Gear investments, what do you regret?

[JohnJohnson]

The biggest theme of my mis-spending was concentrating too much on a fancy rifle and not paying enough attention to everything else. The rifle ends up being a very small factor in any hunt compared to more important things like binoculars, tripod, clothing, pack, boots, etc. I've spent thousands of dollars that I wish I could get back on custom rifles. The two areas I DON'T regret spending in is my Swarovski EL 10x50s and my TBAC suppressors. Those were my smartest spending I've done yet, though at the time I can't say I bought them for informed reasons.

 

[JeffRaines]

This is a great thread! For me, choosing just one and probably one of the biggest, buying a brand new bow.
Now I understand the need to support local pro shops and blah blah blah. But paying $1600 for the latest and greatest Hoyt carbon bow just to have it devaluate to $1000 or less in a year's time just doesn't make good sense.
I would say 99.9% of the time it's pure marketing over actual groundbreaking technological advances. Unless you're shooting a bow from 2005 your current flagship set up should do you just fine.
Now if you can afford to do it every year then rub some funk on it. But if your rearranging your budget to get a new bow every year maybe consider rocking the one you have for a good while before upgrading.
Last for all of the above reasons every time I purchase a brand new bow I feel like I've been duped. Especially because I see that same $1600 bow on a fourm for $1000 or less months after the release.

Don't give in to the marketing pressure and perceived industry standard.

This is a big one. After seeing some archery classifieds(and honestly, every bow shop in my area is ran by pompous assholes) I’ll never buy a brand new bow again.

Current flagships - 1200 in the shop, 850-900 on classifieds all day long.
Last years flagships are 50%+ off.

And you’re also right - current year flagship bows are a marginal upgrade, if that. I think a lot of guys spend unnecessarily on new bows every year... I wonder how much of it is the bow shop owner talking the bow up, and how much it is actually the person thinking the bow is better. There’s an awful lot on the classifieds for it to be the latter although I could be wrong.

Don't get me wrong. I liked my last rifle but um....the physics of projectiles hasn't changed in like forever so most major manufacturers in the game have learned how to fling a bullet. I will never again buy a pricey or custom rifle. most accuracy issues are shooter induced.

Another good one, and another thing guys overspend and overthink on. I gotta have a new rifle this year! This 300 win mag just isn’t cutting it, I gotta have a 300 ultra. I know I only shoot animals at 500 and in, but I just want some more knockdown power in case I see an animal a thousand yards away across the canyon on the last hour of the last day... no of course I’m not going to spend the time to be proficient at 1000, I’ll just punch some numbers off the factory box into my phone and it’ll give me the holdover or tell me what to dial!

I honestly think a lot of guys(myself included) would benefit from taking a step back and being realistic with themselves.
Do I really need this 0 degree sleeping bag when I never hunt in 0 degree weather?
Do I absolutely need this hilleberg tent when I’m only in the backcountry July-September?
Do I really need this new bow when it’s no faster or smoother than the 2 year old bow I have at home?
What will this rifle do that the ones in my safe already won’t do?

I think if a guy asked himself questions like these for every purchase he would probably have a much bigger bank account balance.