Way back...your best gear purchase from years gone by

[Biker Eagle]

My Moonstone GoreTex Jacket, expedition grade. This thing has it all; GoreTex, fully lined, pit zips, zip off hood, elastic and velcro cuffs, front pockets with zippers and snap closures, main front zipper with velcro over cover, hip skirt, interior mesh pocket, elastic cord hood closure, zip-off hood. WOW this thing had it all...way ahead of it's time. Back in 1985 it was $359, a fortune for its day, and would be over a grand today. And the icing on the cake, it was Made in the USA.

It's now 35 years old and going strong. The number of trips number in the hundreds, and the hiking miles also in the hundreds. Comfortable, competent, dependable, and beloved. I'm 67 now and thinking this jacket will outlast me. Easily my best piece of gear ever, although, my expedition grade Eureka Timberline tent wasn't far behind as it lasted 24 years.

Lets hear about your all-time favorite "Hall of Fame" gear.

 

[MOAK]

Jeeze, I’ve a pretty long list of favorite gear so it’s hard to pare it down. But I do like to talk about our old camp chairs. Anyone from the northeast remembers Ames department stores. We used to get a 40% discount so I picked up a pair of camp chairs for less than $10 each. 24 years ago. They were retired 2 years ago, are currently being abused in the rec area of our carriage house and still going strong. Best less than $20 I’ve ever spent. The best purchase ever though was our ARB fridge. Or, was it the Coleman two burner stove? Or that Columbia vest I’ve been wearing off and on for 33 years? My oh my if our gear could tell their stories.

 

[Vinman]

Mine has to be the Engel fridge, purchased in 03 or 04 and never missed a beat.

 

[Dave K]

Leather man multitool. 20 years deep I’ve always had one close by. It has gone from my hip to my backpack as I have become more domesticated (switch from the field to the office) but it’s never usually far.

 

[472HemiGTX]

I have two that I can think of right now.
1. An old aluminum coffee pot that I bought at a little general store in the middle of nowhere Oregon back in the early 80's because my hunting partner forgot to bring the coffee pot. His only responsibility on that trip was beer and coffee, at least he remembered the beer. Since then that pot has traveled all over with me and made thousands of cups of coffee. It's now saved for fishing expeditions and river drifts.
2. The Gerber Gator folding knife that hangs on my EDC pack. This knife has field dressed elk, cleaned fish and made dinner many times. It's one of the earlier ones from around 1992 and is one of my favorite knives, right next to my ESEE 5. I had chipped the blade and sent it back to Gerber a few years ago and they refurbished it for me at no charge.

 

[oldmopars]

I have two that I can think of right now.
1. An old aluminum coffee pot that I bought at a little general store in the middle of nowhere Oregon back in the early 80's because my hunting partner forgot to bring the coffee pot. His only responsibility on that trip was beer and coffee, at least he remembered the beer. Since then that pot has traveled all over with me and made thousands of cups of coffee. It's now saved for fishing expeditions and river drifts.
2. The Gerber Gator folding knife that hangs on my EDC pack. This knife has field dressed elk, cleaned fish and made dinner many times. It's one of the earlier ones from around 1992 and is one of my favorite knives, right next to my ESEE 5. I had chipped the blade and sent it back to Gerber a few years ago and they refurbished it for me at no charge.

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I have the very same knife and I also really love it. It seems to be the perfect size for most things I need it for. It travels with me everywhere.

 

[Billiebob]

Every Wrangler, CJ I've had. Plus the F250 Crewcab when we had kids. No doubt, those basic Plain Jane 4x4s were my best buys which got us out and about. Bought the first one in 1972, my first vehicle, an M38 that ran submerged thru todays TJR with 250 miles on it. Other than the 15 years with children, we have always owned at least 1 Jeep.