2013 Backpack Hunting Kit?

[Lawnboi]

Epic fail- my MSR Autoflow gravity filter stopped working during a hunt. Tried backflushing, and no water flowed this way either. Backup iodine pills saved my butt, but I'll either do something new this year or go back to pumping with my trusty old Sweetwater.

Never trust a filter! Learned my lesson on that one as well. Should always have a backup

 

[rodney482]

Pack............... Using the T1 ..not replacing it

Water Filter/Treatment System... Use a Katadyne hiker pro... not replacing it

Shelter.............. BA 2 man... not replacing it


Optics..... Vortex Razors and Leica CRF

Sleep System.... BA 15 degree bag and slip in pad... works fine

Stove..... Used a bruton flex.. worked ok,,but upgraded to a jetboil Ti

Weapon and Accessories ..... Athens ... not changing

Headlamp....... Petzl .... not changing

GPS.... dont use

Clothing .... a mix of Kuiu, Firstlite and Sitka

Boots...... Kenetrek.. only got about 60 miles on them..

 

[jolemons]

Pack- Kifaru Bikini w/ T2

Water Filter/Treatment System- Katadyn Pro Hiker & tablets

Shelter- Tarptent Moment

Optics- Leupold 8x42 and 12-40x50

Sleep System- Kelty 0* down and Thermarest Trail Pro

Stove- Primus MultiFuel

Weapon and Accessories- Wby. Mark V Ultralight, 30-06 w/ Leupold VX-2 4-12x40 AO

Headlamp- Petzl Tactika and E light

GPS- Garmin Dakota w/ Hunt Maps

Clothing- I've got a mismatched closet full of Sitka, FL, KUIU and APXg2, nothing matches

Boots- Meindl Perfekt Hikers or Kenetrek Mountain Extreme

Kill Kit- Havalon, pillow cases, surveyors' tape, gloves

Epic Fails- Not bringing the crossing pole to my tent to make it freestanding. I had to rig it up with deadman anchors in the NM desert because the ground was too hard and rocky for stakes. Icame back from hunting during a day with 60 mph gusts to find my campsite destroyed and the tent flapping from a cactus like a flag on a pole. I hiked out and slept in my truck the rest of the trip, tag soup never tasted so bad.

Additions to 2013- I need to begin investing in some quality glass. Might sell a few rifles that never get used to fund the purchase.

 

[Travis1984]

Pack: Bikini w/DT1

Water Filter/Treatment System: Platypus by Gravity Works

Shelter: Z Packs Hexamid Solo Plus

Optics: Leupold Mojave 10x42, and 20-60x80 Swaro ATM

Sleep System: Marmot Helium 15 Degree, Therm-a-Rest pro lite, looking at possibly a Bivy

Stove: MSR Pocket Rocket

Weapon and Accessories: Tikka T3 Lite 300 WSM

Headlamp: Energizer, needs to be replaced

GPS: Rhino, needs to be replaced

Clothing: Full assortment of KUIU, still need to add the Down and Rain gear, and I'll be set.

Boots: Danner Pronghorns and Keen's, going to try and upgrade to Kennetreks if pocket book allows it.

Tripod: Slik Sprint Mini Pro 2

Kill Kit: Rokslide

and anything else that's noteworthy!


If you had any "epic" failures on gear in 2012, it would be great to hear about those too!

No Epic failures...

Also list anything that stood out in 2012 as a "never leaving home without it" piece of kit as well!

 

[Duk Dog]

Not anticipating a pile of gear changes for 2013. My biggest issue is to learn to cut out some of the excess odds and ends I always seem to stuff in my pack. A few times the extra items have come in handy but often people just marvel at all the stuff I bring with me lol. Items from 2012 I was happy with would be my assorted Kuiu gear (Chugach rain gear worked well), Black Diamond flip lock trekking poles and JetBoil stove.

One item I hope to change out in 2013 will be my Sako Finnlight 30-06 to a Sako Finnlight in 270 WSM. I have also added a Kuiu Spindrift jacket for this year. It will replace my Cabelas TransAlaska insulator jacket - great coat but this change should get rid of some bulk in the pack. I guess another item would be a better compression sack for my sleeping bag - I think I can still get a bit more compression out of it over my current stuff sack. I also need to get some new tent pegs for my Hilleberg Atko that broke trying to get them out of the frozen ground on a late season sheep hunt. The frozen ground sure made me realize not having a free standing tent is a potential issue.

 

[BSeals71]

Great thread!

 

[Trout bum]

Ku3700
Marmot Helium 15 degree bag
Z-lite pad
Homemade Ultralight Tarp w/ groundhog and mini groundhog stakes
OR Aurora bivy
Snowpeak Litemax stove and pot
Kill kit- Havalon Pirahna, paracord, gloves, alaskan game bags, Zip loc xl big bag, OE Swing blaze (heavy but I love it so I will use it again this year)
Petzl Tactikka and e-lite backup
Garmin basic Etrex that's 11 years old but works fine (no maps or anything on it; more like a waypoint on an etch-a-sketch ).
First aid kit-basic (pills, duct tape, small tweezers, quick clot)
Spot
KUIU clothes mostly with Sitka celsius vest (patagonia nano, down sweater, or spindrift depending)
Meindl Alaskan Hunter boots
KUIU or OR gaiters (have used OR's for a long time; not sure about the KUIU's yet).
Crocs
Leki corklite trekking poles
Sawyer filter and Potable aqua tablets as backup
Quart gatorade bottle
Nikon Monarch 10X42
Leopold RX-II rangefinder (will replace this with a Leica eventually)
2wt fly rod - sometimes
Weapon- Mathews Drenalin; Husqvarna 30-06; S&W 329pd .44 mag

Need a new ball cap.

 

[fillthefreezer]

no gear failures but almost had a major boot seem blowout.
so things i will be looking to change for 2013 will start with boots, gonna try the hanwag alaskans first
sleeping pad, using the q core, gonna try the xtherm to save 12 oz.
sleeping bag, using a feathered friends 20deg, thinking i will get a nunatak alpinist to save over a lb
water filter will be going to sawyer inline
and will be upgrading spotter to a ....?

well since i first posted this in nov. ive made some changes.
got about 100mi on hanwag alaskans, so far so good.
last year used a LH but ordered a bikini frame and will probably get a timberline1 bag
ran a Qcore last year, was thinking id get an xtherm but couldn't stand the noise to i got a qcore SL
ran the katadyn base camp last year and got a sawyer inline to try this year
picked up a TiGoat bivy to ditch my tyvek groundsheet and keep things cleaner
i ran ascent pants last year and had them rolled up 90% of the time, theyre shorts now.
also made a kuiu 185 tshirt.
upgraded to an 80mm spotter.
plans:
upgrade to a tripod head that does better with the 80mm
pick up some OR flextex gaiters as the kuiu are just too warm for early season
find a lighter drysack for my sleeping bag vs my OR event compression
possibly upgrade bins as funds allow

 

[bcimport]

Pack - MR6500 or Crew Cab
Sleep System - Wiggys Ultra Lite and a BA Insulated Air Core (Wiggys is heavy but after 13 days of non stop snow and sleet it was worth the extra 2#)
Akto
Pocket Rocket
Petzl Myo XP
No filter in Northern BC
Swaro 8x30's in an FHF Case were great
Swaro 20-60x65 is fantastic

Upgraded to an outdoorsmans tripod for this year. Price was scary but once I got my hands on it I knew I wouldn't ever need another tripod.

No epic fails on my gear last year. The other guys I was with on a fly in had a new Mountain Hardware tent come apart and had wet down bags the rest of the trip. It was too wet to dry gear and things were pretty miserable. Don't scimp on rain gear, shelters or sleeping bags. Counting on being able to start a fire could put you in a bad position.

Other things I learned this year. Puffy Pants are worth it no matter how much of a ribbing you take from your partners. Keep one pair of socks dry for sleeping in no matter what.

Last tip - when its really cold and miserable and you haven't felt your feet in a awhile fill your dromedary with hot water and throw it into the bottom of your sleeping bag. Your feet will thank you.

 

[Justin Crossley]

This is pretty much my list for this year.

 

[greyghostnw]

any thoughts on a great spotting scope cover for the vortex 85mm? kings has one as well as creedmore even vortex padded. lookin for protection from water and bumps etc.....

 

[Rucker61]

I've been on a spending spree. Now to get out and hike.

Pack - Kifaru T2

Water Filter/Treatment System - Sawyer Inline/3l Hydromedary

Shelter - SL5 with bug perimeter and stove jack; TBP: Ed T stove

Optics - ZenRay ED3, Minox MD-50

Sleep System - Seek Outside Draft Dodger quilt, NeoAir Xlite; TBP: Slick bag

Stove - Jetboil

Weapon and Accessories - Diamond Outlaw/Easton Axis/Stinger Buzzcuts; Tikka T3 .308/Vortex Viper PST 4x16x50

Headlamp - BD Spot

GPS - Garmin 450T

Clothing - Redram base layers, Sitka mid/outer layers, Space Rain rain gear, Sierra Design Dridown hooded jacket
-
Boots - Kenetrek Hardscrabble/Mountain Extreme
-
Tripod - Vortex High Country

Kill Kit - TAG bags, 550 cords, TBP: Havalon knife,

 

[seand]

Frame will be here in two weeks, then I will put it all together and weigh it with food and the misc.

Pack - bikini frame, HPG CM25 bag, Terrapocket, STS 35L evac dry bag and handi pak.

Water Filter/Treatment System - sawyer squeeze inline with platy 3L zip bag

Shelter - SL5 fly w/ homemade roll up stove

Optics - pentax dcf-sp 8x42's and minox 13x56BR

Sleep System - golite adrenaline 20, synmat ul7 and 1/8" ensolite pad

Stove - jetboil SOL

Weapon and Accessories - rem 700 270 win sporter in mcmillan edge stock. (3) rifle tags, no archery this year

Headlamp - zebra H51fw and SC52W

GPS - garmin 60csx, an oldie but goodie

Clothing - firstlight base layers, microtex shirt and pants, kuiu spindrift, chugach top and bottom and yukon gaitors, fleece gloves, UA beanie and packer hat.

Boots -scarpa sl

Tripod - slik pro ez w/ bino adapter

Kill Kit - victorinox serrated parer, regular parer, lansky mini crocks, tag bags, 550 cord

Items that didn't work well last season:
BL 2200, too small, flat sucked with over 100#.
Minox MD50. Its a decent little scope, I just would MUCH rather glass with big binos.

Items that worked exceptionally well last season.
sawyer filter, vikki paring knives (again)

 

[bowinhand]

Changes this year are:

Pack...from badlands 2800 to Kifaru bikini/highcamp 7k

Bow...from a compound to a long bow

Kill kit...TAG BOMB Bags (hopefully) and a havalon bolt

Would like to update my shelter and sleep system and also buy a rifle to hunt later seasons.

 

[slim9300]

"Big Ticket" Items...

Pack: Kifaru BT1 with LH lid, 2 horizontal lash straps and small hip belt pouch. ('Manscaped' of course )

Water Filter/Treatment System: Aquamira drops

Shelter: Kifaru Megatarp

Optics: Cheap Nikon Monarch 10x42s and Nikon 880 RF (someday I'll get some new glass )

Sleep System: Marmot Helium long, Sea to Summit silk/cotton bag liner, Exped UL Air pillow, TiGoat Raven Omni bivy with bug mesh and BA Q-Core SL long

Stove: JB SOL

Weapon: Bowtech CPXL or Remington Model 700 Sendero SF 2

Headlamp: Zebralight H502w and H600w

GPS: Garmin Rino 530HcX

Clothing: Kuiu

Boots: Salomon Quest 4D GTX

Saw: Sawvivor 15"

Knives: Havalon Piranta and Gerber Gator

Camp shoes: NB Minimus

Trekking poles: Black Diamond Carbon Z-lite

Game bags: Caribou Gear Carnivore

Emergency comm: SPOT

Digital camera: Pentax WG-1

44 lbs. of 'luxury' and comfort for 10 days in the backcountry chasing bugling bulls!

 

[SHTF]

Here is my complete hunting setup. Still tweaking it. But got the big ticket items where I want them.

 

[Brent1321]

I am changing all my hunting clothing. Bought darn near every piece that Sitka sells, all the way to rain gear, spent a bloody fortune. Will likely look to replace my water filter and add another water bladder. Last three years I had used a MSR filter, the name escapes me now. It plugged up a few times last year. Never failed, but was a pain in the butt. I am nearly convinced to try a Sawyer filter this year. Oh, and picked up a Nikon ED50. Other than a potential filter change, I love my kit, ready to roll....

Brent