The best things you have bought and why

[Mungler]

So, for the first time in 7 years I cleaned my brown Timberland size 9 1/2 boots. I bought these in 2000 when I went to Vegas. They were about thirty quid and I use them every weekend for shooting. They are magic. They are comfortable, robust (I replaced the laces for the first time last month) and whilst cleaning I was struck by what good value they were - I have had my money out of them 10 times over especially having regard to the people I know who have coughed for expensive footwear / welly wear and been very unhappy.

 

I then thought, what will I do when they finally wear smooth and give up the ghost? Who knows.

 

I also have a pair of Reebock cross trainers that I have had for 10 years and which are now smooth on the sole, again, if I could go back in a time machine I would have bought enough pairs for life.

 

So, who has what out there (not just clothing) that has been a complete billy bargain and stood the test of time.

 

When I get home I will post pictures of said items of footwear because I am sad like that.

[jimdfish]

My great big coat. got it for a song from a bloke in the pub. Great bit waterproof canvas with sheep fleece lining and a collar made of lambs fleece that goes right over the ears. toasty man

JDF

[Ferret Master]

You sound worse than my Dad.

 

He has some battered old brown boots that squeak like a rabbit on helium and this makes lamping with him positively nightmarish. He had an expensive pair of Miendls. He ruined them in a month. He also has 2 pairs of Timberland's but I figure he's saving them for a special occasion as he never wears them either. Just the squeaky ones with no laces.

 

I think he's also got some Reebok trainers but in fairness to him he has just bought 2 new pairs of something slighty more modern to go to the gym in.

 

FM

[Baldrick]

On the footwear theme, my best purchase is a pair of Le Chameau neoprene-lined wellies. I wear them every day for work, and around the farm at home. In fact I rarely take them off. They're the best £95 I ever spent.

 

The best gun I ever bought is an old SKB 20-bore O/U. It's still going strong, 15 years on and many tens of thousands of shots later, without any hiccups.

[Mungler]

In no particular order I would add:

 

1. F3 Blaser - the bond I have with this gun is chemical. There are lots of F3's out there but none like mine. It is magical.

2. The 28g Eley Number 8 Black cartridge - I have tried them all and now settled with these

3. Spyderco knife sharpener - ninjas use these

4. Electric salt and pepper mills from Costco

5. Waterman clear plastic fountain pen bought off eBay

[henry d]

NATO, DMS combat boots. Bought from an Army surplus store for £20 about 15 years ago, they are long gone but they have been replaced every 18-36 months by a very nice chap who works in the stores depot of a military facility.

 

The military have a "one for one" replacement system

[Dunkield]

I have a pair of Clare lace up boots with DM soles (grippy ones not the smooth ones) I reckon they are 10 years old, the soles are almost as good as new but the uppers are starting to go. I would like to replace them, but spent an afternoon recently trying to fnd some thing similar on the web without any joy.

I never fail to amaze/annoy mrs stuartp with the length of time I keep my clothes . .

 

Mung, I saw a 'comsumer' program once about Timberlands and they have changed the leather membrane for plastic so as a result they rot out when they get a bit sweaty, I would look after yours they sound like the original design.

 

I also like my Chameau wellies, but again, I keep hearing the new ones aren't made the same as the old, so I 'feed' mine as aften as possible to stop them from perishing.

 

Ex army Goretex jacket is also up there, I keep promising myself a nice new coat but there doesn't seem any point if this one keeps on working and doesn't leak.

 

A couple Mitchell 300 fishing reels must be 20+ years old, still as good as new, they will probably outlive me, I bought a 308 to add to the family in the summer and that must be 15+ years old when I bought it, having tarted it up it looks and feels like a new reel.

 

A floating fishing knife I was given about 35 years ago by a father of a friend in Sweden's when we visited back then, must have gutted hundreds of trout in it's time.

[JohnGalway]

In this weather my Thinsulate cap, that I didn't actually buy it makes it even better

 

Then would be the muckboots.

 

Then would be my Stormkloth gear that allows me get prone in the wet and stay dry.

 

After that would be my Lightforce 170 Striker, as most of the rest is redundant if I can't see anything!

[pavman]

When I get home I will post pictures of said items of footwear because I am sad like that.

 

 

 

Mung I believe this is called Scally,

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mens-Used-Sport-Sock...3QQcmdZViewItem

 

OMG, I am so sorry if I have upset you Mung please forgive me

[blackthorn]

2 fleece lined tattersall shirts from john norris, out today like toast

[Vegeta]

Under armour cold gear. Look like a fool wearing it but its great under my normal shooting clothes and keeps the bulk down making shooting easier.

 

I will tell you the worst money I ever spent (well my parents got them for me as an xmas present last year) hunter waders. They hurt the arches of my feet and skin my heels despite being a good fit.

[monkeyjaimz]

A pair of Ron Thompson thermal wellies (used for fishing and shooting in winter).

£15.00 posted from a guy on ebay - keep my feet and calves dry and toasty warm

[highseas]

my barbor trench coat amd my muck boots

[JohnGalway]

Under armour cold gear. Look like a fool wearing it but its great under my normal shooting clothes and keeps the bulk down making shooting easier.

 

 

Is that the thermal camo stuff I saw on Cabelas? I laughed my **** off when I saw it... But... Err... Glad ya like it G

[lurcherboy]

Lots of things but by far the best is my Icebreaker t-shirt because its like wearing a central heating boiler but without the weight

 

 

 

LB

[Flashman]

What's so good about Muck boots? I consider buying wellies every so often: they're easier to clean and lighter than field boots but offer less ankle support. How do these compare to Bogtrotters, for example?

[Mungler]

 

The booty beauties

[JohnGalway]

My Muck Boots are confortable, warm and dry! Even though they developed some concerning seperations here and there they stay bone dry. I put the trouser parts of my Stormkloth over the outside of the wellies pretty much keeping me dry should I accidentally go boghole-ing, whis isn't as fun as it sounds...

[AdamC]

One of the best things I ever bought was my Tag Heuer watch. I bought it about 9 years ago having wanted one for about that amount of time again. I got a cracking deal on it, nearly 25% off, but still cost nearly a months salary. I have worn it every single day since then and it still looks and works great. I just give it a rinse under the tap, a quick buff with kitchen role and it looks the biz again. It has only had 1 new battery in all that time.

 

At the moment though, I am still besotted with my Browning 525 I bought about 3 weeks ago.

[Floating Chamber]

Mycota foot powder. My 1969 steel toe capped leather winter boots are still in good nick, year after year, because of it.

[MC]

Mung,

 

Just as well you cleaned them, you will now see that they are CAT not Timberland

 

I have to agree on the F3 though, if I was only allowed one thing in life it would be my F3

[Bagsy]

 

The booty beauties

 

Nice looking boots Mung, can you put up some pics from different angles?

 

I just got a lovely pair too (boots that is ). They're fantastic - leave 'em by the door covered in mud and they clean themselves and put themselves away. Worth every penny

[game_boy]

 

The booty beauties

 

 

They look like Cats not Timbies mung. But on the Timberland front I have had a pair, bought in America. That are still going strong. I dont waer them alot but I have been to th muckiest Young Famers Dances and with dubbing on them, I have stayed bone dry and nothing seems to be coming apart on them.

[Mungler]

Ah my bad, I am always referring to them as Timberlands but they are not, they are Cats.

 

I went for brown Cats because at the time everyone on the planet had yellow Timberlands.

[mikky]

the best thing i ( bought ) was a round of drinks,to cut a long story short i used to live in Nanyuki in kenya.Nanuki is one of the first stops for any one driving across the sahara usually from egypt.i was sat in the bar in the mount kenya safari club when a car pulled up and a family of four fell out of it.they ordered a round of drinks and some food...unfortunately the bar didnt accept credit cards and they didnt want to use what bit of cash they had for petrol for the rest of the journey down to mombassa.

 

no problem i said...stick it on my dads account,which i did.......he thanked me for the help and as he left he wrote his phone number down...2 weeks later i rang him... and a months free holiday in the Malindi beach hotel in mombassa was the result...apparently he was managing director of a chain of hotels..happy days...he took me out on his boat deep sea fishing,unfortunately his 10 yr old son couldnt stop puking so we had to return to port....