1.6kg made me a believer in tenting and encouraged me to go new places.


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[Kav]

I bought an American Hickory 24” bucksaw with spare dry/ wet blades
I realized it matched my Hults Bruk Akka. So, my inner magpie ordered their bushcraft/survival knife in O1 and Hickory scales.
A Hickory hiking staff followed.
Pure vanity! I can argue Hickory is one of the toughest and long lasting ( properly cared for) common woods available. But it’s vanity coupled with excellent quality.

 

[Rambo Rees]

On the carving front, my twca cam from Dave Budd has been a game changer, its a brilliant bit of kit.

My most used bit of kit that I didn't buy but made was an 8 inch hardboard strop wheel for my cheap aldi bench grinder. It's saved me loads of time, and because it's so easy and quick to use I'm sharpening my tools to a better standard more often.

Do you have a photo of the strop wheel? Sounds ideal

 

[Rambo Rees]

Mine was a Petromax Dutch Oven, big one with no legs.....avoided it for a long while, thinking an old stainless cook pot did the same job.... It did in the same way payphones were just like mobile phones...till you got a mobile phone.
Flamin brilliant things to cook with (dutch ovens not phones!).I've now rather confused the matter.
A cheap fire pit thing with folding legs works a treat to avoid scorching the earth too.
Blwyddyn Newydd Dda (Happy New Year) Bushcraft people.

 

[mikehill]

Makita 36v chainsaw .. no more noise

 

[Damascus]

Helikon tex swagman roll, real multi use, used it a few times. Great for sitting around in evening and beef up my sleeping bag.

 

[Kav]

Mine was a Petromax Dutch Oven, big one with no legs.....avoided it for a long while, thinking an old stainless cook pot did the same job.... It did in the same way payphones were just like mobile phones...till you got a mobile phone.
Flamin brilliant things to cook with (dutch ovens not phones!).I've now rather confused the matter.
A cheap fire pit thing with folding legs works a treat to avoid scorching the earth too.
Blwyddyn Newydd Dda (Happy New Year) Bushcraft people.

Do you know Dutch oven history?
The name comes from Deutsch
and the German immigrants in Pennsylvania including the Hessian mercenaries of our unfortunate family squabble. The first ones were imported from England.
This coppersmith named Paul Revere added the three legs and rimmed lid to contain upper coals
In the cowboy version.
The lid tool is called a gonch hook.
The Cocinaro or cookie would keep it warm and had a handy and hot weapon for any daring to violate his open kitchen.
A neat trick for untried recipes.
Get a flour Tortilla and line the bottom. It’s insurance against scorching until cooking times and coals are sorted out. You can just slice it free if burnt. If not, a delicious snack flavored with the meal

 

[Laurence Milton]

The Ionosphere......stealthy, very weathproof, light and small to pack, loads of room for 6'4" me and a pack............

 

[gibson 175]

thermarest neo air xtherm max...after months of deliberation and experimentation.Went for the large rectangular one rather than the large mummy shaped,one so I had room to move about.I tried an exped, vango shangri-la, thermarest luxury map,just feels such a quality product. so warm and comfortable yet packs down so small for something that is practically like a mattress at home. Material seems more robust than some other mats. The internal reflective baffle whatnot thingy means it doesn't rely on down or foam to provide insulation. Easy to inflate with the accomanying pump sack.

 

[forrestdweller]

limited funds meant only two purchases this year: a "vortex" monocular and a custom made pouch to hold my leatherman surge + victorinox bit set (got it as a gift a week ago)
not a purchase but in july i got my freedom and sanity back after quitting my previous ..... job and moving back to the countryside

 

[Hodge]

limited funds meant only two purchases this year: a "vortex" monocular and a custom made pouch to hold my leatherman surge + victorinox bit set (got it as a gift a week ago)
not a purchase but in july i got my freedom and sanity back after quitting my previous ..... job and moving back to the countryside

Moving into the countryside is priceless!

 

[Hairy man]

Hi to everyone, been enjoying reading your posts, some brilliant bits of kit, id like to share mine, slightly more humble, its a brand new 20 litre jerry can, Christmas present off my mrs, i had been looking at used ones on surplus stores and prepping stores, different grades bit battered but still useful (bit like me) she knew how id been waiting to get a half decent one for a while, so bless her she bought me one for xmas from wickes lol!