Originally Posted By: Chris Kavanaugh
There is a myth beginners in any endeavor should start out with cheap equipment.Learning with junk produces junk; both in the end effort and education of the user.


Its actually more a matter of self-preservation rather than cost avoidance when they try to drive the hatchet through a rock, or they slam the handle into the log rather than the head. Scout leaders tend to try to buy really tough gear rather than the "best" gear since it takes a beating.

If I had one I wouldn't loan out a Granfors Bruks axe only to get it all ripped up by Scouts who don't really care about other people's gear. THAT is why we teach them to bring their own gear AND to take care of their own patrol's gear.