Critique my gear choices, before I buy

So I've been browsing Amazon a lot looking at stuff that would work or be useful in a BOB or just for a weekend of backpacking. I've read the reviews on Amazon, but I was curious what you guys thought of the products/prices and any better alternative products. Let me know what you think.


Opteka BP-SC4000 Ultra Thin Solar Powered High Capacity Backup Battery and Charger - I know my phone doesn't last long w/o a charge, thought this might be useful for either bug out or just camping

Silva Polaris Type 7 Compass - I don't know much about compasses, just learned how to use one in the boy scouts. Don't know if this is any good but the reviews seemed good and the price is good.

Sheffield 12009 Silver 20-in-1 Folding Multi Tool - I want to go with a Gerber or Leatherman, but I don't think I'm willing to spend the money on one yet. This seemed like a decent alternative until I can get what I really want.

Fiskars 7850 X7 14-Inch Hatchet - Last time I went camping I took my fathers hatchet with me. Worked great for splitting firewood, better than batoning a knife. Was also looking at the 8in version, I think that might be too small though.

Gerber E-Tool Folding Shovel - Saw some smaller shovels, and some cheaper shovels, but this seemed like the best bet. Only real use I see is for making a outhouse, if ya get my drift.

3L Bicycle Mouth Water Bladder - I have a 3L Camelbak, but I'm curious how decent these are. The price sure is a heck of a lot better...

Coleman Crescent Mummy Bag - I know there are better bags out there, but I really don't have a ton of spare cash to throw at them. I thought this seemed like a decent bag for a good price.

This isn't the only stuff, just stuff I'd like some opinions about. Everything else I've been looking at I've pretty much made up my mind about. The plan is to start buying in a week or so and for the wife and I to take a backpacking trip later this summer with some friends.

edit: I forgot to mention I'm still looking for some cookware to take with us. I have a backpacking stove, but nothing to cook in Again, I don't want to break the bank looking for the lightest/most awesomeist stuff, but just something that will cover our bases for a decent price.

Ledge outdoors has some good bags for not to much

I"d be weary of the solar panel. I would pick up a small 5 watt solar panel that has 5v output and a stand alone battery.

A lot depends on what you plan to do with it.

If you are car camping, weight matters very little. If you are toting all this stuff on your back, it matters a lot.

For a BOB, you will mostly be bugging out by car so weight is not an issue. However, there is always some chance you might have to hoof it at some point so you might have to ditch the heavier things. Just don't rely on stuff you are not going to want to cart around.

I don't know anything specific about the charger you mentioned. In general, such things are pretty simple so I would not expect the brand to matter much. If your car is present, it is going to be easier to just charge your cell phone off your car. If car is not present, it might be handy. It is all about how much weight you are willing to cart around.

I suspect this type of compass is not a whole lot better then the $5 and $10 compasses commonly sold at Walmart. Mostly I use a compass to help me follow a map. Most of the time, I do not even bring a compass of this size with me. I use a $2 zipper pull compass I got at Farm and Fleet. It is good enough for what I need and fits in my fanny pack readily.

I have a bunch of no name multi-tools like this one. I mostly use the screw driver blades and pliers. I would be leery of this one given the comment made about it lacking a large flat blade screw driver. You can probably get one just like this at Home Depot and it is a lot easier to return if you don't like it. You might want to consider just getting a pair of needle-nose pliers and a small screwdriver set with interchangeable tips. I think you will get more use of that and they will work better. I have not seen a no name MT that has a saw or knife blade that is worth using. If you insist on getting a MT, maybe a used one is in order.

I can't see a hatchet as being worth carrying. OK for the car, but not worth the weight. You can split what little wood needs splitting with your fixed blade knife.

An e-tool may be a cool piece of gear but a $2 plastic trowel from Walmart will dig a cat hole for you and won't weigh as much or take up as much space.

I am quite happy with the $10 water bladder I got at Walmart a ways back. I rarely use it as I have transitioned mostly to a fanny pack to reduce weight. But for a BOB, it is probably not a bad thing. I have no idea if this particular brand is worthy or not. I suspect there is not as much difference in brands as people try to make out.

Sleeping bags are about weight as much as anything. If you are leaving it in the car, weight is not an issue. If you are carting it around on your back, something like this is going to take up lots of room and be heavy.

skip the sheffield multitool. they are junk and will fail when you need it.

This.

Buy once, cry once. Check the EE for a used Gerber or Leatherman.

Stick with Leatherman or Gerber.
The only water bladers I use and trust are Camelback.

Save up for the good stuff and buy once. Don't buy the crappy stuff just because it's cheaper. You will end up spending more in the long run replacing junk gear.

+1...Nothing worse than having a cheap bladder leak out on you! I have three Camelbak bladders for about three years and they are still going strong.

This - when it comes to a tool - spend some money and get something reliable.

Leatherman Wingman or Gerber Suspension are both $10 more than the sheffield

http://www.sportsmanswarehouse.com/sportsmans/Ledge-Featherlite-Sleeping-Bags/productDetail/Synthetic-Mummy-Bags/prod72639/cat116105 its lighter and less expensive than the coleman

Pawn shops always have Leathermans and Gerbers. Letherman's have a 25 year warranty. Buy it second hand, send it back to Portland, and get it refurbished for free. They have to spend more money on your knife which also helps to stick it to "The Man" if leatherman's politics ain't your cup 'o tea.

I was thinking for $25 it might be worth checking out. I was originally just looking for a battery pack that I could use to top off my phones charge for a day or two when I stumbled onto this. The 4000mAh capacity seemed pretty decent, and if the solar part works at all that seems like a bonus.



Thanks for all the advice, I appreciate it.



I am a little nervous about the bladder, part of the reason I posted them here. If I end up getting these ones I plan to check em for leaks before we head out. I know that doesn't mean they wont get a puncture during the trip, but hopefully their use prior will be a good indicator of their quality.

As far as what 45ProCarry said, I agree, but there are exceptions. Sometimes you just need a tool/item to last once or twice and you wont use it again. In that case, if the price is cheap enough that a once or twice use item works out, why not? I really don't plan on having a need for the multitool while were out, but just in case, I could have the cheap one or I could not get one because the camping budget doesn't allow for the multitool I really want. I understand where you're coming from, but hey, if the $15 tool gets me through this trip and maybe the next, I'm sure I can get a quality replacement by then.



Thanks for letting me know about the Leatherman/Gerber. I'll probably get one of these instead of the Sheffield. All the other Leatherman/Gerbers I had found that were full size/medium size were $50+. I just couldn't see myself spending that much of this years camping budget on something I likely wouldn't have a use for. I'll have to poke around some of the local stores and see if they have this model, I want to make sure it's decently sized. I can't stand the keychain sized ones.



I think all members of arfcom own pawn shops or something. That's the only explanation I can think of that explains why you guys always seem to find good stuff in pawn shops. Every one of them I've been to locally was either selling junk, stuff I just wasn't interested in, or items that I was interested in but were apparently made of solid gold with a little diamond dust on top. Thanks for the tip, if I ever see one, and it's at a decent price I'll have to pick up and get it refurbished.



Thanks for all the comments, I've gone over what was said and made a few revisions to my lists, I appreciate the help. If anyone has anything more to add feel free, I'd love to read/learn some more.

The pawn shops, flea markets, second hand stores, even garage sales around here just have little in the way of bargains these days, unless you want to buy childrens toys and clothing. Plenty of that.

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