A simple question in the Primitive Camping & Bushcraft Facebook group sparked a huge discussion: what piece of gear did you think was a gimmick until you actually tried it? In this episode, we explore the surprising answers, from hammocks and camp pillows to Thermacells and fire starters, and discuss why good gear isn't about gadgets, it's about solving problems.
What piece of gear did you think was a gimmick until you actually tried it?
That simple question generated a flood of responses inside the Primitive Camping & Bushcraft Facebook group. In this episode, Chris dives into the conversation and explores the common theme behind the answers.
Topics discussed include:
• Hammocks and better sleep
• Camp pillows and comfort in camp
• Trekking poles and reducing strain
• Fire starters and the "cheating" debate
• BIC lighters versus traditional fire methods
• Thermacells and mosquito control
• Grayl water filtration systems
• Gorilla Tape and field repairs
• P38 and P51 can openers
• Why comfort is not a weakness
• Primitive versus modern gear
• The philosophy of solving problems outdoors
The biggest takeaway?
Good gear isn't the story.
The problem it solves is the story.
Join the conversation in the Primitive Camping & Bushcraft Facebook Group and let us know:
What piece of gear did you think was a gimmick until you actually tried it?
Remember:
"In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." Proverbs 3:6
Welcome back to
the Primitive
Camping in
Bushcraft
podcast. My name
is Chris Speir.
Today, I want to
talk about
something that
started with a
simple question
on the Primitive
Camping in
Bushcraft
Facebook group.
And the question
was this.
What's one piece
of gear you
thought that was
a gimmick until
you actually
tried it?
Think about that
for a second.
What one piece of
gear did you
think was a
gimmick until you
actually tried
it? And I'm
telling you right
now, I think all
of us can
actually
answer this
question. You all
have an answer to
this question. It
doesn't matter
what walk of
life. It really
matter if it
don't even have
to pertain to
Primitive Camping
and Bushcraft.
Everybody has
an answer to that
one simple
question. Now, I
figured I'd get a
few comments,
maybe a handful
of responses.
But, you know,
the group really
did come through.
And people
started naming
all kinds of
gear. Like it was
crazy, man. You
started
seeing these
comments after
comments after
comments. We saw
hammocks, Thermacells,
grills,
trekking poles,
camp pillows,
fire starters,
you know, things
that people once
laughed at or
they ignored.
Or just flat out
refused to carry
or refused
to buy or try.
And it got me to
thinking, how
many times have
we overlooked a
piece of
gear and thought
that's stupid. I
will never carry
that. How many
times have we
looked at a piece
of gear and said,
I will never
carry something
like that. Only
to find ourselves
carrying it a few
years later.
I cannot tell you
how many items I
have done that
with. And
it's crazy.
I think every
outdoors person
has done this. I
think everybody
in all walks of
life have
done this.
I can't tell you
how many times
I've looked at TV
commercials and
been like, yeah,
I would never.
And next thing
you know, I got
10 of them. And
this brings to
mind my
father-in-law. He
tells a story all
the time about
pet rocks. He was
like, what idiots
would have
a pet rock?
And he said the
next day he come
home from work
and there was
about 10 of those
pet rocks inside
his house. And
he's like, well,
there you go.
Yeah, that's a
funny story the
way he tells it.
But you know, I
think we have all
done this with
gear. I think
we've all done
this with
tools and all
kinds of stuff
for the great
outdoors. And
when I was
younger,
I thought
comfort was
overrated. I
wasn't worried if
I slept on the
ground, didn't
bother me, not
one bit.
But then when you
join the military
and you sleep on
the ground,
you're like, boy,
this is horrible.
And a lot of
infantry folks
know about it. A
lot of the Army,
you know, I was
in the Air Force.
I didn't have to
do it very often.
But whenever I
did do it, it was
horrible.
So sleeping on
the ground,
sitting on a log,
you know, it's
all anytime you
have to
tough it out,
man, it's all
like, whoa, man,
this is crazy.
But that's just
part of camping,
right? No.
Then life
happens. Then you
get a
little bit older.
You get several
injuries or you
collect a few
injuries.
And you go
through life
thinking that,
oh, man, this is
horrible. This is
horrible. And
then you
lay down on the
ground and it
just hurts even
worse. You spend
years doing all
kinds of things
that wear your
body down. And
suddenly a camp
chair doesn't
seem so silly
anymore.
Now, post it to
the thing last
week's episode
was all about
camping chairs.
And a lot of
comments, a lot
of everything was
on there. And it
was real good
conversation.
Well, yeah, it's
a real good
conversation. But
then the
primitive camping
and bushcraft
group, you know,
a pillow starts
to make sense
after a while. I
personally cannot
sleep without
a pillow. My neck
kills me. A
hammock starts
looking pretty
comfortable.
There's a lot of
folks out there
that I can't
sleep with a
hammock. Well,
no, do an air
pad, air
mattress, and
sleep on
the ground. My
brothers wonder
those. One of the
biggest themes
that I saw in
this conversation
was comfort.
Tons of people
mentioned
hammocks, under
quilts, camp
pillows,
portable chairs,
all of these
things are
designed to help
you be more
comfortable.
Hammocks are
designed to help
you sleep better,
to keep you up
off the ground
when it's
hot outside
to keep you
cooler. Under
quilts are
designed to go
under the
hammocks. That
way,
whenever you get
out into the
wintertime, you
don't freeze. You
stay nice and
warm, nice and
comfortable.
Camp pillows, you
lay down on a
pillow because
it's comfortable.
Trekking poles,
people will argue
with this, but,
you know,
trekking poles
allow you
to stay more
comfortable, or
you won't twist
your feet or
twist your ankles
or your knees or
anything
like that.
So trekking poles
really help, and
so they help with
your comfort.
And what's really
funny about this
whole
conversation is
that nobody said,
"I wish I'd
had never bought
blank." Nobody
said it. Now,
maybe I could go
back and rephrase
the question
and ask a
question again to
the point of what
kind of gear was
something you
thought was
something you
needed and turned
out to be a
gimmick. You
know, if I
rearranged it
that way,
then I'm sure I
would have tons
and tons and tons
of answers.
But a lot of
times, a lot of
the folks in this
conversation just
wish they had
tried it a little
bit sooner. And I
thought this was
very interesting.
I really thought
the whole
conversation
on the group was
very interesting.
And once you got
down through
there, there was
a couple of
more categories.
One of them was
fire. Now, if you
spent any amount
of time outdoors,
you've probably
heard somebody
say that using a
fire starter is
cheating. Or if
you can't do it
naturally with a
bow drill or
something to that
effect, then it's
cheating or
you're not doing
it right. Or
that's not
primitive. And
that's one of the
biggest aspects
of this whole
thing here
on this group is
that's not
primitive. Well,
I've had
conversations
this past week
with individuals
that, you know, I
posed a question
and showed a
picture. And
these folks was
like, that's not
primitive
camping. That's
not bushcraft.
Yeah, yeah, I've
heard it. I'm
pretty sure
you've heard it.
One gentleman in
the group said
that he felt
exactly that way
until he found
himself winter
camping and spent
hours fighting to
build a fire. And
fire starters
come in handy.
You know, what is
the number one
most economical
way to start a
fire right now?
And it's
considered a fire
starter.
Is the wonderful
big lighter. It
is the most
amazing way that
every single
person on the
planet can have a
way to start a
fire in their
pocket in a
moment's notice.
Sure. If
it gets wet,
sure. If it's
under 32 degrees,
sure. We get
that. We
understand that
everybody
understands
it. And
people is going
to argue that all
the way from here
to eternity. But
still
nonetheless,
it is the
most economical,
affordable, most
advanced fire
starting
technique that we
have had in
history.
And the match is
a close second,
but the BIC
lighter is like
the best, you
know. Now,
people that argue
with me, no, you
got to have a FERRO
rod. You got to
have this. But
the lesson here
was that he
thought a fire
starter was a
gimmick until he
used it.
Now, I don't care
what you say.
That's a lesson.
That's a lesson
they had to learn
right there.
So when you're
cold, you're wet,
you're tired,
you're trying to
get warm,
your perspective
on a fire starter
is going to
change real fast.
There are people
that are
traditionalists
in the field of
bushcraft that
they are not
going to
start a fire
unless it is
started with some
sort of primitive
means. To them,
that's what
bushcraft
is all about, is
starting
primitive. If
you've been
around this
podcast or my
videos or
anything
that I do for the
longest time,
I've been trying
to get people to
understand that
that is not the
case. There's
different aspects
of it. You can go
as primitive as
you want. You can
go as modern as
you want and
still be
considered
bushcraft.
There's no right.
There's no wrong.
And it's
all a mindset.
It's all the
knowledge that
you use when you
head out into the
great outdoors.
And that's the
basis of
primitive camping
and bushcraft.
There is no wrong
way. There
is only an
end result. If
your goal is to
build a fire and
a fire starter
helps you build
that fire,
then who in the
world am I to
tell you that
you're
doing it wrong?
If your goal is
to build a fire
and a fire
starter, whatever
kind of fire
starter it is
that you want
to use, helps you
build that fire,
who is Joe Blow
in the comment
section of any
kind of
social media?
Who are they to
tell you you're
doing it wrong? I
mean seriously,
think about that.
The fire don't
care, does it?
The cold weather
don't care.
The goal is
the result.
The goal is
getting warm. The
goal is cooking
your food so that
you don't get
sick or
that you can
eat some hot
food. The goal is
boiling your
water and making
it drinkable to
where you don't
get sick.
The goal is to
occupy your mind
when you're
sitting there for
hours staring at the
television of the
woods. The goal
ultimately is
just to get the
job done. That's
what it boils
down to, is
just getting
the job done.
Another category
that I really
thought about or
really caught my
attention was
the gear that
solves problems.
As a matter of
fact, one of them
just came
in today,
thermacells. This
is going to be a
topic of a, I
believe I'm going
to do this
next week,
next week's topic
on the podcast is
going to be about
thermacell and
mosquito control.
Because it is
summertime and I
don't care where
you are, you are
affected by them.
I lived in Alaska
and they were big
enough to be
called the
state birds.
I mean, the
mosquitoes there
are ferocious.
There was one guy
trying to
tell us that if
he was Caught
outside without
any kind of
mosquito
protecting, you
would be drained
of your blood in
eight hours. And
I was like,
golly, but I also
was very young
and didn't know
much about it.
But anyway, one
of the things
that solved
problems is
called the
thermacell.
And I have one
right here in my
hands and the
thermacell is a
mosquito
repellent
that you put
a little pad in
and it warms that
pad up. And that
pad creates a 15
foot radius of
some kind of
my bifocals
aren't working,
but it puts out a
odor that the
mosquitoes do not
like. It's a
chemical
that the
mosquitoes don't
like. It's odorless
to you and
me. It does not
affect you.
It doesn't
irritate you or
anything of the
like. And it
don't irritate
the deer because
I use it
all hunting
season down here
in South
Mississippi. I
use it during bow
season, early bow
season
before it gets
cold. Mosquitoes
are horrible out
in the swamps
down here in
South
Mississippi. But
a thermacell,
I use it. They
don't scare the
deer off. I end
up bagging my
deer and I'll be
using a
thermacell.
So it has no
scent. You can
buy scented ones
for deer hunting.
You can buy earth
scent and
stuff of
that nature, but
it solves a
problem. It keeps
the skeeter bugs
away from me.
I'm going to
dedicate an
entire episode
just to the
thermacell
next week.
So what is
another item that
solves problems?
The grayl.
G-R-A-Y-L. Water
filtration system
or the GeoPress.
That has been
brought up many
times during this
conversation and
I have brought
that thing up in
my book several
times. I've
discussed it.
I've done several
videos. I've done
a whole
podcast on the
grill, the water
filtration. I
actually have
several different
water filters
laying around
and the grill is
the one that I
usually take with
me
everywhere I go.
Camp Craft
Outdoors makes a
nice little
millbank bag just
for the grill
that you can put
your grill
inside the bag,
tote it around
like that. That
way you can
filter all the
grit and the
grime and
the tadpoles out
of it before you
clog the filter
up and it
actually helps
your filter last
a little
bit longer. Now
these things are
amazing because
you can have
clean water
anywhere
within a few
seconds. They say
eight to eleven
seconds. I don't
know the older I
get the more
seconds
it takes to
bend over and
push that cup
into the filter
section, but it
takes a little
effort. But
it is still
instantaneous. 24
ounces of water
right then and
there when you
need it,
wherever, no
matter what
the water is
like. Another one
that came up was
Gorilla Tape. I
mean seriously,
Duck
Tape, Gorilla
Tape. All these
items are great.
Duck Tape,
Gorilla Tape has
uses. You can
actually use it
to close a wound.
Heck, if the TV
show Myth Busters
dedicated an
entire season, it
seems like, to
Duck Tape. I mean
there's got to be
something to it.
Another one was
compasses.
There's various
different sizes
or different
types of
compasses. You
got the you got
the regular
Suunto ones that
I have and I've
used it and I've
had no problems
with it. Can
Openers is
another
one. I think
somebody called
it a P38 or P51
and you know
these can openers
are very helpful
whenever
you need to
get into a can.
They are. That
way you're not
destroying your
knife edge trying
to get in there
and cut
everything up.
But all these
things are not
really that
exciting are
they? But
would you
get out into the
woods and you
need it? You are
excited you got
it. Ain't nobody
gonna sit around
their dad gonna
campfire and brag
about their can
opener. I mean if
you have please
leave me
a comment
under this
podcast and let
me know how many
times you bragged
about your can
opener. But
here's the
thing when you
need one, you
need one. And
that's the funny
thing about good
gear. Most
of the time
best gear isn't
very exciting. It
just
simply works.
The Thermacell
it's not exciting
at all. Ain't
nothing about
that thing
exciting.
Well I'm gonna
lie. I am gonna
backtrack. There
is one thing
about the
Thermacell that
is exciting.
You can use it as
a hand warmer. So
when it's
freezing cold
outside and your
hands are
freezing
if you're not
moving around
you're gonna get
cold. And your
hands are
freezing you can
actually use
the Thermacell as
a hand warmer. So
that is one thing
that is pretty
exciting. But
ain't nothing
about a grill
that is exciting
when you're
looking at
questionable
water to drink.
Then all of a
sudden it's gonna
be one of the
most important
things that you
have with you or
one of the most
important things
that you want.
Like I said
before good gear
solves problems.
And as I read
through all these
comments I
started noticing
a pattern.
You can go down
and read through
it. Ain't nobody
talking about
gear. Not really.
What they're
talking about was
basically what
their gear did
for them.
It's crazy. The
hammock wasn't
about the fabric.
The hammock was
all about their
sleep. Getting
better sleep.
The Thermacell
wasn't about
technology. It
was about being
able to enjoy
camping
with a family
and friends. All
without being ate
alive by
Skeeters. The
grill, the
GeoPress
is not about
water filtration.
It's about
confidence. It's
about knowing
that that water
is going to be
safe to drink.
And one of the
things about the
pillow is that
it's not about
the pillow. It's
about waking up
in the morning
knowing your
neck's not going
to be hurting.
Now I can talk
about this all
day long. Gear is
it wasn't the
story. Gear was
not the
story in this.
All gear was was
the problem being
solved. That was
the story. And
maybe that's the
whole lesson.
A lot of times we
get so caught up
arguing over
gear. Especially
in forums like
the parameter
Camping the
Bushcraft podcast
and the group,
the comment
sections. All
these different
locations.
We get caught up
arguing
over the gear.
When all reality
we forget why
we're carrying it
in the first
place. You know
we're carrying it
because it makes
our experiences
better in the
outdoors. It
makes our
experiences
camping better.
It makes our
experiences
hunting, fishing,
kayaking,
whatever you're
doing out there,
mountain
climbing. All
that. It makes it
better. It solves
a problem. That's
all a gear is
supposed
to be. It solves
a problem. I
posted a comment
about an air pump
the other day and
that is where
it came from.
It's not very
primitive. But
the Flex-Tail
Gear air pumps
those little
bitty old
things. They
solve a problem.
I'm not going to
sit there for an
hour and a half
blowing up an
air mattress.
It's not going to
happen. I can't
sleep on the
ground. That's
not going
to happen.
And if I don't
have a hammock
with me I'm
bringing an air
mattress and I'm
bringing a
pump. Because
I'm not going to
sit there and
blow it up with
my mouth. Like I
said all these
little gadgets,
all these little
things they all
help you enjoy
your time in the
great outdoors.
They help you
solve a problem.
Now the caveat to
this is that you
don't have to go
out and get
every gadget
underneath the
sun. Far from it.
You need to know
how to do these
things and then
worry about your
comfort. Later
practice,
practice,
practice. I
cannot stress
practice enough.
It means that you
need to stay
open-minded.
Because the piece
of gear that you
may be laughing
at today is going
to be the piece
of gear that you
swear by next
year. So let me
throw this
question
back to you.
What's one piece
of gear you
thought was a
gimmick until you
actually
tried it?
Well alright
that's going to
wrap it up for
today. I really
do appreciate
everybody
stopping by and
leaving a
comment. Let me
know what
you think.
Swing by Facebook
and join the
group. Hop into
the conversation.
Well anyway
that's it for
today. Thank you
so much and I'll
see you next
time. Remember
in all your ways
acknowledge him
and he will
direct your pass.