Bad spending decisions!

[Aron Snyder]

After starting the "gear failure thread" I figured a POS gear thread was in order.

What is the worst high dollar piece of gear you've ever purchased?

I've been pretty lucky on this subject, but I have had some issues in the past...

Not sure if this counts, but I had a set of Danner Pronghorns that leaked like the Iraqi Navy!

Bought a Wolf Pack (thin it's called Bruiser Gear now) and I had to go back to school to figure out how it all worked....than I broke it!

Bought a set of Rivers West rain gear in 2004 and almost died of heat stroke the first time I used it....it did keep the water out

 

[Ryan Avery]

Not super High end but I dam near froze to death in a North Face Cat's Meow!!

 

[Backpack Hunter]

Sitka 45 backpack ranks up there as a not so good purchase for me.

Most of my gear failures though have been from the lower price point, and consequently lower reliability level though.

 

[luke moffat]

Badlands Sacrifice was pretty my worst gear purchase that comes to mind as of now. Dang thing could hardly carry 40 pounds before getting uncomfortable. Give me an osprey of the same weight and half the price and it'll get it done better than that.

 

[sk1]

badlands 2200.....i know packs are different for everyone, but for me it was unwearable....the most painful experience i have ever had with anymore than 15 to 20lbs in it

also irish setter boots i think called shadow stalker......the heel cup in the back rubbed my achilles tendon raw, i almost hiked out 3 miles in the snow in my socks. my achilles was not the same for almost TWO YEARS, and almost ruined an entire hunting season...finally better now

 

[2rocky]

Cabelas Trekker sleeping bag 0 degree, combined with an REI Minimalist bivy, INSIDE A WALL TENT...NOT good not good at all.

 

[dotman]

S4 Gear sidewinder fell apart half way thru the season.

 

[ScottR_EHJ]

Badlands 2800, stupid thing broke twice with just one elk quarter hauled each time.

 

[Nick Muche]

I am trying really hard to remember, surely there is something out there that I have been burned on...

Cuddeback trail cameras, piles "o" sh*t and the worst Customer Service in the world.

I have had 3 pairs of Danners... If the second and third pairs were not free I would have been happy never wearing another pair ever again. I was so excited for my first pair, went out of my way to waterproof them even more and sure as sh*t the first time I wore them in wet grass my entire foot was soaked!

I bought a BL 2200 last year on short notice and I can't tell you how much I really dislike this pack... Not only has a zipper broke, but so have two of the buckles.

Other than that, all the gear I purchase has been researched, tried and true... So I haven't left myself too much room for disappointment.

 

[RosinBag]

Badlands 4500 frame stays....POS plastic. This pack has fooled so many.
Also plenty of the Badlands buckles.

Sitka 45 Pack, good bag but POS suspension.

Nikon ED50, like looking through the bottom of a coke bottle. I know that so many like them and I can't figure out why. I am going to catch some $hit for this one.

The MSR Miox water system, never was reliable.

The first Steri Pens sucked.

I have used so many useless products.....I have dumped tons of $$$$ on $hit thinking it was good.

 

[Becca]

When Luke and I first started dating, I took it upon myself to purchase hiking boots without any recommendations aside from the sales guy at the sporting goods store (who likely worked on commission). I ended up way over paying for a pair of zamberlands that never did fit me at all. Thought I had them broken in (did I mention I didn't have a clue??) and off we go on what was supposed to be a 6 day backpacking trip. 8 hours in I had blisters the size of half dollars in the back of each foot...we stayed one night before bush whacking it back to a river and floating out. Reliable/comfortable boots are a must, and if they don't fit it doesn't matter how expensive they were...lesson learned!

 

[Yellowknife]

Bought a Minox spotter. Got the ED version with expensive LER eyepiece. I think retail was around $1300, although like most people I didn't pay that much for it.

First major outing was a fly out sheep hunt in the Alaska Range. It rained every day, and on the fourth day the eyepiece filled with water. Ever tried judging rams without a spotter? Not good. Not good AT ALL.

Minox replaced the eyepiece, but in the next few months I had issues with the eyepiece o-ring, the objective cover getting stuck in place, and the body unscrewing in the middle! Minox replaced it with a set of binoculars, which I promptly traded for a Zeiss Conquest 8x30's and Conquest 3-9x40, so that worked out... but no getting back the end of that sheep hunt.

Yk

 

[flatlander51]

I bought a pair off danners (forget which ones) from cabellas for my first hunt in the bitterroot wilderness and the soles about fell off after 7 days of hunting. So I just bought some keneytreks hopefully they hold up a little better!

 

[Drelk]

Rivers west. Stuff just does not breathe. Costs a fortune.

 

[thru-hunter]

A few things come to mind... We will start with one that would get me tossed out of one of the AK forums... I had no love for the Barneys Pinnacle pack after my first outing with it. It never was comfortable and I broke the darn waistbelt buckle 10 miles into the trip. Aside from the buckle I learned that I hate not having a lower access into the main bag.

Sitka mountain pants... blew into shreds less than 1/2 way into my first season with them. Warranty was good though and they replaced them with a set of ascent pants. I haven't really had the love for that stuff since then but have had no problems with the new set. I switched to a set of westcomb syncro pants that I picked up waiting for my sitka replacements and loved that style of technical pants since then. The Mountain Hardwear Ridgetop pants are similar as are the Mammut Champ pants though I have never seen Champs in my size.

Sporthill SP3 pants are the best cross-country ski pants I have ever owned... too bad I don't cross country ski! Folks were raving about them for sheep hunting and they cooked me on my first sheep hunt in them! They didn't dry out very well either like many said they would. I still have them and wear them under my snowmobiling gear but having $220 pants that are essentially used as long-johns under winter bibs is pretty darn silly!

 

[craitchky]

My wife's Prois Eliminator rain gear, not cheap, it didn't breath well, and soaked through in the first 2 hours of a 2 day rain last season. The Cabelas space gear saved her during that trip.

My Badlands 4500 puked out on my 2 weeks ago, just kind of folded up, and the hip belt no longer holds any weight. I have already had the pack in for warranty for almost all of the zipper pulls.

 

[a3dhunter]

Badlands Sacrifice was pretty my worst gear purchase that comes to mind as of now. Dang thing could hardly carry 40 pounds before getting uncomfortable. Give me an osprey of the same weight and half the price and it'll get it done better than that.

Same experience here.
Never even made it to hunting season, one scouting trip and I HATED that pack.
That experience led me to spend the money on a Kifaru, so it wasn't a total waste.

 

[Jeff Martin]

(3) Black Diamond head lamps - Pure junk !!

Danner Boots - not junk but a soft, flat land boot

Barney's Pack - Most overrated pack on earth. Anyone can tell by looking at the design of the belt, this will not hold up to the hype (I know I will get crap on this one) The design sucks and does not hold weight like my T2 and MR. They sewed a seem horizontally the entire belt and as result it folds up under weight like a cheap suit. Too much padding, can not get get belt tight....it flies in the face of every quality design out there- less padding to wrap around you (Kifaru, Mchale, Arcteryx)

For the records, the materials and frame is second to none. If they would fix the belt, it would be great. IMO, the belt is the engine of the pack....

 

[hunting1]

"Not super High end but I dam near froze to death in a North Face Cat's Meow!! "

+1 to that! Next would be a TC Encore and barrels. I guess they are better, but it was a bunch of money and 2" groups was the best I could do with any loads. Had way too many packs and bino holders that were sold.

 

[Gman]

I haven't made too many true bad spending decisions although some on this board know how quickly I can determine something unfit if it just doesn't go my way. I've lost more gear than anything else, but I'll second the Minox MD62 spotter. Everyone raved about it and I just wasn't a fan. Sold it and got something better. I also went through a few low end tripods before getting a carbon one. Anything that didn't pass muster usually goes right back to REI.