$1.00 store- batteries, 1st stuff, meds, notebooks.
Thrift stores- bookpacks (right before school starts is a good time), clothes from BDU's to fleece to hats.
Dave

Just be very careful with the HF and odd/big lots stuff, sometimes you may think your saving $ but end up wasting more. I;m not saying you have to buy the most expensive gear out there but I have bought the cheap stuff too and don't have any of it left anymore. I bought a cheap multi tool and had it break on the first use, cheap (and not so cheap) flashlights and had them fall apart, cheap tools that wore out or broke in just one of a few uses. My inlaws are very into the biglots shopping so after I first got married we went there with them since we needed stuff. Bought tools, gear, household stuff and had to rebuy it all in a very short time so it ended up costing us more to rebuy all that stuff. There is a certian point where its better to not have a tool/gear than it is to buy something that won't work because the cheap (ir even expensive) piece of gear that doesn't perform its task gives a false sense of security (much like the TSA <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> ). A good example would be the coin cell LED flashlights I have bought at $5.99, $7.99 and $19.99 to replace the old maglite I carried for years. I don't have any of those coin cell lights so the $34 I paid for them just went down the drain but still have the old mag solitaire and it still works and still has its original spare bulb in the base. I paid $9.99 for it 10 years ago and they are now about $7, I'd recommend buying one of them before a cheap coin cell LED light. There is a line beteen good gear for not a lot of dough and bad gear for not a lot of dough, you have to know your gear in order to distinguish them. I'm not trying to say JoeBob is wrong but if your not an expert at telling the difference between the good and bad then stay away from the HF and biglots because you will get burned. If you are good with gear and can spot the crap and/or know you will only use something once then those places can save you a little bit of $. Last tool I bought from HF was a U joint press, the quality tool was $99, HF's was $39.99 so up front I saved $60 but knew I wasn't going to use the tool ever again because I reaplced the OEM U joints with aftermarket ones held in by c clips so I wouldn't need a press to change them again. That Cheap U joint press bent and stripped half the threads by the time I had replaced both U joints so I can't use it ever again. Same happened with the chinese multitool I bought for half the price of a leatherman, tried to cut barbed wire and it broke, so that $30 went in the trash so instead of spending $60 on a leatherman, I spent $90 on a leatherman and cheap tool but on;y have the leatherman. I have lost count at how many wrenches, sockets, etc I had to throw away because I was getting a deal or they were a gift but don't have any of them anymore.
I recommend Mag lite over coin cell led lights, slightly bigger but will last.
Shop the clearance bins of Sears or Lowes or Home depot, they usually sell better quality stuff than cheap chinese stuff (though a lot is starting to show up) but you can find discontinued items or returned items. I bought my camping grill because it was discontinued, bought most of my tools when sears discontinued that particular kit, so if you have patience you can get good deals.

Hey any one seen my roll of duct tape I seem to be missing a partial roll?? Bet someone swiped some of my soda straws to wrap the tape around as well!! <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

Several of the posts on this thread have hinted at the difference between cheap and inexpensive. My Mora knives are inexpensive but are made out of quality materials and thus are not cheap. Some knock off china tool no matter the price is cheap rather than inexpensive. This is an old story for me since I have a champagne taste but only a beer pocket book. The one thing that I think needs to be stressed is that the cheap knife that folds up on your hand or the tool that breaks under pressure pinching or crushing what ever part of your anatomy happens to be in the way is expensive to you in damaged body parts and emergency room visits. Buying this type of equipment makes you penny-smart but pound-foolish in that you pay a lot higher price in the end. You can get inexpensive stuff at HF and Northern but it would be wise to stick to the well made stuff that has a good price on it not the cheap throw away stuff that will hurt you.

Alternate question: Where have you found handy, dandy useful gear at a good price where you didn't expect to?

A: The grocery store and chain drug store. Many grocery stores and drug stores carry seasonal items, often at not so great prices. But, at the end of the season they try to clear it out as fast as possible. For examples, I have got great deals on light sticks by digging through the after Halloween stuff. After Christmas, the overpriced food gift boxes go on sale. Last year I caught some half pound beef sticks for a buck each that made great camping food. Just be sure to check the expriation dates. End of summer is a good time to watch for things like coolers, water bottles, outdoor cooking equipment ...

B. X-mart stores. Usually after fishing, hunting, whatever season is a good time to check clearance bins a the big box stores. Last winter I got a Gerber Multi-tool for $11 in the after holiday clearance. This weekend I picked up a box of 24 12-guage 3 inch Mags for $4. Yes, 24. One shell was missing and the "broken" box of shells wound up on the clearance shelf.

C. Mall department stores discount racks at the end of season. You can get some great deals on name brand windbreakers, fleece jackets, and such at the end of winter, especially if you are not too particular about color or style.

The trick is to watch out for gear when you are not really shopping for gear.

My local wal-mart saves the film canisters. I go there and just ask they charge me nothing and are almost seem releaved that someone wants them.

Yes, I have gotten film containers from WalMart, also, to use in Cub Scout activities. The last time I went in, I asked for 25. The lady at the desk went in the back and returned with a bag of over 100. When I said that was really more than I needed, she said please take them, they pile up faster than they can get rid of them.

I get inexpensive good stuff buy having the funds to buy it on hand at all times. What I mean is I check the bargain and discount bens often and just wait for that great deal. I check Big 5, Wal-mart, OSH, Home depot, Target, etc... as often as possible with available cash to get the good stuff cheap before it is too late. My best buy was a LM micra for $10 no tax.

The NRA Survival Tool Kit is another no-brainer:

http://www.nrastore.com/nra/products.aspx?cat=search&SearchText=tool

About $40-$50 worth of quality gear for $12.95. I bought 10 for gifts the last time they were on sale.

Regards, Vince

I wore out that damn Smith's sharpener in less than 6 months. Really disappointing.

Here's for you. I needed a large heavy knife for one of my kits, but didn't want to havean expensive knife languishing in a bag largely unused. I bought a Cold Steel throwing knife on sale for $20.00. It is 1/4" "carbon V" steel, which I think is their proprietary version of 1095, 12" overall, 6" edge. I took it home and put a good convex edge on it (if you don't know how to convex knifes, learn) A total of about 3 hours work, but well worth it. It's just a big bar of really sharp indestructable steel, no elegance to it.

A amn after my own heart. The maintenance and security folks here at my condo love me, and give me all sorts of supplies because I do a lot myself and save them the trouble.

Looka round for construction sites and talk to the hefe. Example: scrap tyvek sheeting makes great ground cloth material.