The Gear I’ll Never Use Again

[NRA4LIFE]

I have tried 3 or 4 different water blatter makes and all of them have failed in 1 or 2 seasons. Including a camel back and the original Badlands I got with one of my packs. I'm a little rough on gear though. One problem was them freezing, then they're toast. Water bladders and -15 don't jive. It's gatorade bottles for me now. Basically free and indestructible.

Danner boots-junk

 

[Tobe_B]

Too many blow ups on pack strings and dated too many horses girls... never again. I have learned my lessons lol

Imma be real honest. Sounds more like a female gear issue than a horse issue. Which I could definitely see the need to be swapping out a defective unit on that end.

 

[SydneyKing]

Tell me you don't live in an area with any kinds of thorny brush, without directly saying it...

But my pack sits on my back? Why would it be a risk of being punctured by thorny brush?

Are you walking backwards through it? Serious question

 

[RockAndSage]

But my pack sits on my back? Why would it be a risk of being punctured by thorny brush?

Are you walking backwards through it? Serious question

Not walking backwards, but definitely side-stepping, sitting down, putting the pack down, etc - it's not getting punctured walking trails. They get punctured or spring a leak somewhere when I'm actually hunting, over the course of a couple of days. Not every time, but often enough that the promise of their utility just doesn't meet the reality, over time. It's made other solutions the better options.

The key thing about it, is all it takes is one problem, and there goes your water supply, often before you even realize something's going on. On top of all that, I happen to be in the high desert of Nevada, so I'm particularly focused on hydration security as well. They're not worth it to me.

 

[Deli]

Durston X Mid 1. The weight is great and it works well enough on a large and perfectly flat camp but I’ve found it too temperamental pitching it in 90% of my locations.

What do you use instead? I have an xmid 2 and ran into the same issue. I'll keep it for camping with my kids, but need a different setup for backcountry hunting.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

Allen game bags. Pure garbage.

 

[Jack321]

What do you use instead? I have an xmid 2 and ran into the same issue. I'll keep it for camping with my kids, but need a different setup for backcountry hunting.

Following because I've been looking at an XMid2.

 

[Deli]

Following because I've been looking at an XMid2.

It's a brilliant shelter if you have dedicated campsites, flat areas, and open spaces. It's just a big footprint though for when you need to be in the timber or on the side of a steep mountain and if you don't get a tight pitch, it just doesn't set up great. This might just me my experience though since it's a very popular tent.

 

[SteveAndTheCrigBoys]

It's a brilliant shelter if you have dedicated campsites, flat areas, and open spaces. It's just a big footprint though for when you need to be in the timber or on the side of a steep mountain and if you don't get a tight pitch, it just doesn't set up great. This might just me my experience though since it's a very popular tent.

Eh, I've pitched the xmid1 in a few "body width and length wide" "flat" spots. It's a tricky given the different geometry between the inner and fly. Jack up the poles all the way, use the line tensioners and adjust stake geometries if needed to get a serviceable pitch.



But yeah, definitely larger footprint than an ultralight freestanding 1P. Second only to a bivy/tarp or a hammock (zero footprint??).

 

[Jswell]

What do you use instead? I have an xmid 2 and ran into the same issue. I'll keep it for camping with my kids, but need a different setup for backcountry hunting.

I went back to various tents depending on the place/season. Big Agnes Copper Spur or Slingfin Hotbox are my normal go to. I've used the Copper Spur in some pretty heavy winds and hail/snow storms and it's been surprisingly solid. For winter conditions, the Hotbox is great. They are a little heavier, but they ease of use and reliability are worth the trade-off.

 

[Jack321]

I went back to various tents depending on the place/season. Big Agnes Copper Spur or Slingfin Hotbox are my normal go to. I've used the Copper Spur in some pretty heavy winds and hail/snow storms and it's been surprisingly solid. For winter conditions, the Hotbox is great. They are a little heavier, but they ease of use and reliability are worth the trade-off.

So the Xmid2P is too big of a footprint, but the Copper Spur isnt?

(Not trying to be a d-bag, I'm legit asking.)

I'm interested in a Bivy sack vs tent. I liked the video the guys at Exo recommend for a bivy and I get it, BUT I can't get over the thought of it raining/snowing on you and having to deal with that all over as opposed to a tent.

Yeah, I know you can toss a tarp over the bivy, but to me, isnt that basically a reg tent then? Lol!

 

[Jswell]

So the Xmid2P is too big of a footprint, but the Copper Spur isnt?

(Not trying to be a d-bag, I'm legit asking.)

I'm interested in a Bivy sack vs tent. I liked the video the guys at Exo recommend for a bivy and I get it, BUT I can't get over the thought of it raining/snowing on you and having to deal with that all over as opposed to a tent.

Yeah, I know you can toss a tarp over the bivy, but to me, isnt that basically a reg tent then? Lol!

The footprint is similar on paper, but in use the Xmid requires more and better space. If you can't place stakes and are tying off to rocks or setup against a rock wall or place where you can't get the corners on the ground, I've found the pitch to be less than ideal and unstable with any kind of weather. It's blown over twice in the middle of the night on rocky ground, above treeline. In the same spots a UL freestanding tent has worked just fine, even if one of the vestibules is left unsecured or when wind gusts have flattened it to my face it's bounced right back.

I really want to like the Xmid and have taken it out repeatedly with high hopes, but have been disappointed almost every time. A tarp and bivy is a great lightweight setup.

 

[SydneyKing]

Not walking backwards, but definitely side-stepping, sitting down, putting the pack down, etc - it's not getting punctured walking trails. They get punctured or spring a leak somewhere when I'm actually hunting, over the course of a couple of days. Not every time, but often enough that the promise of their utility just doesn't meet the reality, over time. It's made other solutions the better options.

The key thing about it, is all it takes is one problem, and there goes your water supply, often before you even realize something's going on. On top of all that, I happen to be in the high desert of Nevada, so I'm particularly focused on hydration security as well. They're not worth it to me.

Yeah totally makes sense. If I’m car hunting I’m ok with a bladder, but only if the weather is on the cool side. And if I’m pack hunting then yes would never rely exclusively on a bladder for the reasons you mentioned

 

[Q_Sertorius]

Not walking backwards, but definitely side-stepping, sitting down, putting the pack down, etc - it's not getting punctured walking trails. They get punctured or spring a leak somewhere when I'm actually hunting, over the course of a couple of days. Not every time, but often enough that the promise of their utility just doesn't meet the reality, over time. It's made other solutions the better options.

The key thing about it, is all it takes is one problem, and there goes your water supply, often before you even realize something's going on. On top of all that, I happen to be in the high desert of Nevada, so I'm particularly focused on hydration security as well. They're not worth it to me.

Interesting. I used to go on multi-day forward observer training missions in the high desert at Twentynine Palms. I was paranoid about providing my own water supply, so, even if there was a water resupply available via helo, I brought enough and then some. For a three or four day mission, I had three camelback carriers on the outside of my main pack, two full bladders inside it, and another one in my assault pack (strapped on top of the main pack until I reached the OP) (1.5 gallons each). It sucked to carry it in, but I never had to affect the training by calling for more water.

And if I drove a truck out into the desert for a range recon or to check target array grids or whatever, I typically just put the main pack in the back of the truck in case I broke down.

I never had one leak or puncture through eight training cycles or on any of my hikes in the desert. Not saying it can’t happen, but I trusted my life to camelbacks. It kind of makes me sick to think that failures are common for some people.

 

[maxillathrilla]

A wood stock