UKC

Ok done moaning, what's the bit of gear you bought with the least expectations that punches way above it's weight.

For me it's my Trekmates Polar Wind top.

Bought from one of those end-of-line on-line catalogue shops that seem to specialise in ned (chav?) gear, years ago. I'd never heard of Trekmates but was worth every one of the £11 or so it cost. It's like a wee temperature tardis, comfortable anywhere between roasting and freezing. First one was nicked, when out on the bike, by some low-down sneaky Rhodies, even opened my rucksack to get it.

Got another, god knows how old, for £6 on ebay just as good as the first. Don't seem to make them any-more (for years) but I want another for when this one breaks.

In reply to Hyphin:

Aldi £15 soft shell jacket

In reply to Hyphin:

Bloody hell. I know Rhododendrons can be pretty invasive, but I had no idea they were capable of that!

I'm with Blue - various bits of Aldi and/or Lidl kit from the aisle of wonder. But let me be the first to nominate the Alpkit Gamma.

In reply to Hyphin:

Plastic coke bottles.

In reply to Hyphin:

Aldi merino.
Duct tape.
Pencils & paper.
Cordura roll top drybags (No idea what brand, found in coop, weigh nothing, very durable, work brilliantly, cost a fiver)

In reply to Hyphin:

As coke bottles have been claimed I'm going for zip lock type freezer bags. Essential backpacking gear!

In reply to Hyphin:

Climbing tape.

Does everything

In reply to Hyphin:

Thinsulate gloves and beanies.

In reply to Hyphin:

Home made plastic bag screamers. Between free and about 20p?

In reply to Hyphin:

I got a bit fed up with trashing my expensive 5.10 approachers on sharp Kalymnos limestone, so I bought a cheap (£19:95) 'own-brand' pair from Go Outdoors. I was amazed to get 3 years continuous use out of them before they fell apart,


Chris

In reply to Hyphin:

Montane Featherlite top.

Everything I own from Decathlon - 'powerstretch' running tights, base layer tops, synthetic shirts, softshell/leather gloves, socks, cycling shorts.....

Home-made ice-screw clipper - from two old krabs, some coathanger wire and araldite.
Home-made ice-screw winder - a bit of fencing wire and bit of plastic tubing

In reply to nniff:

Decathlon zips always break on me. Perhaps I'm rough on gear?

In reply to Hyphin:

My Hilleberg Akto and La Sportiva Nepal Extremes.

In reply to Hyphin:

Strictly speaking, I was given it (as a present from my kids), but the wild country nut key on a leash http://www.rockrun.com/deals/miscellaneous/wild-country-pro-key-with-leash is so much better than any other I've owned.

In reply to GrahamD:


Indeed. Virtually unbreakable.
Much better than Siggs for water, and 1 litre size is perfect fit for ice axe head (slot in side, pick goes into screw top; adze into base; prevents the axe ripping your other kit up when packed inside bags). That's my very bestest top tip, that is.

In reply to Blue Straggler:


Is that the black one with the orange trim? They have those in the Aldi near me at the moment, nearly bought one. If that is theone you are on about them I'll be down there tomoz to get one.

In reply to Removed User:

Black and red. Really they are £25, they used to be £30, my £15 was a half price clearout so I've bent the rules a bit. But at £25 - £30 they are still great value. My first one saw me through all sorts of conditions, rock climbing (including rough offwidths), winter mountaineering, or just "everyday". The main zip has become finicky but it lasted 3 years. I bought another one when they went on sale again, because getting the zip replaced was going to be £19! Still got the old one and might try to replace zip myself if I get time. The main body of the jacket is still intact despite lots of gritstone abrasion etc.

In reply to Hyphin:

My phone case, bought it from a lifeboat station, Just as good as an Aquapack or similar, although slightly bigger so can actually fit a modern smartphone in it. Touchscreen works through it too, and it was only a fiver, and it's for a good cause! Available from lifeboat station shops, or online: http://www.rnlishop.org.uk/rnli-favourites/shop-by-price/under-10/info/wate...

In reply to Babika:


Do you mean insulation tape for marking gear

Or micro-pore finger rape?

In reply to RichardP:


Oooerrr missis!!

In reply to John Ww:
Hmmm

Finger tape honest

(But it depend how you hold hands)

In reply to Hyphin:

GrahamD - Plastic coke bottles.
Darren Jackson - My Hilleberg Akto and La Sportiva Nepal Extremes.

I can see where Graham's going with the coke bottles...not sure nearly a grands worth of kit counts as "cheap as chips but works"!

My vote goes to an ancient berghaus rucksack* bought in a charity shop for £5. Great fit, really robust, perfect size for winter, perfect size for cragging and despite being skeptical about the weird buckle I'm now sold on it. Looked like it had been through the wars when I got it and it's still going strong after 3 years of me abusing it.

* before they became another junk bag manufacturer)

In reply to Babika:



Fixed that for you

In reply to Snot:

Plastic bag screamers? You are either mad or a genius (or joking). How does it work?

And everybody else who read the thread thought it was normal? :P

In reply to JHC:

That's what caught my eye as well! As in, the ripstop quickdraws?!

In reply to JHC:

A very long quickdraw with a shorter sling made from a plastic carrier bag (I prefer orange ones if possible). Fall on micro wire, bag stretches until sling takes weight, wire hopefully holds!

Not tested 'in anger' but at least offers some peace of mind that the rubbish gear might hold.

In reply to Snot:

I suppose one could use a bungee cord?

In reply to Hyphin:

An Arran pattern wooly jumper, Knitted by my Nana... I provided the requisite number of balls of the specifed type of wool and some kind of special grandmother magic later I had a jumper...

It's been an erstwhile and hardy midlayer for climbing, walking and even kayaking (it was -12 and blowing a hoolie, so under the drysuit it went)... The deep polo-neck collar acts as a neck gaiter if needs be, and the whole thing is exceptionally warm for its weight, doesn't seem to absorb too much water, is increadibly breathable and generally outperforms every other insulating garment I own (even the pack size is pretty decent).

Only downside is I have to hand wash, lay out and slowly dry it once in a while to get it to shrink back to the original shape without shrinking too much.

In reply to JHC:


http://www.kakibusok.plus.com/Equipment/CTDQ1/CTDQ1.htm


In reply to Timmd:


http://www.kakibusok.plus.com/Equipment/CTDQ2/CTDQ2.htm

In reply to Hyphin:

Sheewee; though not me personally, I appreciate its use, especially with a piss bottle* on cold bad weather camps.

*Take 6 inch piece of wine-making tube, make a pointy end with scissors to put in sheewee end and put other end into the pouring cap of a Vapur water bag/bottle top, and you have the best and safest middle of the night relief-procuring device ever invented. Get that catheter joy without the pain and frustration of waiting/freezing/getting soaked.

Jon

In reply to Hyphin:
Got this one from the crag station, use short pieces of hose pipe as ice axe protectors. So much better than the pipe insulation I was using. Not least because it is so light, fit so well and are low in bulk and weight that leaving then on during the walk in isn't a problem.

In reply to Hyphin:

£19.99 Casio digital watch, been running for about ten years, straps broken so I keep it in my rucksack pocket, its been dropped, soaked, stood on and generally neglected but keeps perfect time with a seemingly endless battery life.

In reply to Blue Straggler:

Yep, that's the one. I finally got in today with the intention of buying one. They were priced at €12. Needless to say, "Rocky's Law" * was in effect at the time, and they did not have one in my size. Slightly gutted, but will be passing another Aldi in the next two days, hopefully they will have one.

* "Rocky's Law" - Irrespective of the circumstance and/or situation, if something negative can happen to me then it will.