Gear investments, what do you regret?

[RiverBluffRunner]

Sawyer filter and Danner Pronghorns. I used each of them once and then introduced them to the bottom of my garbage can.

Both of which worked flawlessly for me on my first elk hunt in CO last year. We recorded 50 miles over our 8 day bivy hunt. Our time wasn't without plenty of wet weather. Not sure how you can bash a slightly over $200 pair of hunting boots?

Also, the sawyer when cleaned after use should operate year-year. Not sure how you ran into trouble unless you failed to read the instructions.

 

[Gatorgrizz27]

Both of which worked flawlessly for me on my first elk hunt in CO last year. We recorded 50 miles over our 8 day bivy hunt. Our time wasn't without plenty of wet weather. Not sure how you can bash a slightly over $200 pair of hunting boots?

Also, the sawyer when cleaned after use should operate year-year. Not sure how you ran into trouble unless you failed to read the instructions.

I think the sawyer filter issues stem from the difference between the mini and the squeeze. The mini is constantly maligned, I’ve never heard a bad thing said about the squeeze.

 

[Tag_Soup]

Both of which worked flawlessly for me on my first elk hunt in CO last year. We recorded 50 miles over our 8 day bivy hunt. Our time wasn't without plenty of wet weather. Not sure how you can bash a slightly over $200 pair of hunting boots?

Also, the sawyer when cleaned after use should operate year-year. Not sure how you ran into trouble unless you failed to read the instructions.

Pronghorns are a good 100 mile boot IMHO. Ive had three pairs and never got a full season out of them in rough alpine or desert conditions before they leaked or had seam/sole failure. I switched to Crispi and got three seasons out of my last pair. Dollars to mile, Crispi, Hanwag, Zamberland, etc will give you a lot better bang for the buck...pronghorns also aren't very stiff and lead to foot fatigue in rough country for me.

 

[mherne8]

This is a great thread! For me, choosing just one and probably one of the biggest, buying a brand new bow.
Now I understand the need to support local pro shops and blah blah blah. But paying $1600 for the latest and greatest Hoyt carbon bow just to have it devaluate to $1000 or less in a year's time just doesn't make good sense.
I would say 99.9% of the time it's pure marketing over actual groundbreaking technological advances. Unless you're shooting a bow from 2005 your current flagship set up should do you just fine.
Now if you can afford to do it every year then rub some funk on it. But if your rearranging your budget to get a new bow every year maybe consider rocking the one you have for a good while before upgrading.
Last for all of the above reasons every time I purchase a brand new bow I feel like I've been duped. Especially because I see that same $1600 bow on a fourm for $1000 or less months after the release.

Don't give in to the marketing pressure and perceived industry standard.

 

[Phaseolus]

Both of which worked flawlessly for me on my first elk hunt in CO last year. We recorded 50 miles over our 8 day bivy hunt. Our time wasn't without plenty of wet weather. Not sure how you can bash a slightly over $200 pair of hunting boots?

Also, the sawyer when cleaned after use should operate year-year. Not sure how you ran into trouble unless you failed to read the instructions.

8 days is not much time to judge a boot, the problem with the danners I had is they just do not last. My boots get used 8 days a month in Western Colorado and I expect at least two seasons out of them.

 

[RiverBluffRunner]

8 days is not much time to judge a boot, the problem with the danners I had is they just do not last. My boots get used 8 days a month in Western Colorado and I expect at least two seasons out of them.

Agreed, on your level of need they probably were put through the ringer. They were purchased for just my Western trip and maybe some early season upland hunts here. I have plenty of insulated and rubber boots to get me through my other Illinois and Wisconsin hunts. I will see how they continue to hold up with the limited use.

Price and range of use should be compared before trashing a brand. They aren't all to expensive of a hunting boot.

 

[RiverBluffRunner]

This is a great thread! For me, choosing just one and probably one of the biggest, buying a brand new bow.
Now I understand the need to support local pro shops and blah blah blah. But paying $1600 for the latest and greatest Hoyt carbon bow just to have it devaluate to $1000 or less in a year's time just doesn't make good sense.
I would say 99.9% of the time it's pure marketing over actual groundbreaking technological advances. Unless you're shooting a bow from 2005 your current flagship set up should do you just fine.
Now if you can afford to do it every year then rub some funk on it. But if your rearranging your budget to get a new bow every year maybe consider rocking the one you have for a good while before upgrading.
Last for all of the above reasons every time I purchase a brand new bow I feel like I've been duped. Especially because I see that same $1600 bow on a fourm for $1000 or less months after the release.

Don't give in to the marketing pressure and perceived industry standard.

2003 Hoyt Ultrmag...3 bow strings later still being used.

Blew my budget on Kuiu clothing for the first season....lightened up the backpack gear this season. Convinced I will convince the wife to let me retire the old girl for 2021. The bow I mean.

Have had a hard time over the last few years deciding to get a new bow. Always had the mentality, if it isn't broke why fix it.

 

[jrnd]

All the under armor crap and cheaper optics because I ended up buying the best stuff anyway

 

[SneakyThunderCat]

I was real late to the "Buy once, cry once" party. Wasted a lot of money on optics, clothes, boots, fishing rods, bows, basically all of my gear to stop myself from getting long winded. Eventually I upgraded all of it, and anymore, I rarely have a regretful purchase. Amazon reviews, and threads such as this one and many others are super valuable. I wont buy anything anymore without reading a few dozen reviews about it.

 

[hogstrong]

Buying "used" (low three digit figure shots fired) guns with optics for half the price is something you are most likely to be able to do when you are finally at a point in your life where you have to care less about money

 

[406unltd]

For me it would likely be some cheaper gear I’ve bought here and there. Everything from camo to a bow even. Oh ya and that pack I bought that had a scabbard I thought was so cool.......in the end a lot of it was cause when I got out my wife and I didn’t have a lot of cash so I got the best I could but I’d rather get less gear but better quality and slowly build it up if I could do over.

 

[rickywhit]

When I first started buying gear I bought what was on sale instead of doing my proper research. Before you know it your gear is either poor quality, over weight or just not suited for your needs.

So off the top of my head; REI synthetic sleeping bag and an MSR tent.

 

[cbeard64]

This is a great thread! For me, choosing just one and probably one of the biggest, buying a brand new bow.
Now I understand the need to support local pro shops and blah blah blah. But paying $1600 for the latest and greatest Hoyt carbon bow just to have it devaluate to $1000 or less in a year's time just doesn't make good sense.
I would say 99.9% of the time it's pure marketing over actual groundbreaking technological advances. Unless you're shooting a bow from 2005 your current flagship set up should do you just fine.
Now if you can afford to do it every year then rub some funk on it. But if your rearranging your budget to get a new bow every year maybe consider rocking the one you have for a good while before upgrading.
Last for all of the above reasons every time I purchase a brand new bow I feel like I've been duped. Especially because I see that same $1600 bow on a fourm for $1000 or less months after the release.

Don't give in to the marketing pressure and perceived industry standard.

This is pure wisdom. I’m amazed at how many guys fall prey to the annual marketing blitz of the “latest and greatest” bows, camo, rifles, packs - you name it. It’s crazy.

Especially with bows. There are many, many, newer model bows that come out every year that are much poorer designs than previous years. Even within the same company!

Do your homework, get a well designed product, and stick with it. True revolutions in gear are very rare, and when they occur you’ll find out about it soon enough.

 

[Top147]

Great thread!

bought a few items that I have needed to replace like Irish setter elk trackers (oh god, my poor heels) but the biggest one that has bitten me is my pad. It is an xtherm, light and warm but..

it should be a WIDE. (I’m 5’10 155lb)

Probably will not replace but really wish I bought the wide version. Sleep is so important.

 

[StopMakingSense]

The lightest weight Kuiu pack. Man I destroyed that thing and still paid $400 for it. They no longer make it, I believe it was the Ultra line and this was before the beefed the fabric up a bit. Glad I didn't get a chance to haul meat in it. Immediately went to Exo, packed out an elk the day after I received it. I haven't really looked back besides trying on Kifaru and SG packs.

Not going straight to the best glass available, Swarovski all day now.

Not jumping in to learn how to tune my own bow and arrows from the get go.

Thinking $269 boots will work, Kenetreks all day now for my feet.

The rest of it I spent good money on, it's just evolved as my style has changed. But I do come from a mountaineering background first so I knew what I was getting into with respect to a lot of it. Just not glass and weapons...

 

[Seaskihunt]

Great thread!

bought a few items that I have needed to replace like Irish setter elk trackers (oh god, my poor heels) but the biggest one that has bitten me is my pad. It is an xtherm, light and warm but..

it should be a WIDE. (I’m 5’10 155lb)

Probably will not replace but really wish I bought the wide version. Sleep is so important.

Elk Trackers are an absolute joke.
Nothing about that boot works well for mountain hunting.
Extremely floppy in the sole and ankle support. Useless tread pattern that has a guy slipping and sliding with any hint of moisture. Those boots have damn near got my friend killed several times on 2 trips.

Definitely go for the wide Xtherm.
I had the "Max" and it was great. Then I picked up a "Max Long+Wide" holy shit its comfortable.

 

[Wassid82]

Don't get me wrong. I liked my last rifle but um....the physics of projectiles hasn't changed in like forever so most major manufacturers in the game have learned how to fling a bullet. I will never again buy a pricey or custom rifle. most accuracy issues are shooter induced.

 

[Logan80]

I regret being cheap. Trying to get by on discounted or bargain gear. In the end, it's not worth it.

Buy nice or buy twice.

 

[406unltd]

1-Eberlestock pack is something I bought that I really wanted to replace. With that said it worked ok I just wanted better.

2-Black Eagle x impact shafts. They are the most brittle and weak shaft ive ever come across. Never again.

 

[5 shot group]

I went all out one year on merino wool, buying it all right before season and not waiting for a sale. after several days of using it in the field, the shirts had all stretched out and we're not fitting right and the underware and thermals never seemed to get fully dry. I still have some pieces, but have sold most of it. Synthetic only for me from now on and I will be buying my new stuff piece by piece as it's on sale.

I also regret all the cheap gear I have replaced, buying it because "it's just as good" as the more expensive stuff. I wish I had all that money back and just bought the higher end stuff first.

I am just starting in archery and am buying once and crying once.

It's frustrating having to wait and save up for things, but it will be worth it in the long run.