Can we have a "stupid thing I've bought" thread?!

[Kacie123]

Because this was a right waste of time.

Too big as a bracelet, can't get the cord undone in a nice warm flat, let alone with gloves outside, no idea how to start a fire anyway AND I have emergency firelighter and wind proof matches.

...Anyone else bought something in a fit of "ooh that looks good" and realised it was daft or useless?

Swiss card tool thingy. I am sure it's very good but only if you remember you have it, and remember where you put it

Come to think of it I think I have something like that too! A wallet ninja which has used its ninja skills to totally vanish!

We also have about 23 torches (BIL loves giving them as gifts), most of which have disappeared. The dc like to use them for dens...

I bought a couple of metal wallet 'screwdriver' flat things that had many uses, no markings and had these instructions last year. I'm still none the wiser.

A few years ago I bought a SwissChamp swiss army knife after seeing how many tools it had on it. Common sense didn't seem to register the fact that if it has that many tools, it's not going to be a "pocket" knife and indeed when it came it was far too bulky so I ended up giving it away.

I want to get a lifestraw, even though I know it will never be used

Ageing, I remember reading a review on Amazon from someone who worked in a camping shop, saying that Lifestraws were a "gimmick" product to those in the know, recommending the Sawyer Mini instead. Which I've bought and works brilliantly (makes our tap water taste nicer too!).

But then someone must have whined about it, because the review was gone when I went back. It's a fierce old world out there in the survival industry

Gamerchick brilliant. All we need is someone who can read the instructions here, there must be someone fluent!

Sigh Kacie you've just seriously disillusioned me! I came across paracord bracelets the other day and was wondering how I'd survived without one. May just have to stick to the matches and bit of string in my hiking bag.

a gas camping stove....and still havent taken it out of the box or bought a gas cartridge

Gas camping stove.
Tent. We hate camping.
Sleeping bags. See 'Tent'.
Mini BBQ - the idea was it would be jolly useful in a SHTF sort of way once the gas had run out for the gas camping stove we've never even unboxed.
Torches.
Mini tool set.

And after 9/11, and much winding up from my father (American, prone to its of exaggeration) I panic bought a million cans of some sort of squashed chicken equivalent of spam. It sat in the cupboard for a year, until DH said that a) pretty obviously nothing horrifying was going to happen, and b) it was going out of date, and hadn't we better eat it. It was VILE. Ended up putting it in many, many curries, which went some way to disguising the odd very unchickeny flavour, but did fuck all for the texture - think that weird cheap round slices of 'chicken' sold for sandwiches but in a big lump. Sort of squishy yet unyielding at the same time.

Fortunately, the many, many tins of corned beef (for variety), and tuna (we like tuna) went down considerably better. I still get mocked if I suggest a chicken curry.

I own a Lifestraw. It was a gift from an American friend. I've never used it, seeing as I live in England, and although I do go out walking in the countryside, by definition I'm never more than a mile or so from a pub. I might try drinking beer through it to see if it comes out as water though

I was thinking limer that would be a bad result but presumably if it did you could concentrate and dehydrate the beer into sort of beer pills ready for rehydration incase of prolonged emergency?

at beer pills.

And at the two mentions of camping stoves. Mine's in the post and I'm sure we'll never use it!

My immediate thought was a paracord bracelet.

I've been tempted but not yet bought a camping stove. I know it would not be used unless we lost electricity for several days- unlikely where I live unless a real SHTF situation.

I have also just bought a box of disposable gloves which I might regret... But I have also just finished reading Station Eleven and a pandemic is proper scary stuff!

I bought a camping stove this week. Shoot me

I have 12 boxes of disposable gloves (useful - I run a nursery), a camping stove - never used, dynamo lamps - didn't work, solar powered battery charger - didn't work

I'm a bit of a sucker

After giving up on a mini solar panel installation, for power cut cooking, I too bought a one ring camping stove.