Becoming LESS gear oriented.

[ElkElkGoose]

As someone that is getting back into hunting, I need all these gotta have the newest stuff guys just so I can upgrade my gear without paying the new price. But, once I get upgraded to what works for me I will use it until it wears out or breaks..

Dude, do you not see the irony in what you just said? How are you not part of the gotta have the newest stuff if you are still upgrading regardless of the price you got it at?

 

[Gatorgrizz27]

Over the last 2-3 years, I’ve been upgrading to backpack hunting gear that’s as minimal and versatile as possible. My goal has been to have one “kit” that works for almost every type of hunting by swapping out a few things depending on the weather.

This means fewer overall pieces of gear, as opposed to the manufacturers trying to sell you “a scouting pant, a hot weather pant, an early season pant, a mid season pant, a late season pant, rain pants, pants for sitting, pants for hiking, pants for riding a horse,” etc.

It also makes packing for a hunt much simpler, and you’re more comfortable using the stuff and how it all works together. Once I’ve found stuff that works well, I don’t have any desire to change it or try something new just for the sake of it.

I still need a few big ticket items to be able to handle all conditions, and will buy them as I go on hunts where they’re necessary. It’s manageable to pay for a hunt and buy one thing though as opposed to constantly buying and selling gear.

 

[16Bore]

We’ve got too much crap and time to waste as it is. Everyone’s worried to death about the crap they already have, then they read a thread and suddenly the crap that they own is shit and they need new crap. So the “what’s the best crap” thread starts and for 10 pages guys argue that this crap is better than that crap when really, it’s all just crap. Well, I can’t hunt with shit so I’d better get some more crap because I’m convinced my crap is shit and I’ll fail then people will laugh at me and tell me I shoulda known better because the internet said my crap was shit to begin with.

But dang...I liked my crap before I read it was shit and now I gotta get new crap because my shit is causing me to question my own judgment and needs and there’s no way I can can have any success unless I have what’s been determined by random people I don’t know to be shit.

So here we are in 2019 with all the best crap that’s ever been available to mankind to go out and do the most primitive activity of life (besides sex) and fellas are scared shitless to be happy with their crap.

 

[Boarmaster]

I look to upgrade if I am not 90% satisfied with what I already have. I don't upgrade just because someone comes out with a new model. Knowing ahead on what I might upgrade allows me to watch the classifieds and sales and reduces my chance of impulse buying. I have learned my lesson in the past on spending money on new things when I like what
I already got.

 

[rtaylor]

I am not a keep up with the Jones' on gear and definitely don't have to have the latest and greatest. I have found that my Iphone has reduced my gear bag slightly which is a good thing. I no longer carry topos, compass or a flashlight since my phone has all 3. I know I shouldn't rely on my phone for these important tools but I'm willing to take the chance. The older and more out of shape I get the more I want to eliminate stuff from my bag to reduce weight.

 

[deerkiller]

You're not alone. I like messing with new gear as much as anyone but I'm hunting with the same rifle I have since 2006. Same shotgun since 2007. The same pack since 2009. Same sleeping bag since 2011.

I generally don't buy new gear until something blows up with the old stuff. I do like buying guns to mess around with and load for, but that's not exactly hunting per se. I'd likely mess with guns regardless if I hunted or not.

I don't know about everyone else. But when I wear out a piece of hunting gear...I take it as a sign that I'm living life right.

NOW you're talking sense !!

 

[deerkiller]

Yup - I'm happy with what I've got. Spent a couple of years shopping sales, closeouts, store closures, etc. and have decent stuff, not top tier but not cheap junk either.

A lot of the guys with the top notch stuff are just bragging. Look at how much I spent is what they mean.

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

Y E P !

 

[deerkiller]

We’ve got too much crap and time to waste as it is. Everyone’s worried to death about the crap they already have, then they read a thread and suddenly the crap that they own is shit and they need new crap. So the “what’s the best crap” thread starts and for 10 pages guys argue that this crap is better than that crap when really, it’s all just crap. Well, I can’t hunt with shit so I’d better get some more crap because I’m convinced my crap is shit and I’ll fail then people will laugh at me and tell me I shoulda known better because the internet said my crap was shit to begin with.

But dang...I liked my crap before I read it was shit and now I gotta get new crap because my shit is causing me to question my own judgment and needs and there’s no way I can can have any success unless I have what’s been determined by random people I don’t know to be shit.

So here we are in 2019 with all the best crap that’s ever been available to mankind to go out and do the most primitive activity of life (besides sex) and fellas are scared shitless to be happy with their crap.

HA ! VERY well said

 

[deerkiller]

I look to upgrade if I am not 90% satisfied with what I already have. I don't upgrade just because someone comes out with a new model. Knowing ahead on what I might upgrade allows me to watch the classifieds and sales and reduces my chance of impulse buying. I have learned my lesson in the past on spending money on new things when I like what
I already got.

How do you quantify that it's "90" and not 89% ?

 

[deerkiller]

We are ALL at the mercy of the "marketeers", once they started messin' with our heads we were ALL screwed

 

[jmez]

Not alone OP. I haven't bought much of anything new in several years. What I have works well for me so no reason to replace anything. If something wears out it gets replaced. I don't simply upgrade because something new came out. If possible, I replace old gear with the same thing, not "new or upgraded" models because I know what I had worked.

 

[bedford falls]

ElkElkGoose-yes, I can see where I am part of the problem. I am upgrading old school gear, maybe some older than you if you are under 40! Talking about cotton, blue jeans, etc. Just trying to catch up with technology.

 

[jspradley]

We are ALL at the mercy of the "marketeers", once they started messin' with our heads we were ALL screwed

Best thing about capitalism is it's pretty much the only system in which you can easily opt out of its excesses

 

[swampthing]

A guy could do well with what he already has but some of us are just plain "gear junkys". I am very guilty of this habit! I have fun though!

 

[swampthing]

I do miss simpler times though!! My daypack weighs about 30lbs these days with all the "gotta haves"!

 

[vermeire]

I've found over the last few years that some of my gear buying hasn't been to buy the gear. I find my self buying stuff because of the experience I think I'm going to have with it. This is obvious marketing influence as my experience probably would have been just as enjoyable with whatever gear I previously owned and used. The worst part for me financially is that some of those experiences never ended up happening and I ultimately sold some gear at a loss. Or I've got 2-3 of something laying around at different levels of newness and greatness. I've learned that I just need to go do something and not feed into the consumerist machine that is designed to separate us from our money.

 

[jjtt13]

I like simple

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[16Bore]

A guy with nothing could make one trip to Walmart and be better outfitted than most people were 25 years ago.

The problem is that it’s hard to keep up 25 years of game animal evolution.

 

[wyosam]

I went a long time (most of my stuff was 15-20+ years old) without buying anything new for hunting, other than bullets and a few more quarter bags every half dozen years or so. I don't really where hunting specific clothing (I'm in the mountains with other pursuits year round, I'm not doubling up on gear just for camo), so that helps. This summer my wife bought me new binos, and was going to Alaska to help a friend with a moose hunt. The combination made me look at my gear, and I made some big upgrades- new pack (think I got the old frame in '95), picked up a bino harness to protect the new glass-Now all the essentials are easily accessible. How did I live without this thing? I even bought a new rifle, though that was mostly related to a destroyed shoulder that was just really making shooting unpleasant. No real desire to upgrade much else, other than I think I'll pick up a bigger bag for the new pack frame and get rid of my regular backpacking internal frame. Maybe I'll revisit gear in another 20 years or so.

 

[camelcluch]

I feel completely blessed that I can go through Cabelas, BP or any store and honestly say there is nothing I need. I buy now to upgrade but that is still out of want. I bought a ton of high end gear when I was young and single. Most of that is 20 years old and still my go to. I am a gear junky though and like to try out stuff.