Do you guys have a piece of legendary gear?

[toyrunner95]

i got a few pieces of gear, 1. my leatherman, its on me almost every day and i even wore it to my sisters wedding in a tux. 2. my kabar its great for entrenching, pounding in tent stakes, chopping wood, cooking, everything. 3. my REI tent its been up rainier twice with me and all over the NW on hiking trips. 4. my grappeling hook. yes thats right a ninja grappeling hook. its rather heavy but it pulls trucks out of holes, goes over branches for bear bags, and even works as a dredge for lost crab pots.

 

[rusty_tlc]

I only have two pieces of gear I haven't been able to wear out. Sleeping bags and tents have come and gone, replaced by newer technology or just plain worn out. But two things are still around
The Universal external frame packpack I got it for Christmas when I was 12. Pretty well battered and repaired but still in the storage shed and still very servicable.
And my Sevea Optimus stove. This one still sees regular use.
This isnt mine but this is what mine looked like new;

 

[KMR]

Victorinox pocket knife, has not been out of my pocket for a single day in the past 18 years.
I have the original kind with the red painted body, all the paint has since been worn off except for in the checker grooves.
Feel naked without it.

 

[RoundOut]

My Leatherman Wave

For me, it would have to be the Leatherman Wave. I use it every day, almost without exception. Absolutely the best $65 bucks I ever spent. The scissors, knives, files, saw, screwdrivers and pliers each see almost weekly use, with the scissors, files and knives seeing the most. Heck, the pliers see almost as much, too. Truly a great tool.

 

[RAM5500 CAMPERTHING]

I got a 12 year old LL Bean 4 Season Expedition tent that has seen well over 100+ nights of use in some of the gnarliest weather imaginable and still looks new

and

I got a 12 year old LL Bean -30 Down Mummy bag that has been used and abused without flaw with the above item!

This is stuff i have used extensively myself and have loaned these items out to friends as well!

Even if its warm out, i bring that bag "Just in Case"

LLBean has my vote for sure! (their older stuff, their new stuff isnt so well made)

I also have an OLD SCHOOL EMS down bag that is stamped "MANUFACTURED 1977" that my girlfriend swears is the warmest thing in the world (she gets cold easy). When i was back east, i brought it to my local EMS and showed it to the old school manager and he was begging me to sell it because it had their very first logo on it! It is still used by Judy on every trip we do!

:camping:

 

[Rezarf <><]

My MSR Stowaway Pot and Wisperlite International are still running strong and I have owned three other stoves since... and I keep heading back to the dead set reliabilty of the MSR Stove/Pot setup.

Gotta love the classics.

Drew

 

[ZooJunkie]

My MSR Stowaway Pot and Wisperlite International are still running strong and I have owned three other stoves since... and I keep heading back to the dead set reliabilty of the MSR Stove/Pot setup.

Gotta love the classics.

Drew

I agree! I've had my MSR Whisperlite stove for about 12 years now, it has never failed me. I always bring along in case it's needed. Awesome tool. I never leave home w/o a knife, and in particular my Emerson CQC7 tanto blade knife. The image linked below is not the tanto blade version.

 

[dd113]

I bought a sleeping bag from Yak Works in about '77. Thinsulate and early protptype gore tex. I think it was the first thinsulate bag made. Still going strong; been all over NA and SA as well as a trip to the sandbox.

 

[Mike S]

I have been collecting gear for a LOOONG time. Best yet is the Petromax three fuel lantern. I won't camp without it.

 

[Linus Tremaine]

swiss army knife

This one is my legendary knife. I have had others of course, but this one has been with me the most. My mom got it for me when I was 13 in Bridgeport, CA.

Its special because it has a long locking blade. Not something most swiss army knives have. I eat with it, cook with it, clean things with it, make things and sometimes cut things with it.

I also have a small marble compass that my dad got me. Its newer but it has joined the ranks of must haves on my trips.

I guess my cast iron frying pan is up there too...
See the knife in the picture? Its on the box of matches. This is at russ' camp in butte valley, death valley NP. Running water and a stove that saved me from freezing.

And of course, the land rover... cant go anywhere without that.

 

[ckkone]

This might be stupid, but I've had this Sears Robogrip for about the past 10 years...It has been in the armrest of all my vehicles over the years and it always amazes me how many uses it has, from holding, to bending to tightening it seems to do it all. I also have a canteen I got for a gift when I was around 12 that still sees plenty of use. I'll try to post some pics later..

 

[Desertoutpost]

Its not gear but it means just as much to me if not more, than my tent, knife, cook stove, or sleeping bag...

I have this hat, not any hat but a very special hat to me. I would fight for this hat and defend it to the end. What would you ask, is so special about that hat? Why would that hat be anymore special than yours, or hers, or theirs? Let me tell you...

That hat is brown and round, that hat was bought from a bloke down under, that hat has traveled with me from one end of this country to the other end (48 states), that hat fits me just perfectly, that hat has that little bend right here---> that makes it snug as a rug over my mug, when the wind blows it stays on, when it rains it keep my eyes dry, keeps my head warm in winter and cool in summer, has a little joey on the inside upper, and is made from all natural sources, alas it is starting to show its age, has a little spot here ---> and another there ----> but in the end what makes that hat so special to me is...

One day I had a son and when he started to travel with me he woke one morning and put on the hat, that is when I knew why that hat was so special to me, because he put it on and has worn it on every trip we have gone on together and he is what makes that hat for me more special than any trip I would see. This hat has been passed quietly to someone special to me, in that hat you see!

 

[kcowyo]

Very Chris LeDoux, Desertoutpost.....

"Now partner this old hat is better left alone
see it used to be my daddy's
but, last year he passed on
My nephew skined the rattler that makes up this ol' hatband
but, back in sixty nine he died in Vietnam
Now the eagle feather was given to me by an indian friend of mine
but, someone ran he down somewhere around that Arizona line
and a real special lady gave me this hatpin
and I don't know if I'll ever see her again

You'll ride a black tornado 'cross the western sky
rope an ol' Blue Northern and milk it till it's dry
bulldog the Mississippi, pin it's ears down flat
long before you take this Cowboys Hat."

 

[Moody]

The classic North Face Nuptse down jacket. I originally got one when I was going on a winter boy scout trip. It lasted many years until I finally sold its nastiness (dirty mess) on ebay for 50 bucks, and bought a newer version. There is just something about a big, fluffy, overstuffed down coat. Even in the coldest of camp trips, I stay nice and warm. It has been on multiple winter camping trips, and gets used almost daily in the winter.

#2 is certainly the Coleman Lantern I used when I was a kid camping with the family. Still going strong over 30 years later...(my parents got it as a wedding gift) using it this weekend as well!

 

[BMAN]

Shovel,

This one?

That's a good looking unit. I might need to track one down.



I can't say that I have a piece of gear that I revere as the go to gear that is ALWAYS with me. The only item I seem to alwways have on every trip is the trusty 4cell Mag light that's been with me for about 15 years now. It's always kinda been that trusty old friend when I need to shed some light but not a GO TO type of gear thing for me.