Cheap/inexpesnive gear that has served you well

[KJH]

Hands down, my woobie is my bestie!
I also have one of the Army smoke jackets which is basically a woobie jacket! Best thing I've ever owned. And it was free,, sorta. It's super lightweight, packs great and put it under any outer layer and it's like turning on the heat

A woobie and smoking jacket are the two pieces of gear I don't leave home without. The Army has some really stupid gear most of the time, but they got those two pieces right.

 

[Ridge Ghost]

Field Optics Research bino adapter is another great deal. Maybe not the quality of an Outdoorsmans but still works very well and is a steal at around $30.

 

[1signguy]

Havalon- cheap, light, and sharp.

On another note-
Like most of the guys on here my gear is on the higher end of the spectrum in relation to initial cost. However, anything I have sold has held its value and consequently the cost was very reasonable... Also, there has got to be lots of folks on here who buy high end used equipment and sell it two years later for what they paid...

 

[WV Mountaineer]

ECWCS Gen lll rainwear. eBay polyester base layers.

 

[BATTLEBORN]

I gotta go with clothing as well. Costco down jacket, down vest, fleece, 100% merino tops, and merino trail socks have all been great for me, for very little cost.

^^^^ All of the above plus the Costco Trekking poles and Chino travel pants!!!

 

[6x6]

Good ole bandana. The most versatile piece of gear I own. The uses are endless.

 

[Summit1]

I have a problem with thick belts with a backpack on. I bought a $3 set of coughlins 6' compression straps, cut to size, melted the frays, awesome belt.

That's a great idea, I'm going to try it. I'm always having problems with my pack pushing on my belt, it folds and then pinches my back. Thanks for the tip. Brad.

 

[backcountry_hunter]

^^^^I've used bison belts for this very reason the last 8 years or so to alleviate this issue. Made in the usa and cheap.....

 

[AK Troutbum]

^^^^ All of the above plus the Costco Trekking poles and Chino travel pants!!!

The Costco carbon fiber trekking poles are the first thing that came to my mind when I read the title of this thread. Also the HPG belt and Sawyer squeeze water filters.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mfllood3800]

HaHa
Some stuff I spend the $$ on and other stuff I don't care to.
My walking sticks (trekking poles) are some generic simple low end set I picked up used for like $10. I cut off the bottom plastic snow collar, the hard plastic tab at the metal bottom, the nylon straps (replaced with 550) some metal screw hardware inside the handles along with the retaining plastic plate (allows the poles to collapse another inch and saved some more weight..... and wallah- a lighter version and they work just fine.

 

[oenanthe]

Victorinox paring knife: Victorinox - Swiss Army 40601 Paring Knife w/ 3.25" Blade, High Carbon Steel, Red Polypropylene Handle

Dirt cheap. Crazy sharp and holds an edge. Insanely light (18 g).

The only problem is that only the serrated version comes with a sheath (Victorinox "Little Vicky" Utility Knife). So what you do is buy a serrated one just to get the sheath. That'll set you back another 7 bucks!

I just field dressed a caribou this weekend - didn't need to touch up the edge even once.

 

[outdoor_matt]

Bushnell bino adapter for tripod-$20. I use it to mount my leicas and it is rock solid. The leica version was like $120, and this works just fine. I have no problem picking up the tripod with the binos strapped down and walking around.

 

[fngTony]

$15 energizer headlamp. Only replaced it for more lumens, with another energizer. The old one still works though after nine years and that is general use, work and outdoor stuff not just for one week a year.

 

[fngTony]

Ziploc bags, plastic spoons, meds from the dollar store, mesh laundry bags to store sleeping bags from the dollar store, $1 clip on LED light from Walmart (comes with the same size battery that fits my garage door opener cheaper than just buying the batteries), Ozark trail water bottle, wool socks from Walmart, omniwool blend base layers from Sam's club, primus stove from Walmart it's heavy but no moving parts to worry about.

 

[rodney482]

Vortex Diamondbacks
Havlon piranta
Zebralight
Brunton torch lighter
Knockoff Helinox chair

 

[widnert]

I know a lot of folks look down their noses at them but the clothes from King's Camo has surprised me with its durability. For the price, especially for entry-level folks just getting going and needing some decent clothes to get them in the field, you can't go wrong with one of their Hunter series of XKG series bundles. I still have some of my first purchases from King's and bring them along for backups. My 2 cents.

 

[fngTony]

I know a lot of folks look down their noses at them but the clothes from King's Camo has surprised me with its durability. For the price, especially for entry-level folks just getting going and needing some decent clothes to get them in the field, you can't go wrong with one of their Hunter series of XKG series bundles. I still have some of my first purchases from King's and bring them along for backups. My 2 cents.

They are a great value. I feel they shoot themselves in the foot by selling other brands with their pattern. Essentially their products can get a bad reputation from others (with their pattern) most don't differentiate between the two.

I have a their climatex rain pants and couldn't be happier for a just in case rain pant. Probably a better value than others in this class of rain gear. Not a fan of the climatex jacket though.

 

[Murdy]

I've got a couple of pieces of older Gander house brand (Guide Series) clothes that have held up real well over the years, particularly a gortex style (Tech20) jacket that is going into its 10th year and a pair of pack boots -- new stuff just isn't the same (which might have something to do with them going out of business / bankrupt). Some sort of Gerber fixed blade with a gut hook still comes on all whitetail hunts. Field & Stream brand ladder stands are great for the money.

 

[bcopley1116]

5x7 Outdoor Products Backpacker's Tarp from Walmart for under $10. I have used it for 8 years now and it has been a lifesaver. It finally has too many rips and tears to repair so I upgraded to a kifaru sheep tarp this year.

 

[hobbes]

Costco packable down throw for around $20. We've used them for warmth at spring and fall sporting events and Ive used one as a sleeping bag liner for added warmth.