Favorite Backcountry Gear 2022

[taskswap]

Havalon Talon. Unlike the Piranta and other brands this is a very beefy blade (one style has a gut hook) and it held up really well processing a cow I took last Oct.

Bank line. Everybody carries paracord and it's fine, but bank line can handle almost as much load (usually 350lbs) for half the weight. If you're saving ounces this stuff is great.

 

[coyote_out]

Some of my favorite items from this year:
Selewa mountain trainer mid boots - bought them for early season scouting and ended up loving them. Ran these all the way until the end of October.
Outdoor research Alpinist gloves - great in November, waterproof, warm, good dexterity.
Council tool flying fox - solved multiple problems in the backcountry and size and weight worked for me. Hardened poll allowed to drive in stakes without damaging the head.
Silky big boy saw - great for processing firewood and animals.
Benchmade anonymous
Camp time stool - very light weight, made glassing and running the tripod in the snow / wet so much more comfortable.
Fishmans friend cough drop - I always pack cough drops to help keep my nose from running away. These come in a readable pouch and don’t tear up my mouth. Less trash and worked great.

 

[CaliWoodsman]

New gear that impressed:
1. Meindl Comfort Fit Hunter 400g - My feet inexplicably grew almost a full size a month before my hunt this year, so I had to scramble to find new boots. With less breaking in than normal, they were extremely comfortable, with a wide toe box that I was looking for.
2. Nemo Dragonfly 2 - Moving from a 4.5 lbs tent to this is just crazy.
3. Klymit Luxe Pillow - I’ve been a “stuff your jacket in your sleeping bag stuff sack” guy for years. Never again. Worth every ounce.

Old gear that re-impressed:
1. Havalon Piranta - I know they’re not cool anymore, but man this blade made skinning and caping out my buck a dream.
2. AGC Hybrid Max bino harness - Holds just the perfect amount of gear, along with my binos.
3. Kuiu Icon Pro 3200 - The perfect day pack. Just the right size to load up for a heavy day or an overnighter, or cinches down small when going light. Love this pack.

 

[churious]

New Gear I was impressed with this year in 22 -

1. Kelvin Aerolite Jacket - I wore this over the ambient and core lightweight hoody in as low as 17 degrees and never wished for another layer. Highly recommend.

2. Sitka Ambient Hoody - I wore this everyday from archery to late season. Breaths better than any mid layer before but warm enough to use as an outer layer on brisk archery mornings in September. Super lightweight, amazing moisture management and very packable.

3. It's Brads thread but I'll still say it. Argali Carbon Knife - This might be the perfect fixed blade! Gutted and Caped an entire mule deer with one this year and it was still very sharp!

4. Stone Glacier Sky 5900 - Super comfortable for daily and packing. From archery to late season this pack builds up and out but can stay small for daily use. I try other packs now and then but always come back to SG.

 

[dreamingWest]

My favorite new pieces of gear: Exped MegaMat 10 and TBAC Ultra 7
Old pieces that I continue to love: Tailored Kuiu Attack pants and Swarovski SLC 10x42s.

 

[Tick]

EXO K3 frame. Changing the lumbar pad was a huge improvement for me from the K2.

 

[magsinchi]

Following thread!

 

[AKMoose]

Couple new things I liked this year:

-Frontier Gear PA-18 Pant (Barneys Sports Chalet)
-Salmon River Solutions TI Pro Tiny Brake
-Katabatic Flex 15 (quilts +side sleeper = life changing)
-Inreach Mini 2. So tiny and battery lasts forever.
-First Lite merino half finger gloves
-Marsupial No Mag Harness

 

[Primal-Understanding]

Gear I liked in 2022 (Not in order):

1. Crispi Idaho II - Bought these before 2 bear hunts and started to get a little worried that they weren't going to work. Finally got them broken in after near 50 miles of preseason hikes. Absolutely loved them during my Idaho bear hunts, sidehilling was a breeze. Wore them on 2 Nebraska deer hunts and they performed great there too.
2. Seek Outside Cimarron - Can't beat this thing for livability and weight.
3. Sitka Jetstream Jacket - Great performance across a huge range of conditions. Snagged it on barbed wire several times and somehow didn't leave a mark? Looks good to wear day to day as well.
4. Sitka Kelvin Lite Down Jacket - Performed great for me, super light & very packable but still maintains a little more durability over other jackets on the market. Im trying to get one in 'Mud' for everyday use.

 

[joelski]

Little late to the game here, but what stood out for me last year:

• FL Uncompahgre Puffy Pant - such a game changer for late season glassing!
• Nemo Tensor Insulated Wide - I've had a z-lite folding pad for the past ~8 years and finally upgraded to this, super happy with it. Packs up incredibly small (nalgene-ish size) and the extra width is great.
• Slik Pro CF 634 tripod - first year glassing off a tripod and had no idea what I was missing. Really pleased with the size, weight and stability of this one.

 

[shootnrun]

The Ollin system with my ATS 80 got me some pretty awesome footage. Too easy to use.

 

[Greenbelt]

How do

No particular order:

-Swfa 3-9 scope and sportsmatch rings
- durston xmid2 tent
- forest tracker esc boots
- Garmin messenger GPS tracking unit
- fjallraven pants

you like the Durston tent? Still holding up?

 

[HighUintas]

How do

you like the Durston tent? Still holding up?

LOVE it. The only thing is the magnetic clasp that holds the door/screen open is a little annoying due to it getting knocked out of place relatively easily. I'd probably prefer velcro. I have only used the inner tent portion once though, so can't speak to that part much. I've primarily just used it as a tarp.

 

[landman650]

Notable upgrades:
1. SG Grumman jacket (upgraded from mountain hardwear ghost whisperer)
2. Thermarest xtherm (upgraded from klymit)
3. EE quilt

Still a fan:
4. FL corrugate foundry pant(2nd season in em and still love them)
5. Soto windmaster
6. FL/Nemo Kodiak
Added* 7. Katadyne Befree +cnoc purifier (using a steripin as a backup)

Things I’m changing - move from Crispi Nevada to schnees Beartooth for warmth; May upgrade outdoor research puffy pants;

 

[jonnyviceroy]

I tried more new things this past season than ever before. The standouts for me were
-argali absaroka 4p tipi
Did great in all kinds of weather, lighter than the competition, awesome price point and most significantly DID NOT sag like others when wet stayed pitched tight and held shape
-sitka ambient hoody. Usually when clothing comes out from companies it’s nothing new and similar to stuff we’ve seen before elsewhere. That being said I have never used anything like that hoody. The versatility and comfort made it my absolute favorite and a staple for many years to come.
-crispi briksdal pro. Light insulation for long sitting periods but doesn’t overheat during a tough packout. Awesome boot with a ton of comfort and support.
-Thermarest uberlite. Just as comfortable as pads that weigh twice as much. At 12 oz…. Nuff said. Solid.
Those were all things that stood out to me and I enjoyed using. One aspect of my gear I’m still struggling at dialing in is my hydration system for both purification and water storage during backpack hunting trips.

 

[WyoKid]

Notable upgrades:
1. SG Grumman jacket (upgraded from mountain hardwear ghost whisperer)
2. Thermarest xtherm (upgraded from klymit)
3. EE quilt

Still a fan:
4. FL corrugate foundry pant(2nd season in em and still love them)
5. Soto windmaster
6. FL/Nemo Kodiak

Things I’m changing - move from Crispi Nevada to schnees Beartooth for warmth; May upgrade outdoor research puffy pants;

If you don't mind me asking why Schnees over the Wild Rock? Like you, there are times I want a little more insulation but I have a hard time giving up the Nevadas as they are so comfortable. I might try alpaca socks this season to see if that helps. Otherwise, I might be looking for another boot.

 

[landman650]

If you don't mind me asking why Schnees over the Wild Rock? Like you, there are times I want a little more insulation but I have a hard time giving up the Nevadas as they are so comfortable. I might try alpaca socks this season to see if that helps. Otherwise, I might be looking for another boot.

If I recall, it was based on other people’s reviews. Main reason is the schnees had a really good sale at the time and all things being equal, just figured try them out. So far I like them but only got to try them in short times here in Texas when temps dropped below 20. Just light walking around, my feet were never close to cold. I got frostbite on a toe two seasons ago and after my feet got cold again last season I’m just going to try 200g before I jump to 400g. I liked the Hoffmanns but didn’t want to go straight to 400 and it be too hot to hike in

 

[landman650]

I tried more new things this past season than ever before. The standouts for me were
-argali absaroka 4p tipi
Did great in all kinds of weather, lighter than the competition, awesome price point and most significantly DID NOT sag like others when wet stayed pitched tight and held shape
-sitka ambient hoody. Usually when clothing comes out from companies it’s nothing new and similar to stuff we’ve seen before elsewhere. That being said I have never used anything like that hoody. The versatility and comfort made it my absolute favorite and a staple for many years to come.
-crispi briksdal pro. Light insulation for long sitting periods but doesn’t overheat during a tough packout. Awesome boot with a ton of comfort and support.
-Thermarest uberlite. Just as comfortable as pads that weigh twice as much. At 12 oz…. Nuff said. Solid.
Those were all things that stood out to me and I enjoyed using. One aspect of my gear I’m still struggling at dialing in is my hydration system for both purification and water storage during backpack hunting trips.View attachment 538134

What’s wrong with the hydration? I use a platypus or camelbak for clean water from my pack. Then I have a dirty vessel for water using this: https://cnocoutdoors.com/products/vecto-befree-kit

The material I think is more resilient than stuff other brands use. I’ve used the befree for water even as nasty as from a cattle tank in south Texas.
I also bought a steripin on sale right before season started as a backup in case the filter froze.

I should’ve actually added my cnoc+befree as one of my favorite backpacking items.

 

[twall13]

What’s wrong with the hydration? I use a platypus or camelbak for clean water from my pack. Then I have a dirty vessel for water using this: https://cnocoutdoors.com/products/vecto-befree-kit

The material I think is more resilient than stuff other brands use. I’ve used the befree for water even as nasty as from a cattle tank in south Texas.
I also bought a steripin on sale right before season started as a backup in case the filter froze.

I should’ve actually added my cnoc+befree as one of my favorite backpacking items.

I've been using the cnoc for awhile now and it's a solid bladder for dirty water. I use a Sawyer squeeze with it but either way the bag is great.

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

 

[WyoKid]

If I recall, it was based on other people’s reviews. Main reason is the schnees had a really good sale at the time and all things being equal, just figured try them out. So far I like them but only got to try them in short times here in Texas when temps dropped below 20. Just light walking around, my feet were never close to cold. I got frostbite on a toe two seasons ago and after my feet got cold again last season I’m just going to try 200g before I jump to 400g. I liked the Hoffmanns but didn’t want to go straight to 400 and it be too hot to hike in

Definitely cannot pass up a good sale on high quality boots.