Cheap Stuff that Works

Based on recs, I tried the Kinko gloves this year for gutting and processing in cold weather and found them to be leakier than I would like. I found these when stopping at cabelas a few months ago and thought I would try them. My hands were clean and dry, rinsed off the stuff from them and threw in the wash and good as new. I found them very comfortable and it was easy enough to do precise knife work while wearing them.

 
For any fans of pack-a-roons (coconut snack cakes) looking for a cheaper alternative, La Molienda bars are readily available at most Walmarts usually near the checkout area. I just paid $1.62 apiece for a few. One bar is about equivalent in nutrition (390cal 18g fat 57g carb 3g protein) to 3 packaroons.

For the ultra-light crowd, they're about 0.3oz heavier, but they're less dry so I find I need less (or no) water when I eat one. I'm personally a fan of the pineapple, which all the Walmarts I've been to (and some Murdochs/etc) always seem to carry, but there are other flavors on Amazon if you want them with nuts/etc.

Lately I've started to pay more attention to what I spend on food. I never really did before because I always thought of it as a splurge item. I make plenty of my own granola as well as jerky from my trimmings, but what's a good hunt trip without a fistful of gas-station jerky sticks and a few bags of Doritos? :D But it does all add up, and at my age I can definitely tell the difference when I'm eating healthier. I can't have soy, dairy, oats, or many fruits (which is why I make my own "granola", so I can make it without the oats almost all others use as their base) so things like Doritos used to be easy choices to justify, but nowadays coconut has been one of my favorite bases for many snacks.
 
Thank you, Roksliders!

Always been paranoid packing BENCHMADE $150+ pocketknives around on the farm as EDC.

Makes me sick when I realize 1 mile down the road, that I left my knife on top of baler or sprayer or trailer!

Initial inspection… samesies!
Top $19.99
Bottom $175

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Crowmangler said:
Speaking of good cheap knives...I lost my ~$200 Benchmade mini bugout & saw these knockoffs on Amazon. For $20 I figured I'd take a gamble. I swear they must be made by the same factory. Compared next to a real one I can't tell any difference in the components. This same company has several models of the BM's

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Thanks! I’m giving it a go…
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My favorite cheap gear hack is something I use every single time as an upland hunter, and I cannot recommend it enough. I use a garmin alpha 100 gps for my dog with a leather loop around my neck, but I have found when it swings through the woods it is both annoying, and dings up the top of my shotgun. To stop the swinging, I affix one of these cheap gas station Lighter Leashes to my front left belt loop, and attach it to the clip onto a spare Garmin Alpha clip in place of the caribiner.

Lighter Leash

Garmin Alpha Clip

It gives just enough resistance to keep the gps on my chest while beating through the aspen woods and really thick stuff, but gives seamless access to my gps since it minimizes the pendulum effect.

I am sure this could be used for anything else that you carry from your neck or that would otherwise dangle, especially if people like super quick access to their gps devices.
 
JoeDirt said:
Headlamps, Convoy is a custom Chinese light supplier. Simon the owner lives in Singapore his customer service is great!
I've slowly started to swap out my AA and AAA cheap headlamps out for rechargeable 18650/21700s. The runtime is longer and the LEDs are better quality.

I went down the rabbit hole of quality high CRI lights and blood tracking. The color red its the hardest color for LEDs to produce. Getting a good LED (not light) makes a huge difference. Most manufactures choose the brighter LEDs that dont reproduce the red colors.

You can have your own custom headlamp specked out for $20-$30 with free shipping. B35AM, XHP50.3 9050, XHP70.3 9050, 519A are all good lights for our applications paired with a "Boost Driver" for any style light.

They're on Chinese holidays so you'll have to wait to place an order.

https://convoylight.com/collections/h-series
Click to expand...
Do you have advise in which led to choice and why

Or a design resource for specking out a ideal light
 
stan_wa said:
Do you have advise in which led to choice and why

Or a design resource for specking out a ideal light
Click to expand...
B35AM, XHP50.3 9050, XHP70.3 9050, 519A in most kelvin ranges 3,000K-5000k and SFT40, SST40, SFT70 in 3,000K kelvin range. These are the common high CRI LEDs. The XHP are more efficient but the trade off is less red color renditions but more than your standard consumer lights.

T Series for (14mm) 14500 rechargable, (AA) and fairly compact/lightweight. Its a less mAh at 1500mAh
S Series for (18mm) 18650 rechargable, A little more weight for 3500-4000mAh
H Series for Headlamps, 18650 and (21mm) 21700 for a 5000mAh battery

Do a test (with red items) this was all that I had, habaneros. Its difficult for a camera to pick this up. In person the colors really pop. All photographers use high CRI lights. As for blood tracking I think its invaluable.

Lots of other light options on the market Convoy seems to be the best quality for the price with lots of options.
 

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US Surplus extreme cold weather mittens are a good cold but not wet snow conditions. Can swap out or double to the liner and big enough to have hand warmers in. Plus the string on them you can keep behind your neck and fling off the gloves when your ready to shoot.
 
rcb2000 said:
Love mine, BUT, you should check out the Wiser Precision Sparrow,, similar idea but the connection point is closer to the center of gravity of the binos,, and has a small hole in the base to put your trekking pole tip in if you weren’t off the tripod.

I’m trying it this year, and will let my son use the Aziak one .
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Of the two you used, which one do you prefer? I’m looking to buy one of these. Thanks
 
Great list here boys!


I'll add a few that I personally like...
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- Duct tape and electric tape wrapped around your water bottle. This has saved my a$$ many times! (Pic attached)

- Electric tape for the tip of your barrel. Will keep rain, snow, and debris out. Will not change point of impact either.

- Champagne cork, Lighter, and ziplock bag- (Duck hunting) Burn the cork until black, let cool, then rub on your face for cheap face conealment.

- Costco light gloves, can be found for cheaper in store. Great for early morning hiking up the mountain. Thin enough not to sweat but thick enough to to keep the morning frost off your hands while hiking.

- Surui carbon fiber tripod with head - I absolutely love this tripod and head (I'm not a fan of the heads with the arms). For $129 I don't know if it can be beat.

- Hisea Waders- These are the best bang for my buck. I had a pair for 5 seasons and finally got a small pin hole leak. I just replaced them with the same pair. They now come with a "lifetime" waranty. Best $105 wader you can find. https://a.co/d/4k7xy5J


- Swivel bucket top - Turns a 5 gallon bucket into the perfect dove hunting seat. Plenty of storage for extra shells, snacks, and downed birds. https://www.homedepot.com/pep/5-Gal...707841089-351272228847&gad_source=1&gclsrc=ds

- 32 degrees top base layer - these can be found at costco periodically. I've had mine for many years and they are still working well
www.32degrees.com

Men's Sport Motion 1/4 Zip Top

•98% Polyester, 2% Spandex •Regular Fit •27” Body Length (Size M) •¼ Zip •Reglan Sleeves •Side Slits •Stretch Comfort •Item# M8812 •Imported
www.32degrees.com www.32degrees.com

- Moleskin - It is cheap, light, and will keep your feet happy on long steep hikes. Apply at the first sign of a hotspot. *make sure you get the thin stuff. The thick stuff is super uncomfortable in the boot. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Equate-M...=local&wl12=35756729&veh=sem_LIA&gad_source=1

- Rubberband - I wrap around 3 shells and put in my bino-harness. It keeps the shells quiet and I always have exta shells if I get separated from my pack

- 1 gallon ziplock bag - perfect for holding my lunch/snacks together in ome place

- Tyvek sheet - put under airmatress when sleeping on the ground. It creates a moisture barrier and protects your mat from rocks/sticks that could puncture it.

- Old plastic grocery bags - for the back of your upland vest. Holds even the biggest pheasants and keeps the blood off your vest.
 
I don’t know about those Amazon BM copies, Walmart-Mart has an Ozark Trail clone with D2 steel that is surprisingly nice for a $10 knife. He has a Mini-Bugout that locks up tighter, but the Ozark Trail is more than decent and came pretty sharp.
 
Smokey Bear said:
Of the two you used, which one do you prefer? I’m looking to buy one of these. Thanks
Click to expand...
Not the one that posted but I have used both and prefer the sparrow. It’s smaller profile so easier in and out of a bino harness. I really like the trekking pole option, it’s great for quick glassing. It also is nicer to use since it places the center of gravity closer to the middle. I think the sparrow is worth the increased cost. There’s a great thread reviewing it on here if you want more photos/info.
 
ztc92 said:
Not the one that posted but I have used both and prefer the sparrow. It’s smaller profile so easier in and out of a bino harness. I really like the trekking pole option, it’s great for quick glassing. It also is nicer to use since it places the center of gravity closer to the middle. I think the sparrow is worth the increased cost. There’s a great thread reviewing it on here if you want more photos/info.
Click to expand...
Thanks for getting back to me. I found more info on here and will be going with the Sparrow. Unfortunately S&S Archery doesn’t have them in stock. I’ll just buy through Sparrow.
 
Primal-Understanding said:
Tell me about The Hood by Swazi. Looks like a basic fleece


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I would love to but I never bought it they had free shipping the other day which brought the price down to a pretty reasonable amount. I’d have bought it then but I had already bought a cabelas Berber fleece jacket which is awesome and I love it.
 
Primal-Understanding said:
Tell me about The Hood by Swazi. Looks like a basic fleece


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Click to expand...

It’s an awesome fleece and I’ve loved mine. But I’m not so sure I’d include it here. I’m sure there are cheaper brands that would be comparable.

In my opinion is a high quality fleece and mine has a longer tail that keeps your backside covered and protected from the wind.


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