Oldest bit of kit you own - and still use.

[whitestone]

I've also got a set of the first heat resistant plastic eating utensils for camping that were imported here from the States around the same time. There's a name for the plastic but I can't remember it.

Carcinogenic?

Lexan?

Sounds about right.

[benp1]

This is a little unfair, some of you silver foxes have more ability to have kit thats old

Maybe we should move to percentage of life, or percentage of adult life?

[faustus]

Buffalo Super 6 shirt from 2003, use it a lot every winter, couple of burn holes and tears, enhanced by a hood i got for it on 2011.
Helly Hansen Lifa from 2004 - used a great deal, few years life left in it, as it's worn thin on the shoulders from backpack.
Rukka baselayer from 2007 - used plenty each winter, bought as a cheapo in Finland
Karrimor Sabre 30 day pack from 2003 - well used but in great shape, it's been on almost every trip abroad with me and is perfect hand luggage size when I do go by plane.
Citizen eco-drive analogue watch from 2004 - lost count of the number of straps it's gone through, only changed the original battery last year. I hope it'll last another 15 years.

Always liked keeping good kit, i had my dad's metal framed canvas Bergen when I was a scout, and it must have been 30years old then. My stuff isn't as old as others, but that's because I plan to keep using much of it for a while yet; and there's no polite way of saying this - i'm still not quite 40 so stuff from the 80s/early 90s would be too small for me

[mfezela]

This is a little unfair, some of you silver foxes have more ability to have kit thats old

You may be surprised at the number of youngsters that are deeply involved in retro / vintage gear. Cars, bikes, fashion, electronics (especially Hi-Fi), etc.

My 70/80's Thorens, Sugden, KEF, Nakamichi outfit* was in regular use until very recently. The new owner is only 24!

Cost me a ******* fortune.

[Bearlegged]

I've still got my CCF mat from the first time I went camping with the Woodcraft Folk. I guess mid 80s?
Also, my POD Sacs (pre-Planet X era) rucksack from 1998 is still going strong.

[The Cumbrian]

I'm another one with an early 90s POD rucsac. It's had heavy normal use, as well as being dragged up various crags and it still looks pretty new.
I also have two early 90s vintage Lowe Alpine Dry-Flo Henley base layer t-shirts, which I wish they would reissue. They're great on the hill and look like a normal t-shirt in the pub.

[99percentchimp]

Maybe we should move to percentage of life, or percentage of adult life?

Yet to enter this phase... is it any good?

[mfezela]

. . . so stuff from the 80s/early 90s would be too small for me

? Surely you mean too large for you ;-)

[voodoo_simon]

Lowe Alpine dry flow hat, had it since I was ~15, still going strong 20 years later.

Suunto compass also going well after 20 years, or at least still pointing north

[faustus]

. . . so stuff from the 80s/early 90s would be too small for me

? Surely you mean too large for you ;-)

Yes, true, i guess i meant stuff i owned in the 80s/90s

[Mike]

My legs

[NewRetroTom]

I've got a baselayer that I've had since the mid 1990's and still use now and again.
It has a hole in the shoulder, and my shoulder has a matching scar underneath from where I got hit by a sharp rock that fell onto me while I was ice climbing in Canada in 2007.
Sort of feel like I have a bond with it as we were both damaged in the same incident.

[wriggles]

Have one of these in the van for when I need to dig trenches and er... stuff like that . Dates from about 1930. Not taken it on a bikepacking weekend yet though

entrenching tool.JPG

(36.6 KiB) Downloaded 1238 times

Otherwise various bits of kit still going from 1980s

[fatbikephil]

My legs

+1. All of my clothing wears out after a few years....

[RichinNW]

Pair of crampons I bought when is was 19, so 33 years old (that’s shocking!) and a helly h top I found in a hedge in the wye valley 27 years ago - now used for diy and gardening.
Do you ever read what you wrote and thought mmm...what happened? I still think I’m 19

[johnnystorm]

I've still got a lot of kit dating from Uni but not much still sees the light of day. The exception being a Swiss Army knife that's been all over the place since 1996ish. I also "inherited" an ancient small one from a relative that now lives in my dynaplug pouch. It used to live on my keys but I forgot about it and it narrowly avoided confiscation at the airport in 2001.
(I looked heartbroken and the security guard posted it back to my flat )

[PaulE]

There's a bit of a colour theme to my oldest still used kit.

Purple & green Lowe alpine Fjell Runner bumbag, bought for mountain biking when I was 13 and now it's my fell running bag 28 years later.

Purple & Green karimor (before they became sports direct poor show) hot ice 30l backpack. Bought in about 1992 for using at scouts. I've used it for commuting, carry on luggage and now it's my climbing bag with kit for me and my daughter. Barring a small melted bit on the waist belt where I caught it on a brake disk, it's pretty much as new.

Purple Leading Edge pile/pertex (buffalo style) jacket. Made to fit me for my 16th birthday and still ok now. A bit beat up around the back pockets where I left some treats inside and my old dog helped herself! Fixed it with gaffer tape a few years back and it's still fine.

1989 Shimano left hand thumbshifter. Not used it for about 8 years, when I swapped my bikes to 1x10, but it's still in the tool box and working fine.

[slarge]

Just found an old Timex Triathlon watch - I remember buying it around 2001 to do Trailquests as it had a countdown timer. The alarm still goes off every morning (but it's been buried in a cupboard so I never hear it), and it's on it's original battery.

The screen goes blank if you use the backlight, and the strap is knackered, but a new battery and strap and I think I'll start wearing it again.

[Bearbonesnorm]

Do you ever read what you wrote and thought mmm...what happened? I still think I’m 19

Every day. The girl in the post office tried to sell me an over 50's life policy this week. I retaliated with a scornful look, thought for a second and said I'd be back for some next year.

[Fat tyre kicker]

That reminds me...I need a battery for my animal watch