“Coleman bping stoves, mine was the firebomb or face scorcher or some such name.

Sweetwater filters.

...I love my smartwool”

“Red head sleeping bag...used it once, froze my butt off and sweated at the same time, sent it back and bought a W___gy's (sorry guys). Have slept well ever since. Whisper Lite...used it extensively and never had a problem. No longer will use my candle lantern, just bought a black diamond led headlamp...cool.”

“Gawd Stikmon, LOL! Not W___y!

Hmmmm. The only things that ever totally crapped out on me were no-name knock-offs. I can't even remember the names.

Be wary of tents with fiberglass poles... *VBG*”

“Handwarmers by Grabber my Coal. They are like Grabber my A$$!!!
They claim to provide warmth for 7 hours. They dont tell you that you have to open them 3 hours before you want to use them because it takes that long for them to get going.”

“I really like my whisper lite I think it's quick an easy.
An I have'nt had any trouble with my sweet water either an it's 7yrs old now what do ya'lls do? I will be eyeing mine with suspicion now maybe I got the only good one they made LOL! It would be the first time I did'nt get the lemon”

“I personally have enjoyed mt MSR Whisperlite Intl. for many years.Yes it is somewhat of a pain to operate but I have also let many people use it in the winter months when their little butaine stove wouldn't work properly.I also swear by 3D bags I own 5 and all have lasted a long time.What most people fail to do is care for them properly when not in use. They should never be kept in their stuff sacks for storage (any bag).

I hate treking poles. I bought some from Jerbear used them on two trips and sold them to Walking dude the next trip.Not that the quality wasn't good just didn't like them.

I don't own alot of Gortex but I am not a big fan at all.In my opinion its a rip off.

I also have an Esbit stove.Anyone want it???????????LOL!”

“"An I have'nt had any trouble with my sweet water either an it's 7yrs old now what do ya'lls do?"

I don't know man, I got mine like the second year they came out and loved it. I pumped water from beaver ponds, mud puddles, trickles, everything and the filter lasted over a year. My last one I bought I used for one weekend hike and then a week in the BWCA where the water is very clean to begin with. The thing was DOA by the end of the week. I almost always collect water in my pot and pump it from the pot rather than right from the source.

Thankfully bacpac (bless his cotton socks!) sent me a Pur filter that is total kicka@@.”

“I just changed the filter in mine again for the umpteenth time I hope it keeps working well it kills me to buy new gear”

“Now THAT'S a mental picture!”

“Let's see...things that some don't like that I've found to be quality gear:

-MSR stoves (Dragonfly and Pocket Rocket)
-Komperdell trekking poles
-Princeton Tec Solo w/ Matrix insert
-Thermarest Ultralite
-Gore-Tex (2 jackets, hat, pants, gaiters) You've just got to get them at a good sale
-SmartWool socks

I guess that is something like "Whatever works for you just may not work for others."”

“now that i've tried out smartwool i think thorlos suck!!!”

“Centavo, Birch and I bought our sweetwater the year they came out. Backpacker had just written up rave reviews of it. We thought we got an awesome deal because the surplus store we bought it from had them all mispriced at $25.00.

It never worked all that great. We thought it did because we'd never tried anything different. When we'd filter Lake Superior water the thing would clog up (with the prefilter dogee thing on) every quart or so. It would literally take us 45 min to filter a gallon and a half of water and every other pump the damn thing would spray us. It was a piece of crap. I wouldn't offer it to Willk!”

“Sass, My Sweetwater worked OK for a few gallons and now acts the same as you just described. I started using Aquamira instead.”

“We'd take that thing apart and clean it and it'd be okay for a few more pumps and then it'd start spraying all over again. Changed the filter....no good. We have a First Need Deluxe now, it rocks my potable water world!”

“I guess I've been lucky then. Mine has never done that. Maybe if I used another kind I'd like it better, but I hate to buy new stuff if what I have works I guess my name should be notagearslut. I used iodine for years till I got the sweetwater which was actually a gift”

“oh that we all were as fortunate and wise as thinair....

I FORGOT about my Hi-Tec boots. Yes, another POS for the archives.

Now for the question; If so many of you are unhappy with your MSR stoves, then you must have a good stove to judge them by. Please share this knowlege so I can upgrade from my whisperlite.”

“Oh, and I LIKE buying new gear, even if my old gear works fine. That is part of the journey for me.”

“Got a pair of these 2-3 years ago & the soles are so slippery on smooth or wet surfaces I nearly killed myself going down the basement stairs one time. Haven't had that problem with Nike hiking boots but my low top trail runner shoes are downright dangerous. I usually like Nike stuff even though it's not very durable because it is cheap, very comfortable for my foot shape & requires little break-in.”

“I really love my Hi-Tec Altitude boots, got them for $64. I thought that I would buy another pair (one size larger) for summer (feet swell a little), but some of you hate them.. Did I get lucky not to get a lemon? Maybe I like them for the same reasons you hate them, like they are not straight jackets on my ankles. I have not twisted my ankles at all, but I do have to rety them occasionally.”

“Hobbit, I had a Whisperlight and hated it. As I learned more about stoves I have come to the conclusion that they just have a little steaper learning curve. It does take a bit of fiddling and learning to get the operation down. My big problem was I kept the fuel bottle too full of fuel and it couldn't hold enough air to pressurize the fuel.”

“Knowledge and maintenance, knowledge and maintenance. Learn how to use it then take care of it PERIOD (I'm a little testy to-day). My MSR has worked perfectly since 1987, ditto the First Need and the Slumberjack - I can't believe how much high-end quality gear so many of you have managed to trash.

Anything Gore-Tex is the best outdoor wear since ventile cloth. Please read my rant on the Fleece-worthy or not? thread.

A tip about hiking/ski pole with expander plugs. I have Gabels and they jammedon me a few times until I figured it out (and I wish manufacturers would add this info to their instructions). Do not store the poles with their sections tightened. They work by a thread that pushes the plug up and down a cone shaped expander. If they are put in the trunk of your car tightened when you go off to the mountains, the cold constricts the tube around the pulg and jams it (them), then when you try to loosen them to extend them, you strip the thread and ruin thye plug. Keep them good and loose and you won't have any more problems.”

“I never had a problem with my Whisperlight. Well, I learned fast to NOT fill the priming cup full prior to priming (I had like 2-foot flames flowing in my vestibule). As soon as you see fuel pouring into the priming cup, shut off the fuel and light. That's plenty enough fuel to prime the carburator pipe.

And for the first trips, I'd fill the fuel bottle up to the fill line then pour it into a 3C measuring cup. Then after the trip I'd pour the rest of the fuel into the measuring cup to see how much fuel I used. I ended up just bringing about a half of fuel bottle full of fuel on weekend trips so i didn't carry extra unnecessary weight in it, and I still had tons of fuel left after a weekend.

However, I haven't used my MSR stove for almost 2 years now since I made my first alcohol-burning Budweiser can stove.”

“Good point, Buddur. That's what I do with my MSR. BTW, I just bought an extendable lighter from Cabela's and can't wait to try it - it should be perfect for reaching down with the flame.”

“If I could learn how to BAKE with the blasted thing, I'd take that O.B. oven along on more hikes... it's a b!tch trying to bake anything, though, even with my Dragonfly. It's not the worst piece of gear I've ever owned, but it sure sees more shelf space than most items.

Gear I'm sorry I ever laid eyes on...

Water filled sleeping pad
12,000 c.i. Kilty infernal frame pack
Cheesecloth water filter
Skunk oil mosquito repellant
Steel-toed sandals (waterproof)
Hiking stilts
Kevlar hiking sox
My "Where's Waldo" hiking map series - Volumes I & II
Camp Shower Squigee
Combination collapsible cook pot & coffee pot
Dehydrated Whole Turkey
REI Hiking Javelin
Combination Tent/Kayak - trap door included

I'm having a sale.”

“'My candle lantern just sits on the shelf...waiting for the power in my house to go out.'

ditto Buddur”

“LOL @ Obi!!

How much you want for the hiking Javelin?”

“'Water filled sleeping pad
12,000 c.i. Kilty infernal frame pack
Cheesecloth water filter
Skunk oil mosquito repellant
Steel-toed sandals (waterproof)
Hiking stilts
Kevlar hiking sox
My "Where's Waldo" hiking map series - Volumes I & II
Camp Shower Squigee
Combination collapsible cook pot & coffee pot
Dehydrated Whole Turkey
REI Hiking Javelin
Combination Tent/Kayak - trap door included'


Re: water filled sleeping bag--been there done that (my brother dropped it in a lake)

p.s. your body heat will NOT warm up wet polyfill and keep you warm”

“....use Biz or one of the girls jackets with the built in handwarmer pockets.



----
Was it biz, or some other tt chick?? I can't remeber.”

“Candle lanterns work great!

(car camping)”

“Candle lanterns work well in wet climates and winter camping.
It takes about 10 minutes to take the humidity out of the air and warm up my tent using my candle lantern. I guess there's no need for fairweather campers to have one.”

“So does my Petzl Tikka!

It's not a bad piece of gear. I just stopped bringing it cause I never used it.

I'm with centavo, I hardly ever buy new gear. It has to really be bad for me to replace it.”

“Splash, Birch had a pair of Hi Tech hikers he boughtbto wear to work. He wore them for a year and a half or so and then passes 'em on to a pal who needed some boots. That dude has worn them for years! Everytime we see him, (about three times a year when he comes over for his trice a year hair cut) he's still wearing them. And he wears them everyday! They look like hell but are holding up well considering what he puts them through (U.P winter, walks everywhere).”

“ROTFLMAO at Obi!!!!!!!”

“35 years ago i got a svea(w/separate cleaning tool)it won't go away-it's never failed--cliff”

“I appreciate the advice on how to use my MSR, (already had it down though). What I REALLY am waiting to hear is an answer to the question: If my MSR is a POS, then what are ya'll using that upstages it so much? I just wanna know what to look at for my NEXT stove.”

“Re new MSR stove, I've just found out it's been scrapped. Bugger.”

“Have a look at the Optimus Nova or the Primus Himalaya.

I have used the Optimus Nova, what a really nice stove!”

“Oh, I wasn't trying to tell ya how to run yer stove Hobbit. I was just saying what MY big problem was and maybe that is what others were doing too. It was me, not the stove.”

“I like all my gear. IT ROCKS! But then again I bought it.

What should I buy with the $50 REI gift certificate my roommate gave me for Christmas?

I simply have everything i need”

“this looks practical

But should i get the lime green or the violet?”

“I will never buy another pair of HiTec boots. On the switchbacks at the top of Bright Angel Trail I rubbed off most of the outer sole on a brand new pair of boots. When I finally made it to flat ground, I was walking at a 45 degree angle.

I replace them a couple trips later.”

“I like all my gear. IT ROCKS! But then again I bought it

Biz
07:49:03 PM
01/22/02

I will never buy another pair of HiTec boots

Biz
08:47:55 PM
01/22/02

confused?”

“Oh, I didn't buy those HiTecs, those were a present from a cheapskate relative.”

“Have a look at the Optimus Nova or the Primus Himalaya.
I have used the Optimus Nova, what a really nice stove!

Gear Slut

But you can't afford it, right?”

“For once you're right.

I have to make do with my old SIGG Firejet in the winter.”

“Cast Iron Fish Fillet Skillet - 12"
Coleman Camping Innertube - Truck Size
Backpacking Gyroscope (for those really steep climbs)
Campfire Incense
Personal Hot Springs Cooling System
Personal Lake Heating System
Backpacking Water Wings
Dehydrated Ivory Soap
Mom's Fruit Cake
Dad's Bowie Knife ("It's YOURS now, son")
Surplus Railroad Tie Tent Spikes
My Swiss Army Axe

Walkindude, I'm gonna have to find something else to take the place of that Javelin... right now, I'm using it to hunt gopher...”

“Slumberjack will replace the fiberglass poles with aluminum poles for free - just call them and they will ship them out. I one with fiberglass poles for cheap after they switched to aluminum poles and when the bigger fiberglass pole broke on the second use, Slumberjack was happy to send me aluminum ones.”

“I also had problems with a pair of Komperdell Poles - they broke fast (plastic connections).”