Update: I finally tried one of those tiny pocket stoves

Honestly, I thought the whole 'ultralight' thing was just for people who like to suffer. I got a BRS-3000T for a trip last month in the Adirondacks, mostly because it was only $17. Ngl, I was sure it would break or just not boil water. But it boiled a full liter in under four minutes every single night, even when it was windy. Has anyone else had a cheap piece of gear totally surprise them?

3 comments

3 Comments

claire_hart5319d ago

Totally get the skepticism! Read a whole forum thread where people were calling those little stoves "disposable" and expecting them to fail. My buddy's cheap foam sleeping pad from a random brand has lasted him three seasons now, which is just wild for the price. Sometimes the budget stuff just works.

julia_anderson19d ago

Exactly, it's like we're trained to think expensive always means better. You see it with tools, kitchen stuff, even phone chargers. A lot of cheap things are just simple and well made, so they last. The price tag really messes with our heads about what quality actually is.

the_grace19d ago

Wasn't there a whole thing about those cheap Harbor Freight tools lasting forever? I read a bunch of mechanics online saying they buy the cheap socket sets for jobs they think will break tools, and the things just won't die. Makes you wonder what we're really paying for with the big names sometimes.