My hiking buddy (also named Max) uses his Dad's old stuff. He's the same age I am, 23, but unlike me, he's grown up camping and has done a couple of thru-hikes. He uses an external frame bag from the 1970's, mittens from the 1960's, boots from the 1980's, etc. Most of his stuff is either brand new and UL, or incredibly old and heavy, but he does great with it.

The panniers he used on our Bike Tour were from the 1970's, and the bike he used was a 1970-something Schwinn Paramount. Build it to last, and use it forever...

I started backpacking in early 2004 -- and here're the gear pieces purchased that year that I still use:

1. Mountainsmith Ghost backpack -- fits my light weight backpacking style -- great features and oh so comfortable.

2. MontBell UL Down Hugger No. 3 -- very lightweight, soft and comfy to the touch, and true to its warmth and weight ratings.

3. MontBell Thermal Sheet (hoodless 50F bag) -- same as #2.

4. Duofold Varitec tees - 80/20 poly/cotton blend -- yep, I'm still wearing the ones I bought in 2004.

5. REI Sahara convertible pants - love the Dupont Supplex nylon - but am currently on my second pair.

6. Duofold Varitec undies - comfy and fits me just right.

7. Platypus bottles/bladders -- haven't worn one out yet -- although I've lost one down a steep ravine.

8. Nalgene wide-mouth cantene (soft bottle) - greatest pee bottle on earth.

9. Permethrin and DEET - Been using them since 2004 - they both work -- esp. Permethrin.

Edited by ben2world on 01/12/2013 18:01:05 MST.

Body parts. Knock on wood......

In order of importance:

1. Like Tom, body parts. Good luck and ibuprofen have helped.

2. My two Bibler tents, each 15+ years old. Great tents, don't need replacing.

3. Western Mountaineering Sequoia bag. My go-to winter bag for many years. Occasionally gets some help from an over bag.

4. Mystery Ranch BDSB pack. Sometimes I think I keep it for sentimental value, then I take it out on a ski tour and re-recognize its superb weight transfer.

My first hiking poles by Komperdell. Heavy @ ~20+ oz/pair and the antishock has never worked well (that's how I discovered I don't need antishock), but I love 'em. From 1996.

Still using a pair of polyester base layers from the late '90s. Feel and work great (mostly for sleeping, that's why they've lasted so long). The bottoms are by Body Sensor and the top is of unkown brand, made for a small outfitter that used to be in Greenville, SC.

I still find the Gerber LST to be absolutely great. Nice blade and handle. I have many knives I consider "better", but few I grab when I need a blade. What does that say about which knife is really "better"?

Since my normal kit in 1972 had a base weight under 20lbs (and I still have it), it would be considered lightweight. But it is not my normal hiking gear.

I still have clothes from the 80's that I still wear. But I will disqualify them, because I tend to buy 2-6 of items I really like. Marketing MORONS tend to discontinue really good gear.

The following I still use on almost every trip:

In the early to mid 80's I bought a Swiss Army Classic that I still use.

In the 80's I bought a Track's hiking staff. I retired it in 2009, in favor of trekking poles. They trekking pole experiment failed, and last year the staff came out of retirement.

I still use the Cammenga military lensactic compass I bought in the early 90's. This replaced a 20+ year old model. Seems there was a recall due to radiation leaks. Plus the tritium was on its 2nd or 3rd half-life.

Lots of ther gear I still use ocassionally. But those have been talked about in past threads.

1. MLD Soul Side Zip eVent Bivy 2008-2009 Model...should last me a lifetime

2. Sunday Afternoon Hat (12 yrs old)

3. Sawyer Inline Filter (5 yrs and still going strong, might upgrade to Squeeze Model)

4. MSR Titan Kettle

5. GoLite Jam2 2008 Model...would be nice to replace with MLD Exodus

I still have a lot of "old" gear like:

1. Dana Designs Terraplane (now for winter campoing).
2. Svea 125 stove (works fine)
3. Sigg Tourist cookset
4. 1972 synthetic mummy bag
5. MSR Dragonfly stove
6. '80s Eureka 3 P dome tent


But I have new gear to "substitute" for all of that - natch.

I hope you aren't using the same DEET bottle from 2004 Ben! That stuff surely can't be good after all this time ;)

Old deet . . . I think I'm still using some old Muculin brand 100% deet from a bottle left over from before I was married . . . 1990. Obviously, I'm not a big deet user, but it certainly still works and still stinks pretty much the same.

I still use an old pair of polypropoline liner gloves that are from the 1980's that won't wear out.

An old 1 liter aluminum pot from 1978

I've got bits of line & cordage I still use from the 80's at least.

Now, my wife and kids use lots of my old gear, sleeping pads, backpacks, polypro underwear, sleeping bags, etc.

I still have my sun hut and my beat up fleece gloves for over 15 years.

It is amazing how these things last a long time.

I still have most of my original gear but everything has been replaced multiple times

Well, although I have items of older gear that still get used occasionally, such as the Bibler tent, XGK stove, Raichle boat anchor/boots, original Nike Lava Domes, Sierra Cup, Wilderness Experience fleece hat and REI mountaineering hat(s), ice axes and some of the gear these items replaced... most have been pulled from regular duty and replaced with newer, lighter, better stuff.

However, the 1980 Kelty Tioga XL, Opinel #8 and Silva Huntsman compass remain in current duty with no sign of replacement likely. All three are in that photo to the left (2 inside the other).

MSR Titan kettle
Sweetwater filter

Just retired this year - Thermarest ProLite, Primus canister stove, Canon Powershot A710 point-and-shoot camera

I am still working through the remnants of a bottle of Dr. Bonners Peppermint soap purchased in 1991. You would think it wouldn't work, but the stuff still smells and soaps up like it was new. I generally only use a drop or two of it for washing my pot each day, so my burn rate on it is glacial.

Well a lot of the stuff from the 70's is still floating around but only one item has been used on every trip since at least 1972, a very lightweight, large bowl aluminum spoon.

Still using my original poles from '02, Black Diamond Advance, indestructable.

Also still using an early Optimus Crux from '04.

On my second pair of REI Sahara pants the first one still around from '98

The 70's Camp 7 sleeping bags are still loaned out to others and the early Thermarest Ultralite pads from the 80's and 90's are still around for loaning too.

Retired my SIGG aluminum pots with the locking bail handle a year or two ago for an AGG aluminum pot. Felt like a traitor.

"Felt like a traitor."

So true. Funny how attached we can get to pots and pans of all things.