LOL, I have one just like that from my father....used it to sneak out of China in WWII after their B-29 went down........The North and south are reversed so I don't use it, but it is a reminder of the past that I cherish.
I would say my ratiest piece of gear is a pair of BDU's I wore all the time. Now I only wear them to fix the car and paint. The knees are thinning out with holes in the outer fabric. Most of you here have gear older than me.
I resemble that remark.
Some have been wearing them that long.
A wool poncho that Martha assembled for me somewhere on the order of thirty years ago. It's a camp item, one that holds many memories. I guess it's the only thing that feels better to put on than my boots.
Mismatched and multicolored threads
http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-K...-Kd475VM-L.jpg
http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-V...-VDL6S9z-L.jpg
The shoulder straps have held up well.
http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-9...-9pp9cTc-L.jpg
But the neck needs some maintenance.
http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-9...9twdHLj-XL.jpg
http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-B...BXbFq28-XL.jpg
It seems to get warmer as the years pass.
An old oversized, quilted blanket my grandmother made for my dad. It is basically a thick wool blanket, then she layed sheets of cotton over it on both sides, and quilted it in with canvas material on both sides. It has hand sewn patches all over it, and smells like an old cellar and wood smoke, but it is the warmest heaviest blanket I have ever seen, and probably weighs 12 pounds.
When I go camping I always take it in case it gets really cold, and when you throw it over your sleeping bag, it gets a lot warmer. I have never washed it, and it has stains in it from when my dad used it.
It is something I will have until I die, and then will be passed on to my son. I have told him that you can still smell grandpa's camping trips on this old blanket!
I'm sure glad you posted some pictures 'cause the title My Wooby had me a bit concerned.
We need a thread the defines a wooby.......as you know it.
I hate getting rid of old boots that fit well, it's like throwing away an old friend, so I just keep them and listen to the girls gripe about why I keep ratty old boots:smartass:
Gonna go searching through my grandma and grandpa's basement for any lost treasures and trinkets that may be of any use in the future. Teehee.
I think my bit of equipment that deserves nomination is a 3-foot by 7-foot lightweight olive-drab canvas groundcloth that my father gave me when I was but a pup. He used it in the ETO from 1944 thru V-E Day. I used it from 1959 until I sort of "retired" it after his death in 1984.
I only "sort-of" retired it, and continue to use it on special occasions. It has acquired a few small holes that I've patched from the 'ground-side' with OD "90mph" duct tape.
In addition to being on the 1944-45 Grand Tour of Europe -- England, France, Belgium, Germany, Czechoslovakia, etc. -- my old groundcloth has seen service in Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Wisconsin, Minnesota, California and Arizona. [Heck, its been to many more places than I have!]
Regards to all,
-- Nighteyes