Any Gear Regrets?

So, I was mulling around in REI the other day for the heck of it and saw this very interesting little portable solar panel for charging up stuff like phones, iPods, GPS's, etc.. I thought about buying it. I mean, it'd be pretty nice to actually bring my iPod along on a backpacking trip for once because it'd last longer than a few hours as well as just be useful in other everyday events. It wouldn't be that much more to my pack weight...right?

Well, after giving it a little more thought, I forced myself to walk away, leave REI and prevent myself from potentially buying something I really didn't need.

But of course, I've made a few gear purchases I slightly regret because I end up not using them or they end up being kind of disappointing. For example, I bought a nice little mini e-tool that was not just a shovel, but had a nice little pick on it as well for hard ground. I figured this'd come in handy at some point. Of course, it did not and it ended up being an extra few pounds that I didn't need because whatever digging I needed to do, I could do with a rock. While it was nice a compact, I regretted buying it for the use of backpacking. I'm sure I'll have use for it at some future point...I hope.

I've also have not made purchases that I regretted as well. Things I wish I'd have bought when I saw them because they would have indeed been useful on the trail more than just once. For example, I did regret not buying a water filter because I was in the habit of just boiling up some new water at the end of the day. However, I really got tired of using up so much fuel boiling water to drink and for food. So, of course I did end up buying one and I don't regret that at all.

So, anyone wanna share or is it too embarassing?? lol

I bought a pack that was way too expensive and heavy.

Twice.

First time I was young and lean enough not to learn from the mistake. Second time was 7 years ago. Then I looked into it, and holy crap what an easy way to save weight and money. I bought a 3 man dome tent, but never regretted that, as it is still fun to use now and then. The pack I finally gave away.

Yeah, me too. I bought a pack about 8 years ago for a long trip, advertised to be six plus pounds, in reality nearer eight. It has been sitting in a closet now for seven years.

For a couple of decades I used an external-frame REI Cruiser pack I bought in 1972. In 1997 I finally wore it out beyond repairing. I'd had a lot of good luck with REI gear over the years and I had always liked this pack, so naturally I went to REI for my replacement.

I looked at every pack they carried, both internal and external frame types (this was in the midst of the Big Switch to internals). They all sucked. Amazingly, every single pack that REI sold was heavier than my old Cruiser pack. And they were all festooned with useless junk - straps and buckles and adjusters and tighteners and other pretty gew-gaws - which just made wearing them confusing and stupidly complex.

I recall clearly saying to the salesman, "why make all these fancy new internal frame packs if they're just as heavy as the old externals?" He shrugged. I later found out he was secretly an ultralight backpacker stuck selling REI's Too Heavy Gear.

Anyway, I walked out of the store having reluctantly purchased a Sierra Crest pack I have hated ever since. I ditched it when I discovered UL in 2003. I still do use this pack about once every two years, when I need to play at being a mule for a group hike. Otherwise, it collects dust.

Sometimes I fantasize about returning it under REI's 100% satisfaction guarantee, even though it's been 12 years. They'd deserve it; it was a total piece of crap.

(P.S. I just saw REI's latest entries in the UL pack category yesterday - the newly-remodeled Flash 50 and Flash 65. They looked like decent, basic light packs- and about 1000% better than the Sierra Crest pack I hate so much.

I regret buying a pair of Asolo hiking boots at an end-of-hiking-season sale at a ski shop near Winter Park.

I tried on a half-dozen pair, and finally decided on a pair, paid cash and left for the return to Miami.

Finally put them on that spring and realized I had a size 9 left boot and size 11 right boot. So why not return them? I just couldn't, not 5 months later. I've got to take responsibility for my actions, plus I couldn't bear the thought of the people at that shop saying, "Look what this Kevon guy just sent back! What an Asolo!"

To not reinforce that behavior -- of not being a little more careful when buying something -- I wore the boots for two seasons with a thin cotton sock on one boot, and two really thick wool ones on the other (the 9 was really too small, too.) Wish I had taken a shot of how goofy they looked on.

A couple REI Dividend sales ago, I picked up a BD Hilight tent, advertised around 2 lbs. 8 oz. I got it home and spent hours seam sealing it, then weighted it. 3lbs. 8 oz., stakes, poles, tent. Kicked myself in the butt for not weighing if first. I hate the manufacturers using trail weight, pack weight, fastpack weight. Lay it on the line. I've been encouraged to take it back to REI, but thought, it was my error for not checking the weight and as a former retailer, I felt I should hang onto it.

I found a source this winter for a small item I wanted and they showed the weight broken out for each individual item, where it was sold in a set. I thought that was great.

I'm not going to go back to the days when everyone carried 50-lb. packs. That was just normal then. All that gear has been sold, given away, used for other purposes or thrown out. The one item still left is a Kelty external-frame pack (I have no idea what model) from the mid-1980's, and that's going on my next trip to the Salvation Army.

Since I started lightening up a few years ago, there have been a few purchases I've made that I later regretted. To be more accurate, there was no real regret. The items, though excellent in themselves, simply didn't work out for me. I think that proves that I should have done more backyard testing while the items were still returnable!

One was a Marmot Hydrogen sleeping bag. Lovely bag, but not quite warm enough. After shivering through a frosty October night even while wearing all my extra clothing inside, I sold it and bought a Western Mountaineering 20* bag. Another was a Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo tent. Lovely tent, but I bought it on the assumption (based on games on the floor with measuring tape and masking tape) that it would be OK for myself and my 80-lb. dog. It worked out fine the first few trips--the weather was lovely and Hysson and I were inside only to sleep. But after a trip with 4 days of rain, with Rocky Mountain thunderstorms (think torrential rain and hail) starting at 4 or 5 pm and lasting until late in the evening, I found this tent just too cramped for the two of us. (The tent, though, held up just fine to this weather.) The two of us also completely overwhelmed the ventilation system in wet weather, with serious condensation issues (not improved by Hysson's wildly wagging tail!). Otherwise, it's a wonderful tent! I sold that one, too. It's obvious that Hysson and I need a 2-person tent! I still have my Tarptent Squall 2 (the first item I bought in the "lightening" process), and we're both very comfy in that with no condensation issues. However, I miss the lighter weight and zippered beak of the Lunar Solo! I plan to try out the Gossamer Gear Squall Classic when it is again on the market (the 2009 model will also have a zippered beak!). Assuming it is available before our NW rainy season is over, it will have several nights' trial in my back yard. (If there's no rain; I'll turn on the sprinkler!) Interestingly, both the Marmot Hydrogen and the Lunar Solo were bought by long-time regulars on this forum, and I haven't heard any complaints yet.

A couple of items from Big Agnes didn't work out: first, the Pumphouse pad pump. It works fine as a pump, but for its other advertised uses (dry bag, inflatable pillow) it is useless. I still have it and use it occasionally (with a mylar turkey roasting bag inside to protect my sleeping bag). I take it when I'm not in the mood for blowing up my air pad. Again, I unfortunately didn't test it while there was time to return it. The other is the Clearview air pad, which came out last summer. I had hoped to use it as a lighter alternative to my POE Insulmat Max Thermo--they are supposedly the same thickness. When pumped up, though, the BA Clearview is definitely thinner than my POE pad. I think that's because it has more and smaller tubes than the POE. Unfortunately, my trial on the floor at home wasn't long enough--I should have spent the night on the floor instead of 15-20 minutes! My first trip out with the Clearview, I couldn't get comfortable. In defense of this pad, I should point out that I have wide shoulders, ample (!) hips and a relatively narrow waist. When I pump my POE pad up about halfway, I have a nice cuddly pad that lets my hip and shoulder sink down and keeps my spine straight when I'm on my side, yet keeps the "down side" hip and shoulder off the ground. With the BA Clearview, there was no happy medium between having the pad pumped up so hard that it felt like a brick and having my hip and shoulder on the ground. This one went to my son as a Christmas present--it works fine for him, and he appreciates its non-slip properties (as did I while tossing and turning trying to get comfortable on it). Along with probably thousands of others, I'm waiting to try out the Thermarest NeoAir, but I have a feeling that I'll have the same problem with it, due to the large number of what look to be small diameter tubes.

One other item I discarded was a MSR Sweetwater filter. My back kept going into spasms while I was bent over the water source pumping. A year later I discovered the ULA Amigo Pro gravity filter and never looked back.

Finally, my dog's pack. I was (and still am) very happy with his Kelty Sherpa (discontinued but looks just like their current model). When I started planning a 7-day trip last summer, though, I found that there was no way I could get 7 days' food into that pack. 4 or 5 was the maximum--and that's using high-performance (i.e., concentrated) food. I was fortunate enough to find a closeout on the older model Ruffwear Palisades pack (the new model that came out last spring is unfortunately no bigger than the Kelty), so I got him one. It is an excellent pack! I really like the built-in water bladders--if I camp a long way from water, Hysson can haul up to 1 1/2 gallons of water for the two of us. (That's of course after I've emptied out everything else from his pack!) We will, however, continue to use the Kelty for dayhikes. The Ruffwear, even with its internal compression straps cinched down, is too big for that purpose. Well, if I can have both a day pack and an overnight (or longer) backpack, why can't Hysson?

Not yet, but give me a month or so, I'm sure I will

Silnylon poncho, single wall tent, backpack. All three wetted out and allowed water where water should never be. So silnylon is off my list. Just because something is ultra light does not make it on the trail with me if it fails at it's purpose and has to be backed up with extra water proofing material. The backpack was lined with heavy plastic bag or pack cover, and single wall tent needed an extra cover.

As a result I carry a slightly heavier polyurethane poncho (waterproof in heavy downpours) and is also my backcover, groundcloth, picnic blanket in the sunshine, sit-upon over wet log, well you just can't get silnylon to be tough in rough and tough conditions.

Regrets:

1. I missed the First Day of the Jan REI-outlet clearance sale. For 2 hours, they had REI-lite 17oz self inflatable mats on sale for $17 (reg $74). These are great to have for loaners.

2. I missed the JRB sale in Dec. Now my kids say they prefer quilts to sleeping bags after they tried mine. Funny thing is they said they would never use a quilt.

3. I regretted always using a relatively heavy tent until Tarptent came on line (was that 2003?)

4. A pseudo gear regret--- I wish Western Mountaineering would make decent backpacking quilts. I like their material.

5. The wallmart hydration bladder. It was cheap, but it makes water taste bad. Rarely used.


-Barry

> wish Western Mountaineering would make decent backpacking
> quilts. I like their material.

Amen to that!

Well, you won't hear any complaints from me about the Lunar Solo- but I had the advantage on you - before I bought yours I had stayed in one, as my brother has one, So I knew it would work for me in the situations I wanted it for, as my brother's rig impressed me pretty well.

My only complaint about it is that it isn't a hammock But that's the reason I picked it up from you, it's for my trips where I know I'm going to spend a lot of time above treeline and I would simply end up having to sleep on the ground anyway. It's light enough I can indulge myself with my 25 inch wide big agnes aircore so I don't miss my hammock too much I actually only had it out on one overnighter last season so far but it performed like a champ, and kept a horde of late season blackflies from chewing me to a bloody pulp

White gas stoves. What the heck was I thinking? And too large jungle boots for my first ever hiking trip.

Heheh... a few months before I got onto the lightweight hiking kick, I had bought a bunch of military gear, the old stuff: ALICE pack, web belt, etc. I took it on one car camping trip and since then it has sat in my storage unit. It weighs a ton. It would probably hold the apartment still during an earthquake.

Two summers ago I saw a hideous green kayaking shirt on sale at REI and HAD TO HAVE IT. I needed a synthetic shirt at the time, and it was only $15. My need for something practical completely overrided my sense of style.

The worst part was that I showed a picture of me in that shirt to my wife during our first date. She thought it looked horrid, but still wanted to go on a second date.

I was using an REI Wonderland external frame pack 10 years ago when I started to lighten my load.

I gave that pack to a boy scout troup. Since then I have searched for an external frame "beast hauler" pack without success.

I wish I had that pack back.

The rest of my purchases/replacements were a part of the evolution. No regrets. That is the trail I needed to travel.

Good point actually at the end there. Lightening and improving the load is a necessary process of trial and error. Still doesn't always make me feel better about stuff that I've got laying around though, lol.

I'll second that. If "regret" = "returns", then yeah I've got a fair share of regrets, if only for having to find out I made bad purchase decisions. My pack was too heavy, my tent was too heavy, my cookware is too big AND heavy, and my sleeping pad is too heavy. All of these are currently being remedied before the next outing in March, but I'm also packing smarter when it comes to needed camp items and food choices. Physically I'm not overweight at all (5'11", 159 lbs), but my endurance isn't what it used to be in my 20s and need every advantage I can get...so when we go out next time I'm aiming for 12 less lbs in my pack.

anyone want to buy an REI full length self-inflating pad real cheap? only 2.9 lbs...

From this past weekend... I regret AquaMira tablets. I thought they would be easy and fool proof. I found out the hard way when I opened the package and they were crushed, the individual foil package had ruptured and the powdered ingredients were everywhere. I tried to save what I could but ended up drinking from the cleanest springs I could find. The water tasted great. I guess I might find out in a week if I get Giardia.

Style? when backpacking? heck - I've been wearing my hideous lime green MEC windshirt for years - and even better I nikwax it so it gets dust on it and looks blotchy...

Not to mention my penchant for red fleece and blue nylon battle shorts worn over long underwear and gaiters while hiking.. I don't see a problem with this, heck I think I'm thie picture of hiking style although my better half gives me snide remarks about my pictures...

I'm an Eagle Scout, and the boy scout motto drilled into all of our heads was always "Be Prepared". I made the mistake of being OVER prepared for years when I was a kid; multiple flashlights, extra batteries, more food than I would eat, a ton of water. It took some learning, but a few no-brainer gear cuts that I now make all the time:
1. Extra batteries. Unless you're going to be camping for more than a month, make sure the ones you have are good and ditch the extras.
2. Extra water. The single heaviest thing you'll carry. It's easier to carry enough water for the trail, and boil water clean when you make camp.

My first two internal frame packs. Both were 8lb + monsters that no human deserved to carry on their back.

I have since learned better.

TV

Kelty noah tarp 9 !

Here's a BIG regret for anyone...a Tree-Pee/TreePod:
http://theurbangardendecospotter.typepad.com/photos/new_rooms_studios_pods_/tents.html

BF

lol! Wow those are ridiculous. I wonder what the pack size/weight is lol. If you pan back to the image before it...the one with the glass tipi...That thing is amazing, I could go for that

MSR Miox Water Purifier. Took one sip and never used it again. I can't remember iodine pills tasting so awful. Now I use a Steripen.
I have bought two backpacks that were too big for me. The first time I thought that large simply meant that the pack would hold more! The next time I didn't bother to load the pack before trying it on. Talk about being miserable on the trail!

I bet they'd be a good ride in some rough wind, lol.

I regret not breaking in my new boots before the first actual backpacking trip I took. That still rates as one of the most cumulatively painful experiences of my life.

My main source of regret w.r.t. gear is more about an overall process than tied to any one particular item. The process is likely familiar to many, it's incrementally (and expensively) inching your way towards what turns out to be your ideal pack base weight.

It's where you buy what seems like a nice sleeping bag, then a few years later buy another one that's explicitly lighter or warmer (or both). Then when you get more serious about lightweight backpacking you buy a third one. Double the above in terms of storage space at home and cost if your spouse backpacks.

Then expand the concept to shelter, backpack, clothing, and various other gear.

A lot of potential for regret there. I think it's really hard to jump right to where you'll end up wanting to be, but perhaps I could have skipped an (expensive) intermediate step on a lot of gear.

Bigfoot:

This from that link to the tree-tent blog about the artist who creates them:

"Dre Wapenaar doesn't understand how one moment you can be neighbors,and the next, enemies at war . . . He doesn't understand, and so ... Dre Wapenaar makes tents."

He doesn't understand, cause he's not making backpacks with aluminum vs. plastic/kevlar/polycarbonate stays. No, he's a happy guy just making wild, scroti-looking tents.

I'm just wondering: Would any of the forum's hammock-users have the b@lls to get in, let alone get one? You only need ONE tree, BTW.

No thanks. it looks kinda heavy

hahahaha! What if you were perched in a tree on top of a hill, and "bam", the support snaps, you go rolling down the hill like a giant green snowball.