View Full Version : Useless kit
Honesty time ... what's the most useless bit of kit you ever bought? What have you bought that looked good in the store or catalog but failed to inspire when you got it home?
My vote for shabby kit goes to Maglites ... all sizes but the small ones in particular (AA and AAA). Work for a few minutes, hard on batteries, poor electrical contacts ...
Really awful even when compared to even the cheapest LED torch.
i agree about the AA one. though my AAA cell has lasted well
MartiniDave
30-03-2004, 09:00
It has to be the Coleman "Gas stove toast maker" 4 bit of bent wire, supports bread over a gas burner so the heat can dry them out with no noticeable change in colour.
Dave
I bought a double ring gas (big camping gaz bottle) burner last year, and am really dissapointed with its' performance.
When using one ring it's reasonably OK (but not great; the gas is either on or it isn't - no fine tuning), but try using both rings at the same time and its performance dips so much as to effectively render it useless as a cooker.
I went to the shop where I bought the gas bottle and asked if they had heard of this happening, and they said that yes - it seemed to be a "feature" of those burners.
Back to a Trangia or an open fire for me!
who are the importers for maglites. i want a warrenty replacement for my AA one
who are the importers for maglites. i want a warranty replacement for my AA one
I think you just take them back to the point of sale ... however, here in the UK with lifetime warranty meaning the lifetime of the sales receipt ypu might not get the kind of support that is sold to you on the box.
I've never had a problem with maglites and always got mine replaced/repaired when it finaly gave up on me. Adi is right though, you need to keep the shop reciept and the warranty card. If you just have the warranty card contact them, they told me to send it back to them directly. I found their customer service first class.
:-)
Ed
I've never had a problem with maglites and always got mine replaced/repaired when it finaly gave up on me. Adi is right though, you need to keep the shop reciept and the warranty card. If you just have the warranty card contact them, they told me to send it back to them directly. I found their customer service first class.
:-)
Ed
Did you send it to the US or the UK? When mine packed up I could only send it to the US and for a torch that cost £10 or so it didn't seem worth the cost or hassle to send it to the US.
Still like the big 6-cell D Mags though :-D
I sent mine to the US. Just poped it in a jiffy bag with the warranty card and droped it in the out tray in the office :roll: ..... forgot about it..... a few weeks later a shiny brand new maglite turns up on my door by courier!!! :shock:
Ed
Not keen on the little Maglites, being sucked for a few minutes by a 3 year old was enough to cause the innards of my AA to corode beyond help, my 3D is still doing good service after about 10 years though.
David
ive had it replaced before by a shop who just sent it back. the shop it came from is no more though so i cant do that again still got the proof of sale though so i should be ok
ditchfield
30-03-2004, 21:57
Another vote for maglites. Nice looking, sturdy exterior, but don't work for *******.
Anyone else found that aluminium corrosion at the joints caused bit problems ... such the the light not working because it relied on the joints for electrical conduction?
My mini mag (AA) stays in the fuse cupboard...However, It's a long way of the most useless piece of kit I have ever purchased. That distinction must go to the SAK. I own 4. All of them were presents, so I had no choice in the matter. I use a battered old army clasp knife instead.
Justin Time
30-03-2004, 22:58
A teflon coated Crusader type mug I bought from Penrith Survival. Had a removable plastic rim to save your lips from burning. Problem was that the actual rim of the mug was sort of grooved so the liquid ran through these grooves, under the pastic rim, and then dribbled down my chin, t-shirt etc, Useless!
I feel honour bound to defend the AAA maglite. It saved my bacon on the summit of Ben Nevis. Serious storm caused 3 seperate petzl head torches to fail. The only light for navigation left was my trusty solitare left in the top of my pac. We still ended up Benighted and alittle a bit frost bitten. I know modern Led torches are the dogs wotsits but very attached to my maglite
A teflon coated Crusader type mug I bought from Penrith Survival. Had a removable plastic rim to save your lips from burning. Problem was that the actual rim of the mug was sort of grooved so the liquid ran through these grooves, under the pastic rim, and then dribbled down my chin, t-shirt etc, Useless!
On yes, I had one of those ... but I thought that the Crusaders were the newer ones without the lip rim (they discontinued the mugs witht he plastic rim because squaddies were getting upset stomachs from not cleaning the rim properly :yikes: ).
The most useless bit of kit I ever bought was a stainless steel credit card survival tool something like the pic below withouth the plasic.... It was about as much use as a chocolate frog !!
http://www.presentsdirect.com/imageLibrary/jpeg230/1007.jpg
Anyone else found that aluminium corrosion at the joints caused bit problems ... such the the light not working because it relied on the joints for electrical conduction?
Yep, it was corroded Al that killed mine after one of the kids used it as a dummy.
David
Wire saws. I'm probably unlucky (or clumsy :-( ) but I've broken every one I ever owned within about five strokes.
The company that deals with maglight returns in the UK is
http://www.burton-mccall.co.uk/index.cfm
I have found them very good in the past when I have used them.
:-)
The most useless bit of kit I ever bought was a stainless steel credit card survival tool something like the pic below withouth the plasic.... It was about as much use as a chocolate frog !!
I'll have to agree there...i have one, never have looked at a toll and thought, what on earth could i use you for? Completely and utterly useless.
(I know this may cause a few sparks {!}) Swiss Army Knives!
I have always been able to find better, although you can use them, they seem like too much effort. :?:
I'll stick in a vote for that reconstituted carpet fluff that most outdoor shops around these parts market as paracord.
Have to agree Adi007 on the mags as well. They were great for their day...but so were spam and brinylon. :lol:
For less than £20 you can have a dive rated PrincetonTec Tec 40 - fits in your pocket, runs well on 4 common AAs, takes PR bulbs and chucks out more light than a 3d cell Mag, plus the beam is actually smooth and blotch free!!
The most useless piece of kit i bought was an Avocet Altimeter. the batteries cost a fortune to get replaced and it was never very accurate. The shape of the glass meant it got scratched whenever i used it for climbing. Expensive impulse buy.
The most useless bit of kit I ever bought was a stainless steel credit card survival tool something like the pic below withouth the plasic.... It was about as much use as a chocolate frog !!
http://www.presentsdirect.com/imageLibrary/jpeg230/1007.jpg
i like chocolate frogs..
Rolnick and I thought that there were a few things that needed to be added here!
1: SOG Revolver (http://www.bushcraftuk.net/community/showthread.php?t=4136)
2: Banana Guard (http://www.bushcraftuk.net/community/showthread.php?t=4103&highlight=bannana)
3: Flamingo Tent Pegs! (http://www.bushcraftuk.net/community/showpost.php?p=4568&postcount=3)
beachlover
17-11-2004, 23:17
Another vote for maglites. Nice looking, sturdy exterior, but don't work for *******.
I didn't think you were meant to use them for that anyway :yikes:
:rolmao: :biggthump
oh dear we are going in the same direction as the banana guard thread... :yikes:
beachlover
17-11-2004, 23:25
:rolmao: :biggthump
oh dear we are going in the same direction as the banana guard thread... :yikes:
Perhaps we should shift it to the "Winter camping. What do you do after dark thread? :rolmao:
I have had no problems with my Mag lites. Each my family has their own. Never had corrosion problems. I always coat the threads right away with a teflon grease. I can turn the mini mag on one handed. I have had trenching tools that were junk.
Anyone else found that aluminium corrosion at the joints caused bit problems ... such the the light not working because it relied on the joints for electrical conduction?
Yep had that before, also had the tail cap on one of the bigger ones at work fall off completely, not the best peice of kit.
My vote goes for HighTech magnums though, I bought a set when they were new to the market (1988) and ditched them pretty sharp. However one of the guys wore them on an Op in 1992/3 and ended up with non freezing cold injuries, not allowed to do field work in cold conditions in the UK again.
They may have improved since then, but there was at least 4 years between me ditching mine (never to look at them again) and my mate ending up with problems with his feet and his were brand spanking :nono:
Must say I have to stick up for the ol' MagLight (AA) ... has helped me out of many a jam after dark, and no problems after 4-5 years use ... touch wood!
My vote would go to either wire saws as mentioned previously (yep, I've also snapped every one that I've owned - 4 in total, you'd think I'd learn!); or to those cheap-ish, green 'Survival Tins' that you can pick up just about everywhere (for around a tenner) - the components have almost certainly been manufactured by the same company who produces gifts found in Christmas crackers bought from pound shops.
As for those "stainless steel credit card survival tool somethings" ... if you bought one of those, then all I can say is you were asking for it!!! :wink: (joke).
G
So just to steer the thread away from maglite bashing for a minute, my vote goes for a digital compass bought from LIDL. Nice big display, backlite and stuff, worked great in the house, first time I tried it outdoors (at night in a wood) I turned and it didn't. Total piece of poo ! Full refund from the store next morning !
Cheers
bambodoggy
18-11-2004, 12:09
My vote goes to those horrid nylon string mesh cheap £5 hammocks....I've never been able to get into one while in a sleeping bag let alone with a kitmat...and I've snapped several....and I'm not that overweight! The mesh catches on everything from pocket buttons to boot edges and then breaks!
They claim to be pocket sized but if I had that in my pocket I'd worry about being arrested for indecency - Is that a hammock in your pocket etc!
I use a nice nylon sheet type now and it's tops!