Shoutout to the Coleman 1-burner stove I found at a yard sale

I cleaned it up and took it on a quick trip to the Pine Barrens last month, and it boiled a liter of water in under three minutes, way faster than my old one. I guess sometimes the older gear just works better if you give it a chance. Has anyone else had a surprise win with a piece of used equipment?

3 comments

3 Comments

stellabennett3mo ago

My grandpa's 1980s Svea stove still lights on the first try.

cora5621mo ago

Gotta disagree a little here, @stellabennett. That Svea stove is a beast, sure, but I've seen just as many 80s stoves that were finicky and needed constant tinkering (like my uncle's old Optimus, which leaked fuel if you looked at it wrong). The stuff that survives is the stuff people loved enough to fix, not necessarily stuff that was better made. My roommate's brand new Soto Windmaster lights on the first try every time, no priming, no worrying about a 40 year old gasket failing. Broken in can still be a great find, but sometimes a clean slate and modern fuel efficiency is a bigger win than nostalgia.

rubywebb3mo ago

Ever notice how the best stuff is already broken in? My old cast iron pan was a total rust bucket at a flea market. Cleaned it up, seasoned it, and it's the only pan I use now. Feels like that stuff was made to last, not just to be replaced. New things give up so fast. Finding gear that's already proved it can take a hit, that's the real win.