2013 Backpack Hunting Kit?

[ohhiitznik]

Pack- Kifaru DT1 Custom

Water Filter/Treatment System MSR Miniworks (heavy I know, but its easy to clean and works great)

Shelter- Kifaru Paratipi

Optics- Vortex Razor HD's and Vortex Rangefinder (dropping my spotter as I don't need it for my style of hunting, binoculars are all I need)

Sleep System- Montbell SS Super Spiral 30 Degree.

Stove- Primus ETA Express

Weapon and Accessories- Strother Infinity with all the trimmings

Headlamp- Black Diamond Spot

GPS-Garmin Dakota 20

Clothing- Kuiu from head to toe

Boots- Saloman Quest 4D's

Tripod- Dropped my tripod

Kill Kit- Caribou Carnivore 2, Havalon Torch, 2 Kifaru Meat Baggies, Zip ties, Garbage bag, etc

 

[Vandal 44]

Next year I will be adding

Kifaru Slick Bag 20*
A One Man Tent (not sure what brand)
Jet Boil Stove

Boots, I just got back from a 5 day elk hunt using the Meindl Denali boots. I pulled them out of the box put them on and went hunting, no break in time. So far I am really liking them. I will have to put about 50 more miles on them before I can say they are the best boot I have owned.

 

[Ridge Ghost]

This past year I added a Timberline 2, Megatarp, and Synmat UL 7, which puts me in pretty good shape for gear. I still may look into a new water system. Currently using either a MSR Sweetwater and a MSR Autoflow. The Sawyer Inline sure looks nice...

ohhiitznik, what do you use the zip ties for in your kill kit?

 

[swat8888]

Pack- DT1 w/ small pouch attached to waistbelt, composite stays (7.45lbs)

Water Filter/Treatment System- Chlorine tabs, filters are way to heavy. I bring a few coffee filters in case the glacial streams are really silty.

Shelter- SL5 w/ cut up contractor bag for a ground cloth (3.4oz) and additional stakes and guy-outs (Total tent weight, excluding ground sheet- 3.05lbs)

Optics- Nikon Monarch Crap-o 8x40, Nikon Spotter XLII (2.11lbs)...upgrading to a new tripod, Slik Pro...forget the weight

Sleep System- Kelty Lightyear 20 degree synthetic (2.88lbs)

Stove- Jetboil Zip (13.8oz) I don't take the orange stand or the pot attachment piece.

Weapon and Accessories- Tikka T3 .300 WSM, Deadnuts mounting rings, Leupold Ultralight (7.35lbs) OR Hoyt Rampage XT, Tightspot, 8in 8oz B-Stinger, HHA single pin slider (7.06lbs) Trying to lighten up the bow this year, mainly through a new sight.

Headlamp- Petzl e-Lite (1.6oz)

GPS-Piece of crap old e-Trex...only used for marking camp and my pack when I drop it, looking to upgrade to the Garmin Oregon (

Clothing- OR Havoc puffy, First Lite Llano, Kuiu 185 zip t, Sitka Ascent pants, Ex-officio/Core4 merino underwear, GoLite Tumalo rain pant, GoLite Malpais rain jacket, Sitka beanie, neck gaiter and hat, white suit (probably going to drop it next year), silk weight bottoms, Brigandale socks.

Boots- Soon to be Scarpa Omega or Koflach Degre

Kill Kit- Havalon w/ 10 extra blades, pair of latex gloves, 2x Kifaru meat bags, contractor bag (7oz total). At the strip I keep Caribou gear game bags, a Case lightweight drop point knife, 10lbs salt and extra contractor bags. And I'm going to add a pair of hemostats this year....my buddy uses them to clamp all the fat and gnarly tissue when he is caping and cleaning meat and they work awesome.

Random stuff not listed above- Ti Goat bivy, GoLite poncho tarp, Big Agnes clearview air pad and pillow...unless its a winter hunt, 50' dyneema wire, emergency blanket.

 

[slim23]

love my timberline 2
going to upgrade my big agnes insulated pad to exped down matt
sold my tent to buy a super tarp
upgrading my jet boil to lighter jet boil
upgrading my wiggys bag to montbell super spiral down hugger 20deg
love my kenetrex boots
gps garmin 62st
princetec remix in red and white runs on lithium batt awesome
swaro 10 42 binos and zeiss 65 spotter unsure of tripod yet
kuiu from head to toe..love it!!
wow thats alot of buying!!

 

[Rocky]

Changing to a tenzing 1250 for day hunts and the dt2 for extended hunts. One thing that worked well was the steri pen.

 

[dotman]

Only thing I may update is to a new zebra headlight that puts out close to 700lumens and weighs half of what my current one does. Other then that and including my current headlight I really have zero plans for upgrades.

 

[ohhiitznik]

This past year I added a Timberline 2, Megatarp, and Synmat UL 7, which puts me in pretty good shape for gear. I still may look into a new water system. Currently using either a MSR Sweetwater and a MSR Autoflow. The Sawyer Inline sure looks nice...

ohhiitznik, what do you use the zip ties for in your kill kit?

I use the zip ties for anything, they are just in the kill kit. I use em for the tag, or other odds and ends

 

[mtnkid85]

Pack: Either one of my Cilogears or my Acrtryx Bora. Trip dependent.

Water Filter/Treatment System: Happy with the steripen still.

Shelter: This is one change Im looking at, would like to get a Paratarp to replace my spacetarp that Ive been pitching over my bivy sack.

Optics: Need to get my own spotter. $2000 budget we will see what that gets me. Wont be happening anytime soon, probally next summer. Glasses will stay the same 10x42ELs.

Sleep System: Stay the same WM summerlite or Puma & BD bipod bivy. May look at the newer Neoair lite pads, not real high on the list though.

Stove: Still happy with my old MSR pocket rocket, I even chose it over my GFs jetboil still. I have been considering finding a ~1l Ti pot though.

Weapon and Accessories: Ol reliable 30-06. Have been entertaining the idea of finding ways to lighten her up a bit... probally wont happen anytime soon.

Headlamp: Love my Zebralight H600

GPS: The stars and that little magnetic thingy that always points the same direction?

Clothing: Dont see anything changing, though I feel like the zippers on my softshell are about to blow. I think I can get a few more years out of it.

Boots: Will be needing to replace these, pretty sure I got my last season out of them this year. Its sad seeing old friends go.

Tripod: I have been really happy with my SLIK mini II

Kill Kit: Going to play with making a better Kydex sheath for my main knife. Everything else stays.

Really all my gear works well and Ive been using it all long enough to be familiar/comfortable with it. The big purchase will be a spotting scope for sure. And Ive only recently decided to give the tarp tents a chance.
Of course the gear whore inside me continuely drives my curiosity of all the smaller things, like the pad, pot, ect.

Spending less money on gear so as to aford more fuel and time to get to the mountians should be on all our lists as well!

 

[HellsCanyon]

Pack: T1 (upgraded this year)

Water Filter/Treatment System: Wanting to pickup a Sawyer or something similar. Save me quite a bit over my Hiker Pro in weight...

Bladder: Bought a MSR 6L Dromlight. still need to pick up the drinking tube for it but I think I'm going to really like having that monster bladder. Keeps me from having to take my old 70 oz Platy and an extra bottle or two.

Shelter: Upgrading from old 2.5 lb 2 person Coleman to...? Would like a SL3 w/ nest or an Atko. Not sold on floorless quite yet.

Optics: Vortex Viper HD65mm w/ Rocketfish tripod (may upgrade to lighter tripod). Would really like to upgrade my old Minox 10x42 binos that I've had since 2007. Don't have money for big glass, but would really like a pair of the Razor HD's or something with 12X glass.

Sleep System: Thermarest sleeping pad and Marmot Sawtooth 20* down bag. Bag has lost some loft/warmth but should last me another year. If I upgrade it'll likely be to a quilt/high R-value pad.

Stove: MSR PocketRocket. Had for a few years, still gets the job done...

Weapon and Accessories: Upgrading from a 12 lb 280 ackley with Vortex Viper 6-24 PST to a 7 WSM or 300 Norma in a < 8.5 lb package with same scope and 26" heavy barrel (VERY excited to get this one built!)

Headlamp: Would like to check out one of the Zebra's.

GPS: Don't have one, won't have one unless I find one supercheap...

Clothing: Merino base layers (check), C4E Merino blend boxers (need to get), pants are either C4E Element or Microtex (would like to pick up some ascent or attack pants), Russel APXG2 L2 stormfront shirt, Kuiu spindrift, and I need to pick up some rain gear. Looking at the GoLite Malpais Trinity jacket. 7 oz and good reviews plus sub $100 makes it pretty attractive. Also been loving my Kuiu Gaitors this year.

Boots: HanWag Dakotas. Need to have the rand on the left toe glued back in but I loved them this year!

Tripod: RocketFish Carbon. ~3 lbs. Would like to upgrade to something 2 lbs or less but not high on the priority list...

Kill Kit: Havalon and gamebags plus some duct tape and P-chord. Few extra bags...

 

[Yellowknife]

Pack: Barneys frame pack (modified and lightened to 7 lbs). It's got a few more good hauls in it.

Water Filter/Treatment System: purification tablets

Shelter: I try and get the other guy to carry this... so whatever he owns. Nallo 3 or tipi for 2013 most likely.

Optics: Zeiss Conquest 8x30 binos and older Zeiss 20-60x85 spotter

Sleep System: MH Ultralamina bag. Currently using a older prolite pad, but would like to upgrade to a thicker one at some point

Stove: Optimus Crux Lite + 0.8L MSR titan pot. Not the best in the cold, but it's been heating my coffee for years now.

Weapon and Accessories: Tikka 30-06 w 3-9x40 Conquest RZ-600. Not the lightest, but it's turfed a wide variety of critters in the last 12 months. A excellent general purpose tool, and no reason to change at this point.

Headlamp: BD Tikka LED

GPS: Again, I prefer whatever the other guy wants to carry. If forced, I use a Garmin 62s to good effect. I avoid touch screens, because I find buttons easier to use with gloves and the old type screens to be better in the sun. Map and compass stay in my pack though.

Clothing: Whatever I pull out of my closet before I go. Ibex wool. REI. Cabelas microtex. Mountain Hardwear. I've got a few things that all pretty much work the same, so no plan to upgrade unless I wear some of it out before next fall.

Boots: Kennetrek Mt Guide

Tripod: SLIK mini II. I took out the center post, because I never used it. Going to put a better head on it this year to deal with the 85mm spotter. Probably a Manfrotto 494

Kill Kit: Havlon or Mora knife, game bags made from synthetic pillow cases, garbage bag. Nothing fancy. Total cost maybe $30.

Most of my gear is well tried, but will have a few new things. Biggest gear failure this year was my Kenetrek Mt Extremes, which blew out on me. They sent me a set of the Mt Guide's, so I'll give them a shot. A set of Sitka SF Lite pants failed as well, but I didn't really have high hopes for any Paclite fabric. Sitka sent me some Dewpoint pants so those will be tested.

Yk

 

[pyroducksx3]

Yellowknife why not the 20x75 eyepiece for the spotter?

 

[CrzyTrekker]

Will replace a ParaTipi with a lighter tarp shelter (paratarp, supertarp, or mega) and am otherwise in great shape. I purposely bought a KU3700 pack this summer to not only lighten my pack weight, but restrict how much junk I can lug into the field on any trip while still having the ability to haul meat. I've lightened up my other backpacking systems (sleeping, cooking, clothes, optics, weapon, etc.) to complement the KU backpack.

Oh, will be toting a NEX camera in 2013. Gotta take more/better pics!

 

[Yellowknife]

Yellowknife why not the 20x75 eyepiece for the spotter?

Because it came with a 20x60...

I only paid a little over $1300 for the package, but even at that price it totally tapped out my budget. I wasn't going to complain. Might upgrade to the 75x someday, but besides being expensive the new eyepieces are significantly heavier, so I'm not in any hurry. The 60x is still pretty darn awesome.

Yk

 

[unm1136]

Backcountry Boiler for me, and an EMR frame with KU Pods.

pat

 

[Wrongside]

Pack: MR Grizzly / Arcteryx Bora80 / MR Dragonslayer (depending on trip parameters)

Water treatment: Sawyer Inline / Aquatabs

Shelter: Integral Designs SiltarpII / Seek Outside Backcountry Shelter / SO Little Bug Out ( depending, roll up stove depending also )

Sleep system: Thermarest NeoAir / MEC Merlin -10 / TiGoat Raven ( sub Exped Downmat7 for later season/winter trips )

Stove / Kitchen: MSR Ti Kettle / MSR Ti Mug / folding Ti spork / SOTO Micro Reg (everything packs into the kettle w/ a bit of soap and scouring pad)

Optics: same old Leupold 8x42 Pinnacles

Firearm / Bow: APA M7 with accessories TBD / customized LH M70 30-06 w/ Leupold VX3 2.5-8x36

Headlamp: Petzl TacTikka XP and/or Petzl E+Lite

GPS: Garmin 60CSX ( doesn't usually make the cut )

Clothing: a mishmash of various merinos, OR, KUIU, MEC...

Boots: Hanwag Omegas ( non GTX version )

Kill kit: a contractor bags / Kifaru meat bag / BRKT B1 / wipes


The main additions for next year are the MR Grizzly and SO LBO. Still looking for a solution to the late season glassing and sleep system booster question...

 

[JasonWi]

Pack- Kifaru DT1 26" stays, foliage green.

Water Filter/Treatment System MSR hiker

Optics- Swarovski 10x42 El's, Swarovski 20-60x65 STS, Nikon riflehunter 550 rangefinder

Shelter- SO 3 man tipi

Sleep System- Marmot Helium.

Stove- Jetboil cup with a SOTO stove

Weapon and Accessories- Hoyt Carbon Element, Spot Hogg hogg-it, trophy ridge rest, B-stinger and Ruger M77 7mm Rm, Mcmillan stock, Zeiss Conquest 3-9x40 Z600 with timney trigger.

Headlamp- Cabelas Guide (heavy but really bright)

GPS-Garmin Rhino 530T

Clothing- Kuiu, Sitka, First-Lite and Smartwwool

Boots- Lowa Sheephunters

Tripod- Slik Sprint II

Kill Kit- Havalon Piranta, 2 Kifaru Meat Baggies, 2 Caribou game bags

 

[HockeyDad]

I am fairly set in my outfit except for 2 (maybe 3) things

Water filter - My Katadyn Vario crapped out on me this year. Going to swap it out for one of the bag filters you can hang in a tree.

Boots - My Hanwag Alaskans had the plastic toe box get hot and warp in the truck this summer (parked in the sun and was going for a taining hike after work) - It caused some serious rubbing on teh tops of toes/forefoot. Lanthrop & Sons said their was nothing they could do to fix them. Thinking of going with a lightweight 6-8" boot.

Maybe swap out my tent. Would like a little more room than my Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2 provides, its nice, but cramped when its raining and you have your bow, pack and trying to change out of wet clothes.

 

[Yukondog]

I love majority of my gear. Has taken several years to piece it together. Couple changes...

1. New rig. Keeping current as a back up. Elite Hunter #70 30"DL, Black Gold Ascent (not sure on exact configuration), limbdriver rest, Elite Treelimb quiver, B-stinger (pro hunter or extreme), new hard case. Going to keep shooting CX maxima hunters. I have 22 left and will use them up before I change (411gr).

2. Would like to pick up Mega tarp. Though I would love to give it a test drive first. Until then I will use my Fly Creek UL3.

3. New boots. Trying to make my Mtn Lights work. Having a problem with toe box volume. They are killing my right foot more so than my left. Might have to get half size bigger. Salomon 4d boots feel great and will be my next pair if my efforts fail.

4. Tried sawyer squeeze filter. Bad experience with it. Bought hiker pro and outfitted new MSR dromlite with quick disconnect and love that I don't have to remove bladder from pack now.

5. Hope to have collected enough points and gift cards so I can get new binos. Swarovision EL 8x32's. Will then order FHF bino harness.

6. Sleep system is perfect. Exped synmat with Mont Bell super spiral down hugger 15°.

7. Perhaps KUIU rain gear. Bottom of list with majority of backpack hunts in CO. Their DWR finish on guide jacket and attack pants have done well for me so far.

Matt

* I'm sure I could find something else along the way, but these items are top of my list.

 

[flatlander51]

My hunting kit worked just fine this year other then my boots, which i talked about in the thread ( kenetrek? ). But I really need to shed some wieght. the only way i can do so is to upgrade my gear. Fortunately and unfortunately I won't be hunting again until 2014 so I have time to buy some new gear. First thing to upgrade is my pack to a kifaru. And second will be my sleeping pad to neo air shorty. And we'll see what else time will buy.lol