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!