5 day Colorado elk hunt gear review! Sort of

[Afhunter1]

I just got back from a beautiful 5 days packed into the Colorado wilderness and thought I'd review some of the gear used on my hunt and contrast that with the gear used by my fathers good friend and childhood mentor of mine. He was the one who took me out the first time I killed a deer with a bow. He is 73 and made the three mile pack in just as fast as I did and we walked probably 30 miles looking for elk at 9,500 to 11,000 feet. We never even saw a fresh pile of poop but that is a different story altogether.

First some nice views from the trip:






My gear totaled 41#

Sleep system: BA fly creek Ul2, ee 10* quilt, etherm max pad. All worked great and would highly recommend!
Food: pro bars, mtn house, Justin's nut butter, jerky, etc. All tasted great and would highly recommend!
Clothes: Solomon boots and first lite everything else and it was a great system which I highly recommend!
Gear: platypus gravity filter, jet boil, inreach, tag bags, black diamond poles, exo 3500, etc and it all worked great and I highly recommend!



Now for my partner:

40#

Sleep system: wal mart $20 tent, synthetic broken zipper 40* bag, foam rolled pad
Food: sardines (in bear country), 3 jars of peanut butter, 12 pack of rolls, and 5# bag of apples
Clothes: Cotton shirts, wind pants, and a soft shell jacket. Also frog togs for rain gear
Gear: bow with bottom limb core separation (crazy glue and electrical tapped together), old army tube pack frame, and thats about it!







Even though we have vastly different views on gear we both had a blast and can't wait to do it again! Just when you think hunting has gone all commercialized and you feel like you can't be a "good" hunter without the latest and greatest remember it's your choice and you can hunt on a shoestring budget or as expensive as you want but fun is the outcome you should be hunting for:

Even in a snow/sleet storm at 11,000'



Good huntn with ya buddy!

 

[go4thegusto]

I love it. That is funny and also awesome. My partner and I are kind of Mutt & Jeff so we get some of that going on. Great fun as long as not life threatening. For me I choose to be warm and dry!

 

[Cant hit em]

Thats an old grizzled vet , man i hope at that age im grinding like that so bad ass , thanks for sharing


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[G5Archer]

Thanks for sharing... Doesn't matter if it's top of the line or Wal-Mart... As long as you are able to get out into the high country, return home safe and sound and have some great stories to tell... For me that's all that matters. Oh great pics as well.

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[xziang]

LOL what unit were you in I don't want to go there! Funny on the comparisons..

Every time I go into the dreaded walmart I think could you get everything you need minus your bow and arrows from walmart. Pack might be kind of questionable too, at least with my walmarts.

 

[Arrowslinger]

That dude is bad ass, only hope I can be hunting in the backcountry at that age.

 

[Afhunter1]

We spent 3 days in 42 and 2 in 34. Couldn't find elk anywhere nor could anybody else we talked to. He is a vet that is tough as nails and I too hope to be going like him when I'm his age. I should have stated that we have both killed bulls in the past. Just a bad year hunting but a good year together. I've known him my whole 35 years and he is a great hunting partner.

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

I want to be like your buddy when I grow up. That's cooler than the other side of the pillow.

 

[5MilesBack]

You didn't talk about his footwear.......what the heck is he wearing?

Ya, sure.......you can do it his way. But I prefer to at least try to be comfortable out there.

 

[mtnwrunner]

You didn't talk about his footwear.......what the heck is he wearing?

Ya, sure.......you can do it his way. But I prefer to at least try to be comfortable out there.

That is what I was thinking -------looks like muck boots. Love the gear comparisons and I love to see the trad gear but man, that pack makes me hurt.

Randy

 

[Afhunter1]

Ha ha. You guessed it. Muck boot shoes. Didn't even cover his ankles! He is a good hunter though and has taught me a lot of what I know.

 

[Ratamahatta]

Was he excited to get out?

 

[jvle95]

That's what I call "Keepin it real!". Love that post. Whenever I find myself thinking I need to have the latest and greatest item I think about how it was done for many many years before without the lightest most expensive gear.