Notorious Outdoor Gear Fails

We love our gear and a lot of us are always looking for the next great piece of gear that will solve a problem, make something easier, weigh less, etc. Outdoor gear manufacturers know this and are always working on new stuff we can't live without. However, with all the new gear that comes out each year, there's going to be a few items that make you ask, "What were they thinking?"

Have you tried any of these?

Glow-in-the-Dark Toilet Paper

This stuff was supposed to help campers find their TP in the dark. Fun idea…except it barely glowed and didn’t really help in midnight bathroom runs. Plus, who really wants to put glowing chemicals there? It was more “novelty gag” than essential gear and quickly disappeared from shelves.

Squat Strap

Following the questionable toilet paper, we have the Crap Strap. This bizarre device promises to make going to the bathroom in the woods easier by strapping you to a tree. In reality, it looked uncomfortable, awkward to use, and the marketing was…eccentric. Nonetheless, this odd item is available from multiple retailers.

Crotch Pot

An actual product, the Crotch Pot is a mesh pouch that hangs inside your pants to “cook” food with your body heat while you hike. Unsurprisingly, slow-cooking oatmeal in your underwear... doesn't sound pleasant —the gear community has been equal parts amused and horrified. However, someone must be using them as the product is still available.

Cheap Carbon Trekking Poles

Some ultralight carbon poles failed spectacularly in real use. Buttons stuck, sections wouldn’t lock, and the poles bent or broke with just a few days of trail use—far from the durability hikers expect. Many reviews warn that these are light on the scale, but likely to leave you stranded with broken gear. This has happened to me coming back down from Bandera, both poles spectacularly splintered and broke.

“All-in-One” Fishing Poles

Compact, multi-section fishing rods for backpackers sounded great—until the tips broke, sections jammed, or they simply didn’t work after light use. Their fragility and questionable usefulness doomed them on the trail and in the market.

Over-Engineered “Luxury” Coolers and Lights

Products like super-heavy, “luxury” coolers or high-lumen camp lights—which cost a fortune, weigh more than a tent, and are overkill for backpacking—often get mocked for being impractical. Some, like the ultra-bulky Lifetime Hard Cooler, are seen as more showy than sensible for real adventure trips.

Wearable Sleeping Bags

A wearable sleeping bag meant for mobile camp lounging: fun in theory, but most find it difficult to sleep well in and awkward for real camping. Although it can be good for couch lounging or perhaps at an outdoor stadium event, these became a short-lived novelty rather than a mainstay for serious hikers.

These oddball products serve as cautionary examples—just because it’s new (or weird) doesn’t mean it works in the wild.

Want more Gear talk? Here you go:

• Innovative Backpacks: Gimmicks or Functional?

• Ultra-Light - Not Always the Best Strategy

• The Great Debate: Nalgene, Smart Water, or Water Bladder?

• Evolution of the Hiking Backpack: A Journey from Burdens to Companions (1950s - Present)