Best Gear of 2024
I asked every staff member to submit their favorite gear from 2024. Keep reading to find out if your favorites made the list or if you see something that will make the 2025 season that much better.
Robby Denning-
Robby has been using Moultrie Cellular game cameras since they were released. Very few other things make as much sense for scouting places near or far from home as these cameras offering data right at your fingertips in real time. The newest Moultrie Edge Pro 2 is Robby’s top pick of 2024. The Pro 2 features the same switching technology as its predecessors, allowing the camera to find the strongest signal. If that signal fades the camera automatically switches networks.
Another stand out feature of the Edge series is False triggering technology. You can change the settings in real time using the Moultrie app. Huge time saver from driving to the camera and hiking there to manipulate it by hand. All the features of last year’s Edge Pro along with these new features of the Edge Pro 2.
Increased trigger speed to 0.3 seconds, the original edge was fast enough but now it’s truly impressive. Image quality increased to 40 megapixels and 1440 video simply stunning images and recordings.
The on-demand feature will request a photo in real time. New easy aim mounting will get the camera positioned perfectly for the highest trigger rates and image quality
AI filtering built in the camera only takes pictures of selected categories saving battery life. Get far less pictures that don’t include targeted category.
The filtering options are an invaluable way to collect data and to narrow down how to apply it next time. Can filter out when bucks are showing on certain moon phases – what times of day are they showing up and so much more. It’s powerful stuff. I regret not learning the filtering technology as soon as possible.
Tony Trietch-
For 2024 Tony changed his Glassing setup with a Tricer AD Tripod and BP Head. The BP head is silky smooth with tight worry-free lock up while using even a heavy Swarovski 95mm spotter. Tony shot two antelope off this setup during the 2024 season. As the crown jewel of his system Tony added the Swarovski NL Pure in 14×52. Everything works so well together that now he carries the new Pure binoculars, a 95mm Swarovski spotting and his 10X42 Leica Geovid range finding binoculars on every hunt. This system of a Tricer Tripod and head along with alpha optics offer rock solid phenomenal views and is worth every penny. Read a Rokslide review on Tricer here and the Swarovski 14×52 here.
Zach Harold-
What a year in 2024 – my favorite piece of gear was the Ripcord Drive arrow rest. I really appreciated the simplicity of setting the arrow rest up, but it was the reliability and dependability that really set it apart from the others I’ve used in the past. It has a ratchet system to set the drop cable tension twist. For an honorable mention would have to be Dialed Archery sight. I was fortunate enough to use it the entire season. The engraving was flawless, sight has just impressive quality and craftsmanship. A bit heavier but like most things durability and weight go hand in hand. One last piece of gear to mention was the Alaska Guide Creations Kobuk Backpack. It’s just a very different but innovative frame design. I packed several animals with the Kobuk this year and love how it supports a heavy load but still moves with my body. Great pack, check out my review here-
Tony Crumley-
There’s a very popular thread on Rokslide, “Cheap Stuff That Works.” So, staying with that theme in 2024 I tried an inexpensive 2 pack of headlamps from Amazon. They proved very good at 12000 Lumens along with a good balance of flood and beam. 3 different settings for both white and red. The red light was even bright enough to hike with. At 3oz with a comfortable headband, it disappears in the pocket or the pack. The battery would last all night using low or medium settings, they also offer fast recharge speed using the common USB-C port. Happy with their performance vs the cost of these headlamps.
Josh Boyd-
It is so hard to narrow it down, but the Argali shelters I tried this year were fantastic. I did a full review on the Argali Selway 6 person read the review here. This shelter has been extremely weatherproof, Argali went with silicone impregnated polyester material and it has way less stretch in windy conditions. It got rained on, snowed on, withstood some impressive winds and just didn’t stretch out and loosen up. Full featured and I was completely happy with it.
The other Argali Shelter I used was the 8 person Yukon. If you’re truck camping, using boats or planes, or have stock give this shelter a hard look. 2 pole design and just massive kind of a blend between the wall tent and a floorless backpacking shelter. Comfortable with so much head room. I used the Yukon like a base camp with cots, chairs, and even a table inside there. I was totally impressed on how well it did in the wind while out on the prairie during antelope season. Huge surface areas but no issues with wind or weather.
Honorable mention – Bergara MGMicro Lite Short Chassis Rifle. It has a foldable stock carbon pistol grip and magnesium frame. The action is Bergara’s Premier action so simply just an amazing fit and finish. Chambered in 6.5 PRC and 18” barrel makes it super handy to carry around in thick northwestern Montana forests. You can fold up the stock and stuff easily into a pack to eliminate any worries with the thick brush. Rifle points and shoots amazing even with a heavier suppressor screwed on the front. Bare rifle is just under 6lbs. I made a few modifications to it; swapped to the Hawkins precision magazine which holds the same number of rounds but offsets them, so it mounts flush. XLR sent a bag rider for more surface area when using a rear shooting bag and I also added the thumb grip. Check out the Pre-Review thread here.
Randy Gehrke-
My favorite gear this year would have to be the Durston X-Mid 2-person Ultralight tent. Has a ton of room for a single person or when I take my dog along there is still plenty of room for both of us. It’s a trekking pole shelter but I got the optional poles from Duston so I would always have my trekking poles handy. The shelter with MSR groundhogs is 2.8lbs add in the additional 6oz of poles for a total of just under 3lbs. The only drawback is its large footprint so you’re not just going to dig out a deer bed and pop it up.
Kyle Virgin-
Alaska is an amazing proving ground for gear. My picks is Gundens Gore-Tex Boundary zip waders. Boundaries are a stocking foot chest wader and wear an over boot with them. I used the wader in conjunction with an OVIS wading boot, I did need to up size one size more than my hiking boots. I guided a Peninsula Brown Bear hunt and wore these from the time I got up until I went to bed. They were excellent at keeping me warm and dry while beating through the thick alders and devils club. Also used them guiding several moose hunts and after a complete season they still look nice with minimal wear and multiple years of life left. Expensive but very happy with them.
Honorable mention is the Big Agnes Copper Spur Expedition Mountaineering tent with a similar layout to the standard Copper Spur with side entry, dual vestibule, and doors on each side. It’s tight for two grown men but doable in a pinch and definitely a palace for one. The expedition series is basically just a beefed-up version with thicker poles, different fly materials, and a solid inner tent. I have easily over 100 nights in mine and it’s taken everything Alaska has thrown at it I call it my budget Hilleberg. Perfect for a guy looking for a tent he can pitch anywhere- free standing with bigger stakes, bigger poles, plenty of tie-outs, just a bomber setup!
Ross Russell-
After 45 years of hunting in Idaho, I’ve really got my gear dialed, so I didn’t need a new rifle or binoculars in 2024. I did kill my bull late in the day, and my primary headlamp just stopped working, so after multiple seasons of carrying the Petzl E lite headlamp as a backup, I finally used it. Weighing only a few ounces, it lasted the butchering and entire hike out. The headband is kind of flimsy, but it stayed on my head and did the job.
My honorable mention is the new IPhone satellite messaging system. My Zoleo was having issues connecting, but luckily, the iPhone came through, and I found some buddies to help me pack them out to the truck. Technology nowadays is sure handy when you need it.
Travis Bertrand-
For 2024, I reviewed the Yeti Loadout Go Box. They are expensive for a storage box, but you get what you pay for with the quality. They offer storage in the lid, where that is wasted space, along with other storage options. You also get dividers and trays for the Go Box to organize any gear better. Those multiday excursions used to make the back of my truck look like a bomb went off. Yeti Go Boxes come in multiples sizes, the 15 is like a big ammo can, a 30 which is obviously twice as big and then the 60. The 60 is footlocker-sized and great for storing any bulkier items.
Honorable mention goes to the Garmin Xero Chronograph. Unlike what chronographs came before, the Xero gets every single shot and stores it on my phone with an app that’s super convenient. There’s no setup, just pull it out and turn it on. Works with any rifle, even with a suppressor mounted, game changer for easy load development.
Jordan Budd-
I get to use a lot of packs, but I kept coming back to the Stone Glacier Krux Frame and Sky 5900 Bag. The 5900 bag has a horseshoe zipper and then the whole thing folds forward making it easy to load and to quickly find what you need in there without emptying out everything. You can remove the lid, and the collar will snap right into the strap that connected to the lid, basically creating an integrated lid. Running it, this way still closes it up tight but saves some weight. Last year I used this configuration to do 4 nights with a stove. These stoves take up a good amount of space but that 4-to-5-night range is still the limit in my opinion. For longer trips I switch to the Sky Talus 6900 which is 1000 ci more volume. The Sky Talus is a center zip with two extended side pockets so allows some gear to be moved outside the main compartment, opening even more interior room.
My honorable mention for 2024 is the FHF F.O.B. Binocular harness. Sometimes binocular harnesses get overlooked but they are something we take with us every time we are out. F.O.B. is forward opening with super quite magnets that hold very solid. So many accessory options you can get with the FOB, like different sized pouches to carry everything from a range finder and InReach, to quick access shell holders, FHF even offers elk reed storage. The FHF FOB shoulder straps are wider but have ventilation holes cut in the fabric which helps spread the weight of your system without making you sweat. Just a versatile system that works fantastically.
Joe Whitt-
It’s been a year of simplicity for me, and I started to think about what I wanted with me every time in the field. So, for 2024 my pick is Mountainsmith Slingback chair. I believe it’s the predecessor to the Kifaru Field Chair everyone raged on about. It’s a really simple design, just a piece of Cordora fabric that has two pockets that your trekking poles fit in. A bit of a learning curve but sets up fast and has great back support. I usually use a little pad to sit on top and man, it’s so comfortable that I can fall asleep in it. Both together maybe 6 or 8 ozs so lite not to take it everywhere with me.
Jared Bloomgren-
Looking back at the 2024 season I got to try a bunch of new gear. One that stood out for me was the newer Iron Will Wide Broad Head. I got the opportunity to hunt with their single bevel wide this season. I’ve used a bunch of broadheads in the past, but Iron Will craftsmanship is next level. They are probably the strongest head I’ve ever shot. When You pair them with the impact collar, you make for a super durable arrow setup. I shot an elk and two deer with the same head with nothing more than a touch up to the blades. Straight out of the package they are razor sharp and are one of the easiest cut on contact heads to tune. Some people complained of the wide being noisy in flight I didn’t find that to be a real issue, and no animal jumped the string on me this year. Iron Will Broadheads had my shooting confidence pegged and that huge feeling going into the season.
Honorable mention is my PSE MACH 30 DS absolutely a phenomenal bow and paired with everything else easter arrow flex fetch and all that I was shooting laser beams. PSE has really upped the performance of carbon riser bows and after 36 years of shooting PSE I can honestly say they are at the pinnacle and producing one of the alpha bows available. It’s a must shoot if you’re in the market for a new bow.
Ryan Avery-
I’ve been thinking about this many times in the last couple of weeks. The system I use is tried and true, so very few things surprise me. My number one pick is the Argali Yukon 8-person tent. What really surprised me was how easy it was to set up.
I used a bunch of other big tents, big teepees like the 12-man, and of course, the seek outside courthouse. While they are all great, they’re also more complex. Teepees aren’t hard to set up but offer far less usable space, and that’s what the Yukon offered me. I like a lot of space and when someone else is along, I like even more space. Usually, I always have my dog along and use a stove with it for the hot tent experience.
The Argali Yukon has a huge footprint, but it is still easy for one guy to set up. It did amazingly in the wind which was most surprising since the sides have so much surface area for the wind to hit. I had it out in 60mph winds in the Selway and took it like a champ.
Weight is reasonable at 6.5-7lbs, but it packs much smaller than my 8-man teepee. One downside you can’t short side it during setup because it’s more rectangle so you need to find a spot for the large footprint which in some areas can take a bit of landscaping. It’s bulky for a backpack hunt and I probably won’t take it along for that but with my mules it’s awesome. I do wish the stove was more centered but with that with a dual entry two pole setup I can understand why Argali placed it there.
Honorable mention- The last two years I’ve been searching for the right mid layer. I’ve finally settled on First Lite Furnace Hoody in merino-x 350gsm wool. It’s funny because at first glance, I thought this hoody would get wet and never dry out but after using it hard from October to December two years in a row I have full confidence in it. With just a light wind jacket like Enlightened Equipment I can go deep into the teens when moving with just a good base layer, and even colder with heavier base layers on. Hood on the Furnace is ok, but I wish it was a 1\4 zip instead of the snap closure. Lastly, a quality 6mm bullet will kill just about anything on the planet. HAHA
Tanya Avery-
Readers might think I’m a bit basis with my pick for 2024, but I only use what works. For me that’s the Rokstock. It’s the first stock that I didn’t need to use a cheek riser with and still quickly get a good sight picture through the scope. I really struggled to find a stock that would fit my face and the scope’s eye box at the same time. One thing to note is when not using a suppressor, the big earmuffs would contact the Rokstock, making it less enjoyable to shoot.
Honorable mention – Kuiu Pro Brush pants. I originally ordered them to take to Africa, but they were mistakenly left behind. I will say I used them a bunch in southern Idaho, and they are the first pair of pants to not have any burs stick to them, I hate picking burrs off Ryans pants before they can go in the washer, and these seem to solve that problem. Ryan did say the fabric was a bit loud, but I didn’t notice it myself. Possibly after more use they will break in and quiet down some, but I can’t say for sure.
Dave Camron-
This year I’m going to go with a binocular harness from Further Faster Designs called the RAP. RAP stands for Rapid Access Panel, and I haven’t seen anything else like it on the market. A true one-handed operation where your pistol sets behind your binocular instead of below. It’s Velcroed on 3 sides and you just yank and pull wide open. It’s kind of like how pop tarts come in a package, the rear one is your pistol and front one your binoculars. There’s a separator in there but it’s two separate compartments, one on top of the other. Super innovative design. Faster further designs are veteran owned and made in America and I love supporting these companies.
MY Honorable mention is the Hoyt RX-8. Pulling 80lbs feels like 70. I was getting 307 fps shooting a 455-grain arrow it’s just a sweet shooting bow I look forward to using again next season. Read a Rokslide review here.
Justin Crossley-
My favorite was the Badger Bed from Born Outdoor. I’m sure most of us are familiar with canvas cutters or the like; while similar, it’s different being not made to stand alone in the elements. It is better suited for under the truck shell, wall tent, or camper.
It’s a full system with a bedroll cover, air mattress, sheets, and top quilt. There are many options to choose from depending on the temperature rating you’ll need. I used this setup on a bunch of different trips and it’s super comfortable. I get a great night’s sleep, which, to me, is an essential aspect of any trip.
The outer shell is a nylon 4-way stretch material, and the bottom is a 4” waterproof bathtub floor. So, water won’t soak in the bottom but the top is breathable, so it could get in that way.
Inside there are straps to hold everything in place. The mattress is Thermarest Mondo King. Basically, you’re sleeping on 4” of air every night. Top sheets cover the air mattress just like at home, and the straps hold everything together; I got the Badger 25 that will fit on a standard army cot, but they offer the 30, which is wider and fits the deluxe cot or bigger. So easy to use, just unroll and sleep great and it still breaks down quickly if moving every morning. I might sleep better in the badger bed than on my bed at home. Read Justin’s review here.
My honorable mention is Cape Mate. Pretty simple design made out of Nylon. You put the nose of your deer or elk or whatever and then roll the cape up inside its tarp. Cape Mate has plenty of straps and buckles to quickly and easily connect it to your pack. The Nylon material keeps the blood and crap from running down on your pack and the back of your neck. Using the Cape Mate made the head a nice, easy bundle for the pack out.
Mike Moore-
I had to think about this long and hard but settled on the AZIAK Backcountry Lite Tripod. It’s a carbon fiber tripod and pretty dang light. I’ve tried lighter tripods, but they just aren’t stable enough. It’s definitely a setting tripod I’ve used with my 65mm spotter but mostly the Swarovski ATC and my binoculars. I even took it to the range paired with the Spartan Davros head. I got sold on Spartan Precision System last year’s sheep hunt. It uses a magnetic stem to connect to your rifle or optics. Spartan also offers a bipod. It’s a great system that works extremely well and the AZIAK tripod is the lightest one I’ve found that works.
I’ve been reviewing a few day packs and just released the new Seek Outside Silverton 2300. I also did the Stone Glacier Tokeen 2600 and the Badlands ATX 25. All three are solid day packs. The Badlands stands out a bit because it has two sturdy aluminum stays. The others use a plastic frame sheet or carbon rods. Those are great for carrying day loads but for packing meat the more substantial aluminum stays add comfort to heavier loads. Check out my reviews and see which best fits your needs-
Howard Mee-
It’s tough to pick since I like all my gear. So, I thought about what pieces I use the most and I’m going with my bow setup the Hoyt’s RX 7 Ultra. I have an Option Archery Quivalizer and Canyon Pounder for on the front. It just shoots so smooth I can’t see myself switching for quite a while. It’s dead in the hand hits where I aim it, and the Canyon Pounder gives me either 5 fixed pins or a slider pin covering anything from elk to antelope near or far.
Honorable mention will always probably be my wall tent. It’s just an iconic heritage piece. 12×14 plenty big enough for 3 cots and small stove. I have the 1” frame and can easily set it up by myself. It’s just huge being able to dry everything out at night and be warm while you’re sleeping – makes the whole process more enjoyable.
Brock Akers-
The number one pick from me is my Unknown Munitions 6.5 PRC Rifle that Ryan Avery put together for me. It’s in the new Rokstock and I put a Maven 1.2 scope on top and added a suppressor to finish it off. I’ve historically always shot a 300 Rum over the last 12 years or so. What a huge difference it was to switch to a smaller caliber. So much easier to shoot and being able to spot your impacts is something I couldn’t do with the Rum. It’s a major upgrade and from what I can tell it makes me a better shooter overall. 
Honorable mention goes to T&K 3.1 Binocular Harness. It’s made in America right in South Dakota and it’s honestly the nicest craftsmanship I’ve seen from any cottage company like that. The Binocular pouch holds my bigger 11×45 Mavens very nicely. I also have the range finder and admin pouches for my wind checker mouth calls and whatever else fits. Just an awesome setup that’s built flawlessly and deserves a shoutout.
Sam Weaver-
The top pick for me was Unknown Munitions Tikka Action Mod Service. This made the #1 spot simply because shaving 4 oz of rifle weight makes adding a new Scythe suppressor an almost break-even proposition for weight gain. If you can’t have a suppressor, what about a fully functional dialable scope? If you’re wanting a scope that passes the infamous Rokslide drop test, be prepared to pack on the weight. I love the reticle of the Maven 1.2 scope but at 26oz it’s a heavy pig. If you can offset that by even a couple of oz it’s a much more appealing option. My goal is simply to have the lightest weight reliable rifle that I don’t dread packing into whatever hellhole the animals are hiding in. Shaving rifle weight lets me add robust components that I know will work no matter what conditions the back country throws at me.
Honorable mention is the Silencer Co Scythe Suppressor. I was a skeptical about the claims of what value a suppressor has in hunting realm. Simply put it’s amazing to go from a muzzle break to a suppressor and still spot your impacts without the ear-piercing crack. The light weight of the Scythe might give up some decibel reduction to heavier cans, but I hardly even notice it’s on the barrel anymore. Makes shooting more fun for everyone and even my kids love shooting any rifle its mounted on. If you’ve never tried a suppressor and they are legal in your state, ask around and you’ll be surprised at how many people have them now. Approval times are getting quicker and new suppressor technology is bringing lighter weight and quieter cans to the market. The longer you put it off getting yours, the more you’ll regret it after you finally try one.
Rokslide also offers the opportunity for members to submit reviews of their favorite gear. Go to this LINK and submit a query to the editor. Here are a couple of examples-
Torrin Miller Coros Vertix 2 GPS watch review and Kyle Sandusky Securit Agile Model 52 Pro review.
You can also simply head over to the Forum and see that the other members picked as their Your Top Gear Items for 2024.
