Gear Failure Horror Stories

[mburrows]

Thought this might be an interesting topic that could both help and entertain people.  I'd like to hear about some horrific or funny to look back on gear failures of any capacity from guns, scopes, bows, back packs, boots to regular camping equipment failures.

Ill start.

Most major failure was a Stone Glacier backpack frame breaking while packing out in 2018, luckily I was just over a mile from the truck so was able to make due.  I will admit, user error played into the failure a bit, it was very heavy load.  Took the pack into Stone Glacier and they replaced it without issue.

Another major failure I had was in college when I was drawing back on a whitetail doe and my release strap broke which sent the arrow about 30 feet over the deer and the arrow sailed out into a wheat field.  Couldnt tell you the brand of release, likely a walmart special. 

[jstone]

I got one

Late swakane archery 40 yards from a 4x4 8 degrees and sunny. My release was frozen. I tried to quietly blow on it to thaw it out. Bam.!! He is looking at me in the open.

Busted

[vandeman17]

Reminds me of a time I was duck hunting with a buddy. It was super cold and foggy and we had multiple occasions where birds were committed, we would stand up to shoot and our actions were frozen. 

[nwmein199]

I got one

Late swakane archery 40 yards from a 4x4 8 degrees and sunny. My release was frozen. I tried to quietly blow on it to thaw it out. Bam.!! He is looking at me in the open.

Busted

I just had the funniest visual of being out in the woods and furiously blowing on the release like trying to blow a fire out...haha!
I had one somewhat similar...steelhead drift fishing from the bank when it was like 15 degrees. Took a break from fishing and I didnt notice that the eyelets/line had frozen solid during my break. Wind up for a big time cast, doesnt go anywhere being that the line and fishing pole are now one, and lead weight hammers into my shin...lucky no one was around to see that

[Jonathan_S]

Central Idaho backpacked in solo. Eyepiece on the spotter went cloudy.

[Alchase]

Mine was Danner boots, I liked the bobbed soles so much, I bought two pairs. Two years in a row I had sidewall blowouts with Danners while side hilling. The first was many miles from camp. My small emergency roll of duct tape helped hold it together for the hike out, but ruined my hunt. The second was closer to camp.
Have not bought Danners since.

Second was Rivers West rain gear. Bought my son and myself pants and coats. First hike in the rain they leaked so much at the seams, and it felt like you were hiking in a Hefty garbage bag. They did not breath at all. Soon we could not tell what got us wetter the leaks or the condensation.
The absolute worst gear buy I have ever made.

[Karl Blanchard]

Vortex. All of them 

[Karl Blanchard]

But seriously. Laid out prone ready to touch off a slam dunk shot on a cranker of a 3x3 miley in MT. I twist the power ring on my vortex pst and the reticle turns with it  thank god I brought a backup rifle on that trip.


Another good one was with an eberlestock that was my first "nice" backpack.. Dead elk over 7 miles from the truck. Go to shoulder my first load for the trip out and one of the shoulder straps tips off  to its credit though, the other shoulder strap held the whole way.......slung across my chest like one of those man purses 

[Karl Blanchard]

Sleeping bags are always fun too. I've had a few go flat on me due to moisture which results in sleepless nights, fires hopefully and usually some pushups 

Buddy of mine burned a hole in his down bag a few years back in Idaho. What a mess that was! I'm convinced there is 100 geese in a sleeping bag 

[mburrows]

I got one

Late swakane archery 40 yards from a 4x4 8 degrees and sunny. My release was frozen. I tried to quietly blow on it to thaw it out. Bam.!! He is looking at me in the open.

Busted

Damn that would be brutal!

[hothand21]

My Cameron Hanes boots were as water proof as flip flops. Total disaster.

[ctwiggs1]

Scope failure while looking at a bear that was maaaybe 80 yards away, check.

Muzzleloader powder "pellets" hang-firing, check (those things suck).  @buckcanyonlodge witnessed that one and supposedly the deer that he wanted me to shoot was "the biggest one he'd ever seen in the area".  Still think he might be messing with me.

My Remington 870 should have it's own Instagram fail page.  The butt pad fell off mid-turkey trip once.  Just fell off the stock.  The screws had just sheared.  The stock itself fell off on a later trip when the bolt holding the stock to the receiver sheared.  I actually had to do the paperwork for a new gun at that point for a new receiver.  I think I got in on a bad production lot or something.  Dang thing looks like a Frankenstein gun with various forms of distress on the "camo".

I had a Mossberg 500 misfire and throw sparks all over my face.  I guess there really is something to wearing eye protection.

Lost a steelhead when my line snapped halfway up the rod.  Upon inspection I found that the little plastic ring they put inside the eyes of the rod had shot out while I was playing a fish and the line was frayed from friction.  Brand new $100 or so rod.

Had a Wolverine boot (not recommended) literally come unglued about a mile from camp.  I happened to have my little emergency roll of duct tape in my pack so that saved the day. 

I remember getting an argument with *I think* @silkonthewetside about buying expensive gear.  He mentioned the phrase "Buy once, cry once" and that basically won me over.  I save, save, save and try to only buy decent gear.  I'm not looking for the next contribution to the landfill.

[Stein]

My cousin and I ate three Mountain House meals a day for 10 days when we were young and dumb, no snacks or other food.  Being in the tent wasn't fun.

[mburrows]

I was waiting for a vortex story lol.  I have a vortex on my current hunting rifle and these types of stories are in the back of my mind every trip.

I've experienced the burned hole in a down bag. That makes such a smokey, nasty mess when a bag rubs up against the titanium stoves and then all the feathers fall onto the stove and melt. Tenacious tape saves a sleep bag, a tent or a jacket at least once a year for me

[Karl Blanchard]

I was waiting for a vortex story lol.  I have a vortex on my current hunting rifle and these types of stories are in the back of my mind every trip.

I've experienced the burned hole in a down bag. That makes such a smokey, nasty mess when a bag rubs up against the titanium stoves and then all the feathers fall onto the stove and melt. Tenacious tape saves a sleep bag, a tent or a jacket at least once a year for me

this was a campfire and there was no taping it. I've never seen so many feathers and I've cleaned 30+ geese in a sitting