The Alaios II pant was probably my favorite. Lost of zippers, but they are really comfortable and fit me very well. My Salomon 4D GTX worked awesome as did my slick bag.
Ziess 3-15 conquest HD ...... sure beats the hell out of the old non gas filled weaver 3x I was using..
However a bunch of items are arriving just in time for my elk season 1)DT1, 2)FHF Bino and Range harness, 3) Enlightened ProdigyX, 4) 3DAP, 5) HPG UL 25
Tried a lot of new trinkets this year (here are the 4 I have to mention):
-Ramcat 100 grains
-Kuiu Bino Harness
-Kuiu Tiburon Pants
-Razor 65HD Spotter
Here are things on my list to soon obtain:
-Kifaru BT3 or DT3
-Revelation X 30 degree quilt
-Lamson Guru Reel and a Griffen Rotary vise (not related to backcountry hunting but an obsession none the less)
Kuiu Attack Pants and Guide Jacket..
Kuiu Merino Base Layer.. wiked like crazy. Great stuff!
Kept me warm and dry and so comfortable. The fabric is amazingly flexible and tought to boot.
I climbed through some hellish brush over 6' tall with sticks at all angles raking my legs as I brushed by.
Not a hole or popped stitch one!
Also forgot to mention my q-core its rediculesly confortable and is ok on wieght but I have always beeen ok with carrying more wieght in this area.. Also gps hunt maps .. Have loved this since day one .. changes the ganme for sure!
1. B.O.M.B bags. Still have yet to use them, but the weight and space savings for me were incredible when compared to what I was packing.
2. Havalon Piranta. Would have made number one on the list but the fact that I still need to carry a "chore" knife knocks it down a peg.
3. Sawyer Mini. Not a lot of field time, but this little wonder turned stagnet trough water (only source) into liquid gold.
3. First Lite Labrador Sweater. I'll admit that I am always cold. This (combined with a puffy) keeps me toasty in even the worst weather.
Numbers 1, 2, and 3 combined knocked off over 2lbs from my pack weight. Yes, I was using some really outdated gear. Possibly just as importand was the space savings that they gave me. Not bad for an investment of less than $200.
Actually my havalon should have made my list. The big test was when I shot a bull elk after a nightshift, then 4 hours later my wife shot one. Being pretty tired to begin with, any extra work while cutting is noticed. I think it took me 5 blades to gut, skin, cape and clean up 2 bulls. I only used my big knife for a couple "prying applications". I used to use actual surgical scalpels and blades, which are too small to tackle elk hide, other than the fine work. My knives are good quality pieces, and with a bit of time, I can put a decent edge on them. However, I'd guess the havalon still saved me a lot of time and effort. I think my blades have the number 60 on them. Would like to see what other options are out there.
#1) KUIU 1850 Daypack - Always kept my gear very well organized and seemed to keep my back a lot happier than the Badlands 2200 it replaced. Very water resistent - kept my stuff dry in Oregon and hauled some heavy loads of meat really well for a pack that weighs less than my 15X binoculars! Wore this almost every day that I hunted this fall.
#2) Vortex 6-24 X 50 HSLR FFP rifle scope - very convenient having the reticle scale up correctly so the MOA tick marks are correct at all magnifications - key for holding windage. Really nice optics and has handled the abuse of my 7mm STW. Turret is on the money and returns to zero perfect every time. Love having high magnification for long range shooting.
#3) KUIU attack pants and Tiburon pants - it's a tie, I love them both. When it gets chilly I use the attack and when it's warm the Tiburon can't be beat. The 4-way stretch fabric is a god-send - super comfy and great fit.
#4) KUIU Chugach raingear - Finally some raingear that I can hike in and not have sweat running into my boots! Wicked waterproof and crazy breathable - I thought it was impossible! If I hunted in rain more, this would probably be #1
#5) Zeiss Conquest HD 8 X 42 binos - I have been using my 15X56 swaros and frankly they're a real pain in the neck and just way too much glass for elk hunting so I picked these Zeiss up for a damn good price on one of Doug's Cameraland Deals of the Day. I put them in the KUIU bino harness and absolutely loved them. Nice and bright, great clarity, and very light. Felt like I got a lot of bang for my buck and I know Zeiss will stand behind their products. I'll be leaving the 15's in the truck more often when I'm hunting muleys too I bet.