I’m certainly no doctor, but I do have a lot of experience with mountain climbing, backpacking and knee pain. As some others mentioned, stretching helps! But one thing that helped my knees the most was strengthening my muscles AROUND my knees (recommended by my doc). If you significantly...
Man, I just went down that rabbit hole before last elk season, and finally settled on the Maven RF1. It’s phenomenal. They have a significant military discount as well, AND, they have a program where they’ll send it to you to try before you buy. I swear by the RF1. It’s a little bulky compared...
Scouting might help, but it won’t tell you where the other hunters will be. You can make a solid plan and then have to throw it out the window on opening day after seeing how crowded it is. I think you’ll just need to go, and gather as much info for the next year. You should go into it expecting...
Most bang for buck “Brand”? Generally speaking I’d have to say Maven. They really deliver for the price. Knowing what you’re using it for, distances your shooting, price range, etc would be helpful info for answering your question.
Not sure if you’re experienced in dealing with altitude, but be prepared to go very slow for the first 2-3 days in the mountains. It takes a while to acclimate. Take that into account when planning your trip! If possible, spend a few days at altitude BEFORE opening day.