A decade in the mountains; one man’s sheep journey.

[60x]

My ankles can't handle stream crossings with a heavy pack with light, floppy type shoes with no support. Plastic boots and Glacier socks for me. Now my partner on the other hand wears Tiva sandals with over 100lb pack and handles it like nothin. I don't know how he does it.

I'm with you Snyd... Have you ever tried crampons for crossing?

I'm a plastic/glacier sock fellow all the way..

 

[Stid2677]

Have you ever tried crampons for crossing?

I have,, I use Hillsound Microspikes, they work great for muddy terrain, and ice too. Can be a little noisy though.

Steve

 

[Buster]

I have,, I use Hillsound Microspikes, they work great for muddy terrain, and ice too. Can be a little noisy though.

Steve

Have you had your microspikes for a while? I ask because I want to know how they've held up. I had a rubber eyelet tear on my kahtoola microspikes a few years ago. I upgraded to their kts aluminum crampons after that. I've never seen the Hillsound ones in person though. Any specific likes or dislikes? Have you tried other brands? As well, do you prefer them over models that are more aggressive?

 

[Stew]

Have you had your microspikes for a while? I ask because I want to know how they've held up. I had a rubber eyelet tear on my kahtoola microspikes a few years ago. I upgraded to their kts aluminum crampons after that. I've never seen the Hillsound ones in person though. Any specific likes or dislikes? Have you tried other brands? As well, do you prefer them over models that are more aggressive?

Buster Im trying the kahtoolas this year although haven't had to use them yet I use to have the hillsound and they tore apart on me on about the 4th time using them. I was using them on a pack style boot not a hiking boot. The first couple times I thought wow these are great, the next time there was much more side hilling involved and tore out a couple of the eyelets.

 

[Stid2677]

Have you had your microspikes for a while? I ask because I want to know how they've held up. I had a rubber eyelet tear on my kahtoola microspikes a few years ago. I upgraded to their kts aluminum crampons after that. I've never seen the Hillsound ones in person though. Any specific likes or dislikes? Have you tried other brands? As well, do you prefer them over models that are more aggressive?

I did have one of the chains pull out of the rubber, but I was able to reinsert it and bend the eye back down. Better ones are out there, and maybe Luke will chime in about what he is now using. I have gotten 3 or 4 years of use out of these, so not bad. Some of the systems available are not able to fit over plastic boots, that is one reason I have stuck with this type.

Very impressive when used descending, the added traction really helps prevent your feet from slipping.

 

[Buster]

I was talking with luke about the kahtoolas on a thread I started about crampon options. My aluminums are wearing out, and I'm just scoping the market for any other possibilities. He's got the steel ones.

 

[60x]

I have,, I use Hillsound Microspikes, they work great for muddy terrain, and ice too. Can be a little noisy though.

Steve

you aint kiddin.. 6 points are pretty much a regular in my pack depending on where I am hunting,I dont use them much but nice to have them in that mountain grass when you need them. I did buy the ratchetting hillsounds this year but didnt need them(i think you actually told me about them). I will say they bearly fit (on the last lug of the strap) my size 12 koflach.. A friend borrowed them for a goat hunt and put them through the ringer and said they did great. I still have some reservations about the ratchets but so far they are doing well and I like them for what I do..

 

[Cross]

Stid,

You are my real life (being you are alive, and well) Jack O'Conner.
Simply Thank You

 

[Stid2677]

Stid,

You are my real life (being you are alive, and well) Jack O'Conner.
Simply Thank You

His are mighty big boots to fill and there are many that have forgotten more about sheep hunting than I can ever hope to know,, but I do agree when he said this.....


"A sportsman may have hunted deer, turkey, elk and bears for years with the greatest of success; but until he has taken his sheep, until he has matched his brains, his endurance and his skills with those inhabitants of the rocky peaks, he is still but a sophomore."

- Jack O'Connor

 

[luke moffat]

I broke my hill sounds after 2 years (which was 4 sheep hunts and 4 mountain goat hunts). Started tearing out the rubber eye lets. My buddy tore his pair after one use. He brought the Cypress 6 crampons last year for his mountain got hunt and was very impressed with them. They go on VERY fast and get as tight as you need due to the ratcheting system.

I can see where someone with large feet and using plastic boots like 60X did might have trouble with the straps not being long enough, but for my size 10 boots in standard leathers its not been a problem at all.

 

[Steve O]

His are mighty big boots to fill and there are many that have forgotten more about sheep hunting than I can ever hope to know,, but I do agree when he said this.....


"A sportsman may have hunted deer, turkey, elk and bears for years with the greatest of success; but until he has taken his sheep, until he has matched his brains, his endurance and his skills with those inhabitants of the rocky peaks, he is still but a sophomore."

- Jack O'Connor

So classic and classy! Not many today would hunt the mountains with a wood stocked .270; if I had the time and money I definitely would! Until then my Ti will have to do. Winchester had a couple of JOC Commerative .270s out last year. Classy, classy rifle.

 

[RedStag]

Cant thank you enough for taking the time to put up a post like that.
Feel like I was taking notes the entire read. Some great adventures in there, hope to see more from you in the future.

 

[Stid2677]

Well, the off season is a great time to prepare for next year. Instead of trying to cut weight from my pack, this year I will add a pound or so, at least in the optics dept. If I have learned anything it is optics can make or break a hunt, so my next adventure in the mountains will be with my new Swaro ATX 95mm. I was slipping the lens adapter under the rubber eye guard on my Swaro ATM, but that would not work on the ATX so I had to get creative. I went to Lowes and got a 2 inch rubber pipe cover and modified it to work and hold my TG-2 in place. This is the proto type, I will make another and use my sander to refine it some as I don't have access to it right now. A few photos of the setup and a pic I took of a sheep print across my living room.

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

You have the coolest mounts

 

[Stid2677]

I have come with a cheap way to connect my Olympus TG-2 camera to my Swarovski ATX spotter. If you screw off the eye guard, the threads that attach that to the ocular are 52MM. By purchasing a inexpensive step up adapter I was able to screw the TG-2 lens adapter 40.5mm to the step up adapter and screw that onto the scope. This can be left on the scope and with a quick twist the camera comes on and off. Quick, easy and the step up adapter only weighs a few grams and cost less than 5 bucks. This is a rock solid connection and can be installed or removed easily. This is how the APO adapter works, you remove the eye guard and screw on the APO adapter.

This shows the eye guard removed, the TG-2 lens adapter, and the step up ring.

The TG-2 adapter and step up adapter screwed together.

The camera in place.

Couple of photos taken with the combo.

Took me a little while to get it figured out, but I'm more than pleased with the combo. Still might get the DSLR setup but this will work great for fast and light trips where the waterproof tough camera is the best option.

Steve

 

[Ray]

Steve, I was hoping to be able to do that same thing with my Vortex, but there are no threads on the eyepiece. It does look like I can still have the adapter under the eye piece or use a Tines Up with filter reducers. I don't know why the Vortex system is so costly compared to the Tines Up system which is nearly the same.

...or I'll just spend too much time in my garage and fabricate something cool....its happened before.

 

[Stid2677]

Steve, I was hoping to be able to do that same thing with my Vortex, but there are no threads on the eyepiece. It does look like I can still have the adapter under the eye piece or use a Tines Up with filter reducers. I don't know why the Vortex system is so costly compared to the Tines Up system which is nearly the same.

...or I'll just spend too much time in my garage and fabricate something cool....its happened before.

Mr Ray,,

You could try this,,, it is a silicone lens hood with 40.5mm threads. It was my plan "B", and it works too. Just screw on and slip over eye piece.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/290844504797?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649


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Steve

 

[Ray]

Steve, what is the ID of that lens hood? I am guessing that the eye piece for the Vortex and Swaro are approximately similar in diameter.

Ray

 

[Stid2677]

Steve, what is the ID of that lens hood? I am guessing that the eye piece for the Vortex and Swaro are approximately similar in diameter.

Ray

2 1/8th inches, it is flexible enough to stretch some or use a zip tie to make it tighter.

Mr Ray, Does your vortex eye guard screw off? If it has threads you can use step up or step down rings.

 

[Stid2677]

Sewed up some game bags and zippered pull outs. Trying to keep my mine off the up coming draw results.