Gear that actually proved worth the weight

[rovik]

Curious what pieces of gear you’ve found truly worth carrying after spending time in the field. Always interested in real-world experience.

 

[Rizzy]

The large pillow that thermarest makes

 

[CMF]

geese feet

 

[bowhuntercoop]

Swarovski’s

 

[strousek]

REI Flexlite camp chair. Worth the extra 1 pound when you are hunting above tree line and spending all day glassing.

 

[bz_711]

2 high end trekking poles
ultra light camo rain gear

 

[RockAndSage]

15-18x tripod binos.

 

[betelgeuse]

Doesn't weigh much, but I carry a head net and gloves. Nice for napping in field, in the middle of the day, when it is buggy out. Ever try sleeping when the blackflies are biting your hands and face ?

We have a lot of blackflies at certain times in CA. Skeeters too.

 

[Jon Boy]

Helinox chair or similar

 

[lightelk]

A solid amount of fire starters. They have saved me a few times.

 

[betelgeuse]

A solid amount of fire starters. They have saved me a few times.

toilet paper, it's a life saver for starting fires, as well as its intended use

 

[Sinistram]

Collapsible Bog tripod. A total pain in the ass to carry strapped to my pack, but the stability when shooting at.longer ranges makes it worth the effort.

 

[ProRoad]

Mt Sirui glassing tripod. It's the one thing I second guess but then glad I took on a hike. The bino stability is worth the weight.

 

[steelheadmike]

1. Helinox-style chair - makes long glassing sits so much better and really nice to have back at camp.

2. Tarp - great for sun/rain protection while glassing and some place to sit out of the rain at camp rather than being cooped up in the tent.

 

[Half Cocked]

For me it’s usually my Kowa 55mm spotter. I’ll flip back and forth on taking it and not because I could get away with just binos but usually decide what the heck last minute. I nearly always end up spotting something of interest in the binos and swap to that micro spotter to get a closer look. Sometimes it’s bedded bulls or bucks and other times it’s shed antlers. Spotted a ~300” 5 point elk shed from 1mi this past season with that spotter.

 

[Te Hopo]

Doesn't weigh much, but I carry a head net and gloves. Nice for napping in field, in the middle of the day, when it is buggy out. Ever try sleeping when the blackflies are biting your hands and face ?

We have a lot of blackflies at certain times in CA. Skeeters too.

Same, a hat and head net can really make things more pleasant when biting bugs are around, which is a LOT of areas here in New Zealand

 

[100%DIYazCOUES]

Camptime pack stool. Glassing from a stool is so much more comfortable, it’s not even funny. 100% worth the 12 oz no matter how deep we are going in

 

[betelgeuse]

Camptime pack stool. Glassing from a stool is so much more comfortable, it’s not even funny. 100% worth the 12 oz no matter how deep we are going in

I have a couple of these but that Camptime is lighter

Walkstool Comfort | Walkstool

www.walkstool.com

 

[bigunit]

Another vote for the helinox chair one. Also I really like the aziak front country tripod. It's nice to shoot off of and to glass off of.

 

[sniper61]

Weight wise it would be the spotter. The heaviest thing in my pack.