2025 Gear victim thread

[NealMustard]

We're all breaking, replacing, and tinkering with our gear all of the time. What failed in the field for you this year? This doesn't have to be limited to the hunting season (although I break more gear in August/september than the rest of the months combined.

I'd prefer if people stuck to an answer format like the following.

Item:
Did the company warranty the item:
Would you pay MSRP for it again:
Other/Explanation:




Item: Goal Zero flip 36 battery bank
Did the company warranty the item: No, Wouldn't even consider it.
Would you pay MSRP for it again: No
Other/Explanation: This was the second goal zero battery bank that I had fail. I don't think it's water damage since I keep my battery banks in a water tight bag while in the field.

Item: Black Diamond Distance Z poles
Did the company warranty the item: No, they said it was wear and tear
Would you pay MSRP for it again: Yes
Other/Explanation: I absolutely love running poles for hunting, but at this point I think I've sworn off Black Diamond as a company. After a year of summer/fall use one of my two poles failed in multiple ways, while the other is still holding up just fine. They gave me 30% off coupon code to buy a new set of poles. I'll likely just swap to LEKI poles.

Item: Stone Glacier SQ2 Gaiters
Did the company warranty the item: Yes
Would you pay MSRP for it again: Yes
Other/Explanation: I'm not terribly picky when it comes to gaiters. I think most gaiters would've failed with what I put them through.

Item: Stone Glacier Grumman down jacket
Did the company warranty the item: Yes
Would you pay MSRP for it again: Yes
Other/Explanation: After years of abuse the down finally got to a point where it wouldnt hold loft after a couple days in the field. it outlasted my other puffys and saw significantly more abuse due to being my only good insulated jacket.

 

[bigunit]

Had a couple spypoint lm2 cell cams that quit working. They sent me upgraded replacements so I can't complain.

 

[Wheels]

Vortex Ranger 1500 rangefinder quit working on the 2nd day of my elk hunt. Had to drive 2 hours to town and buy a new rangefinder. Sent it in for warranty work when I got home.

 

[Machingeaneer]

Item: Redwing 8" Moc Toe Boots
Did the company warranty the item: They probably won't and I don't think I'll try
Would you pay MSRP for it again: Yes
Other/Explanation: I've had these for over 6 years, I've already worn the soles off them once and had them resoled/ reconditioned. I found out during a thunderstorm on opening day that they are not as waterproof as they once were. Then I walked in them a whole bunch after that in various states of dampness and tore up the insides pretty badly which gave me blisters. Lots of moleskin and duct tape got me to the end of the week.

 

[JohnJohnson]

Item: Nightforce 7-35x56 zero-stop clutch (new scope too)

Did the company warranty the item: The turnaround time wouldn't be quick enough for me to have it back before my coues hunt in 5 weeks so I will be sending it in after that's done. They said they'll fix it up.

Would you pay MSRP for it again: I didn't pay MSRP for it to start with but I'd get it again (from my limited usage of it so far)

Other/Explanation: Basically the first time I went to set the zero-stop, it bound up badly to the point it's unusable. After talking with the guys at NF (who were very helpful) they determined that it's something they will have to fix. It was nothing I did, they said it's likely the internal threads for the zero-stop clutch were galled from the start and that I couldn't have broken anything.

 

[Reburn]

Item: Hillsound BTR 17" Stool
Did the company warranty the item: NO
Would you pay MSRP for it again: NO
Other/Explanation: Broke the second time I sat on it. By far the junkiest stool I have used / not gotten to use. The company could still warranty it but I take the no response in 10 days to their own warranty request form meaning pound sand.

 

[RWT]

Item: Kuiu pro brush pants
Did the company warranty the item: haven’t tried yet and doubt they will
Would you pay MSRP for it again: No
Other : I did a review of these in the clothing section. Basically couldn’t walk through a sunflower field dove hunting without the thorns penetrating the fabric and sticking in my legs. Total joke and all marketing hype by man bun wearing wanna be backpackers.

 

[BBob]

Item: Hillsound BTR 17" Stool
Did the company warranty the item: NO
Would you pay MSRP for it again: NO
Other/Explanation: Broke the second time I sat on it. By far the junkiest stool I have used / not gotten to use. The company could still warranty it but I take the no response in 10 days to their own warranty request form meaning pound sand.

You are far from the only one. I've been lucky, I'm light and I don't use it much.
What broke? The pivot nut thing in the middle that holds the legs together?

 

[Reburn]

Item: Kuiu pro brush pants
Did the company warranty the item: haven’t tried yet and doubt they will
Would you pay MSRP for it again: No
Other : I did a review of these in the clothing section. Basically couldn’t walk through a sunflower field dove hunting without the thorns penetrating the fabric and sticking in my legs. Total joke and all marketing hype by man bun wearing wanna be backpackers.

mother trucker.
I just bought a pair.

 

[Reburn]

You are far from the only one. I've been lucky, I'm light and I don't use it much.
What broke? The pivot nut thing in the middle that holds the legs together?

It was one of the pins that holds the seat on. I never took the seat off but then I read the instructions about twisting the pins and I twisted that pin 90 degrees 4 different times and it never stuck. Ground hurt when I toppled off the stool.

 

[AKmatt]

Item: Crispi Briksdal SF
Did the company warranty the item: Nope
Would you pay MSRP for it again: Yes
Other/Explanation: A really rocky sheep hunt, with a lot of miles and side hilling. The rubber rand on the outside of the left boot separated from the leather

Item: Therm-a-rest neoair xlite
Did the company warranty the item: Patched in the field, have not reached out
Would you pay MSRP for it again: Maybe....
Other/Explanation: Not sure what happened with this one. Worked great on my last night of a goat hunt and then on the first night of a moose hunt, 1 week later, there was a hole. It looked like a zipper tore a hole. Should've took them time to patch it that night instead of waiting till morning....was a long, cold, night sleeping on the ground.

Item: XLR carbon cheek rest
Did the company warranty the item: No, had to pay for another
Would you pay MSRP for it again: Yes
Other/Explanation: Took a nasty fall on a goat hunt and broke the carbon cheek rest. It still function fine, I just had to throw some electrical take over the carbon fiber splinters. I say id buy it again, but for something like that to happened again is unlikely.

 

[Grassymike]

Item, MSR Pocket Rocket Deluze. On day 4 of a 9 day Sheep hunt pulled it out at supper and the burner was in pieces. Reassembled and it sort of worked but I missed one screen. When I got home checked warranty and decided to just fix it myself. Got it all together properly and it works as new. I purchased this on sale for half price and I would pay that again but not full retail.

 

[twall13]

Great thread idea. Here's the two that are fresh on my mind. I'll post more if anything else comes to mind.

Item: Blackovis Pack Rain Cover
Did they Warranty it: Didn't try
Would I pay MSRP Again: No
Other/explanation: I took it on an AK moose hunt as an additional layer of protection on an Exo pack where I had Exo's dry bag liner as well. The thing was a pain in the butt, snagged on brush, pooled water and ended up wripping in several places. After a few days of use I gave up on it and just let the outer pack be wet and was much happier. I'm with Exo on this one, those things are worthless.

Item: Sig Kilo 4k
Did Sig Warranty it: Yes
Would I pay MSRP for it again: No
Other/explanation: From the beginning that thing chewed through batteries. 3-4 batteries per year no matter if I was using it or it was sitting. Every time I pulled it out the battery was dead. Not sure if it was the cause but the image stabilization drove me nuts as I could hear it trying to work even after I put the rangefinder back in the pouch. Sig offered an upgrade replacement where I paid the difference in MSRP to upgrade to the Kilo 5k and I've been much happier with that so far. If it starts having battery issues I might be done with Sig rangefinders though I've been pretty happy with their performance for my uses overall.

Sent from my Pixel 9 Pro using Tapatalk