New gear for 2013??

[armyjoe]

Well scouting season is around the corner, so its time to start finalizing the all important gear lists.

So my question to all is - What new gear are you trying out this year and why?

 

[Brock A]

I upgraded a few things for this year.

- Traded the 2 man tent for a Kifaru Paratarp and Borah Bivy. HUGE diet there. I think I shaved 3+ pounds.
- Danners boots are in the closet now. Asolo are hitting the trail. Danners killed my heels
- Picked up a pair of KUIU attack pants & C4E rain jacket. Last years rain coat shredded on my late buck hunt in Western WA.
- Kuiu Super Down Hoody
- Added a bow to my arsenal. I just want to be cool like everyone else!

 

[shaun]

Traded my meoptas for swaro el.'s trade my ed50 for ATM 85 got rid of my kennetreks and debating btwn mtn lights or Alaskans also using 3 wire bivy instead of my ba ul1

 

[Rizzy]

Upgraded the binos from 8x42 Nikon Monarchs to 10x42 Ziess Conquests, scouting season started last week for me

 

[trophytaka]

For me its a new REI XT85 pack and salewa boots

 

[armyjoe]

debating btwn mtn lights or Alaskans

I'd go with the mtn lights. Pretty bomb proof and I like them better then the leather on the Alaskans.

 

[armyjoe]

For me its a new REI XT85 pack and salewa boots

What Salewa boots did you go with? I had the mtn trainer shoes and loved them. Great boot company

 

[HellsCanyon]

Been a pretty big year for me so far... Items in Bolt and Underlined are waiting for the tax refund but will be bought soon.

Kifaru aux gun bearer
Borah Bivy
med belt pouch
Seek Outside Lil bugout + annex
Black Diamond trekking poles
Razor HD12x50 binos
EE Rev X 20deg Quilt
BA Qcore SL pad
First Lite puffy
First Lite rain jacket
First Lite Labrador Vest
First Lite Chama 1/4 zip shirt
First Lite merino bottoms
First Lite cold weather pants

Mike

 

[cmeier117]

Kifaru Hich Camp and Bikini frame
Megatarp from Kifaru
Hanwag Alaskans

 

[luke moffat]

I'd go with the mtn lights. Pretty bomb proof and I like them better then the leather on the Alaskans.

I'm just the opposite. Only a 4 oz difference between the two and synthetic uppers waterproof treated are still nowhere near as waterproof as leather uppers waterproof treated. But to each their own. If I lived in a drier climate I might opt for the Mnt Lites for me in Alaska the Alaskans are ironically my choice having used both.

As for the thread:

New binos: Going from Zeiss 10X32 Victories to 12X50 Razor HDs from Vortex....might not even be an upgrade just trying something else. (weight savings=+9 oz)

New pack: Gonna give the Bikini/Highcamp setup a whirl this year. If it doesn't work out I can always revert to the Duplex/8500 setup which I know works like a champ for me. However going from a 7 pound pack to one that is 4.5 pounds will be very nice. (Weight savings=-2.5 pounds)

Also got 850 down hooded jacket and pants to use this year on our summer hiking trips and what not. Saves Becca and I each 1.5pounds with this and we gain an insulated hood. However for $300 apiece to upgrade to 850 jackets and pants it was a spendy 3 pounds we are saving. (Weight Savings=-3 pounds)

A zpacks hexamid solo plus. Comes in at 12 oz with enough stakes to guy otu every point and all guylines installed. Compared to roughly 30 oz for the megatarp with all the guylines and stakes for everything we are saving another 1.5 pounds there. (Weight savings=-1.5 pounds)

So should be roughly 6.5 pounds lighter between Becca and I going in, which is always a welcomed thing especially being that 5 pounds of it is coming off my pack

Other than that the rest of it is boringly the same....

 

[armyjoe]

Luke - living in Alaska I'd definitely go with the Alaskan too weather is WAY drier here in CO. Oh and - wow man that's a lot of new gear haha

 

[RedStag]

Added a few things this year for sure, mostly in prep for an early season stone sheep hunt.
Mystery Ranch Metcalf
klymit sleeping pad
havalon piranta knife
vortex viper 3-9x40 (incredible value for cost scope)
ordered some Hanwag Alaska GTX boots, still waiting, may end up with Lowa Tibet Pro GTX if they fit better
Jetboil Flash
Kuiu superdown hoody
kuiu guide jacket

would have loved to upgrade my binos this year, or my spotter. Still packing the Vortex Skyline, its a beast!

 

[WyoBowhunter21]

This is what I bought:
Duplex frame
Highcamp 7000
Cabelas XPG 1 man tent
Bogpod tripod
What I will be purchasing:
Meopta 10x42 HDs
Sleeping Pad
Spotter
Aux gun bearer
Dehydrator
I think this site has my sign-on bonus spent haha.

 

[Ronster]

Kifaru BT1, meat bag, and gun bearer
La Sportiva Karakorum boots, getting rid of the Danners
Assorted Krypek gear (new Poseidon rain gear and a Borealis top)

Im pretty happy with the rest

 

[tstowater]

When I first read this, I kinda smirked thinking that this was going to be a light year after last year's banner effort. But, then I remembered I am going to do an archery elk and starting from scratch. Down to needing broadheads, hunting arrows and a rangefinder (Leupold 800 or 1000 with TBR most likely) and figuring out the hunting boots. Might need some more September weather gear. Cleaned out my toy room yesterday so I have rooom for more "stuff" now. Wow, that was a mess.

 

[crumy]

Hello.. My name is Jim and I have a problem. Here is what I have purchased this year.

Kifaru Bikini w DT1 bag
Gun Bearer
Grabit
Lashing Kit
Kifaru Field Chair
TI Goat Stove
Mega Tarp with Annex
OR Alpine Bivy
Platypus Big Zip
Tight Spot Quiver
Ulmer Edge Broadheads
FHF Bino Case w/range finder case


Going to Buy Soon
New Vortex Rifle Scope (as I moved Leupold to other rifle)
Contemplating new Binos over a Spotting scope since I live in SE WY. Don’t know how much use I would get form a spotter.

 

[Bushwhacker]

Pack - HC/w Bikini frame – Substitute my standard TL2
Mega tarp + Annex + Sm. Stove.
Hanwag Yukon’s. . Replaces my worn out Scrapa’s
Soto micro regulator stove + GSI tea kettle. Just changing things up from my Jetboil (shaving weight)
Integral Designs Crystalline bivy (MC). Replaces my old Integral Designs salathe bivy (same design)
BA deluxe camp pillow
Sawyer Squeeze water filter + MSR 4 + 6 liter Dromedary bags. Replaces Katadyn Vario filter + camelback (shaving weight)
Swaro ATX/STX spotting scope (Have not pulled the trigger on this yet pending more research)

 

[Rucker61]

This is only my second year hunting; last year’s elk trip was combined car/tent camping and kipping out in a 22’ trailer (very nice). I hope to get farther than a 2 hour hike in, as I’ll be hunting OTC/public land again, so I’m working on getting more appropriate spike camp gear for two people.

So far I’ve picked up:

Bunch of reloading equipment and components for .308 (my only rifle right now)
Go-Lite SL5 (need stove jack from Bearpaw)
Diamond Outlaw compound bow for my cow hunt

Plan on getting:
Neo-Air sleeping pad
Sitka Cloudburst jacket, gaiters, neck gaiter
Kifaru Slick-bag sleeping bag, 20F, wide
Folding wood stove, undecided
Horn Hunter Full Curl pack
Spotting scope upgrade from Alpen 15-45

 

[AK Troutbum]

Klymit sleeping pad
Seek Outside 12 tipi
SO XL stove
SO LBO
Swaro 65 HD spotter
Manfrotto tripod
Tikka T3 S/S 7mm-08 W/VX-3 3.5x10 scope
That's it so far, but will also be picking up some KUIU Attack pants this summer

 

[TEmbry]

Been a significant year for gear for me since last fall.

Full Kuiu layering system (spindrift, not super down).
Leupold 1000i TBR rangefinder.
Kifaru Bikini/HC 7000 Pack.
EE Revelation X 30* Quilt
Crocs for camp shoes
Pacemaker Expedition Trecking Poles
Hill People Gear CM2500 Pack for Bikini frame
Thermarest Cot (2 lbs, used only for fly in hunts not hike in)

Still deciding whether to get a bivy and tarp combo or UL tent to replace my 4 season 5 lb 2 man tent used for more extreme weather areas such as Alaska.