One item you wish you carried sooner?

[S.Clancy]

I'm more happy with the things I have excluded from my pack. I carry an InReach now and long for the days when no one worried until the 2nd day after you were supposed to be out of the woods.

 

[philos]

Mountainsmith SlingBack Chair-I believe it to be the precursor to the Kifaru field chair. About 5 ounces (uses trekking poles) and they can be had for about $20.00​

 

[Woodman334]

Down booties for sleeping. Almost no weight or space added but damn it helps a ton on those cold nights.

 

[FishfinderAK]

1) Shooting sticks- Primos Tirgger Stick (don't get it wet!)- I get 3x the distance on fast shots Vs. standing hold. They stay in my left hand most of the hunt. One second drop and shoot solution- but have to practice the "move" before the hunt! I use mine often while sitting too (widened out- short)- very versatile really.

2) "Emergency" (or cramp pills)- after I hit 50, I cramp every night after 6-8 miles on the mountain

3) Good (18650) headlamp (D25s from Sofirn)- hands free "gutting" after a late shot, get you home after dark too. Best $25 bucks I've spent on gear the last 5 years!!!

4) Trash Bags-- for bagging quartered meat you have to pack OR come back and get the next day (after pissing around the bags

5) Extra water- I used to run out, but need a lot to pack 100+ lbs off the mountain. Three quarts min now on elk mountain hunts (and have to have enough to piss around the meat bags too

6) Range finder- for those 600+ yard shots (rare, but I'm 100% kill rate so far for the FEW taken the last 30 years-- knock on wood!).

7) GOOD pain killers- got to get back to camp (worse case) if I twist an ankle, etc. Never needed so far... but always know they are there IF something happens and you need to get back to camp!

8) Nephew- to "teach" hunting skills to (*and help with packing meat out -this works in Texas on pig hunts anyway

Oh.. and ALWAYS about 20 ft of tank cord... dragging deer out gets easy (tied around the waist) dragging 50-100 yards at a time. When closer to the truck, it's easier to just drag it out sometimes

What “cramp pills” are you using? Leg cramps just before sleep SUCK!

 

[fwafwow]

Saline nasal spray

 

[slvrslngr]

A good bino harness.

 

[Zappaman]

What “cramp pills” are you using? Leg cramps just before sleep SUCK!

My buddy always brings the pills... little bottle that says "cramp relief" or close to that. Sorry don't know the source, but I'm guessing any drugstore would have them if you asked. They take about 15 minutes to work, where emergency is faster (but need water to dissolve it). When we have a pack-out day after a kill, I put a pack of emergency in each of my three water bottles. It really helps on that last mile out with 100+ lbs. of meat on your back- always going uphill

 

[Button]

I keep a few painkillers in my 1st aid kit in case of a terrible injury. Never had to use them but they are there.

 

[Timplant]

A shooting v for my tripod. Weights less than 4 ozs total and worth its weight for hunting Ag or big open hillsides!

 

[willtim]

Baby wipes.

 

[kit_man_duu]

Handwarmers to heat up the core. Helps with all day sits.

 

[rodney482]

Vaseline

 

[Hunter79]

Trigger stick. I have no idea how many times I’ve used it in the 4 or 5 years I’ve carried one. But, it’s been a bunch!

 

[Solby]

Tripod to glass and most importantly shoot off. Would not have been able to take the sitting, angled, reasonably long shot without it this year.

 

[Ridgehunter604]

Empty Gatorade bottle for the tent.
on a cold night there’s nothing more valuable.

 

[Rockchuck]

I wish I had started carrying the lead ropes to my llamas sooner!

As for gear I upgraded to an outdoorsman bino adaptor and sirui va5 from the cheap vortex adaptor you had to screw on and off each time. I rarely used that, but absolutely love this set up for steady glassing and being able to quickly switch between binos and spotter. I can glass comfortably for a lot longer and it is great to get such a steady image to really pick things apart and run really tight grid patterns with less eye fatigue. Pair that with a collapsible camp chair and you have all day glassing comfort!

 

[Jesse Jaymes]

a butt pad for sitting.

but the biggest help was a better pack!

This....I glass a ton. Foam pad is a game changer.

 

[flyfishaz]

Sirui VA-5 fluid head on my tripod.

 

[Letchison]

Cropped sleeping pad for sitting while glassing


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[lane44]

A hydration bladder