Must have gear for beginner

[Blurry1]

OnX is a must have out west. And if you are going to be away from your vehicle for days a compact solar panel or battery bank is a must have.

Sorry. Not to be contrarian but onX and electronics in general are luxuries not musts. Knowledge and ability to navigate on the other hand are.

 

[Jzoss]

Sounds like you are good to go! Make adjustments as you find what works for you and what does not. Fingerless wool gloves are a must for me though!

 

[Pausekey]

Sorry. Not to be contrarian but onX and electronics in general are luxuries not musts. Knowledge and ability to navigate on the other hand are.

I think the calculus has shifted on this. Knowledge and ability to navigate are learned skills, so a beginner simply won't have them developed. OnX helps to bridge that gap and allow someone to start hunting later in life.

I think it is fair to say that you shouldn't rely exclusively on OnX. But as someone who did my first western hunt, non guided, at 34, there is no way I could have done it without OnX. Between the e-scouting leading up to the hunt and the confidence it gave me in the field I felt very well prepared. And then in the field I was able to grow my navigation skills.

 

[Cal-Highcountry]

OnX app forsure

 

[Rackseekers]

I picked up a Dark Energy portable charger last season and its awesome. I backpack a lot and use my phone for Digascoping and Onx. The new addition was awesome. was small and compact and kept me charger up on my hunts.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

If going solo, an InReach or similar. And game bags. Otherwise a lot of solid comments on here but it sounds like your off to a good start.

 

[UnckleBob]

I am surprised no body has mentioned a filtration system. If you NEED to purchase a filter and bladder I'd recommend the HydraPak. I have slowly transitioned over the past four years to this as I need to replace pieces. This 600ML fits in a hip pouch for easy access when crossing a creek so you can fill your water bottle with their water filter. If you backwash and take care of the filter it will last you a long time. I have two just encase one fails, but I have used one extensively and its flow rate hasn't slowed at all. They also make a 3L storage that also fits the water filter. While getting links I noticed this new item - Seeker+3L I'm not sure what could make it UL, but it appears you get the filter and reservoir for $60 which saves you some cash

Water is key. This year, I went on a day hunt that involved 6 miles of hiking in a bottomwood forest (borderline swamp). It was much hotter than I expected. I overheated on the hike out after I ran out of water,

But for the help of a fellow hunter, I probably would not have made it out of the woods. He drove me to the ER.

I now own a bigger pack (to carry more water). I am also working out the best way to filter water in an emergency.