The Worst-Designed Camping Gear We’ve Ever Seen
If you’ve ever gone camping, you know how valuable space in your bag can be. That’s why tools that do a bunch of different things are so great! From multi-tools to sporks, it’s always an awesome feeling when you can pack one tool that does the job of a bunch of different things. But as usual, some people just have to take things too far.
Trying to mash too many different things together into one product can sometimes lead to badly designed, dangerous products that aren’t good for anything but a good chuckle. So welcome to our list of the worst-designed camping gear on the internet, and get ready to ask yourself, “how did this ever get made?!”
The Gerber Gator Combo Axe
Starting off with a classic, and one of the least offensive entries on this list, we give you the Gerber Gator Combo Axe. This axe was designed to store a knife in the hollow handle of the axe, and sold about 103,000 units before being recalled in 2011. While this may seem like a good space-saving idea, the knife in the axe handle didn’t like to stay in place, and would slip out when the axe was being used for chopping or hammering.
After five people reported injuries to Gerber, the product was recalled. Anyone who bought the axe was given the option of getting a free handle cap that could keep the knife in the handle. However, people were still told to take the knife out of the axe when using the axe, making the Gator Combo Axe no better than just buying an axe and knife separately. At least then you could get a knife cover you won’t cut your hand on!
My Pepper Stick
This one probably should have been thought through a little bit more. The My Pepper Stick mixes together two things that most serious hikers always take with them into the wilderness: hiking poles and bear spray. At first glance, this might not seem like a bad idea; the pepper spray is already in your hand if you run into a less-than-friendly bear and it doesn’t add much weight to the poles. Until you realize that the pepper spray trigger is on top of the poles, right where your hands are going to be gripping tightly. All it takes is forgetting to check what way your hiking pole is pointed or your hand slipping a little and you’re spraying pepper spray at yourself or your hiking group. Way more risky than just keeping a normal can of bear spray in an easy-to-reach pocket!
LED Flashlight w/ Built-in IR Spy Camera DVR & LCD Screen
Have you ever been out camping in the wilderness at night, enjoying nature and the chance to unplug, when you suddenly wished you could take a video of what you’re seeing? Clearly these product designers did, and thought the best way for you to capture that video was on your…flashlight?
Most campers these days carry phones that already have excellent cameras built in, and unlike a smartphone, you have to upload any videos you take on this to another device if you want to share them. That is, unless you only want to watch your videos on the tiny LCD screen attached to the flashlight. Yes, you also have to do this with any GoPro or camera, the difference is that the hassle is worth it for better video quality. This flashlight only takes video using an Infrared Spy Camera, so it’s not going to give you anything better than your typical CCTV footage. Unless you’re planning to re-create your favorite ghost hunting show on your next camping trip, steer clear of this flashlight!
ECO Shorts
With the rise of smartphones and other small electronic devices, it’s no wonder that portable chargers have also had a huge spike in popularity recently. But for some reason, these designers thought it would be a good idea to charge your power bank by wearing it! The ECO Shorts are wearable shorts with a solar power bank hanging from the belt loop that is supposed to get charged by the solar panels on the front.
The problems with this product are pretty obvious. For one, the sun doesn’t shine on your shorts all that much, even in areas without much shade. Plus, the small solar panels mean that you’re going to have to spend a LOT of time in the sun to get any kind of charge. These shorts aren’t washable, which is what nobody wants from clothes they’ve been hiking and camping in all day. For $140 you can buy yourself some shorts you actually like and a portable charger you can count on.
NoZipp Sleeping Bag
When you can buy a pretty decent sleeping bag for under $100, what features would a sleeping bag have to have for you to spend $350? If you only said magnets, then this might be the product for you! The gimmick of the NoZipp is exactly what it sounds like, a normal mummy sleeping bag, but with magnet closures instead of zippers.
One of the big selling points is being able to make the sleeping bag more roomy or leave it partially open. This doesn’t really justify the steep price tag when you realize that any sleeping bag with a zipper or drawstring can do pretty much the same thing. Not to mention, the sleeping bag has 10cm gaps between the magnets. If you’re camping anywhere colder than the desert, that’s going to get pretty drafty!
TiCoff Dripper
Outdoorsy coffee lovers have been searching for the easiest way to make their morning brew at a campsite for ages! And the TiCoff Dripper is…sadly not that. We’re not knocking drip coffee, it’s easier than trying to bring a french press or espresso machine with you because you can get great, lightweight drippers that weigh almost nothing in your camping bag. So why would these designers get rid of the dripper’s most practical feature by making it out of a heavy material like titanium? The answer: to throw a few unnecessary bottle openers on the sides. And for $50 too! Just grab a cheap plastic dripper and a bottle opener that you can attach to your keys, your back and your wallet will thank you.
686 Original Toolbelt
How does that old saying go, ‘if it’s not broken, don’t fix it?’ Clearly these product designers forgot that when designing the 686 Original Toolbelt. When you think ‘toolbelt’ you probably think of a belt to hold your tools. But the 686 makes it so the belt itself is the tool. Sure, it might be handy to have a secret screwdriver or bottle opener, but just think about how awkward this would be to use. What would be worse, having to take off your belt every time you wanted to use a tool, or trying to use it while you’re still wearing it?
The Winniebago Helihome
This one’s a blast from the past that you (sadly) can’t buy anymore, but the design was too good to leave off of this list! Released in 1977, this flying RV was sold by Winniebago and actually sold seven or eight units. Built inside of decommissioned American Sikorsky s58 helicopters, used in Vietnam, the Helihome had everything a typical RV had, but could fly.
Inside, there was a seating area that could be turned into a sleeping area for up to four people, a kitchen, mini fridge, air conditioning and heating, a water heater, a bathroom with a shower, and so much more. Despite how cool it may sound, the steep price tag (almost $1.5 million today), and the fact that not many people know how to fly a helicopter doomed the Helihome from the start. Would you buy one if it was brought back today?
Survival Collapsible Hiking Pole
Let’s close out our list with another horribly designed hiking pole. It seems product designers have no shortage of bed ideas when it comes to these handy hiking aids, and this one with detachable knife extensions on the end is no exception. Most reviews for poles like this with attachable cutlery say that the knife blades are too dull to do much good. Plus, even though these poles are collapsible, the shortest they can go is 18 inches, so good luck eating or opening a bottle without a lot of flailing around! At least the knives on the ends come off so you don't stab yourself mid-hike.
Remember, while these products are fun to laugh at, some of them can actually be so badly designed that they become dangerous. Before you buy camping gear always actually think about how you're going to use it and if the design actually makes sense. And if you see someone selling a 20-in-1 tool, it's probably too good to be true!