Favorite Backcountry Gear for 2020?

[mtwarden]

Think it's 13"x16". Folds down pretty small so it's easy to slip in/out of a pack side pocket.

Danke

 

[EmperorMA]

MSR Pocket Rocket Deluxe - Light, works great in the wind or cold, simmers well and boils fast. Takes up almost no room in my pack.

Sitka Stratus Vest - Quiet, wind proof, soft and surprisingly warm, it packs up small and satisfies my home state’s blaze orange requirement.

Mystery Ranch TerraFrame 65 - It has the new Guide Light MT Frame and belt and is the perfect size for a 3-4 day hunt with the ability to carry 100 lbs of meat if I need to. The Pintler bag-only option lets me swap the frame onto a fantastic daypack.

Crispi Nevada Boots - Enough said.

First Lite Obsidian Pants - The most comfortable pants I’ve worn over a wide range of conditions from September grouse hunts at 80 degrees to January quail hunts at -10 degrees. Super-quiet and dry in minutes.

Icebreaker BodyFit Zone 200 Merino Half-Zip - Mesh panels are perfectly located in this base layer to allow optimal ventilation and maximum comfort. I can be dry and warm when standing around after a brisk 1,500’ climb in cold weather in just a few minutes.

 

[Chordeiles]

My favorites for the last two seasons have been, Kifaru Gun Bearer and Sitka Flash hoodie. Still trying to figure out how I got by without them, my first 35 years of hunting lol.

New stuff that I’ve been very happy with this year: Kuiu Pro merino 200 zip off bottoms and True Timber Impulse down pants.

 

[TCUHunter34]

just got mine in the mail, looking forward to getting some miles on them

I’ve put a LOT of miles on them. Very comfortable and have lasted without any issues

 

[SkunkCabbage]

no particular order

8.5x42EL - finally made the jump to alpha glass. I say wow anytime I have to spend time behind these now. Zero regrets

Hilleberg Kaitum 3 for partner hunts, glad for the two doors and a ton of internal space with vertical doors when you are 6’7” it’s good with a partner. Glad I went for this vs the Nallo 3GT based off my height.

Full synthetic commitment on the layering (baselayer) always before ran a bit of wool but went away from it completely this year and I see the benefits. Cook yourself dry in your sleeping bag

Kuiu Peloton 118 zip off bottoms - so simple and effective, plus they did awesome with the stink factor. Drop trou, zip on or off and don’t have to take off your boots. That alone is worth the cost.

Kelvin Lite Hoody - no worries with that thing in wet environments and the tall sizes actually fit.

MH Lamina -9C - cheap synthetic sleeping bag I’ll pack the weight and have the ability to dry out for when I’m sleeping on the ground. I think I’m going to be ditching my down quilts for synthetic ones in the future if I keep hunting these wet zones.

 

[Cahunter805]

still not seeing the dimensions, might need glasses however

I just slide mine between the bag and the frame when not in use. I like the pad a lot.

 

[d_worno-1986]

In no particular order. I am a gear ho and it’s hard for one thing to stick out but these have really impressed me:

1) Kuiu Kutana pants - just wow. Light, durable, ventilated. Love the pocket layout too.

2) 3.6-18x44 Mark 5HD. A scopes job is to steer bullets and this one does so in style. Never been more confident in a rifle now that I have this optic.

3) Outdoorsmans Pistol Grip/Panner on a Slik CF633. Revolutionized how I glass coming from nothing and a KDC setup. The KDC setup is slick as heck but this is just next level.

How’s the waterproofing on those Kutana pants? My buddy was just telling me was looking to use that plus the chugach for his rain gear

 

[ChrisAU]

How’s the waterproofing on those Kutana pants? My buddy was just telling me was looking to use that plus the chugach for his rain gear

I was talking about the Kutana Stretch Woven pants, not the Kutana Rain pants. They shouldn’t have called them the same thing. The DWR is good on them, but they are not waterproof. But everything I’ve heard about the rain pants is great.

 

[Skull10]

Following

 

[Rick M.]

I’ve done it both ways. Dry with tp or just pull up and let it all dry out natural. I wear synthetic underwear (ex officio) that handles the moisture fine. It’s not as much water as you’d think and I too have an ample undercoat. I use a Smart Water bottle or a Platypus bladder to expel the water. The trick is when you pull your pants down only go to the knees. Makes the geometry work so you don’t get stuff wet. It really has made a ton of difference

Alright, let's do this!

 

[Poser]

Couple of useful
Ideas here. I wonder how the Gossamer Gear pad would work as a glassing pad?

 

[mtwarden]

^ then GG pad he's showing is only 1/8"- very light, but it tears pretty easily for sitting.

 

[Rt_nevada]

Salewa mountain trainer mids, msr pocket rocket, enlightened equipment puffy jacket, and some 10$ convertible mittens off Amazon haha

 

[d_worno-1986]

I was talking about the Kutana Stretch Woven pants, not the Kutana Rain pants. They shouldn’t have called them the same thing. The DWR is good on them, but they are not waterproof. But everything I’ve heard about the rain pants is great.

Roger that! Thanks for the knowledge. I’ve still never dabbled into the kuiu product line. But I’m constantly looking and interested to try some out

 

[NorthernHunter]

I was very thankful for finally getting a tipi and stove. It was a very cold and snowy hunt this year. The cimarron and stove worked overtime drying clothes and keeping us comfortable in near 0 temperatures.

 

[Hectocotylus]

Outdoor transcendent mitts. Game changer in cold weather


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jfs82]

Kuiu Peloton 240

Inreach mini (because by not activating it I lost two days of hunting due to my buddies wife having panic attack about us being out of communication for days surrounded by fires and missing persons reports going to the ranger stations........................... Will never forget that again.

 

[Iron ghost]

Favorite new gear for 2020 so far:

•First lite leafy balaclava. Great for warm weather and extra concealment. Can fit over hat or balaclava too. It absolutely confuses deer.

• What I believe is the perfect coffee thermos for hunting. Made by Stanley. Smaller 12oz size, has a trigger opening for silent operation with no extra movement like flipping lids, etc, and it’s leak proof.
I’ve been on a quest for the perfect thermos for over a decade and think I finally found it.


• Possibility the perfect camping lighter. It’s the long grill type lighter, but in a lightweight miniature size. No more burning gloves, burning fingers or having to take gloves off.

 

[Nickofthewoods]

Mystery Ranch Selway. First MR pack for me but overall I liked it. There are a million straps but I ended up using all of them at one point or another and it made the carry out of heavy Elk quarters and my Elk's Skull very simple and secure. I used the pack mostly as a day pack because my hunting plans changed last minute, but I still wanted to test it out. It's a bit large for a day pack but it worked, and at times I even appreciated the extra space. Would be great for a 1-3 nighter which is how I had originally intended to utilize it this fall.

I ended up using it to pack out my Elk, a friend's Elk, and a friend's Mule Deer all in less than a month and it worked great under heavy load each time. I am 6'0 and 175 and the pack is a size Large. I adjusted the yoke down to about the shortest setting and I was always able to tighten the waist belt as much as I needed, but there was a ton of leftover strap from the waist-belt when doing this that I had to keep tucking in which was annoying. In hindsight maybe I should have gotten a Medium. So far it's a comfortable, durable pack with an easy to use load carrying system (load sling between frame and pack).

 

[Michael54]

1. First lite fuse base layers- i could never justify in my head doubling what i normally spend on base layers. This year i dropped 70lbs and treated myself. I wish i wasn't such a hard head and bit the bullet years ago.
2. Barnes bullets- bang flops or blood trails that looked like someone was running through the woods with red spray paint. A nice upgrade from the game kings i used to use
3. Victorinox poultry knife- i ground the clip point into a longer drop point and man do i love this knife. It's light, holds a super sharp edge, and has a nice lightweight but solid handle on it. Paired with my buck 112 folder ive gotten through quite a few deer this year with only the most minor touch ups on the blade.