View Full Version : Not such a good idea.
I was trawling through some old threads and found one that gave me an idea for this thread. (http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9112)
I bet loads of us have bought things over the years that we thought were really good ideas, but actually turned out to be real turkeys.
In that thread I mentioned a nesting pan set that seemed great but the inner pans were so small they were totally useless.:11doh:
Since then I bought an adapter to put a pan on top of a Kelly kettle and then realised I could no longer drop fuel into the top to keep it going. http://www.wayland.me.uk/assets/images/17433.gif
So, time to fess up. What did you fall for and end up never using. :D
Not bushcrafty but a set of 3 elinchrom studio lights.... I don't have a big enough place for a studio and my clients don't particularly like me dragging in big heads when a small flash does exactly the same job :o
A set of nesting,non stick pans - sales bod did a routine on me and I bought them.
At that time I ate & cooked with a metal spoon.... used once and lived forever more (8years or so!) in my storeroom (loft!)
Simon
John Fenna
05-01-2009, 14:44
Eos 35mm SLR camera....just before all the mags I write for insisted on digital!
Pasta maker (too much trouble to clean)
Small slow cooker (too small for a family so got a big one)
Knitting machine
Glow plug powered aeroplane on its second flight the transmitter failed and off it went heading the the Brecon Beacons and never to be found (my son has still not forgiven me)
Item #1 - A camp bed.
One of those ones made of canvass that have two poles down the side then wire frame legs. It cost about ten quid.
A friend had one and took it camping and I was so envious I decided I would get one. I only took it once - really heavy, awkward and made a dull metal 'clanging' sound as we walked. I went back to the inflatable mattress, and still haven't found anything to better it.
Item #2 - A 'windproof' shirt. It seemed like a good idea. I was going through a flecktarn stage. However, when I finally got the shirt (more of a smock) we had begun 'de-militarising' our look. So it's never been used. Mind you, it is a nice item.
Item #3 - a big knife. One with a 6" blade. Only cost £40 or so, but really, it's quite useless. Too big for general camp work, and too small for chopping. In reality I use either a Frosts or a machete, depending on the task. The big knife has never been used.
Mesquite
05-01-2009, 14:59
A Vauxhall Vectra Sri140.
Bloody thing cost me a fortune in fuel just as the prices rocketed. I've now got a Zafira 2.0 tdi which is way better than the vectra fuel wise so I'm saving money.
Only problem is the vectra is still on my drive waiting to be sold :( Anyone want to buy it? Only done 69,000 miles, great sound system and in pretty good nick :)
Snip> Glow plug powered aeroplane on its second flight the transmitter failed and off it went heading the the Brecon Beacons and never to be found (my son has still not forgiven me)
That is such a wonderful mental image........http://www.wayland.me.uk/assets/images/4167.gif.........Classic.
Wild Thing
05-01-2009, 15:06
I bought a Buck 184 Buckmaster over 20 years ago while I was young, stupid and in my rambo faze. Never got along with it and it has only been out about half a dozen times. I am considering selling this soon as it's just taking up space in my sharps box.
Also I bought a French army mess set which has three parts. Couldn't get along with it so I gave it away.
Ho hum
w00dsmoke
05-01-2009, 15:12
Thermarest base camp...too big and bulky for the comfort gained
Cheap alternative...lasted half a night
Airbags for the canoe...total waste of hard earned dosh as they leaked like seives
Wild country Hoy (tent)-nice shape, nice size, but inner tent far too fidley to put up in the dark on stoney ground (you need to peg the inner tent out in far too many places)
Plastic sporks...my wife bought loads, they melt when you are stirring stuff when cooking!
Very expensive good looking Camel dessert boots for a trip across Oz, lasted two weeks, the inner soles were essentially cardboard and this rotted away leaving pointed tacks holding the sole on digging into your feet.
My first pack of cigarettes :rolleyes: Made up by the packs that followed:D
Cheap gear from Argos...
A moonbag, the aluminium reflective bs doesn't work in Brecon in Winter.
A cheap tent, fly sheet/door stitching destroyed in gusts.
Enamelled mug, looks nice when bought, but few dings and they start to chip and crack.
Oh, and did the knife thing too. Cheap bowie type pattern with a useless saw back, and plastic handle made in two halves that screwed on.
Wilkinson sword sliding pruning saw,Absolutely useless,not even worth throwing at something because it would break if it hit anything.
redandshane
05-01-2009, 17:18
Oh no I must confess I bought a Swiss alpenflage poncho because it was cheap
Its got poppers up the front so its a jacket /poncho
And as for the flage well it would be fine in a rose bush I suppose
I wish I could think of a use for it
In fact writing this has prompted me to use it to cover logs outside
There are probably many more all done in the name of saving money!!!
An aluminium polled double ridge tent, bought for new for a fair buck when carbon fibre dome tents where coming in. Imagine two standard rigdes that have to put up exactly in line, only a complete idoit would design a tent based on that idea, well i bought it. I gave it to a local collection after the pakistan earthquake. I spent ages writting pictographic assembly diagrams, and still feel guilty that some family at the other end said great a tent, then slowly realised they got something so crap.
a night vision scope lol. it was one of those things that is reely cool when your 13 and i have barely used it since (now 17) it cost £160 and the image is cr@p! also i burnt the sencer thingy? that makes the image by looking at brite lights lol its was better to wait untill your eyes adjusted to the darkness which costs nothing!:rolleyes:
pete
A Vauxhall Vectra Sri140.
Bloody thing cost me a fortune in fuel just as the prices rocketed. I've now got a Zafira 2.0 tdi which is way better than the vectra fuel wise so I'm saving money.
Only problem is the vectra is still on my drive waiting to be sold :( Anyone want to buy it? Only done 69,000 miles, great sound system and in pretty good nick :)
6 month old Vectra 2.2 DTi
In one year, 4 gear boxes, 2 turbos, 3 engine management units, 4 cruise controls, 2 sets of windscreen wiper blades - arms - rods and motors, 1 cat, mirriad bits and bobs
Quality motor!
jonquirk
05-01-2009, 19:33
I lost an Optimus 8R that I'd paid £3 for when my scout troop went over to gas entirely. The replacement I bought cost £30 and never worked as well. It was soon replaced by the MSR Whisperlite I still use
I got an old WWII Swedish army pack thinking it would be good for a small frame pack. (Logic: Swedes know what they’re doing outdoors, right?) No offense to any Swedish members out there, but it’s a good job you stayed out of the fighting; all your troops would have been doubled up in pain from carrying kit.:11doh:
It also smelt like unwashed rugby kit!
Next I bought a Sabre45, mostly ‘cus everyone raved about them. Did not fit, so now I’ve got two redundant day sacs. (Logic: Must be good, other people say so! Baaa, Baaaa, Ba,Baaaa)
Finally, tried on a Fjallraven Vintage 30, properly adjusted filled with stuff and then walked around the block with it after leaving my watch as collateral.:werd: (Shop assistant thought I was a bit anal, but after the other two I was taking no chances.)
Fell in love with it and now we live happily ever after.......:approve:
Odd that the pack I now cherish is also Swedish, though it says it's made in China?
I guess don't buy Vauxhall is the message.
Big cutting tools too here. For me it is either a bag axe from Delaronde Forge. I've never been able to get the damn thing sharp, I don't know if it is too hard, soft or just doesn't like me! That was a big disappointment.
Other option was the Lofty Wiseman survival tool, always wanted one, got one, didn't use it as it was too heavy and didn't like holding an edge.
Nah - just don't buy that one :)
There is loads of stuff listed here that I would Buy.:lmao:
Some of it sounds great, it should go into the classifieds.
My bad buys
British Army Patrol boots size 10 only worn six or seven times(for sale) got fed up with doing all those laces up-reminded me of my 20 hole docs.:)
Waterproof ruck sack liner, to thick for me to get inside the rucksack (swapped)
just two that spring to mind from a long list.
Successive windows PCs. Solved the problem and bought a Mac.
Over the years quite a few things but none come to mind at the moment. Just recently I've been tinkering with the idea of making a WoodGas Stove. I bought a few tins from woolies, then moved onto an old SS flask, and lastly a doubled walled Ice Bucket.
Not having the right drills for the ice bucket but gave it a go anyway. After a few mismatched holes I found that the double walls of the bucket were ok but the base wasn't (to thin).
I need to rethink this through as buying the bucket was about £18 (waste of money) unless I can rescue it some how ?
Tom
http://uk.geocities.com/topcattc@btinternet.com/camping2.gif http://uk.geocities.com/topcattc@btinternet.com/Campfire2.gif
lostagain
06-01-2009, 00:20
Berhaus Bio Flex 65+10 rucksac - the flexi back system is a gimmick - squeaks as you walk, ok for first few miles then its just annoying, plus its too big and far too easy to take stuff 'just because i can fit it in my big ol bag'.
Someone bought me a potato chip maker for christmas - peel spud, load in to device (looks like a thing for making newspaper logs for't fire), press handle and hey presto - chips, takes 30 mins to clean (I didn't see what was wrong with method number one - peel spud, cut with knife in to chip size pieces !!) Still, I'll wait 6 months and send it off to eBay.
Just come across this again and I'm looking at a half round knife I made for leatherworking.
Can't get on with it, never use the darn thing so add that to the list.
Thermarest chair converter thinging... just don't get one
leealanr
10-12-2010, 10:58
Oh so many............
And if my wife saw this thread the list would just get bigger and bigger.........
Numerous small hooped one person bivi tents. Always ended up with a tarp and a goretex bivi bag underneath. Sold them or gave them away.
The pot stand and the additional pots and pans for a Kelly kettle, they really are a gimmick. Basic kettle is great, but the base unit needs a trivet over it to be used as a fire box for cooking. Much prefer my Yukon for that though.
My wife's Mercedes Vito 3.8ltr PETROL people carrier, fantastic car, needed a garage in tow to keep it filled up.
SHE would say, all my toys! Sharps tents et al, but I wouldn't!
And the biggest thing of all is not what I bought or obtained and never used, but the waste and cost to me when we moved to Jordan.
I loaded up a trailer with gas bottles, water containers, cookers, gloves, all kinds of other camping and canoeing bits and pieces......... and gave it away.
never thought I would need them again. So what am I doing now?
Buying it all again just at twice the price here and half the quality.
F@@k@@@ Numpty!
Just mentioned this thread to my wife........ Reply.............. "Don't get me started"!
Told you!
Alan L.
Bought myself, the family actually, a 4-person biungalowtent with 2 sleepingcompartments, so we all could go out camping together.
Kids were still little, so keeping them close was a good idea.
The thing has been up in the loft for 5 years now and never left it. Didn't even make it out of the carrying bag!!
Oilstones for me!!! A couple of years ago I thought I'd get one....Whilst looking on the bay I saw all these 'antique' ones. 'Those old woodworking boys knew quality' thought I....Subsequently I own about 10 of the buggers in different conditions which cost me a goodly sum as some were bought from the US - I maybe use one or two of them 2 or 3 times a year at best. The rest just sit there gathering dust.
Harvestman
10-12-2010, 14:48
Cheapie 4 - berth tent. Pole snapped on the second use. Raised a complaint to the seller, who raised it to the manufacturer, who eventually, after threats of litigation and public exposure, sent us a free 6-berth tent as a replacement. Damn thing is far too big for the two of us, and just sits in the loft gathering dust and being in the way.
Tor helge
10-12-2010, 15:17
A Camelback water bladder. Used on a moose hunt once. The water in the hose froze and the bladder has since been living far back in the closet.
Neoprene gloves. Was bought for use at work when operating a teodolite. Boy, were those gloves useless in sub zero temperature.
Garmin GPS unit. It works nicely enough, but I never bother to bring it a long anymore because it was (almost) never used in the field.
Russian night vision scope (bought in the early 90`s). Been used once, to spot a howling red fox from my bedroom window. Barely saw it, only 200 meters away on snow covered ground. What a piece of crap.
British army DPM NBC suit. I wonder what on earth I was thinking when I bought it.
Still have it though…somewhere.
Tor
ashes1627
10-12-2010, 16:51
Successive windows PCs. Solved the problem and bought a Mac.
I did the same.
Karrimor Sabre 45 + side pouches: No back system, not long enough, no belt support. Bought because others raved about it - how very vert wrong...
Karrimor Sabre 35: No back system, not long enough......you get the idea.....
Osprey packs on the other hand are amazing!
starting knife collecting !!
Was given a Ice Cream maker one year for Christmas, used once and put in the loft, what a faf.
treadlightly
11-12-2010, 10:26
Morris marina 1.8 circa 1972 model in dayglo orange. Had 60,000 on the clock when I bought it but it might as well have been 160k. :deadhorse:
It was easily the worst car I've owned, the standard of workmanship was terrible.
I was once on the motorway in fog and was pulled over by the cops who told me my back lights weren't working.
"They were when I set off" I replied (which was true).
He looked the car up and down, decided I was not speaking with forked tongue and let me go.
More recently a cheap airbed for my son. First night in the tent, he turned over in his sleep, there was a pop followed by a hiss and he slowly descended to earth...
BorisTheBlade
11-12-2010, 19:53
Running shoes - I bought some real nice running shoes on a whim when my girlfriend suggested we start running. I forgot to take into account that i HATE running. I have used them once in the 6 months I have owned them. Bought an exercise bike instead - due to storage problems I cannot have a push bike, nowhere to store it in the flat :(
An electric razor/shaver - assuming they were quicker, easier and less irritation I bought a pretty good phillips one with great reviews Used it for about a month before growing sick and tired of spending maybe 20 minutes battling to get those stubborn hairs and your skin comes out red raw. Went back to good old wet shave and use the trusty Wahl trimmer to sort out the beard. Worst £70-80 ever spent.
Ford Fiesta 1.25 LX 1996 model - bought this heap of junk 2-3 years ago for £500 after passing my test late in life 23-24 as I was short up on cash and was told they are great little runners. ALWAYS started up due to the genius Yamaha engine but everything made by ford, the rest of the car needed replacing. Spent maybe £1000 on the car in god knows what that needed doing and even then it wasn't right. I remember thinking to myself "O please someone crash into this heap of crap and write it off". Fortune/misfortune would have it that someone drove up the back of me whilst at stand still and wrote the car off. I got whiplash which wasn't great but managed to get £800 for the car and £3500 compensation. Only problem was the guy who drove into me was a worthless scumbag who to this day did not accept liability and so my insurance has gone up as a result. He stopped responding to my solicitor after he was informed we were pressing for damages. Ho hum, he will get his, as my car did for bleeding my pockets dry! Only kidding, it was a mistreated little trooper really...
lannyman8
11-12-2010, 21:00
Freelander mk 1 what a s*&% heap and about £5k later it got sold for peanuts.........
on an upward note the J reg 90 was AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!
Several cheap oilstones (far too coarse)
Woodland edge firebox.... (weighs a ton, a pig to get going) (swapped for a hammock :) )
sandbender
13-12-2010, 03:59
Apple Mac Pro (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Mac_Pro) and Apple 30" display (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Cinema_Display).
It was faulty out of the box and a pig to fix. Then after a few months the display failed and was eventually replaced by Apple with a second hand one, however by then the video card had started to play up, a fault which it now turns out was common for all of these cards but only acknowledged by Apple late this year, some four years after the purchase.
This came too late for me, as after a year of irritation I donated the whole set up to a charity, hopefully they got some use out of it.
Oarsnpaddle
13-12-2010, 06:34
Latest crappiest buy: Courteney Safari boots : http://www.courteneyboot.com/safari_m.php
I bought them on the net.
Not only were the leather so soft that I might as well be wearing a bag with a sole glued to it, but the front of the boot are so low that it's practically impossible to not have your toes get wet in the rain. It also has no heel cap whatsoever, so after a month or so, I was slipping backwards out of the boot, and to add insult to injury the "leather" half (!!) sole inside was glued on a piece of really obnoxious foam that I reacted so strongly to, that wearing the boots for half an hour forced me to not only throw out the socks, but to remove my trousers, as they had "soaked up" the degasssed chemicals.
Dr.Gonzo
19-12-2010, 00:08
This one caught my eye, because I bought the same bloody thing.. too small, too heavy, just another piece of useless kit that at the time I thought 'hmmmm, that looks the bo**ocks... oh what a mistake...
Plus, has anyone else hit their funny bone on those stupidly placed metal hooks on either side?!
I got an old WWII Swedish army pack thinking it would be good for a small frame pack. (Logic: Swedes know what they’re doing outdoors, right?) No offense to any Swedish members out there, but it’s a good job you stayed out of the fighting; all your troops would have been doubled up in pain from carrying kit.:11doh:
It also smelt like unwashed rugby kit!
Next I bought a Sabre45, mostly ‘cus everyone raved about them. Did not fit, so now I’ve got two redundant day sacs. (Logic: Must be good, other people say so! Baaa, Baaaa, Ba,Baaaa)
Finally, tried on a Fjallraven Vintage 30, properly adjusted filled with stuff and then walked around the block with it after leaving my watch as collateral.:werd: (Shop assistant thought I was a bit anal, but after the other two I was taking no chances.)
Fell in love with it and now we live happily ever after.......:approve:
Odd that the pack I now cherish is also Swedish, though it says it's made in China?