In retrospect....

[John Kasaian]

Gear that I've acquired either holds up or dosen't. It either proves to be a worthy investment or a passing fashion that dosen't amount to much more than wased money. I prefer gear that has a timeless quality to it, even outdated technology can be held in reserve (if it worked well in the first place) while the latest and greatest can become obsolete and "unsupportable" (army terminology) within the year as even "later and greater" stuff appears on the market(at a price, of course!).
The trouble is I don't know what is truly worthwhile until time & performance proves it.
This observation led my to compile a list of stuff that has proven itself useful to me:

1) GI surplus 5 gallon water can coolers
I still see these in surplus stores. I just loaded eleven 8x10 holders in one. These
things rock when it comes to transporting 8x10 film holders! I've had mine for just
over a year now and I couldn't be happier with them.

2) Versalab Film Washer[
It's 1000% better than laying prints out on the floor of the shower! Plus the price
of the Versalab is the sweetest deal going. There might be better options of you're
on a water meter though.

3) Panavision Film Changing Bag. The mil-spec version of changing bags if there were
such a thing.

4) Weston Master light meter. They've been around for 50 or so years. I got one for
a few bucks, had Quality Light Metric fix it up for a few more bucks 10 years ago
and I wouldn't be surprised if it goes for another 40 years. The later model with
ASA calibrations are simpler for those of us with an ASA mindset.

5) Agfa 9x Loupe. Sure there are better ones for louping prints or the gg, but darn it
these work well enough and cost less than $10 bucks. How are you going to beat
that?

6) Gepe cable release. Mine will fire any shutter I have: Wollensak Betax, Ilex
Universals, Supermatics, Rapax, Alphax---you name it. I have to really cram
it up the Betax to engage the threads, but it works! A quality product!

7) GE Guide Lamps. These are night lights that came two on a card for about a
a buck at the dime store. Sadly no longer made they are dynamite safe lights
for a kid on a tight budget.

8) Swiss Army Knife with a phillips screwdriver. I have found these to work on my
photography gear while other gadget phillips drivers simply booger the screw
heads.

Well, thats what I have to admit to being impressed by---what gear do you have that has stood the test of time?

[Heroique]

For too long, I struggled w/ poorly designed darkroom easels: misaligned blades, inexact measurement scales, poor paper placement, easel frames slipping & sliding under the enlarger, etc.

Then I found a one of those discontinued Saunders "V-Track" models, and my problems vanished. Overnight.

I'm sure it will outlive me, then help introduce my great-grandchildren to "old-fashioned" analog ways...

[Mark Woods]

A lot of my gear is over 30 years old. It's quality gear. Some of my lenses are from 20's and 30's, while others are from the 80's or later. The 8x10 camera I use is a Deardorff from the 60's with a TR Triple convertible uncoated lens. It's beautiful. For small format I have my Pentaxes from the 60's and 70's, but the small camera I use the most is a 1938 Leica with an uncoated 50mm Tessar. That said, when I shoot 4x5 I use a Sinar P with a number of sweet lenses. (A 90mm Super Angulon is a favorite.) My 8x10 enlarger is from Producers Service that was in Hollywood. It's from the 50's. If it works, don't fix it.

[Bill_1856]

About half the digital stuff I buy is either defective right out of the box, or goes bad within what should be a reasonable working lifetime of light usage, and getting it repaired or replaced is usually a PITA, if it can be done at all.
My oldest piece of new photo equipment, an Omega D2, is 56 years old and has never even needed realignment. As long as DAG is alive and working my Leicas are as good as when they were made. With an occasional CLA on the shutters, my various Graphics continue to be reliable workhorses, and the 1968 Technika is solid as a bank vault except that the bellows need replacing every few years.
Unfortunately, "buying the best" no longer promises improved reliability, just increased speed and more bells and whistles to go bad.

[BetterSense]

Other than film, I don't think I use a single piece of photo equipment that is younger than I am. That goes for my speed graphic, Olympus OM2n, Agfa Isolette, D2 enlarger, film developing hangers, and my 8mm camera.

[MIke Sherck]

Leatherman multi-tool. The original. Useful for darn near everything that needs to be done. I'm so happy with mine, I bought the wife and kids each one. Son ended up buying two more, daughter #2 stole the wife's so she'd have one for home, one for school.

[Aahx]

1. Spring Clamps.. you know, the metal ones from the hardware store with orange or red poly tips and handles. I use them for so many things it's not even funny. Cheap to replace if spring wears out, and last for 10+ years usualy (depending on usage). They can hold small tree branches out of the way (clamp to tree or another branch), clamp items or wieghts to tripod, clamp up reflectors or backdrops, etc..

2. Good hiking boots... nothing beats having good boots on ones feet when you have to travel far afoot. I usualy wear mine till the soles wear out, then replace (usualy about every 5 to 7 years).

3. Zip Ties... mind you they individualy dont last, but as a tool they can be invaluable to have allong. Attach things to backpacks, tripods, etc.

4. Plastic grocery bags... to carry all your trash out of the woods, such as poloroid/fujiroid leftovers, granola bar wrappers, or anything else you might find out there that someone else left behind. Cheap to aquire, and I always save them when I forget to use my cloth ones at grocery store.

5. 1.5" Camels Hair Paint Brush ... for cleaning film holders and lenses. It helps get the dust out of the groves in your holders or the filter rings on your lenses. Much smaller and lighter than a "can of air".

[John Powers]

Ries A 100 tripod - A-250 Double Tilt Head with the spikes out.
RH Phillips cameras (810 Advantage, 7x17 Explorer)
Toyota Highlander
Babyjogger.com PERFORMANCE JOGGER

I have written tons here and APUG on all of the above. I carry one or both cameras assembled on the tripods so I can pull them out of the back of the car in one piece and put all in the jogger to transport to the picture. I can then lift the assembled rig out of the jogger and focus the shot. No set up. No falling camera. No stripped tripod head threads. If I carry both cameras I have a steel basket plugged into the trailer hitch to carry the jogger.

As a retired salesman struggling to exceed quotas for 45 years, the thing that impressed me most about Dick Phillips cameras is that in his next to last year of manufacturing these in his basement he sold out what he planned to make in a year in three days. Feeling the pressure of that he only took orders for half a day the next year. A lot of people who knew a lot more about cameras than I did, thought they were pretty good. I just took their advice.

Other favorites: Sekonic 508 meter, Toyo 3.6x loupe, Linhof cable release, 12 inch Gold Rim Dagor, BTZS Focus Hood, Ghirardelli dark chocolate and 356 Porsches.

John

[Ivan J. Eberle]

A $10 Sunbeam LCD kitchen timer lasted as my Jobo processor timer for 12 years. (Come to think of it, that old CPP-2 keep plugging along the whole time too).

c. 1948 General Electric DW-58 selenium cell meter (modern speeds) that arrived with my first LF camera was still bang-on at 60 years old, and still need doesn't the battery replaced two years later ;-)

My 2000 Nissan Xterra's odometer just rolled over 175,000 miles on my last trip to the Sierra. I've had it for the last 75K and 5 years with NO major repairs, haven't had to replace much more than a brake line, shocks, headlamps, timing belt, window regulators, an A/C hose (oh, and a windshield). Considering I lived 7 miles up a mountain on an unmaintained USFS road for 4 of those years, this surely qualifies as the most bullet-proof vehicle I've ever owned in more than 30 years of driving.

$15 Energizer 6-way LED headlamps are more weather resistant than $45 Petzals and have a lifetime warranty to boot. (Too, the Energizer 15 minute fast charger for NiMH is smart enough to works with any old NiMH battery and comes with both a 12VDC lighter cord and a 120VAC cord. I have about 200 NiMH batteries, and am finding recent Energizers to be every bit as good as any of the common ones).

Manfrotto 3221 aluminum tripod. I've doubtlessly replaced most every component on it piecemeal since 1987, except the top two sections of main tubes. Considering that it's never failed catastrophically with all the slip/falls and bashes against rocks it's gotten riding outside my pack-- awsome! Ditto the Manfrotto Super Heavy Duty Ballhead (the 3+ lb lever one with the fluid damped panning motion).

Pair of Leki Explorer hiking poles that are 15 years old, see duty as monopods, XC ski/snowshoe poles with deep powder baskets, flash brackets, butterfly net handles (in season)

Just washed a North Face goose down jacket and vest that date from 1974 and 78. (But they don't fit me anymore, they must have shrunk!). I've got a Gregory Rock Creek internal frame pack from 1988 still going strong; it's vastly more rugged than anything I've seen from them in recent years. A couple of blue foam sleeping pads I cut into strips to line my backpacking packs to turn them into camera packs (couple of packs prior) now may be going on 23 years (dang--could that really be true?!!)

Super Graphic that's over 50 years old (bought from a member here off the board was light tight and perfectly accurate on RF focus with it's 135mm RF cam while using a Wollensak Raptar I swapped over. Both my Meridians (A 45B, and a 45CE prototype) are still light tight after more than 60 years with what are very likely the original synthetic bellows, with no evidence of repairs. I paid less for each of these pristine cameras (with clean 135mm f/4.7 Raptars, no less) than Bill might have to pay for his next set of leather Linhof bellows alone.

[David Karp]

I agree on the Versalab. I bought one when they first came out and have been very happy with it.

My Kelty Redwing backpack was also a good choice.

As for my cameras, the Walker Titan SF was a great pick. I still love it today. Other cameras have come and gone, and been good. None of them have tickled me like the Walker (yes - even my ARCA - which I also like).

The RRS quick release adapter that screws on to my tripod head.

The Harrison film changing tent (the one that replaced my sticky one).

The insulated lunch bags that hold my film holders when I am out shooting.

My Pentax Spotmeters (one analog, one digital).

[Preston]

My 1975 vintage Chouinard/Frost ice axe, Chouinard ice hammer, Chouinard rigid 12-point crampons, and a beautiful pair of lowa Civetta boots--all bought new in 1975, and still going strong despite some 'interesting' climbing.

My Pentax analog and digital meters. My 70's vintage 210 Schneider-Kreuznach f4.5. Some 70's vintage Fidelity Deluxe 4x5 holders. My first 35mm SLR; a Canon Ft-b bought new in '71.

Cool topic, John.

--Preston

[Ivan J. Eberle]

Wow, Preston! Do you ice-climb with LF? Now that's dedication!

When Yvon Chouinard set himself to the task, he really turned out high-quality stuff. I've still got a dense Merino wool sweater I can't bring myself to part with (too bad it also shrank!). It's from the early Patagonia period (maybe as long ago as 1977?); it was fabulously expensive even then but gave a lot in return. Favorite article of clothing ever.

More recent gear is a mixed bag. I've got one Columbia Titanium (waterproof breathable Goretex knockoff) shell that has fancy waterproof zippers and taped seams etc that's leaked from the start, yet another bought to replace it which was under $100 yet is so good I can't see myself ever paying 4X as much for the currently hip and supposedly premium brand Arcteryx (but whose label indicates it's made in China). Happened to choose a dark blue shell that works reasonably well as a dark cloth.

I adopted a backpacker's credo to buy fewer, better-made things back in the day when I was first acquiring outdoor gear, which has served me well. (At least that worked until better-made stuff all began to be made in the same generic factories by the same folk, regardless of price.)

[John Powers]

I adopted a backpacker's credo to buy fewer, better-made things back in the day when I was first acquiring outdoor gear, which has served me well. (At least that worked until better-made stuff all began to be made in the same generic factories by the same folk, regardless of price.)

My father taught me to buy the very best I could afford and keep it as long as it worked. As an example he gave me a Rolex chronograph ($125) for my 21st birthday. I had it cleaned recently and they offered me $4,500. I will be 70 in March. It doesn't work for electronics, but it has worked well in many areas. I wanted a view camera in college (1960-64) but thought I could not afford it. I did buy a 1964 356 Porsche coupe new and still have it. I think I figured that at $94 a year a few years back. Since that had worked well in 1980 I bought a 1955 356 Porsche Speedster that a friend had restored. I still have it. Good tools last a long time.

John

[Renato Tonelli]

Fun and informative this thread is!
My list, in no particular order:

Pentax Sptomatic II - works as well as when purchased in the early 70's.

Pentax Spotmeter (Analog & Digital) - in constant use for the last 20+ years

Rollei 35 - always loaded with HIE

Durst Pro - bought used in the 70's; a workhorse.

Durst L1200 - bought new in the 90's; another workhorse - negative needs to be focused once: leave it in place and it will stay in focus today, tomorrow... you get the point.

Hiking Booths - Someone mentioned them already - I really like mine (made by Scarpa?); feet always dry and comfortable during long hikes. They seem to last for years.

Sleeping Bag (North Face) - bought int the early 70's direct from the company's catalog (their products were not in stores yet and the label/brand name was inside the product - not emblazoned out front). Has kept me warm and toasty when my traveling companions complained/whined about how cold it was at night.

Swiss Army Knife - the best tool I own and use.

[Tom Conway]

A few more:
* Plastic thermos
* "Turtle Fur" neck wrap
* Ray-O-Vac flashlight from the '70's (still bright after all these years!)
* Eddie Bauer Gore-Tex parka from early '90's
* Tamrac long lens cover, made for 35MM 80-200, it works great for LF lenses
* Cabela's long johns
* Heavy-duty plastic bags (the type for leaves); ground cover/windbreak