Bushwalk Australia

This topic is somewhat inspired by the numerous for sale items in marketplace that are "brand new" or "used once".

What is your most unused piece of gear? And why?

I have a few.

Ross sunglasses by Cancer Council. These are large, wrap around and polarized and I thought they would be great for the snow. Unfortunately they fog up like crazy.. not sure why maybe I have an odd shaped nose and the fit isn’t letting my breath escape.

My rainjacket. Nothing wrong with it.. It just needs to rain more.

Tyvek groundsheet. Im sure I’l regret this when I put a hole in the tent floor.

My ski repair tip. Because on the day I needed it I had left it in the car to save weight

PLB goes on every walk but never used.
But I aint getting rid of it!

Been carrying a PLB for nearly ten years. Used the first one once, the second has not been used - and may it remain so. It's the major item on my 'better to have and not need than need and not have' list.
And that's probably much the same for anyone who has one.

A couple of cheap graduated filters that have been carried around for four or five years and only used during initial tests.

There's nothing else that goes with me that doesn't get used, although the first aid kit has minimal items and is seldom opened.

PLB and rain pants.


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wildwanderer wrote:My rainjacket. Nothing wrong with it.. It just needs to rain more.

You just need to walk in Tassie more.

Some items in the first aid kit may never have been used (but kept upto date by replacement).

PLB has been used once.

Some items have been used once and retired as unsuitable. Part of seeking better stuff but failing real world tests.
Some items have been used quite a few times .. but replaced with better stuff as it becomes avalible.
I should sell this stuff off.. still good for base camping for those doing that, of those that find my 'rejects' ok.

Items that don't get used either are removed or required for exceptional use.
Exceptional use? Changes in weather (e.g. snow in summer), some emergency...

Mmmm, just picturing what's in my 4 stuff sacks....

Hammock sack...bare bones, no unused gear there.
Spare clothes sack...double duty as a pillow, clothes varies with the seasons...all used.
Cook sack...an extra dehydrated meal at the bottom of the bag that probably should have been used & replaced long ago,
rarely used water collecting 5litre kitchen sink (divert overnight rain, mist, dew off my tarp into sink on my dry ridge walks).
Safety sack...as others have mentioned, unused so far is a small 1st aid kit, snake bandages & PLB.

Spare camera batteries...take 2 spare but only ever ever use one.

Item that I have never used, but am not leaving without them
- map
- compass
- Trauma dressing in first aid kit

Things I could get rid of
- hiking poles (but I'd lose my patio option for my tarp)
- the extra tent pegs I carry (but again that limits the ways I can set up my tarp)
- rain gear, though knowing my luck the trip I don't pack it will be the trip in constant heavy rain.

Heaps of gear downstairs in the garage...
Why...pretty much a fine tuning quest to find the perfect bushwalking setup for me...it took a while.

FAK. Very rarely touched. But it goes with us.

Cheers
Roger

ofuros wrote:pretty much a fine tuning quest to find the perfect bushwalking setup for me...it took a while.

Yep can relate, lots of stuff not worth trying to sell - just things I've since found better quality or lighter weight alternatives for.

Mine is a recent purchase - but will not be used much at all. I bought an Oilskin hat while in NZ a short while ago as it was waterproof, easily folded, easily packed and was quite light. Really nice hat.

What I didn't think about was that oilskin is waterproof both ways, so I ended up drenched under the hat.

Oh well, back to the Greg Chappel cricket hat!

Water filter, lucky to walk in areas where water is good quality. Never been crook... yet, but never say never. Still carried though.

PLB for obvious reasons and I hope it stays that way