I thought this would be a interesting topic for the budget minded individual. Off the top of my head the only thing I can think of his my leatherman skelatool I absolutely love it. If it had a saw blade it would be perfect.

I think it would be my Patagonia puffball vest that I got for half price (40$) because someone here on the fire alerted me to a sale.
It is light, packable, and warm all out of proportion to its weight.

Firesteels... I don't even know why I'm so fascinated with them??

They are a ton of fun to play with.

Havalon piranha, cool knife.
SmartWool socks.

Exped camp pillow

Jet Boil stove. Found one of the older models on sale last year for $49.95.

Havalon knife and z-lite pad

+1 for smart wool socks

Petzl Tikka Headlamp... Don't know how I lived without it...

I love the smart wool socks I don't know how i lived without them for so long. EMS had buy three pairs get three free and now thats all I wear

My first thought was a REALLY good knife. But then I remembered a totally cute redhead in a Central Texas bar who said she was "open to any ideas".....and three drinks later......really was!!

Bought my MSR titan kettle for 45
I love that pot, just the right size.

This is a tough game, but I'd say my Princeton Tec EOS and White Box stove both come under the wire together at $50, and have gotten hard use over the last few years.

For the honorable mentions:
Mora knives, mil-surp Trangia stove, Stratus Trail Stove, Emberlit Stove, Primus Litech kettle, my wonderful collection of heavy duty 100% wool commando sweaters from various countries, and even my little UCI candle which isn't needed, but I love it anyway.

This is tough, I'd say Pocket Rocket stove and Smartwool socks. I know, that's two.

Swiss Army Knife

Bridgedale wool socks, Sawyer water filter bottle

a zero degree suisse sport sleeping bag. Warmest bag i've had and not to heavy.

Easily my sea to summit eVent dry sac's. Then my kifaru gun bearers. And my SP Lite Max. 3 liter Platy.

Ozarktrails' closed cell sleeping pad at Walmart. $14. I've had one for years and was always going to by a spare...then one day a couple of years ago I wandered in there and they were gone...I was kicking myself.

24 x 72 x 5/8. Waffled on one side smooth on the other, just under a pound.

Edit to add: Mora knives.

Havalon piranta pro
Seal skins socks

Though of another one.

My gorilla pod mini tripod.

Great for a small digital camera, and will fit in a pocket.

LED 3AAA Headlamps. Petzl is my choice for that price range.

Variable power, red light option and a strobe. Love it. I don't even use a lantern car camping much anymore. I just pas out the Eveready headlamps from Walmart.

Water Bladder

Swiss Army hiking poles were $20 at Walmart. Ended up giving them to my buddy who went along on a two week stonesheep hunt with me last year. Got a pair of Black Diamond's now for $100 more that work identically.

+1

At barely over $50, the Leatherman ST 300 has a saw blade and over a dozen other nifty tools. At 9.6oz, it probably doesn't belong in the backpacking section, but it's still one helluva multi-tool.

Topographical map.

hmm thats a tough one. I would say its a toss up between my canteen & cup, Army Model Firesteel, and my $10 Mora High-Q knife (it cuts the messy stuff I don't want on my custom knife, lol)

That's tough. None of the major gear is under $50 and very little is under $100. Under $50: Titanium spork. Gerber mini-LST. Collapsible bucket. Poncho. Parachute cord. Water bottles.

Cheap [bleep] is heavy. I'm too old for heavy if I want to get as far back into the pucker weeds as I want to be.

Smartwool socks and Camelback bladder.

GSI Halulite Minimalist ~$25. Very well thought out cooking pot. Hard anodized aluminum, with a nice tight drinking lid that reverses to be an easily removable lid for cooking, and a neoprene cozy that fits over the pot. Throw out the two other gimmicks that come with it. It is a tad on the small size for all of my uses, but it's what I've mostly been using this summer. Really hard to beat with a trangia mini burner, hardware cloth pot stand, and some drinks and oatmeal stuffed inside. Come to think of it, you can buy the whole setup minus the drinks for under $50.

Foam butt pad. Use it in camp, use it while hunting to sit and glass.

Another +1 for the Titan Kettle. I really like mine too.


This thread makes me wonder what the poor people are talking about today?

Thanks for reminding me about the Minimalist Evan. I've got one also, and find the Gram Weenie Pro stove works perfectly with it. It weighs about nothing, and eliminates the need for a pot stand. Win-win.

Favorite piece of gear under $50?

That's easy...an ordinary $.99 butane lighter.

Crooked Horn Bino-harness

not just *any* ordinary one... the clear kind without the child safety "feature".

You can remove the spring that child proofs bic lighters...


My favorite piece of gear that is part of my EDC is a foursevens preon p1 in titanium.
http://www.foursevens.com/product_info.php?products_id=2884

I guess retail is $55 but I got it on sale for ~$35... so it counts for me.

Obviously I have several "favorites" under $50.

This was the first thing that came to my mind. I always toss a magnezium block and firesteel combo into my pack as an emergency resort thing. A few months ago I was camping near Mammoth in the low teens and my Bic lighter completely crapped out. If it wasn't for the firesteel to light my stove it would have made for a cold meal and a cold night (warmed water bottles). It is now one of the first things I grab.

Second would be the Petz Tikka headlamp that someone else mentioned.

There you go. I forgot about that one. But, that's definitely a favorite, too.

Hmmmm...

Somebody should start a "fireworks" thread

True that!

First thing that comes to mind is my Tikka head lamp.

Medium weight zip up fleece hoodie. #1

Other good ones

Under armor boxer shorts

Smart wool socks and liner socks

Superfeet green boot insoles

Coast H7L headlamp

Emergency water purification/fire starting kits

A Victorinox Executive which I've carried every day for 27 years ---- It's the handiest tool I own.

Yet another vote for Smartwool socks. Also, Under Armor boxers. But neither are my number one.

I cant believe no one has said this.....!

The cartridge/bullet I am gonna shoot my game with! If I am gonna give any love to a piece of gear, it is gonna be the bullet. I have been know to give it a little kiss before I put it in the gun just for good luck!

Jute twine lets me make traps, start fires, go fishing, drag game, make containers, and a number of other very useful tasks.

Toilet paper.

I think we have a winner.

I can't argue with that

+1, however never underestimate the value of TP

Kifaru Pullouts....can't believe I didn't think of them quicker.

I picked up a $4.95 pair of foam kneepads the other day that will go to Colorado this year. Kneeling at camp fixing dinner and getting stuff in my pack, etc wears my knees out, especially on rocky ground. I imagine they'll be good if I get an animal down too.

They weigh 1.2 oz for the pair.

Kevlar firefighter boots laces

I met an absolutely gorgeous 75 year old redhead in Leakey, Tx. Had I pushed the issue the same would have happened for me....but I didn't. Never will forget her.

insoles...superfeet for me

Mine are some "Close-Out" Columbia Snow boarding pants that I picked up from 6th Avenue Outfitters in Anchorage a few years back. They are windproof, rain proof, and have full length zippers to help vent. I dont even bring a seperate pair of pants anymore.

ammo

Rawhide is better. The Kevlar ones EAT boot leather. You might as well buy those cheap ass "survival" wire saws from Army Navy and thread those through your boots.

Now that is a cougar for you. How did you manage to hold back?

Mega Dittos

Baby Wipes

Little bottle of hotsauce--that green tabasco stuff elevates most wild game and fish....


Ella

I have a fleece pullover from Old Navy that is worth far more than it cost.

GSI Halulite Kettle

ID Primalid.

Golite Poncho Tarp: too light to leave at home given its versatility and it makes it on all those day hikes where I shouldn't "need" raingear.

x2 above.