That week I bought a 'wilderness survival kit' off Instagram and it had a plastic knife

Honestly I saw this ad for a compact survival kit that claimed to be waterproof and packed with 20 tools. Paid $35 for it and when it showed up last Tuesday the 'knife' was literally a molded piece of clear plastic shaped like a blade. The fire starter was a tiny magnesium rod that snapped in half on my second scrape. I'm torn between thinking these kits are just for show or if there's actually a budget option out there that isn't completely useless. Has anyone else ordered a viral camping gadget and gotten something that couldn't even cut a sandwich?

3 comments

3 Comments

logan_wood12d ago

$35 and you expected it to be legit?

baker.christopher12d ago

Funny you mention that. My buddy once bought a "brand new" laptop off Craigslist for $40 and the guy showed up in a minivan with like three other laptops in the back, all clearly stolen from a school or something. The guy kept eyeing my friend's watch and asking if he wanted to trade, real sketchy vibes. So yeah, $35 for anything these days is basically "it's probably stolen or broken or both" territory, but hey, we've all been there hoping for a miracle deal.

beth_park12d ago

Remembered buying a "gaming mouse" from some guy on OfferUp for $20 once and it turned out to be a cheap knockoff with a dead battery inside. @baker.christopher probably knows that feeling too, those miracle deals almost always come with a side of regret.