Stuff that is never going to be much use.
- Thread starter cathyjc
- Start date
Whiteburn
Thru Hiker
No problem with them either.....or hard ground just 'predrill' with a Ti nail.
KVerb
Ultralighter
I'm mostly looking at these to replace some huge alu y-pegs (40g eachI use Ruta Locura Sorex pegs routinely and have had no problems ….. but then I mostly camp on soft Scottish bog.
@edh reports breaking one - allegedly mal-treating it ?
) that I only take when I know I'll sleep on really loose ground. For rocky terrain I'll stick to a combo of my tried and tested ti "spears" from cleats.co.uk for tension points and 3g hooks for other tie-outs
oreocereus
Thru Hiker
I produced an advert for one of these "survival tools" a couple of years ago..
https://www.offgridtools.com/collections/everyday-carry
https://www.offgridtools.com/collections/everyday-carry
Teepee
Thru Hiker
Carbon fibre tubes fail catastrophically when they go. They are prone to failing when crushed, get easily damaged by rocks, snap when trod on, cost a bomb, often need heavy metal end caps to protect the tips.
As a material, carbon fibre tubing isn't ideal for use as tent stakes.
Sure, plenty of folk do use them and for Cathy's use in bog, they are a good idea.
I don't exclusively camp in bog though, it's a mix of ground types. When I have trouble, I'm trying to push one between buried rocks and the force applied to the stake is done so by sharp and abrasive rocks. CF tubing just isn't as good in this application as other materials, it doesn't like being weakened by impacts from sharp rocks.
I do use CF stakes, but they are solid. As such, they don't crush and don't snap. They also fit between rocks more readily than a fatter hollow tube.
KVerb
Ultralighter
Just watched one of Darwin Onthetrail's most recent videos where he discusses breaking 3 Zpacks carbon stakes 
he did admit that he may have been a bit too rough on them.
I do think that after a day of hiking I don't want to spend time softly convincing my stakes to go into the ground, but just ram them in and get some food cooking. Ordered some 4mm solid CF rods and I'll probably try out a couple of different designs. Maybe instead of larger diameter I could just make them longer for added holding force in loose ground?
he did admit that he may have been a bit too rough on them. I do think that after a day of hiking I don't want to spend time softly convincing my stakes to go into the ground, but just ram them in and get some food cooking. Ordered some 4mm solid CF rods and I'll probably try out a couple of different designs. Maybe instead of larger diameter I could just make them longer for added holding force in loose ground?
Jim_Parkin
Ultralighter
my facebook feed came up with a "kitchen axe" yesterday...
Bmblbzzz
Thru Hiker
My nomination for this thread would multitools. Okay, they're a good way of making sure you've got a variety of tools with you, but they never work as well as individual tools. They're also a good way of making sure you've got tools you'll never need. So perhaps it's not quite accurate to say they'll "never be much use" but they'll certainly not be as useful as specific individual tools. IME.
I feel the same but perhaps more strongly about sporks, which I know have already been mentioned. That said, I do carry a lightweight plastic one with me sometimes as it's great for eating yogurt, which I find to be a good energy-ish pick me up. But for eating anything solid, let alone a real meal, again I'd go for individual "tools".*
And rucksack covers were mentioned too. I tend to see any sort of luggage with a separate waterproof cover as an admission of failure. "We know this needs to be waterproof but we couldn't make it keep the rain out, so here's a fluorescent yellow shower-cap instead."
Not sure about Paramo though. Mine's only rated showerproof, or something similar, but I've found it pretty good at keeping rain out.
*Edit: So why a spork not a plain spoon? Well, it weighs virtually nothing, is easy to clean and... Millets were selling them for beans (something like 25p each). Back when Millets was a thing.
**2nd edit: I realised today that my spork is not exactly a spork. One end is fully spoon, while the other end (which I never use) is a combination of knife and fork: fife? knork?
I feel the same but perhaps more strongly about sporks, which I know have already been mentioned. That said, I do carry a lightweight plastic one with me sometimes as it's great for eating yogurt, which I find to be a good energy-ish pick me up. But for eating anything solid, let alone a real meal, again I'd go for individual "tools".*
And rucksack covers were mentioned too. I tend to see any sort of luggage with a separate waterproof cover as an admission of failure. "We know this needs to be waterproof but we couldn't make it keep the rain out, so here's a fluorescent yellow shower-cap instead."
Not sure about Paramo though. Mine's only rated showerproof, or something similar, but I've found it pretty good at keeping rain out.
*Edit: So why a spork not a plain spoon? Well, it weighs virtually nothing, is easy to clean and... Millets were selling them for beans (something like 25p each). Back when Millets was a thing.
**2nd edit: I realised today that my spork is not exactly a spork. One end is fully spoon, while the other end (which I never use) is a combination of knife and fork: fife? knork?
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