I finally purged my camping gear of worthless junk that cost me a lot of money. Gear that never worked, worked poorly, or was a stupid living room camping buy, or stuff that I would never carry anyway. Heres the list:
1) 2 compression stuff sacks
2) wool scarf
3) first need water filter
4) 2 Oasis canteens - the green clip on belt ones
5) Sierra cup
6) folding Cascade cup
7) MSR Dromedary water bag
8) nylon water bucket
9) down vest
10) Rei non-breathable jacket w hood
11) Eagle creek travel bag w built in mirror
12) OR windstopper balaclava
13) a $150 fur lined goretex hat
14) nalgene 400 ml bottle
15) surgical blade and suture kit from first aid
16) Black Diamond self arrest ski grip -pair
17) Mammout avalanche cord
18) camera mount claps to branch - sure it does...
19) GSI Spork
20) REI candle lantern and candles
21) PUR microfilter screws to nalgene
22) Maglight belt case
23) swiss army knife leather belt pouch with sharpener
24) tecnalight 2
25) sewing kit
26) ALL of my light sticks
27) salt and pepper thing screws together
28) many tent stakes
29) spare old XGK pump
30) waxed stuff fire starters
31) cord tighteners
32) potable aqua tablets
33) magnetic chinese checkers
34) all stainless steel pans
35) MSR flame spreader
36) catalytic hand warmer and case
37) 2 marmot jackets with bad zippers
38) down socks
39) Whisperlite stove
40) all matches
41) tent vapor barrier
42) all vapor barrier clothes socks etc
43) neoprene socks
44) all wool socks
45) non-photon mini clip lights without positive off
46) Glass safe glasses holder rigid
47) Lowa goretex light weight hiking boots - ripped seams

and on probation:
1) TNF down vest
2) Sierra designs non-breathable rain suit
3) Markill bivy stove
4) Nalgene folding water bag
5) eddie bauer leather sole down booties
6) Eagle creek folding chair
7) Thermarester chair adapter
8) crossbow pistol
9) TNF Blue kazoo sleeping bag
10) WM bivy sack with screen
11) Whamo slingshot
12) altimeter
13) SILVA compass
14) Sawvivor folding saw
14) TASCO monocular
15) all esbit tablets
16) pyramid tent
17) Coughlans fire striker
18) eddie bower down booties
19) REI goretex bibs - seam tape came out - all of it

Into the garbage so maybe I will have more room for gear that works.
Jim

Now the distance between us is too big, but otherwise I found a couple of things that I miss. If you purge the list for the items that are damaged, why dont you put the things up for a sale? Sure some of your neighbours will be interested if you arrange a garage sale.

We sure see things differently, I ONLY wear all wool socks.

You could have sold a lot of this stuff to the unsuspecting for cash, and donated the rest (unless really beat up) to Goodwill or the Salvation Army for a tax deduction. This is called recycling for profit.

As for wool socks, it depends on what kind of wool. If yours were the old ragg wool kind, they would be warm but very itchy next to the skin. They also took days to dry!

There is always some stuff for which the dumpster is the best choice (like those bibs with the seam tape gone--although did you try returning them to REI on the premise that the seam tape should last until the knees/seat wear through?).

I went through my stuff a year ago and discovered one of the many leftover tent stakes (from cheap tents long since discarded) makes an excellent potty trowel. It weighs 1 oz. and digs very nicely into hardpan dirt after three months of no rain. It can, of course, also function as a backup tent stake or even (in an emergency) a wrist splint.

On the other hand, I still have a pile that needs to go to the Salvation Army, and a few things to sell. The most disgraceful stuff I have concists of a couple of brand new items I ordered online, found they didn't fit but neglected to return them in the vendor's allotted time span. Utter stupidity/procrastination on my part!

Mouse
I have taken so much to the local Habitat for Humanity thrift - thats all there is here - that they lock the doors when they see me coming.

I would never foist this junk onto the unsuspecting, bad enough to give it to your friends and have them carry it on your next trip.

I didn't mention the throwing out the MSR kettle last week - a singularly worthless piece of junk with the longest boiling times of anything I've measured.

I HOPE PEOPLE WILL READ THE LIST AND RECONSIDER WASTING MONEY ON ANYTHING LISTED.
Jim YMMV

I'll agree with most of 'em jim.. but the whisperlite is still a darn good winter stove. Nothing wrong with it.. you just have something else. That particular piece of kit is good stuff for someone needing a snow melter...

Of course, I certainly don't need another

Yikes! THAT is a bunch o' stuff!
You couldn't find a use for magnetic checkers or a cross bow pistol? Maybe use the checkers as targets for the bow?
(i have a few of those items taking up space too...probably oughta purge)

If I had your money Jim I would throw mine away, WOW, junk or not thats a couple bucks

"Maglite belt case"

But you kept the Maglite in your camping gear?!

Wow, what a stroll down memory lane. Had nearly all of that stuff at one time or another. However, over the years, I convinced all those near and dear to me that gift certificates make much better Christmas presents.

Remember the old Campmor open-cell-foam on top of closed-cell foam on top of coated-nylon "backpacker's sleeping pad" (aka "sponge")? Never did find a strap long enough to lash that thing to my external frame pack. However, it did fit nicely into my 8 pound "anniversary edition" Eureka Timberline 2 tent - the one with TWO sewn-on vestibules! Great solo tent!

In the words of, I think, Carly Simon: "THESE are the good old days..."

Candle lantern....

I still use mine for car camping. Used it just last week for an night soak in the Big Bend hot springs. Just the right amount of "bright" to see, but not completely wreck night vision. It has it's place, just not in my pack.

I need to know the lat/lon of your dumpster.

Jim:

I agree with OM -- recycle for profit. But I don't see a garage sale or craigs list, with all you've got you should go down to the flea market and get an annual lease for a table -- or a booth!

Lots of your discarded stuff is worth a lot more than some of the junk I saw at garage sales this summer -- yard sales have reached "Praxis status" here in Denver. Strangest item I saw was some fuzzy stuff in a ziplock:

"What's that?"
"Dryer lint -- 50 cents."
"No thanks."

. . . until I read of people (like phat, I think) using it in an emergency in the wilderness to start a fire. But I figured since I do my laundry like most everyone else, I'd make my own.

Saw you got rid of the salt/pepper shaker - how do you carry salt/pepper, particularly if you are with a group?

I still keep an unopened bottle of Potable Aqua around, because I once, like an idiot, left my Aqua Mira bottles exposed to the sun and they burst, leaving me with no back up water treatment. Managed to avoid Giardia on that trip, thank goodness.

It's amazing how much stuff we can accumulate. I probably need to do a purge as well. I was looking in my closet the other day, and I own six day packs. Why? I also have five blaze orange hunting vests, when I need just one, and two dog packs but only one dog. I have no fewer than twelve small light weight knives, and I somehow managed to collect seven Lexan spoons and four titanium sporks.

I still have two down sleeping bags, even though I've used nothing but my down quilts for six years. I, too, have a candle lantern I've never used. The other day I found a replacement globe for a lantern I got rid of seven or eight years ago. Such clutter.

This somehow reminds me of Steven Colbert's "Dead to me" and "On notice" lists

I should do something similar, but I'm a confirmed packrat and there's no known innoculation besides a house fire.

Cheers,

Same here and with a list that resembles Jim's.

Me, too. I use one for dayhiking (the Kelty Sherpa I bought for Hysson six years ago) and the other, which is much larger capacity, for backpacking (the Ruffwear Palisades shown in my avatar). I bought the second only because I planned a 7-day trip and the Kelty wouldn't hold more than 3-4 days worth of dog food. I found the old model Palisades (the current model is a lot smaller) on closeout. For that matter, the Kelty was on closeout when I got it too, so I got both packs for about half price.

I do keep going through my old junk. I still have my old Kelty external frame backpack. For that matter, I have an old homemade Trapper Nelson pack hanging in my garage. I probably should check to see if the Mazamas would like the latter for their clubhouse before I ditch it.

My parents threw out a lot of what they considered old junk. One of them was an antique mantel clock inherited from my great-grandmother, which I would give my eye teeth to have! Just because you think something is junk doesn't mean that others won't give good money for it!!

One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.

I would’ve arranged a buy for your First Need Filter. That’s the best backpacking filter out there (if you’re looking for fast pump and Scout proof)! It’s also the only filter that ring’s out the viruses (w/o iodine), easy to tell when the filter is cracked (no other filter has that ability—though they claim it), and the only filter that actually ‘clears’ brown water. Since I hike in the dirty-water arena, I like that ability. All the other ceramic and charcoal filters I’ve tested couldn’t do this. The First Need is a one piece setup so you don’t have to mess with several pieces and associated connections/disconnections throughout the day. It has a very nice prefilter on it that has saved my cartridge--- but the competitors were put out of business on our backpacking trips.

Also, ‘down socks’; are they like your down booties? If they have no hard/stiff soles, I LOVE these types. Those are what I wear with my sandals on frozen days. And then they feel like a warm bedroom slipper.

And I would take your matches. That’s the easiest way to light my alcy stove--- and they’re lighter than bics. Actually, I use paper matches.

“13) a $150 fur lined goretex hat” Hmmm. I don’t know if you can sell that one.

-Barry

I don't use it in an emergency - I just use it when it's darn cold out because when I'm out in the -30 type stuff it's easier to light that with a striker and gloves on then to take them off to become dexterous enough to light matches or flick a bic..

While I could light a fire with it in an emergency, the only situations I've been in close to that where I *needed* fire in a hurry I had other materiels that were more effective. And what that really says is that when it comes to emergency fire starting, nothing on earth beats a can of gas (white gas, chainsaw gas, whatever you have on hand..) if you have no such thing, great, fall back to skills and dryer lint - don't get me wrong, I've started all kinds of fire in all kinds of weather - but if the chips are down and you have gasoline at hand.. what are you gonna do?


Of course now, You all know lighting fires with gas is dangerous - don't have a poof no eyebrows moment... and definately don't do it like this... or like this..

Actually, I do have to qualify that statement - it is misleading.. I've been camping with physics majors. There is one thing that *does* beat a can of gas. Liquid Oxygen is outrageously good. But that falls even more in the category of "don't try this at home"..... but if you're careful it's impressive. If you haven't seen a chips ahoy chocolate chip cookie converted into a 3 foot tall spear of pure white flame that fries your night vision for hours.. well, it's hard to describe beyond that...

purge those esbit tabs to me, and the altimeter

In my crowd, white gas was known as "Boy Scout firestarter" - and it always worked. Just don't overdo it......

S
Saw you got rid of the salt/pepper shaker - how do you carry salt/pepper, particularly if you are with a group?
__________________________________________________________
those little salt and pepper paper packets from fast food places... If yer with a group, someone else will take it.

And thats the secret of group camping, someone will carry all of their gear just so they can get a chance to take it, so you can leave out pretty much everything but your sleeping bag, pad, and clothes. Someone will have a 5 pound medical kit, there will be two complete mess kits, about 1,000 feet of food hanging cord etc etc.

Oh man, I have to tell this. My wife who rarely ever backpacks had to stop at the store for a few things we "HAD TO HAVE". So I unknowingly packed 4x 4 ounce salt shakers into hurricane ridge in Olympic park. I flipped when I emptied my pack. I poured all but half an ounce onto a bunch of rocks 50 feet from our tent. When I woke up and looked out the tent door at night, there was about 200 elk licking it up. One stepped on my Sigg fuel/water bottle and badly dented it. Worst part - she cried because of exhaustion from a heavy pack that she insisted she would pack, so it was 8 years before she went again and same thing - tears, almost left her pack in the canyon, and NEVER agin, however after that I have never had to plan trips that she could go on.

there are now some very tiny salt/pepper camping thingies that carry about a gram each.
Jim

Wow! You have really kept the outdoor equipment business going! You know we all are supposed to be good little consumers to get this sluggish economy back on track. Get rid of gear? You are not doing your part.

I've used freecycle.org to find old stuff a new home, as well as posting some stuff on this site.

I also took my wife on two trips before she decided never to go again. They both happened the same weekend: her first and last trip.

It was a mixed group I was leading, with (I suspected) more than one hidden agenda. Her friend, who had never backpacked, told her to go - "we'll have a great time." I told her I didn't think the trip was for her. Naturally, she listened to her friend. To make a long story short, I ended happily sleeping under a tarp with a buddy (she and the friend used the tent I had packed in) listening to a gentle rain in the early morning - to be fully awakened by a boot in my shoulder and the endearing words, "Get me the h*** out of here." I did.

I feel your pain.

What was wrong with the self arrest poles?

Also, what was wrong with the windstopper balaclava? I'm not a big fan of wearing windstopper over my ears (hearing), but a needle can take care of that.

I don't use a whisperlite because I have an XGK.

I use a dromedary bag. Did yours leak or something?

Oh man, the swift-kick-and-exit-demand roust had me laughing out loud.

My spouse-to-be gamely tried backpacking with me on a couple of trips, but it's just not to be. If I can't dial in a destination that's a maximum of one hour from the car, boredom triumphs and it becomes like walking with an extremely smart nine-year-old. That, and her paperlike skin leads to the worst cases of burgerfoot I've ever witnessed.

However, the sterling flatware she packed in made for the finest al fresco dining experience, evah!

Cheers,

My wife will day hike, car camp, canoe camp, and houseboat, but she doesn't do backpacking and I don't think she's ever had a pack on her back. But she loves being outdoors and gets out with me often.

When I was young and dating I took a few hairsprayed girls on camping dates. They all seemed real excited when we planned it but most never spoke to me again afterwards. The downhill spiral usually started with them saying something like "What do you mean there are no hot showers?" or "Oh my god, I saw a bug!" and I knew it'd be a short trip.

None of them ever kicked me though

Bill

That's because you never married them!

LOL

My wife says and I quote, "My idea of roughing it is not enough towels in the hotel room", end quote.

Itcherling
The windstopper balaclava is too stiff to be comfortable and the screened mouth piece causes the water vapor from my breath to fog my glasses - definitely a problem if its so bad that I feel the need to wear it.

Self arrest poles are like - wow cool, then um when will I actually use these things? Like do you ski 60 degree slopes in the backcountry? There is always a way around thats not life threatening AND if you know how to use an ice axe, you can figure out how to self arrest with ski poles WITHOUT self arrest grips.

The dromedary bag is hard to get to while hiking, weighs more than an evian bottle, and doesn't hold enough water to make it worthwhile and its impossible to insulate it.

The whisperlite doesn't put out enough heat for winter, has lousy stability on those crummy folding legs, clogs easily and the heat output goes way down if it isn't cleaned as often as a gun.

Heck I read these posts to my wife and she said "I love to camp, I'm just not carrying a backpack ever again." So I actually took her to a great spot a mile in and hiked back for her pack, then did the same when we left, but when I go alone I can go much lighter, much higher, and climb rocks - she flips when I climb but to her credit, I have other friends who simply will not go if I throw in climbing shoes.

Jim YMMV

Haiwee, if either of those down sleeping bags are longs, in the 0-15 degree range, and in good shape, I'd be willing to negotiate for them. Still working out how the private message feature of this forum works, but I'd want to try to take the conversation there if I could.


Bill, rgr on the salt and willingness to carry. My problem is that I am the guy with the big pack, and am planning to take my young kids, or am leading groups, so I get to be the mule. On the flip side, I'm buying gear as light/cheap as I can, so when that day comes that I have teenagers I can be the guy carrying 15lbs, and they will be the ones carrying the first aid kit, cooking gear, etc.

Happy Thanksgiving

I use light sticks. I give each kid a stick on Halloween. And I take two camping with the scouts to play capture the flag. The light sticks are the flag. Other than that, I guess I don't use them.

My experience was completely opposite. I met my future wife on a backpacking trip; her friend and her had done several trips before I met her. We hit it off immediately and went on several trips afterward. She really seemed to enjoy it, and the only time she complained was a trip shortly after she became pregnant and was suffering from morning sickness (can't say I blamed her).

As soon as we got married, however, she stopped going. Then she began to resent that I wanted to go by myself if she didn't want to join me. That was the beginning of the end.

After several years, my wife finally agreed to go backpacking with me. I picked one of the most beautiful places to hike that I know of. We hit the trail and I noticed she was swatting at mosquitoes almost instantly. We arrived at our destination and I looked at the beauty of the lakes and trees. My wife was looking at all of her mosquito bites and giving me dirty looks. She asked if I had any repellant and well, yes I did in fact have repellant. I gave it to her and after she had put gobs of it on her body, the mosquitos continued their feast. Looking at the repellent tube she noticed that it was ten years old. More dirty looks. Needless to say, we hiked back out and went to the nearest town and got a motel room -- with a jacuzzi. We counted over 100 bites on her. I had none. After going thru chemo, the bugs don't like me. She didn't either. I don't even ask her to go hiking with me anymore.

How is it that a thread titled "worthless junk in dumpster" winds up with discussing spouses?

I'd have to say for the married guys it's because 50% of the junk that belongs in the dumpster was because she had to have it.

I was just wondering the same thing. Good thing Karol doesn't read this forum.

Who's Carol????....sabre11004....

The one who was digging her boot into my shoulder - aka, She Who Must Be Obeyed.

My bride. Marriage is a wonderful institution, and we've been institutionalized for 40 years next August.

Re Boot in Shoulder Syndrom (BISS)

I was talking to my wife about these posts we got a good laugh. But when I do take her, I take really good food, extra warm clothes (maybe even my TNF baltoro jacket), her zero degree sleeping bag even if its gonna be +40 out, a real tent and real rain gear. I am right next to her at all times, she sleeps on my Stevensons down air mattress and I let her use my ancient down booties. I may put her in front of a fire in her 0 degree bag with a hot cuppa sitting in a crazy creek chair in the evening.
If she gets cold, I do this:
unzip my sleeping bag and slip some of it under her to hold it in plce, then unzip her bag (zippers facing together)and mine. Then I pull her next to me and pull the top part of her sleeping bag over me, we each may have one leg in each bag at this time, and then pull the top of my bag over her. Two people in doubled mummy bags is warm in any conditions, and it makes her happy to actually be able to cuddle till shes warm. Teh when I do get up, she stays in her bag, perhaps with mine over her, while I get some tea brewing for her.

I'm lucky to have such a sweet, if totally clueless wife, to take care of. No BISS here.
Jim

Great synopsis.

Actually, we have done some car camping using mostly backpacking technique (same tents, sleeping bags, food, stoves, etc.) with a couple of comfort factors added (collapsible canvas chair, forks, and a heavy 4-inch self-inflating pad for her.) No BISS there, either.

Her first and last trip was simply ill-chosen, against my advice, and involved more up-and-down and stress, and not as much pretty scenery, as I would have chosen for her first trip. In retrospect, I probably should have been more insistent that she not go, or pulled out of the trip myself (in which case she wouldn't have gone for sure.)

Makes a great story, though. Now, if she'd just stop referring to me as "...my first husband, Glenn..."

You hit the nail on the head here. I finally stopped taking her to REI because we invariably came home with some new piece of gear I knew would only end up in storage.

My wife is perfectly safe in REI. I'm the one who brings home the (occasionally) useless junk!

My wife is usually safe in MEC (canadian REI) however the one time we went in there and I suggested buying a windshirt like mine for ireland - which costs 30 bucks. I ended up coming out with matching 200 dollar fancy jackets because she wasn't going to be seen with me looking like a dishrag like I do when I am backpacking