Favorite Backcountry Gear 2021

[lintond]

Littlbug Junior Stove

The Littlbug Junior Stove is our smallest and lightest camping stove. The Littlbug Junior camp stove performed better than 11 other entires in a head to head test.

littlbug.com

Year after year one of my favorite pieces of gear is my littlbug stove. Can burn wood as well as other organic material. When vehicle camping I often burn alcohol. On backpack or fly-in trips the weight saved by not having to pack fuel canisters is signigicant. The stove packs up very compactly and is a real space saver.

Assuming you hunt in drier climates where wet fuel isn't an issue? Interesting piece of gear.

 

[Voyageur]

Assuming you hunt in drier climates where wet fuel isn't an issue? Interesting piece of gear.

Good question. While wet climates make finding dry fuel more challenging I've never not been able to find dry fuel in the places I trek. That includes two AK trips for moose and caribou with the Littlbug as well as numerous BWCAW trips in northern MN. I've never been to Kodiak or similar places, but readily admit such a stove might be impractical in that type environment.

 

[zacattack]

Nitecore nu32 - bright, so far holds a really long charge curious to see how long before the battery starts losing charges, has a red light too. Has become my go to light for everything

Sitka hand muff - I guess this is my luxury item, but don’t think I’ll leave home without it. My hands always get cold, like I don’t think I’ve ever had gloves that would actually keep them warm long term, even when being active. This plus, hand warmers and a medium weight glove has been the ticket for me this year.

Insoles - holy cow, I got the orange insoles and man is this a game changer for me. I used to have pain in my right hip and lower back after walking over a few miles but this I can go all day with little to no pain.

 

[Ianoskavich]

This year I had the opportunity to put my Kifaru 22 mag to the test. Shot my first bear about 3 miles in and through inexperience and ignorance learned the wrong way to pack our an animal! That being said, the pack held up like a champ even when setup entirely wrong!

Cardinal rules I’ve learned through this experience is:

- spend time with your equipment learning how it is intended to be used before you need to use it! (ie. the meat shelf)

- Keep the most dense/ heaviest part of your load as low and close to your back as possible.

- this is embarrassing… know the regulations of how to properly and legally harvest whatever game you may hunt. In my case I new the head and sex of the bear had to be intact but I didn’t know how intact so I just field dressed the bear and packed it our whole… I am not a smart man. Fortunately for me my bear wasn’t a monster either. That being said, the whole bear combined with my pack and gear weren’t light and sprinkle in me not understanding how to use my packs meat shelf and voilà, let me introduce you to the picture you’d find under the definition of “work harder not smarter”.
Hopefully others will learn from my mistake

 

[WhatToHunt]

Kuiu Axis pants. Lived in them for 9 days and they were comfortable and durable.

Kifaru Stryker XL. I didn't get to haul out any game with it, but it was a great pack and looking forward loading it full of meat.

Sirui tripod and VA5 head. Easy to use, smooth, and will last a long time.

Marsupial enclosed bino harness. Just plain works and keeps out debris.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Nitecore nu32 - bright, so far holds a really long charge curious to see how long before the battery starts losing charges, has a red light too. Has become my go to light for everything

I liked mine too. Bought it in march and was impressed but the hinge has lost all tension after only 8-10 nights in the woods. It flops down within the first few steps and the light is pointing straight at my feet. I am about to find out if there customer serivce is worth a shit.

 

[Ianoskavich]

This year I had the opportunity to put my Kifaru 22 mag to the test. Shot my first bear about 3 miles in and through inexperience and ignorance learned the wrong way to pack our an animal! That being said, the pack held up like a champ even when setup entirely wrong!

Cardinal rules I’ve learned through this experience is:

- spend time with your equipment learning how it is intended to be used before you need to use it! (ie. the meat shelf)

- Keep the most dense/ heaviest part of your load as low and close to your back as possible.

- this is embarrassing… know the regulations of how to properly and legally harvest whatever game you may hunt. In my case I new the head and sex of the bear had to be intact but I didn’t know how intact so I just field dressed the bear and packed it our whole… I am not a smart man. Fortunately for me my bear wasn’t a monster either. That being said, the whole bear combined with my pack and gear weren’t light and sprinkle in me not understanding how to use my packs meat shelf and voilà, let me introduce you to the picture you’d find under the definition of “work harder not smarter”.
Hopefully others will learn from my mistake

Update, spent some time hanging out with Joey and Jordan at Kifaru and they educated me on the proper use, setup and care of my pack. Absolutely worth the time! Thank you guys!

 

[zacattack]

I liked mine too. Bought it in march and was impressed but the hinge has lost all tension after only 8-10 nights in the woods. It flops down within the first few steps and the light is pointing straight at my feet. I am about to find out if there customer serivce is worth a shit.

Maybe you got a bad one. I use mine at least 3 to 4 times a week for the last year or so and it’s been fine.

 

[NorthernHunter]

For personal gear I can't say enough about seek outside hot tents. Mine has saved me twice from some pretty unruly weather. For a cheap option I used Walmarts outdoor pants in camo for a spring bear hunt in Idaho this year and was incredibly impressed. I own kuiu and sitka pants and still wore the cheap ones most days. I won't be wearing them this fall but for perfect weather they work.

Now a question for the schnees bear tooth guys. I'm torn between Crispi Nevadas and the beartooths. How waterproof are the schnees? Light rain and dew or crossing streams?

 

[Poser]

*Sissy Stix Trekking poles*
Been through a few designs and now have 2 hunting seasons, a backcountry skiing season and a full summer of scouting with them. Simple and burly.

*Kuiu Katana pants.*
Great for a variety of conditions

*OR Ear Band*
Love this thing for every type of cold weather and combined with various types of headware.

*down booties*
Comfortable, warm, compress well. Slide your insoles in then and they are very practical for camp chores. Don’t have to shame yourself into being a croc wearer, either.

*1906 Midnight drops*
CBD/THC sleep aid in a pill form. Though, the chocolate drops from the “midnight” series are even stronger, but pricey per serving. Pop one before dinner and you’ll feel like a bowl of jelly by the time you get into your sleeping bag. High quality sleep is

 

[NorthernHunter]

*Sissy Stix Trekking poles*
Been through a few designs and now have 2 hunting seasons, a backcountry skiing season and a full summer of scouting with them. Simple and burly.

*Kuiu Katana pants.*
Great for a variety of conditions

*OR Ear Band*
Love this thing for every type of cold weather and combined with various types of headware.

*down booties*
Comfortable, warm, compress well. Slide your insoles in then and they are very practical for camp chores. Don’t have to shame yourself into being a croc wearer, either.

*1906 Midnight drops*
CBD/THC sleep aid in a pill form. Though, the chocolate drops from the “midnight” series are even stronger, but pricey per serving. Pop one before dinner and you’ll feel like a bowl of jelly by the time you get into your sleeping bag. High quality sleep is

I use a delta 8 gummy before dinner. I agree with you. Takes 30 minutes to kick in and you sleep like a baby.

 

[Crowmangler]

Don't laugh but The Hawke tactical solo tree hooks ( ~$5 from Camofire). Very handy & I keep a couple in my pack all the time. Screwed one in a tree for a gun rest. Also used them to hang hind quarters from an elk among other things

 

[trophyhill]

My Hoodlum, my 0 degree slick bag and my Meindl Comfort Fit Hunters. Im very happy with all my gear accumulated since 2012 upgrading as necessary. I love this obsession that is elk hunting! Oh and the MSR Windburner i bought thos year is the shiz!

 

[TheLoamRanger]

The FL Klamath hoody is quickly becoming one of my favorites this year. It kept me warm in surprisingly cold weather as an outer layer (normally I run cold), and was easy to layer over top of when the rain kicked in. I'm going to buy at least one more in a solid for casual use - probably just the basic quarter zip.

I also added a pair of Smartwool PhD socks, which have been fantastic. I like them significantly more than the standard ones - better fit and better shape retention than the standard version.

 

[Rokwiia]

Now a question for the schnees bear tooth guys. How waterproof are the schnees? Light rain and dew or crossing streams?

I have the Schnee Timberline and Absaroka. I'm not crossing streams where they water level is near the top of the boot. I step in streams/creeks without concern and have never had a leak. The same with rain.

I apply both the Schnee Leather Conditioner and the Nixwax Waterproofing Wax Cream to both boots and water has never been a problem for me.

 

[JD Jones]

Crispi Nevadas- replaced my repaches and some danners. These boots y’all… they are as perfect as a boot can get for me.

SG 5900- replaced a mystery ranch and a sitka bag. The way it manages weight is unreal. It’s extremely versatile as I’ve also used it on regular backpacking trips as well.

2022-plans
Glass
Glass

 

[archp625]

I didn't buy a bunch of stuff this year due to only one trip planned in the spring and a baby in August. The few items that I can think of that I loved and used was:

Zoleo communication device
Honey Stingers
Pro Meal Bar
Packaroons
I did change from a Kifaru Reckoning to a Stone Glacier 5900. I did this to cut ozs. In my opinion both bags are awesome just one weighs less.

 

[Hondo]

Mild & rainy season for me this year back home and the thick undergrowth led to me spending more time clearing shooting lanes than I can ever recall. Every time I thought we were done it turned out we weren't. So this years standout gear list for me is slanted accordingly.

1. Samurai Ichiban 13" Curved saw: I've been high on Silky Saws for many years and always have a Pocket Boy in my backpack but this year my Pocket Boys, Super Accel and Gomboy saws just weren't going to be enough. I was looking at getting a Big Boy or Zubat but when I kept seeing the Samurai Ichiban name come up on in forum discussions by bowhunters and arborists I decided to give one a try and I'm very happy I did. Same efficient saw tooth concept as the Silky's coupled with an incredibly comfortable handle making it a joy to use. I bought my son won so we would stop fighting over who got to use it.
2. Green Goo First Aid Salve: The aforementioned clearing had both my son and I pretty tore up and this salve that comes in a tin or a stick did a nice job making it better.
3. NiteCore NU25 : My third season with the NU25 after my NU32 crapped out after 4 years and it still performs like a dream. When I first got it I thought it would be a temporary solution and share the duty with my heavier duty HC65 but it has been mostly collecting dust and the NU25 has proven itself to be a permanent solution.
4: Anker Powercore Slim 10000: More packable and easier to use than my Goal Zero Venture that it replaced and it seems like I get more power per charge out of it as well. Will likely get one of their wireless versions to try out.
5. First Lite Sawbuck Pants: I spent a lot of time in these clearing lanes this season and they did an admirable job protecting my legs all while making me more comfortable than most brush pants. Honorable mention to the discontinued Patagonia Field Pants.
6. Sitka LW Core Hoody: These continue to be my favorite shirt for hot to warm conditions. My son joined the bandwagon this season.
7. Kuiu Axis Beanie: I've had one for a while now but have worn it much, usually opting to wear a First Lite Tag Cuff, Sitka Jetstream or the Kuiu Peloton 240 beanies. The conditions this season seemed to suit the Axis Beanie and it really impressed me how well it worked for being so light and comfortable.

 

[sargent]

Tarptent Aeon Li: I took this on a peakbagging trip to the Adirondacks and a backcountry elk hunt with four season conditions this year. Great tent at an extremely low weight.

Crispi Wildrock GTX Plus: These things kept my feet warm, dry, and blister free on a snowy four day packout, can't ask for more than that.

 

[victoriabitter]

Changed couples camping: Exped Megamat Duo

Cheapest and most often used gear: ECWCS milsurp half zip pullover. Such good fleece, so cheap on ebay.