View Full Version : Favourite Piece of Kit?
What do you like the most in your kit?
I can imagine alot of people saying their Knife but for me, it is the processed flint and striker or the wire saw - which comes in very handy time to time.
Squidders
10-05-2005, 08:58
I guess for some, their favorite will be the most functional and practicality will take over but for me, it's my knife...
If I were being practical, it would be my knife too but i'm not... and it's still my knife.
I like looking at it, I still find patterns in the handle that I haven't seen before and I like the feel of it in my hand.
A close second would be my jacket because it's so comfy that I practically live in it but that's by the by.
I think for me it's my little Inova single AA flashlight. It's in my pocket all the time and there is rarely a day goes by when it does not see some use.
Next in line would be my SAK which is almost as busy.
R-Bowskill
10-05-2005, 09:37
My hammock,
Not only is it a bed when I'm bushcrafting but when I put it up outside a pub on a sunny afternoon and lie there with a drink and smoke I definately look the coolest dude around even if I'm not wearing designer clothes or driving a flash car. :cool:
NickBristol
10-05-2005, 11:20
I'm nor sure what my one single favourite piece of kit is... I rate everything in my kit or else it wouldn't ever make it into my kit :)
My absolute favourite would have to be a trangia / Swedish Army mess kit - I love their simplicty and versatility.
ScanDgrind
10-05-2005, 11:36
I have two things and I really can't decided which to go for so I'm having both :) .
One would be my knife, which is looking well worn and full of character, and the other has got to be a clik stand which I've bought recently. When it arived I thought it was overpriced for what it was, but now after going on a few trips and using it WOW! It's superb and I love it to bits. I love the way it comes apart and drops into my billy for carrying in my pack.
Tony
jamesdevine
10-05-2005, 12:20
My billy can. Without it I am cold,thirst, hunger and it's not bad for digging and carring things either. Add to my swedish army mess kit and it's alost the most essential peice of Bushcraft kit.
That would be me and then my knife.
James
I guess for some, their favorite will be the most functional and practicality will take over.
Yup.
Good boots and good socks. Don't leave home without them.
More a walkers than a bushcrafters answer, I guess :o
Not meant facetiously, though. I've suffered more through poor footwear than owt else, all things considered. Maybe it's a hilliness thing. The Dark Peak is kind of unforgiving to the poorly shod.
Counts double if doing more than a day or two...
Jim.
RovingArcher
10-05-2005, 15:24
I'm one of those knife guys. I can't say I love them, but they sure are my favorite gear to play with. I mean, you can't carve a duck with a flashlight. :D
Oh yes you can... You just need a very powerful flashlight and a magnifying glass... :D
arctic hobo
10-05-2005, 16:38
My bearskin! (breaks down in tears).
Now it is either my boots or my Devold jumper :)
Rhapsody
10-05-2005, 17:56
Crusader mug; perhaps the most beautiffuly functional piece of kit I own.
Justin Time
10-05-2005, 18:00
On the basis of what I miss most if I don't take it (them)...
My Binoculars.. it doesn't matter whether I'm hillwalking, bushcrafting, walking the dog , whatever... and not just for watching birds, butterflies or other beasties although I do a lot of that... They save my legs by helping pick the right route, or help me check out plants, or ID trees in winter by looking at the buds.. and the ripeness of fruit.. or those tracks in the mud across the river.. and of course they give me an extra half an hour of daylight if I'm out at dusk.... and of course you can see a lot more stars with them.. and then... well you get the picture!
my favourite piece of kit has to be my candle lantern it is great to chill and reflect on the days events. Wonderfull, plus with a mozi pad it keeps the blighters away.
my favourite piece of kit is my brain and my hands because with those i can do anything :)
My knife... by far.
It's the only piece of gear with which you can create almost all the others...
Cheers,
David
A toss up between my No8 Opinel and a battered enamel mug I've had for goodness knows how long
Squidders
10-05-2005, 22:06
Ok... in theory then you lot... if you've got two kids, your favorite would be the most useful one? the one who can cook the best or make the best furnature or earn the most money?
Surely, you can pick a favorite that for some inexplicable reason just pleases you more than the rest, something maybe not the best but in some way it's got some history or sentimental value?
I notice very few are naming something they have made... I would rather lose most of my kit but not the spoon I made as it was formed in an instant that constantly reminds me of a great weekend... everything else can be replaced but that cant.
I don't care if it's the best I have or if by saying it I run the risk of giving bad advice or getting some abuse.
What's your REAL favorite? ;)
What's your REAL favorite? ;)
Ok then :)
My old, beat up, tramontina machete. I bought it when I was a kid. It's been with me ever since... This old machete has built more cabins, cut more saplings, made more bough beds, seen more rain, dug more dirt, hit more rocks, built more fire and rode more rivers than you guys could imagine... Every time I grab it, I see it's old blackened (fire charcoal) and beat up blade, and I'm there again, on my beloved Bonaventure River, back in Quebec, with the mosquitoes, the smell of the water, the campfire, the salmon steacks sticking on those flat rocks, the black bears, the green canoe...
Every time I grab it, it draws a warm smile on my face. Like seeing an old friend...
That smile, while holding a 17 inches blade, is something that scares the hell out of most folks I know LOL
Cheers ;)
David
Squidders
10-05-2005, 22:47
Moine my friend... that is a truely compelling answer!
ChrisKavanaugh
10-05-2005, 22:57
My pocket edition GEM SAS survival guide . Do you have any idea what a PITA it is going on a hike and somebody says "Chris, your the expert and host that survival forum, how do we XYZ?" I quickly beg to be excused to 'relieve myself' run behind a big piece of shrubbery, and whilst letting out sighs of relief quickly thumb through my copy. Then I step out boldly announcing "Right, now as to building that ---" ;)
Minotaur
10-05-2005, 23:38
A copy of the pre-70's Scouting for Boys.
I need to replace this(It is out in the shops(bookers) at the moment).
This is a book written in 1907, that talks about sex education. It was first published in 1908 as a series of articles in the Strand magazine. If Bushcraft has a bible this should be it.
A carry a pocket survival guide everywhere too! Good to read and learn from and help you out if needed. :)
R-Bowskill
11-05-2005, 09:13
I was going to say my mind / brain but I have been known to loose the former in moments of sheer revelry or those, 'I wonder what's over there' moments we all get when exploring somewhere and discovering something new. At those times my hammock is the best thing, lie back and relax for half an hour then my head will be clear enough for whatever I need to do.
It definately stops me getting crazy when I find a good show of colour on a gravel bar while prospecting for gold.Stop, take a break then work it systamatically instead of going at it like mad and risking getting trapped by a loose boulder.
Moine my friend... that is a truely compelling answer!
Thanks, Squidders...
Also thanks for forcing me to reconnect with those things for a moment. Being trapped within bushcraft and technique and teaching and gear, I tend to forget those simple things... This sheer and mindless passion I have for those places where the mosquitoes and black flies rule, unchallenged, at the top of the food chain ;)
Cheers,
David
Ok then :)
My old, beat up, tramontina machete....
That smile, while holding a 17 inches blade, is something that scares the hell out of most folks I know LOL
Cheers ;)
David
David
Does "that smile" look anything like that of your chosen avatar? Just wondering... :D
Vince
Favorite kit for me probably has to be the things that I carry everytime I go out into the field.
My knife, a length of paracord, a cusader mug and water bottle (great system) and a swedish firesteel. Usually a laplander folding saw as well.
Oh and a couple of Jordens Special muesli bars (wonderful things).
I had to think about this one a lot I love My R Linger bushcraft knife an anniversary present from Val. :)
The bit of kit that goes everywhere and has been with me for the last 15 yrs and is still as good as new is my Silva T3 compass. Its got me off mountains in whites outs helped me nav in the artic. A trusty friend. I would be gutted if i lost it.
A picture says a thousand words:
http://riflestocks.tripod.com/bushcraft13_2.jpg
I guess I'm with Wayne on this one. I'd feel lost without my knife but I'd BE lost without my compass. :)
I'd feel lost without my knife but
witch one? :D
The one on my hip. And in my pocket. :D
Mine has to be my knife, my Swanndri and my issue mug and burner, I replace the hingpin on the mug with a ferro rod so as long as I have the mug/canteen setup with me I can always get a brew on...
Buckshot
11-05-2005, 13:25
Mine I replace the hingpin on the mug with a ferro rod so as long as I have the mug/canteen setup with me I can always get a brew on...
That's a good idea, I didn't realise you could get rods that thin :)
Cheers
Mark
i think mine is my GD wildlife hatchet.. cos its just so pretty!
Buckshot, got a pack of 5 ferro rods from Hoods in USA, cost about $18.00AUD delivered and with a bit of tweaking with the Leatherman and 1/4" removed with a Dremmel they fit perfectly. Plus still easy enough to remove if I need to get the fire going.
David
Does "that smile" look anything like that of your chosen avatar? Just wondering... :D
Vince
Yeah well...
I can't drink micropur treated water. It's silver, ya know ;)
Cheers ;)
David
I think my favourite bit of kit is probaby my knife too, but i love a good book to read too when I'm tucked up in bed with the glow of the candle lantern :)
neo_wales2000
13-06-2005, 02:49
As well as the usual stuff, my favourite bit of kit is my 512Mb mp3 player with about 100 songs on it :) lasts about 8 hours on one AAA, great stuff
theorsmeister
03-07-2005, 05:58
For me its a few things together, all of which have sentimental value as well as being good quality and useful.
My knife(well obviously) a lovely Grohmann #1 Being my fav knife ATM.
My Lowe Alpine Walkabout 35 - Sure its not that big, and i've other big packs, but this is the one that I always loved, strong, almost waterproof (i tried filling it once whilst washing it and it is almost totally waterproof - even tho its not supposed to be.
My Lucido Cool Light C10 - Lovely torch, superb battery life, so far no one has believed me when i told them how long it lasts!!!
If we step outside the realm of survival a bit, my absolute favorite piece of kit has to be a good pair of binoculars. I feel lost without them. And the older I get, the more I appreciate them. :)
lardbloke
04-07-2005, 09:35
For me it has to be a good pair of boots (the old gortex armies), my knife (custom made) and my bivvy bag which has got me out of a few tight spots in the past..
Ok... in theory then you lot... if you've got two kids, your favorite would be the most useful one? the one who can cook the best or make the best furnature or earn the most money?
Surely, you can pick a favorite that for some inexplicable reason just pleases you more than the rest, something maybe not the best but in some way it's got some history or sentimental value?
I notice very few are naming something they have made... I would rather lose most of my kit but not the spoon I made as it was formed in an instant that constantly reminds me of a great weekend... everything else can be replaced but that cant.
I don't care if it's the best I have or if by saying it I run the risk of giving bad advice or getting some abuse.
What's your REAL favorite? ;)
I was looking over some old posts and I realised I do have a REAL favourite.
When I was about eight my father gave me his barrel knife, it was old then and I suppose now that he may have been given it my grandfather.
This remained a treasured possession until it was stolen from me at college 20 years ago.
I never saw another one since to replace it with until I started looking for them on ebay.
A little while ago I got this:
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/gallery/data/500/Barrel-knife-1.jpg
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/gallery/data/500/Barrel-knife-2.jpg
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/gallery/data/500/Barrel-knife-3.jpg
It’s slightly bigger than the one dad gave me but that suits my hand size better now.
It needed a bit of work on it to bring it back into good condition but this is now definitely my favourite bit of kit. Not because it is the most useful, although it may be that, but just because it feels so good.
It has the feel that only something with it’s own history can have. Also there is a sense of personal history to it as well, although I suppose it can never truly replace the one I lost.
Without a doubt, my two favourite pieces of kit are my Ventile anorak and my US issue jungle boots.
The Ventile because I'd wanted one for years and years and years and finally last year I was given one. It's the most comfortable, functional, durable piece of kit that I've ever owned. I've gotten scorned by people because it's cotton and "cotton kills." They usually stop laughing once it starts raining and they're huffing and puffing from condensation inside of their hoity toity Gore-Tex jackets which don't breathe worth a damn and don't last more than a half decade.
The improved jungle boots because they're the best summer time boots I've ever owned. I've had quite a few pairs of hiking boots over the years, but in the summer, the jungle boots breathe far better than any leather boot I've had the pleasure to wear, and they dry very quickly when they become damp. I've had to do more than my fair share of stream crossings, and I still shudder when I remember having to remove my leather boots and dump out litres of water and wring out sodden socks. With the jungle boots and a good bottle of foot powder for the evening, for summer time use, nothing beats these boots.
Adam
jake trg
01-03-2006, 18:39
my two favourites are my knife and a billy can (food aaarrrhhh)
twelveboar
01-03-2006, 18:49
When the time comes, my favourite....... a small trowel and a bog roll in a poly bag. ;)
Sorry to lower the tone, but it's not just bears that go into the woods. :D
Carcajou Garou
01-03-2006, 18:54
My hudson's bay hatchet, had it since a young fellow; followed closely by my knife. My old compass only if I want to go to the home that I left and not to the home I am going to, I am always in America and time is never the supreme factor. CG :yo:
Its gotta be...packed lunch! :lmao:
Ceeg
One of the best things I ever bought is a 'headover' - just an elasticated tube of fabric. Keeps your neck warm. Helps seal heat in when you zip up the fleece jacket. Handy to lift pots, or as improvised towel or bandage. Can convert to hat or balaclava.
About £3 -£4. A 'Buff' is similar but dearer.
I also like my micarta Woodlore knife, my 8x30 Russian copy of Zeiss monocular, my Shakespeare Expedition fly rod, my Swedish army Trangia and my Novacraft canoe.......especially when I get to use them all in the same weekend.
pierre girard
02-03-2006, 02:06
What do you like the most in your kit?
I can imagine alot of people saying their Knife but for me, it is the processed flint and striker or the wire saw - which comes in very handy time to time.
In summer, it is my HB blanket. I love HB blankets.
PG
In summer, it is my HB blanket. I love HB blankets.
PG
Ironically, the original Hudson Bay point blanket is "Made in England".
Try and find one here though.
pierre girard
02-03-2006, 06:45
Ironically, the original Hudson Bay point blanket is "Made in England".
Try and find one here though.
It is my understanding they are still made in England by Earlys of Whitney.
I have probably about eight good wool blankets. Some are tagged HBC, and some are tagged Earlys of Whitney. They are all made by Earlys of Whitney, but I believe the HBC fulls them a bit once they get to Canada. The HBC blankets are always slightly thicker and slightly smaller in size.
I have about ten or twelve other wool blankets, but none compare to the HBC or E of W blankets.
PG
Klenchblaize
02-03-2006, 10:31
The key to my "rumble truck" as my daughter calls my Landrover and in particular the heated seat! :lmao:
Cheers!
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d46/klenchblaize/DSC01941.jpg
Mine is my hat, a lightweight quechua brand one from Decathlon. Like most british people, I never wore one until I came to live somewhere where the sun is actually hot, but now I take it out all the time. It's got a brim all the way around the edge, which means that I don't ever need to go thouh the irritation of putting suncream on my face or neck, and is vastly more comfortable in the rain than a hood. How many hoods actually keep the rain off your face? None of mine ever did.
Numbe two would be my new keyring LED light, also from decathlon. I've got so much use out of it because it stays in my pocket 24/7. I have an AA maglight, but that never gets any use because it stays in my big pack. It's too heavy to live in my pocket. I gave the LED an accidental wash in my trouser pocket yesterday, and it came out shiny clean and still working. :)
beamdune
02-03-2006, 10:44
As a former resident of 'Witney' (my parents still live there) I'm fairly sure the blankets are no longer made and the town; it's sad that the most significant industry of the town has pretty much dwindled to nothing.
The old factory site is now occupied by a new exclusive housing estate.
It's quite bizarre, Witney blankets are quite well known in the US but most people in England have never heard of the place.
The key to my "rumble truck" as my daughter calls my Landrover and in particular the heated seat! :lmao:
Cheers!
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d46/klenchblaize/DSC01941.jpg
OMG Klench are you a spaceman, My Landy doesn't look like that :You_Rock_
My fave piece of kit would have to be my knife (s), either im'e not fussed, i like the feel of them in my hand and on my side, I use it every day and i wouldn't be without one. My Estwing hatchet, bought by my wife as a present for a birthday a few years ago, and almost certainly my dog "Titch" who is with me practically every day, she's always there to talk to, and when im'e cold she's the one who snuggles up to me, although she'e crap at stalking! being a cross staff she's far to giddy :)
Mark
British Red
02-03-2006, 14:14
The key to my "rumble truck" as my daughter calls my Landrover and in particular the heated seat! :lmao:
Cheers!
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d46/klenchblaize/DSC01941.jpg
Hang on, that Landy is full of electrics.... :eek:
Our Landy is full of....hammers and spanners..............
Thats clearly a Toyota with a Landy body shell :lmao:
Now this sounds truly gut wrenching but...the most valuable piece of kit I have is .....my buddy Tim's phone number.
Another health problem....lets go camping and take your mind off it......
Can't sleep......lets chat about stuff.....
Bored ...lets try something new........whats the next "project"......
Need some time in "bush" on my own? .....Call me when you are back
Lost it :banghead: .........borrow mine
Hell, he can HAVE my knife!
Red
Mad Mike
02-03-2006, 14:29
My Landrover . It has most of the above in it & gets me there to use it. :drive:
Even better with the trailer
Klenchblaize
02-03-2006, 14:33
Hang on, that Landy is full of electrics.... :eek:
Our Landy is full of....hammers and spanners..............
Thats clearly a Toyota with a Landy body shell :lmao:
Not realy the forum/thread for this but it also needs more than a couple of AAA's to power it! :drive:
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d46/klenchblaize/DSC01942.jpg
What is a "Toyota"??
Cheers
Klench,
You english sorts are odd....you drive on the wrong side of the road! :p
hehehe
Adam
How can it be the wrong side? You try driving down the M6 highway on the right lol
Dave
My poncho is quite special, it gets me out of the wind and rain or off a cold wet floor when out and about and always slept under it until i got the hammock. the poncho still comes with me though.
My Nirex folder is a great friend, full of all sorts of crap that i would not leave at home.
My Compass is always in my pocket and i have never worked in degrees.
My folding saw, i have carried one for near on 20 years now and have never had the need for an axe and the closest i have got to an axe was in the jungle when a machete worked just fine. OK i know an axe has its use in the frozen north.
My knife, not because of the knife but because what i can do and make with it.
And my best bit of kit is my teaspoon, it has been all over the world with me, sitting in my pocket ready to be used. I have never had need for KFS whilst out and about.
Cairodel
02-03-2006, 22:45
My favourite piece of kit is my kit container. The one on the left...
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b395/Cairodel/LandyJank.jpg
:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :yikes: :lmao: :lmao:
capacious
03-03-2006, 13:05
This is incredibly sad, but it is my crusader mug.
I've wanted one for years and never had the cash, but now I have it :D
I sat at home just holding it for about 15 minutes when it came, with a huge grin on my face.
And there is another equally sad favoutire - its a melamine spoon. I can't justify why I like it so much, I just do for some only-God-knows-why reason.
I desperately need a more exciting life.......
Klenchblaize
03-03-2006, 13:34
If we are talking kit we might use in the woods, and I'm sure we are, then other than my knife; its just so obviously useful, I would elect my pair of hand-made custom fox calls, crafted for me by a former Mountain Man who, rather sadly I feel, now lives in Las Vegas.
Cheers
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d46/klenchblaize/Foaxcall1.jpg
william#
03-03-2006, 14:08
got to be the night vision viewer i just got .
hehehehehehe watch out i can see you but you cant see me
hehehehehee
soup_monger
03-03-2006, 14:23
My 17 year old Trangia stove.
A friend indeed.
gregorach
03-03-2006, 14:58
It's hard to pick a single favourite piece of kit - I'd be hard pushed to choose between my Paul Baker knife and my trusty old Macpac Microlight tent. I suspect that my DD hammock / Kathmandu tarp combo might displace the tent, but I haven't used it enough to say for sure yet. It's certainly never going to be as fast and easy to pitch...
Rain man
07-03-2006, 16:44
My fave bit of kit has got to be my Titanium spork! Love it! no more knife fork spoon sets for me! :D
Alchemist
08-03-2006, 12:49
If we exclude the knife and firesteel, it would have to be my snowpeak titanium spork. I am the envy of everyone. It is a spoon and a fork all in one- wow. Not just that, it has a lanyard attachment and it is made of titanium- unbelievable. The marvels of modern technology. It is so light that you can keep it in your pocket at all times in case you need to steal a spoonfull (or a forkfull) of something.
But most importantly, it allows me to put food down my head.
ps- I posted this before I saw rainman's answer.
Rain man
08-03-2006, 12:55
Hey Alchemist... glad there are others who have found the spork. Its Godly! :)
Yes Wooden spoons are fun to make but I challenge all to take up the Spork challenge! haha. I have seen other makes, and they use lexan and plain old plastic with the fork on the other end of the handle, but i don't think they come close to the titanium model but any opinions will be good.
capacious
08-03-2006, 13:05
I rather like the twin-ended lexan spork. It dosn't stick to your hand when it's cold, and the fork is actually functional as a fork - i.e. you can twizzle noodles and spaghetti round it, unlike the titanium one which you can only really spear large chunks of food on to. Still, each to his own........
Jake.
At the moment, it's my Swiss Army Knife. It's just so incredibly useful, both in the woods and when at home. I use it so often, I really miss it when it's not in my pocket.