I grew up in a hunting family, but got away from it after moving to the city for school. Needless to say, since I’m on Rokslide, I want to get back into it!
I am hoping for some suggestions on the order in which i should prioritize getting gear. I have some basic stuff, like a rifle and a small amount of camo, but that’s basically it. My goal is to have a chance at deer, elk, and bear.
For the sake of this question, consider me as not having anything but a rifle. What are the first things I should buy to get started, then how should I continue to prioritize more gear for future seasons?
Thx in advance
Are you wanting to hunt from the road or backpack in?
Buying used will stretch the budget 2x.
Make a list of what you need, and don’t spend money on anything not on that list. Rank them in priority so you know what to buy first. If you have a mediocre sleeping bag, don’t get a good one if many things are completely missing on the list. Once you have basic heavy cheap gear, you’ll want to upgrade to light weight replacements - your priority list will become what gives you the most weight savings per dollar.
My first backpacking trip in high school was literally a sleeping bag tied onto a book bag, jeans, a garbage bags for rain gear, canned beans and sandwiches - no tent, no stove, no binoculars, no rangefinder, no sleeping pad, not much of anything. We still found a bear, so the main thing is to get out there and just do it.
Only you know what turns your crank - for some, synthetic and waterproof clothes should all be picked up at Goodwill for the biggest bang for the buck, for others maybe used on eBay is more agreeable, and a step up is dedicated hunting brands bought used, and as a last resort get something new. Avoid cotton.
You can’t hunt without boots. A good place to start are fabric boots designed for hiking and light backpacking. Pick a common brand, try them on in a store, then buy a used pair. If they aren’t comfortable sell them for the purchase price and try another. The odds are low that your first choice will work 100%.
You can’t hunt without at least a day pack to carry basic gear around in. Used small backpacks are cheap on eBay. Look at them in person to get a brand that looks good, then buy it used.
There’s no way around picking gear and gaining experience that rounds out the “10 essentials.” It makes sense to google it.
The more cheap gear you can pick up used, the more top end new gear you can afford. You don’t have to own it if you can borrow it from uncle Tony. Buy a few big totes to organize gear - don’t let your stuff get spread all over - a good day pack can be kept packed all the time - simply grab it and go for hiking, fishing, or whatever.
