Propose we share our great gear deals with others. In this economy, any sales or great prices we find on needed/replacement gear would not only help each other, but by doing so we can help restore the confidence and spending habits that were lost. This is not about spending frivolously, but buying with an end in mind and buying what's needed.

As posted by Jakam in the water bottle post, I too found the $3.99 stainless steel water bottles at my neighborhood Walgreens. I got four of them...including one red one for fuels, and a 500ml one for my son to carry when we go camping.

Also found a North Face "Bullhead" hydration pack for $25, instead of the regular $45, at my nearby Sports Authority. I know it's only a 50oz reservoir, but that's plenty big for a small trek, with room enough to put my PSK and medical kits. PLUS it has rare earth magnets on the bite valve and the sternum strap, PLUS it has a very loud whistle built into the buckle of the sternum strap. This a such a great feature! Anytime I can get NF gear on sale is such a thrill. When I need my 100oz pack, my son can carry the 50oz.

Anybody else know of any GREAT deals to share?

Heh, I proposed the exact same idea on another forum earlier this week, and was accused of spamming by the moderator.

Still, I think it's a good idea, so as long as the moderators here don't mind, I'll toss in a deal I found:

I picked up a Leatherman Blast last week for $25 at my local WalMart. They had a fair number on clearance, along with some of their knives.

My local walmart has the PUR™ Purifier of Water on clearance for $2.50 These are little pouches of fluid, each pouch will treat 10 liters of water. When I bought them I thought I was buying the little tablet things.

-Blast

That popular BailOut Bag that costs around $30-40 at Countycomm ( http://www.countycomm.com/BAILOUTBAGGEN5.htm ) is only $20 at LA Police Gear ( http://www.lapolicegear.com/tabaoutbag.html )

Cheaper Than Dirt sells the same bag for $21.97, their normal price since at least June 2008. This bag has become my EDC for work and travel and my coworkers have figured out that it's the go to bag whenever something comes up. For the money, it's a very well built bag and its size fits my needs perfectly.

I picked up a Leatherman Kick at on clearance at WalMart a couple of weeks ago ($13). So, looks like we need to keep our eyes open at WalMart in the Leatherman area.

Here is a link to another bag at Cheaper Than Dirt that I have found works great. It is similar to one of the Maxpedition bags but at a fraction of the price.

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/MOLLE302-1.html

It isn't the same bailout bag. The Diplomat line is not on par with what Maratac produces. It isn't horrible, but I wouldn't trust it myself.

I've been on something of a Swiss Army Knife kick lately, and I've found a couple of deals that are interesting.

Amazon has the following on sale:

Victorinox Ranger: $13.30 + 5.22 shipping from one of their vendors, total price $18.52 out the door. They also have it through Amazon for $19.02. Those have to be the two lowest prices I've seen on the model. The Fieldmaster is $22.15, and has one less layer than the Ranger. (Ranger adds the metal saw/file and some more tools on the backspring.)Didn't get this one, b/c I have the Blast anyway, which adds the pliers, and has all locking tools. Still, a nice selection of tools for cheap here.

Victorinox Midnite Minichamp: $19.99, qualifies for their Super Saver shipping, as it's sold by Amazon. I was looking for a Midnite Manager for my keychain, but this is considerably cheaper, with lots more toys!

In general, Amazon has some great prices on SAKs. My next purchase will be a Farmer model, to slide into the AMK PSP I just ordered. I'll probably get that one after I recover from the wife's wrath for the knife spending. =P

I found a great price on the Victorinox Cadet at my local Target. They've got them for $17.18 in the store, and I think their site had them for $17.11. If they're in stock, they're pretty much the best price on them I've found. I snagged one in red and one in silver.

I'm one of those folks that laughs when I read reviews of SAKs that say stuff like "never go over two layers if you want to carry a SAK in your pocket," and carried a four layer Fieldmaster for years, with no discomfort. BUT...BUT...that little Alox Cadet is so seductive with its slender lines and feather weight. It's just very nice. Also a good little knife for dress occasions, since it stays very flat in the pocket. The Cadet and the Midnite Minichamp are going to be my new every day carry around town. (Plus my mini-grip after it gets back from Benchmade for a new spring.)

For those who like Spiderwire they have a $6 off rebate here:
http://www.spiderwire.com/media/File/07022509Spiderwire_6Coupon.pdf
Stern also has a $6 off rebate for their Sonic Braid here:
http://www.stren.com/media/File/07010009StrenSonic_6Coupon.pdf
There are some restrictions on both but check them out if you are interested.
Have a great day!

For those in Canada; Home Hardware has the Sawvivor Saw on-sale in this weeks flyer for $17.97 (that 40% off). I bought one yesterday and it looks like an interesting, compact unit.

Mike

The REI outlet online has the Potable Aqua Traveler water bottle system for $19.93 instead of the regular $59.99. It's a closeout but who cares. Even come with enough tablets for 25 treatments.

Dave

Well, I just purchased a two-pack of Brinkmann LED headlamps from Home Depot for $10 ($9.97 actually). It has one red and two white LEDs and comes with batteries. I just put one on and looked around outside with it; not too bad at all. It uses AAA batteries just like my Coast flashlight.

Standard Disclaimer

2 cents

Amazon has some nice prices on a variety of alox SAK's - and if you buy more then $50 worth through Amazon (not their vendors) you get $10 off.

But they are going fast - I got the last two pioneers, which were priced under $20. As Amazon says "more on the way!"

thanks for the tips - always appreciate great deals.

I buy a lot of stuff through surplus connections not available to the general public. Surplus doesn't always mean used. Although most of the time it is. But great deals. Last year, I bought a case of brand new Coleman stainless steel mess kits to give out to our hiking/camping kids. I have seen them retail for prices from $17 to $47. They were much less than retail. In fact, I still have a handful left.

If you guys want Swiss army knives, multi-tools, miscellaneous other knives and the like, I buy them from the TSA confiscated bin. Amazing how many there are and at great prices. So if you want to buy a used one in good condition, let me know and I can price it out for you. Some are in poor condition, but many are like new. The beauty is I get to look through the bin and only pick the ones I want. This week, I will be sending a couple dozen various knives and multi-tools to the Boy Scouts for their upcoming camp.

Sometimes, Amazon has great deals too. I just bought an Olympus STYLUS TOUGH-8000 camera for $329.99 (retail is $399.99) with free shipping. We have been taking the kids swimming so much lately, that I had to do it. Ever summer, I go through the same thing. When we used the disposable waterproof cameras, the use cost is high enough that buying the digital is justified. Plus then I won't feel like I have to hide my camera in the tent when we are camping and it rains.

Last tip, if you travel internationally and have an American Express platinum card, you can get a free companion ticket when booking business class or higher. So two can travel upgraded for close to the cost of two flying coach. And you get to use many of the airline lounges for free.

Usual disclaimers: I don't work for surplus place, Amazon nor American Express. I just use em.

+1

It seems to me that CTD may be selling seconds. Well, I know they do in some things because I've had to send products back that were missing key features but were otherwise from reliable manufacturers. Why would CTD just happen to have these seconds on hand?