Gear essentials for a newbie

[lyle_destroys]

He will definitely see that he doesn't need swarovski,kifaru, sitka everything to enjoy himself. Some of that stuff is really nice to have but not absolutely necessary.

Agree 100%

 

[ScreamingPotato]

Is that the Selkirk tent you asked about?

He will definitely see that he doesn't need swarovski,kifaru, sitka everything to enjoy himself. Some of that stuff is really nice to have but not absolutely necessary.

hey hey hey stop that I don't want my wife seeing posts like this.

 

[Pootros]

Netherman made a great post and I highly agree about the trekking poles. They will save your life when packing out heavy. I use mine all the time while hunting but I find them indispensable when coming downhill.

I use an old set of Lekis but there are a ton of lightweight options out there.

 

[AaronMColeman]

Essentials? Hiking boots (any that are comfortable), pack (any large enough to hold a rear quarter), binos (spend some money here - maven and vortex make great ones around $300 10x42 iid go with maven), hiking pants, jacket.

Don’t get too fancy. Honestly go cheap on everything but binos, boots, and pack in that order. If money is an issue just get food binos and hunt in what you have.

Once you have a decent kit, get a range finder. It’s borderline essential.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[WillB25]

Is that the Selkirk tent you asked about?


hey hey hey stop that I don't want my wife seeing posts like this.

Yea that is it. I went ahead and got it for the same price that I could have rented on for once I got out there. I will be using it this weekend at deer camp here so I will get to give it a brief test run in the rain.

 

[Grant K]

So I've been spending upwards of 30 days chasing elk a year for 20 years now, including about a decade of guiding... I'll echo a lot of what has been said but there is some major overkill being suggested as well...

First: Fitness, if you don't come from a mountain sports or mountain hunting background no matter how much prep you put in you are going to be crushed the first couple days, if you come in prepared enough you can tough it out and keep going hard every day, that, in my opinion, is the first essential to killing elk consistently, be in the woods, and be covering ground, every minute of the season, every bit of extra you can have in the tank is an advantage, sometimes to get the shot you have to run, if you can't do it you are reducing your odds.....

Second: optics, to kill elk you have to find them, get the best you can afford and use them, get to where you can see even if you have to hike...

Third: Boots, boots are great, sometimes, totally depends on the weather, especially in CO, this year I hunted in trail runners through 4th season, minus a couple of stormy days or north faces that held snow..there's not much that will cut into your enjoyment of a sunny 65 degree day more than being 5 miles from the truck in heavy, insulated boots, I like gore-tex trail runners with a light gaiter until there is snow on the ground, pretty light mountaineering boots after, most hunting boots are total crap, go with something actually meant for the mountains...

Fourth: shooting ability, you will up your opportunities by a ton if you can confidently, quickly get on target and execute, you also up your opportunity's a lot if you can shoot at least 450 yards, get something that will do that with minimal futzing around, and be dialed in on how to set up, range, and shoot things tend to happen in a hurry, I've seen a whole lot of elk get away because the shooter couldn't be ready in 30 seconds...


No particular order:

Other clothing: if you want to spend the money Sitka, Kuiu, and first light are great, getting started I'd just buy the most on sale mountaineering stuff you can find, you will spend a fraction of what the same quality in camo cost...

Pack: if you want to cheap it get a frame and whatever the smallest bag you can find to attach to it to keep you from putting a lot of unnecessary crap in it... It's nice to be able to take the first load out without going back to get a bigger pack... pretty much all of the hunting specific packs are awesome, try a few and see what you like, for me the fewer bells and whistles the better, no pockets, no add on's.

sleep system: totally fine to cheap it if you are camping by the truck, just bring extra blankets and a giant sleeping bag.

I totally agree with cnelk, buy the tag and go, overthinking gear is only going to hurt you, guys who hunt hard all day, every day in blue jeans are way more likely to kill an elk than the guy decked out in fancy gear that hunts 2 hours and calls it quits...

 

[Dust Rider]

Good mountain boots (Kenetrek) and high end light weight gear. buy once cry once. good gear can be used for other activities. if rifle hunting camo doesn't matter as much. and if its good gear you can always sell it and recoup money spent to keep upgrading. note on good hunting boots, they take about 50 miles of walking to break in. they need to be worn a little at a time to conform to your feet. also a good after market bed insert helps. a brand new unbroken in mountain boot will hurt like hell if you just start trying to hunt in them. gaiters are nice too. I prefer uninsulated and regulate with socks for the day.

 

[trophyhill]

Do yourself a favor. Buy quality gear or you will regret it. If I advised you to buy pronghorn boots, a Badlands 2200 pack, and some junky old Bushnell binos, I'd feel guilty and wouldn't sleep at night. Being that you are a ways out, you don't have to make a huge purchase all at once. Buy the good shit because you will be buying it anyway....

Oh and just a heads-up as far as a pack is concerned. There may be some great deals on used packs coming up soon with the release of the Ma Deuce

 

[Mountain Ash]

Third: Boots, boots are great, sometimes, totally depends on the weather, especially in CO, this year I hunted in trail runners through 4th season, minus a couple of stormy days or north faces that held snow..there's not much that will cut into your enjoyment of a sunny 65 degree day more than being 5 miles from the truck in heavy, insulated boots, I like gore-tex trail runners with a light gaiter until there is snow on the ground, pretty light mountaineering boots after, most hunting boots are total crap, go with something actually meant for the mountains...

Great advice overall, sounds like you know what you're doing. Would you mind to elaborate on what you mean by light mountaineering boots? I like my trailrunners but I am struggling with footwear once there's snow on the ground. Thanks

 

[LightFoot]

Boots that fit your feet and fit the conditions. I really like Salomon and Meindl. I just got a pair of Zamberlan boots that are the best I've owned.

Frame pack that fits your body, adjusted properly, and load distributed. I am running a Kuiu Ultra andmy buddy swears by his Kifaru. Can't go wrong with either or the Exo or Mystery Ranch packs. The old Army pack frames are not bad for what little money you have in it.

Good sleep system: tent, sleeping bag and bivy, sleeping pad, and cot if you can afford the weight. I used a -25° bag for November in CO and it was not enough by itself. I like the thermarest pads.

Layering system: base, mid, insulation, and outer. I like merino base layers, synthetic mid, and down or synthetic insulation. First Lite and Kuiu are my top choices for merino. Add Sitka, Kryptek, and Skre in there for the rest. There are other non-hunting brands that will do for maybe a little less money. I like some of the under armour stuff but it is way too expensive for what you get compared to the others.

Now is the best time to pick up gear with the sales. Don't be afraid to get used gear. (Be careful of scammers) One of my favorite Jackets is one I bought off another rockslider.



>>>----JAKE----->

 

[Dust Rider]

Do yourself a favor. Buy quality gear or you will regret it. If I advised you to buy pronghorn boots, a Badlands 2200 pack, and some junky old Bushnell binos, I'd feel guilty and wouldn't sleep at night. Being that you are a ways out, you don't have to make a huge purchase all at once. Buy the good shit because you will be buying it anyway....

Oh and just a heads-up as far as a pack is concerned. There may be some great deals on used packs coming up soon with the release of the Ma Deuce

Yup. I have spent and wasted thousands of dollars on crappy gear and packs. Nobody wants to buy it either. Go all in on the good shit, I worked two jobs a few years ago to get Swarovski binoculars, spotting scope and two Kifaru bags and high end gear. It has paid dividends in comfort and glassing

 

[Grant K]

Would you mind to elaborate on what you mean by light mountaineering boots? I like my trailrunners but I am struggling with footwear once there's snow on the ground. Thanks

I like the La Sportiva Trango cube GTX, Scarpa R-Evolution Trek (or the Kuiu version) or similar, with gaiters if the snow is deep enough to get over the top, get them sized big enough to fit thick socks and they are good to around 5 degrees, colder than that I go with an old pair of Scarpa phantom guides...

 

[beginner]

Good boots, warm sleeping bag, get in good shape, and enjoy your self.