A definite self-confessed gear freak, I am always intrigued by the different costs involved in obtaining equipment. Some things can be improvised or recycled for nothing or next to nothing, while a high end product in the same category can cost a comparative arm and a leg. It is instructive to compare the different levels.

Here is an example of what I mean. Let's take Match Containers (for $800):

Cheap: recycled 35mm film container. No Cost - reasonably effective - might have to cut down some matches to fit. These are actually becoming a bit rare in the digital age.

Standard: Coghlan's Orange Plastic container. $2.00 or so. Be sure the lid is screwed on tight, but very effective.

Top End: Exotac Match Safe. $27. Nice design with some impressive features. Practically jewelry. A close competitor in cost is the K&M unit.

How about Water Bottles?

Cheap: Recycled Gatorade or equivalent sport drink bottles (one quart). No cost. Light and strong. About the only drawback is that the lid is separate and can be lost.

Standard: Nalgene container. $8 more or less. One liter capacity. Lid is attached, but bottle is heavy - also bombproof. Lots of alternatives in this general price range.

Top End: Exotac Titanium water bottle. $85 with titanium cap. 27 ounces capacity. Probably extremely tough. Probably a bit heavier than the Gatorade bottle. I don't have one for comparison.


So you can go into the field with matches and a water bottle, on one hand spending nothing and at the other end putting down over 110 dollars.

I will leave it to a braver soul than myself to discuss knives or firearms. What other categories can you describe and discuss?

Packs is another area that can be pretty cheap (goodwill or Wal-Mart pack for a few bucks) vs as much as you want to spend. I paid $125 for my Maxpedition Kodiak and that was a great price. A Duluth pack is what, close to $500?

Ditto for tents & shelters. You can spend $9 for a survival tube tent, $30 for a small two man on Amazon.com or simply buy a tarp. Or you can spend $600 or more on a VE-25 tent.

Without getting too deep into knives, there's quite a gulf between a $12 Mora and a $650 Busse. I'm a bit of a knife geek, although the only $300 knives I've ever had were kitchen knives. To me $125 isn't really all that bad for a good camping/bushcrafting blade. Although, to be honest, I'd hate to be without my $22 Mora Triflex.

Flashlights is one more area where gear fetishists can spend a lot of coin. I'm a big fan of lights; my collection ranges from $.50 near-disposable keychain LED's at the low end to my $139 SureFire E1B Backup at the high end. In between I have a number of good ones. Do you need to have a SureFire? Almost certainly not, but I'll never part with mine!

No knock on whatever you like to use, but I find reusing a Gatorade or soda bottle somewhat gross. Especially cola bottles- I can't seem to ever get the soda taste out of 'em. If you sniff the cap it seems like it always smells like cola, even months after. Powerade Zero bottles seem a little better but when I've tried to reuse them for hiking and camping I've found they tend to develop leaks. While I can't justify the $50+ cost of a titanium bottle I'm very fond of stainless steel. You can generally get a good stainless bottle for $10-15.

On the 35 mm film containers, possibly an even better use is a compact container for disposable medical gloves. You can just wedge a pair into a container and snap the lid on. And when you need a pair, they're there; and if another responder needs a pair, you can pull a container and toss it across a room at them. I keep several pair in a few 35 mm film containers in my go bag (also several pair more loosely packed and available). There is of course an issue with wedging nitrile things into small spaces for extended periods - they may age, develop cracks and rips. I think that's an issue with nitrile gloves in general imho. So use them within a reasonable time. When my gloves start to age, I'll use them while cutting chicken, making burger patties etc.

I do recommend grabbing some film containers before they go the way of the Dodo. A couple years back I stopped at nearby Omega Photo, and asked for some for our Scout Troop. They gave me a bag of about 100 and I still have at least half of them. But even pro photogs won't shoot 35 mm forever, and they'll get scarce eventually.

I'm not really surprised how expensive things can get - limited production runs and custom gear will always demand a premium.

I am often amazed at how cheap very decent stuff is getting! With the likes of some of the vendors listed below as well as direct-from-Asia purchases and micro-manufacturing (which allows very small shops to produce and distribute very high quality goods) I can now afford more gear and more custom gear than ever before!


http://www.dealextreme.com
http://www.rei.com/outlet

Ferro Rods
Dealextreme.com has ferro rods for about $4 that are just as good, or better, than my Light My Fire Sweedish Firesteel for about $16. You just have to wait about 20 days to get a product from Dealextreme.com. Exotac sells the NanoSTRIKER for about $27. The same-sized ferro rod, by itself, sells for $1 at Firesteel.com. So, if you appreciate the NanoSTRIKER design, then realize that you must pay an extra $26 for the design over the ferro rod, which is worth about $1.

Here's how I do things. I test my gear. I put it through the ringer. I want to test the exact same make and model of gear that will be carried with me. For example, I don't want to buy an inexpensive ferro rod only to carry an expensive NanoSTRIKER. No, I want to test a NanoSTRIKER if I'm going to carry a NanoSTRIKER. So, I typically buy at least 2 or 3 quantities of the same product. One item is my beater. Thus, even though I want a NanoSTRIKER, it makes no practical sense for me to buy one.

My Coghlan match case is what travels with me; my Exotac match safe is a shelf queen.

This is one of the best deals for a firesteel I have found: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.36082 It sparks extremely well for me with the included striker and even better with the stainless steel type that firesteel.com sells.

My first tent purchase many years ago cost me around $75 (really only suited to low level 1 or 2 season spec), yet only the other day I saw a higher spec tent at my local Tesco's on sale for $5!!



http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.200-0497.aspx

Ok it might have glass fiber poles and steel pegs (easily replaced to save weight) and the tent only suitable for low level 2-3 seasons) but it was only $5.00.

Some gear is overpriced though for little gain in performance. Take for example the Thermarest Neoair sleeping mat. Spending almost $150 to shave off possibly 100-150 grams over something like a $60 Multimat Adventure Superlite 25 just isn't worth it IMHO. But some folks will always want the latest and the newest and the lightest.

Which leads on to the question - what is the worst bit of kit i.e. the most disappointing useless overpriced piece of c**ppy kit you have had the misfortune to purchase?

i.e. I cannot understand for example why anyone would drop nearly $30 for a Maglite AA with incandescent bulb.

http://www.surplusandadventure.com/shop/...-or-301070.html

I have tried different pouches for holding slingshot ammo on my belt. You want something you can close up tightly, so nothing gets in or out, but when open it does not sag closed (so you can get your hand in there easily). Ideally, you want a flap that will cover the opening that does not get in the way of your hand going in, but still prevents the ammo from bouncing out when the pouch in is the "open" position.

You can pay upwards of $20 for something like this, that still doesn't work perfectly. Or, you can spend $2 on a surplus "Swiss Oilcan Pouch" from WWII. After I washed the war smell and grunge off the canvas pouch, it filled my needs perfectly. (The expensive alternatives for such a slingshot ammo pouch are small rock climbing chalk bags or doggie treat bags.) I'm going to order more of these WWII pouches. The are useful for holding many things easily accessible on your belt. Maybe a bunch of loose .22LR ammo for a hike/shoot in the woods - things like that.

http://www.gunpartscorp.com/catalog/Detail.aspx?pid=102920&filter=102920&catid=0

If you can't tie knots well, you can get caught up buying various contraptions to replace knots. Plus, that's just more gear to carry.

This reminds me of my basketball days in high school and college. There were kids who had rich parents and had the most expensive clothing, shoes, etc. Many of these kids couldn't play worth a lick. I discovered that conditioning and practicing were the keys, and those are two things you can't buy.

If 35 mm canisters are too short for some matches , try M&M minis conatainer. Its just like a double depth 35 mm canister.

http://www.bookofjoe.com/images/iuygig.jpg

Regarding cost, I shamelessly admit being miser in the gear department, especially if safety is not a real issue. Most my bags, flashlights and even multitools are lookalikes that cost anywhere from 5-15 US dollars. Not more.

I am in the Middle East, mind you. We do have a few Leathermans and the like, but I think they are overengineered for guys like me... They are more suited for survival situations. I have been carrying/using off brands for years now and have no complaints. However, if I was to be sent to the arctic or Sahara, I would keep mine as a backup and buy a Leatheramn Wave.

Living and working in city environment, you really don't need all that ex$$$pensive gear.
And, yes, I believe soem folks are paying way too much for their gear. But as a hobby, to each their own and everyine is free to spend their money the way they like.

This reminds me of some midget bars and tiny knives i have made of some scraps of metal around the work and home. They do not look fancy but they work

Just my 2 cents.

The M&M containers are pretty handy.

The plastic on the M&M is thiner then the 35mm film container and I think it may be the type that becomes brittle in cold environments but very useful.

There's also a very wide spread between the cheapest car and the most expensive.

All will probably get you where you want to go, just with different levels of amenities and prestige.

More expensive does not always equate to more reliable -- in survival gear or cars.

I'm illustrative of both ends of the survival gear cost spectrum. Preparedness has become a hobby and some of the gear categories have resulted in collecting (Bark River knives and Gransfors Bruks axes, for example).

What I really get a kick out of is finding that I already had in my house something that also has great preparedness utility.

i.e. I cannot understand for example why anyone would drop nearly $30 for a Maglite AA with incandescent bulb.

http://www.surplusandadventure.com/shop/...-or-301070.html


I like the Maglites but that is pretty steep! Looks like you are paying dearly for the presentation tin and the nice 'gift' aspect. I can buy these with a belt sheath all day for less than $10.

I suppose I have the luxury of not worry much about the cost of a product. I'll spend more money if it works. My primary concern is that it works for me (YMMV) and it can be easily replaced when I use it up in training or reality on short notice, like within a couple hours.

When researching a product I am especially concerned about replacement cost and location. It is for this reason I buy off the shelf. Only online if I have handled the product and the price is unbeatable.

I do not abide by having 1 item for show and 1 for go.

This topic is absolutely fascinating. I love the process of finding the optimum piece of gear for the job. When possible, I prefer low-tech, no-nonsense simple things - the KISS principle in practice. More often than not, those things are relatively inexpensive, but there are exceptions. But with some gear you really need the functionality of the high-tech alternative. The process of needing to switch between those two is fascinating...


There are plenty of examples of exactly my kind of no-nonsense gear in the "emergency cooking set" thread: Emergency cooking show and tell. My personal plan is pairing the Tatonka stand plus some wind screen (both very low tech) with my trangia gas burner (high tech).


I love that Einstein quote about making things as simple and as possible - but not simpler, and apply it whenever I can.


I stick to reusing "bottled water" bottles for my water bottle needs. PET bottles are virtually indestructible, but your local water bottle may not be as strong as the ones sold locally around here (required by law to be reusable - much stronger than the disposable variety). I avoid soda bottles, too much hassle to clean them. Besides, I don't drink soda. When they get ugly I can recycle them.


Knives? Oh, I love handmade knives - pieces of art. And I love high end factory knives. But what I use (for the time being) is mora knives. Cheap and functional. Somewhere out there the most beautiful knife in the world with just the perfect set of features is waiting for me - but I haven't got the time to go on a quest to find it, and I don't have that kind of money right now to indulge myself with excesses in sharp steel. Mora's are cheap and functional, and I'm quite happy with them.


The anorak-equivalent/outer shell layer jacket or whatever you call it is one piece where I'll never go cheap. I want a hood that works and zippers that don't break and leak as little as possible. The garment must not impede movement in any way, and as the concept "breathable" does not go very well along with "waterproof" there must be ample ventilation. (Exception for cold and dry conditions, where a well-breathing wind proof cotton anorak excels - but waterproof is better for me 95% of the time). I want pockets for my gloves, hat and buff, as well as room for equipment like my PSK, GPS and the like. Did I mention that I need to operate every single draw string and zipper with thick mittens? In my experience, the sum of these requirements is NOT cheap, and I'll gladly pay what it costs. The next time I'm in a blizzard I'll be glad I did.


Tents for high arctic winter conditions have similar high requirements and price tags. Those are worth every penny. Tents for the summer... Unless you have very strict size, weight or functionality requirements you'll be quite happy with most of the dozens and dozens of reasonably priced tents.


I've had the pleasure of spending a few years in high arctic conditions (Spitsbergen), and I can tell you that environment really causes you to focus on gear that works - no matter the price tag. Listening to the good advice of the ETS community is a much needed and healthy correction to my "must-have-the-best" impulse. Sometimes, cheap IS better and more functional. KISS principle again.

Flashlights
Here's a category where I'll spend. I've tested out cheap flashlights to the point that I've spent more money, time and energy than if I had just spent some money to start. If I want a good flashlight, then the cheapest I'll go is Fenix. They're rugged enough for my purposes and have not failed me in adverse conditions.

Knives
I have found that the knives that have the mystery metal from China won't work as well as the knives that you clearly know what the metal is. For my purposes, a knife that has good bang for the buck is a Becker BK2 for about $60. I needed a solid workhorse, and this knife fit the bill. It did require some modifications to please me though. I will spend upwards of $200 for a fixed blade, but not much more than that. I don't want to feel squeamish about actually using my knife, and I want it to be replaceable. I refuse to spend more than about $80 for a folder.

If I could afford a Berkey Water filter,I would be the proud owner of one or Two,Instead I have a Sweetwater system,with Many other less costly Alternatives!If I could afford a Rolls-Royce,I'd have a house in Malibu,to Go with it,Instead I have a Toyota Truck,& A Home in Los Angeles!Use what you have or Can afford to Have! YMMV

My wife and I camp at Burning Man for a week every year, and we camp irregularly in Death Valley over Thanksgiving. Our gear gets seriously abused at Burning Man with temperatures, sun, and alkaline playa powder. Rubber especially takes a hit from the combination of sun and powder.

It's been my experience that some expensive things don't last any longer than cheap crap, especially where rubber is involved: O-rings and hoses. I've given up on expensive camp stoves because replacement parts are hard to get, are expensive, and shipping costs as much or more as the part. I can get cheap Chinese stoves as cheaply as, say, Coleman stoves with having to replace rubber parts every few years. When the cheap stove fails, I just toss it and get my backup stove out. I hate to have to throw the whole thing away, but not as much as I hate paying more for replacement parts than for a whole new stove. (As far as I can find, cheap stoves are sold as is and have no replacement parts available anywhere.)

Camelback-style backpacks for water fail at the O-rings after one year, maybe two. It's easy enough to replace those from the hardware store plus carrying a replacement. I haven't found that cheap copies are less durable than expensive ones (well, my wife bought a child's water backpack because it had a look she liked - it failed quickly, but you expect that).*

Tents are another issue. We buy expensive tents, and they last for years. We've bought the artificial fabric tents with flys and wash them in the tub after we get home, then dry them out. Lube the zippers with dry lubes of various kinds. Eventually, though, the fabric gets frail from sun, powder, and stress from high winds, and it parts at various seams, generally at stake points. Cheap tents tend to fail in the winds. My preference is to have good tents, because I expect them to fail at dark:30 in the middle of the night in high winds when I can't take the tent down and put up another one.

It gets to be a judgment call on whether you want to pay high price for premium goods or buy cheap stuff and lots of it for back ups. (We always have backups, though - even for expensive tents.) Some stuff we choose to buy lots of cheap items, some we choose to buy a couple of expensive things. People disagree on different items, and I always learn from listening to those that have different judgments from mine.

*Water bottles don't hold enough water. My current waterpack is 3 liters, and I drink it all in a morning, and much of in in the afternoon. I used to do shifts flagging on the highway after the event, 6 hours from 11:00 am so it was the heat of the day. I'd bring my 3-liter pack and a 2-liter pack and have consumed all the water by the end of the shift.

Here's a thought -

It's not the gear, it's the user.

Know how to use what you have, know its limitations and you are good to go.

O-rings

Save lots of money by replacing O-rings instead of replacing entire items, like flashlights. This place has replacement O-rings for bargain prices:
http://www.oringsusa.com/catalog/.

I order for different gear at one time so that the shipping cost works in my favor. I admit that it took me a few weeks of trial and error before I figured out how to size O-rings accurately enough for my gear. Also, here's a good summary about materials:
http://www.marcorubber.com/materialguide.htm

Lubricate your O-rings to make them last longer and to keep their water resistance. I use a silicone grease.

The curve for utility for dollars spent starts out quite steep but levels off quickly. A $4 backpack, pillow case and scrap line, is cheap but a big advance over not having anything. The difference between a $100 and $200 pack is small. The functional difference between a $1000 and a $1200 pack often imaginary.

There is also the happy trend that the general level of quality is pretty good and getting better. The steel in discount store knives has progressively gotten better. High quality steel, particularly stainless steels, has gotten cheaper.

ireckon makes a good point that replacing O-rings is a good way to save money. The easiest place to get the silicone grease he mentions is to go to the plumbing department of any hardware store and buy a tiny pot of "plumber's grease". This usually comes in a tiny plastic jar, about an ounce I guess, that is about as big around as a silver dollar. Sells for less than a dollar. One ounce is pretty much a lifetime supply because you just need a dab. I always lose the tiny container before I use it up.

> to go to the plumbing department of any hardware store and buy a tiny
> pot of "plumber's grease".

That's what I'm using, but mine is in a tube. Exercise some care that you don't have any sand, grit,or other stuff on the o-ring after you've greased it. It's easy to pick up a small crumb if you're doing it on the kitchen table (greasing your o-ring, I mean).