Biggest gear fail

[colorado_rob]

I've been pretty lucky, only one significant gear-fail I can think of, but it was painful: On a Rainier mini-expedition/climb in 2006, on the way out after a fantastic climb on the Emmons glacier route, heading down my waist belt buckle broke. We were loaded with all sorts of technical gear hence very heavy, plus we had leftover food & fuel because we summited on our first of three summit days. Probably a 55 pound pack, no waist belt, a 6500 foot descent on steep snow then rock then dirt. Painful! I tried all sorts of jury-rigs, never managed to get it tight enough to take the weight off the shoulders.

Ever since then I always carry a spare waist belt buckle. My ULA OHM buckle "broke" (stopped snapping closed) on my AT hike, used the spare then, very handy!

[Tipi Walter]

Leo L---Reminds me of a couple guys I saw on Fodderstack Ridge. One guy's boots were crap and he had to spend many minutes every day re-tying the soles of his boots back onto the uppers---

TRIP 136 082-L.jpg
TRIP 136 081-L.jpg
First pic shows my man on left with his boots ready to go. Second pic are the boots at rest in camp with the cordage ready to go.

[Bubblehead]

My biggest gear fail occurred at Mt. Collins shelter in the Smokies last year. I had a Sierra Designs Flashlight 1 tent. It began raining heavy just after dark, and the tent leaked like a siv. Not just at the seams, but the rain seaped thru all of the fabric, and began dripping on me everywhere in the tent. The shelter was full, so I slept on the partially covered bench in front of the shelter. I had my wife order me a Big Agnes Copper spur 1 tent which I picked up when I got to Hot Springs. Have had much better luck with this tent.
After a lot of back and forth with Siera Designs, they finally gave me my money back.

[Leo L.]

Its close to impossible to fix a "crocodile mouth" on this type of boots other than to tie it with whatever you have handy.

I'm thinking about carrying a bunch of prefabricated U-clamps and a piece of cooper wire on the next trip due to the omnipresent demand to repair shoes.

[Dogwood]

FWIW, it's not Corona that sucks. It's that cheaper model you chose for the heavy duty pruning of trails that's inappropriate. You'd be better off with greater reliability with a two piece forged handled model w/ overgrips like the Pro Cut 1" model that retails for $35-40, 1" anodized Aluminum handled steel bade bypass retailing for about $50, or for softer wood the Classic Cut 1" bypass heated forged 2 part steel model. These are all bypass designs which is what you want for the jobs your doing. What you're doing - cleaning trails - you're better off with a heavier duty meant for commercial work model. Bring along a small honing stone or on trails a Corona or Fiskars carbide tip honer. Keeping the blade super sharp, not attempting to cut anything larger than 3/4-1" diam. wood, and keeping your blades clean will reduce stress on the pruners and yourself.

Remember the email I sent you? That offer still applies. These are the models I had in mind for you.

http://shop.coronatoolsusa.com/bp-72...-cut.html.html

http://shop.coronatoolsusa.com/bp-63...1-in.html.html

http://shop.coronatoolsusa.com/bp-31...1-in.html.html

[Tipi Walter]

Thanks Dogwood for the info. I actually was recommended the Felco pruner brand by some "professional" trailworkers and it's now part of my standard load---


No failures after 600,000 cuts.

[Dogwood]

If you're not using hand pruners all day making 1000's of cuts those ALWAYS SHARP SWISS MADE Felco #8 are the ticket. For orchard work like pruning oranges or apples all day making 1000's of cuts the ergonomic Bahco models make the best cleanest sharpest cuts with the least fatiguing work.

Fiskars and possibly Corona although not based in China use cheaper Chinese made steel. Both are products of the big box stores that compete on pricing: IMHO they really vend light commercial models as their top of the line options. I still have Felco and Fiskars models, before Fiskars outsourced their manufacturing to China, from 25 yrs ago that still function as new.

Don't drop you plastic handled Corona Folding Saw on a rock as it can break typically around the screw blade pivot. And, the blade will rust if you don't keep a light coating of oil on it.

[Ercoupe]

I've had two failures of twist lock hiking poles. The lower section will get stuck in a root or rock and I will pull the two apart and go forward, before I know it I have snapped the locking mechanism in half. A piece of duct tape gets me by. And the brand name maker has been great about replacing lower unit, twice now. But it would not happen with Cam-Locks.

[gsingjane]

Probably my most uncomfortable gear failure was my Big Agnes inflatable. Although I had blown it up before a 7-day trip, I didn't realize it had developed a slow leak, and had to be re-inflated multiple times a night. I always love backpacking, but that trip, I loved it a little less...

[Francis Sawyer]

First hike EVER in BSA. A six mile out and back day-hike. I was wearing Sears work boots about a half size too large. By the end of the hike my feet looked like two pounds of day-old unrefrigerated hamburger. I guess not a gear fail but operator error.

[gwschenk]

Oh, yeah, Boy Scouts! My first backpack was to a cow pasture in Indiana. Shared a army surplus pup tent with tow other kids. It rained like the dickens, we and our sleeping bags were soaked through and through. Fortunately my Dad had given me his old army wool blanket, I curled up in that and stayed pretty warm the rest of the night.

[RockDoc]

There are fails and there are fails. Some are inconsequential, some are serious.

A broken pack waist buckle is pretty serious if you have much weight. So is a broken tent pole if it's a fancy high tech type that you can't repair with a stick and duct tape. Trekking poles with joints tend to break if you really stress them.

Funny how all these things break just when you need them most; at maximum stress. Clearly they are only designed for average (low) stress.

[MuddyWaters]

First hike EVER in BSA. A six mile out and back day-hike. I was wearing Sears work boots about a half size too large. By the end of the hike my feet looked like two pounds of day-old unrefrigerated hamburger. I guess not a gear fail but operator error.

We had kids in BSA go to Philmont wearing work boots, from walmart. Horrible blisters.

Told parents beforehand, just buy them running shoes, they can wear to school, buy them half size large and they will be able to use them next fall.

Deaf ears. Same with most gear choices

Advertising has people so brainwashed that they need boots to step off of pavement, its not funny.

I would laugh at the adult leaders that showed up to meetings in their brown/green hikers...had to have them...part of the uniform to them...boots.

People have to learn for themselves. Many never do.

[fastfoxengineering]

We had kids in BSA go to Philmont wearing work boots, from walmart. Horrible blisters.

Told parents beforehand, just buy them running shoes, they can wear to school, buy them half size large and they will be able to use them next fall.

Deaf ears. Same with most gear choices

Advertising has people so brainwashed that they need boots to step off of pavement, its not funny.

I would laugh at the adult leaders that showed up to meetings in their brown/green hikers...had to have them...part of the uniform to them...boots.

People have to learn for themselves. Many never do.

True. My first long hike with my brother. I bought a new set of trail runners. Granted, he was much less experienced with my but stubborn in his ways. "I'm going hiking, I'm wearing hiking boots."

He suffered that whole 25 day trip with foot problems caused by his too small, waterproof Merrill's.

He was very jealous of me with zero blisters and manageable wet feet.

More or less cause I had running shoes and he had hiking boots. I must be the stupid one.

He now wears non waterproof breathable trail running shoes.

He still thinks ultralight hiking is a bunch of gear snobs and dumb for leaving stuff at home.

He's starting to see the light though the more he hikes with me.

I have found in my experiences carrying a lighter pack has alleviated the need for more comfort and "recuperating" gear on the trail. Including heavy camp shoes.

Some footpowder, bread bags, camp socks, and trail running shoes. I never have foot problems where I hike.

Too add another gear fail for this thread.

I had a buddy lose a guyline one night on his non freestanding tent due to abrasion throughout the night. His fault.

Tent collapsed and it sucks rigging that thing up with some shoelaces in the dusting rain and dark night.

I carry a precut length of guyline for my tarp in my repair kit. It weighs very very little. It's precut to the longest length I could need. Could repair my tarp in a minute and a permanent solution.

Haven't needed it but a little bit of extra cordage can help you out of a crappy situation.

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[Slow Trek]

My only memorable fail had a happy ending. Started at Springer with a new,(but broken in) pair of Keen boots. after 700 miles or so,looked like sole was starting to separate. Let in a little water,but stayed attached until we ended our section at Harper's Ferry. A few weeks ago,I thought about their warranty. I sent a photo of the separation to Keen,and my new free boots arrived yesterday. Awesome customer care.

[left52side]

Honestly knock on wood,I think as far as I can remember the worse thing I had happen to me was A broke spoon or A ruptured freezer bag lol.
I have had A few mishaps with A wet camp and such things but would hardly call that gear failure as much as poor campsite selection.
On the SHT last year I probably pushed my trail runners A bit to far and they were pretty tore up by the end of the hike but again hardly gear failure as much as operator failure.
Most all of my gear I tend to do quite A bit of research on before purchasing and I know what it is and is not capable of handling in certain situations which in turn decides what piece of gear im bringing and why.
Mishaps do happen from time to time but rarely have I gotten A piece of gear that just failed without some type of user error,but like I said I tend to research my gear and choose what gear I need for what hike im on at the time.

[egilbe]

I was just thinking that I never had any gear failures, but remembered I found that the aluminum tube frame on my pack had broken at the bend. I saw it at home when I was un packing. Sent some pictures in to SeekOutside and a week later a brand new updated lightweight frame was at my house with the optional frame extensions. Great customer service.

[Ethesis]

I had tent poles spall out. One thing you just can't lash.

Also had a waterproof hang sack in my backpack turn out not to be waterproof and my water bladder leaked.

Rain jacket where I started to overheat because I was afraid of a little cold to start. Wetter inside than out.

Live and learn. Or why these practice section hikes have been so useful.

[ldsailor]

We managed to continue into the safety of the rest house, where I was able to fix the shoe by using pieces of barbed wire to form U-Clips to clamp together the pieces again.
He then said that he doesn't feel any difference between before and after, and we were able to continue hiking as planned.

I've become quite skilled in repairing footwear by this method since, it was 4 pairs I repaired during my last trip.

I thought that is what duct tape is for.

[LongBlaze2019]

And then there are gear fails from brand new items directly out the big box store door---think Ozark Trail tents. Total pieces of crap.

I've been using a Ozark Trail 1 person tent for quite a while and have never had a problem.
The tent I used before this one was Ozark Trail as well and it's still in use today by the person I gave it to.

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