Reality gear check...

[Ryan Avery]

This is a great thread! I have spent more money this year on gear than I have in the last 3. Curse you Rokslide..... But I do believe with long bivy hunts, crap gear could give you a reason to leave early!

 

[Rizzy]

There's been some good points brought up and I admit, I have cut hunts and trips short in the past when I used crap gear and cotton clothing. This really motivated me to invest in quality and reliability, especially when you are paying for out of state tags that are hard to draw.

 

[2rocky]

Mike,

I totally hear ya. When I look back at the pictures of the Klondike Gold rush and see what those guys had to survive in, I scale back my expectations real fast.
But sometimes something that has worked well wears out or breaks and it is time to replace it. Might as well get the best within reason.
My hunting gear spans 10 years in age and easily a dozen manufacturers.
As for light weight...the quickest way to lighten up the load you are packing is to take it off the gut.

If someone wants to get me to buy a expensive piece of technical clothing I 'd better be able to use it other than just hunting. Merino Wool and other performance base layers fits this criteria for me, as do good boots. But I'll tell ya, I'm hard pressed to pay $150 for a pair of camo pants I might wear 3 weeks out of 52!

In the past 10 years I've managed to up grade my gear in bits and pieces.
If Gear Grades are A-F then

Binos C to A-
Tripod D to B-
Rain gear B- to A
Sleeping bags B and C- to A and A-
Pack C- to B+

Some of the new B grade Items were A rated at the time. Something new came along since....

If I see a guy whose camo all matches and is the latest and greatest, I usually assume he just bought camo for the first time...

 

[thru-hunter]

If I see a guy whose camo all matches and is the latest and greatest, I usually assume he just bought camo for the first time...

I just thought that this deserved to be repeated! I have wondered around the Fairbanks and Anchorage airport and a few bush strips and generally felt the same way as I see folks in the latest greatest. I was wearing my Sitka Ascent jacket and had a guy at a well known Anchorage gear emporium approach me and ask how the new optifade camo worked... He seemed perplexed when I responded "Apparently not very well." Perhaps my delivery was to dry on the joke. I do have a few pieces of "high end" clothing though non of it matches and it is just what works for me, all of it was bought on sale save for a couple items that were all I could find that fit on short notice. My favorites though are the ones I got in an amazing deal. Perhaps I should start a new thread on the best deal you ever got on an item of gear.

 

[Matt Cashell]

Welcome to Rokslide, 2rocky!

This is a good thread.

I haven't had matching camo in a few years, but maybe this year it will be all Vias. Just call me newb.

 

[Outdoorsman3830]

Great Question,
I have to admit that I am terrible about buying, selling, and trading packs. Other than that, I am fairly good about maintaining the same gear. I did make the switch from Under Armour to First Lite and Kuiu this year and couldn't be happier. The weight and bulk reduced while giving more warmth and comfort. For packs, I began with the Badlands 2200 for a few years before transitioning to a Sacrifice, then a Badlands 4500, then a Eberstock Just One, then a Mystery Ranch NICE 6500, and finally settled on a Eberlestock J107M Dragonfly. I only own the two Eberlestock packs now, keeping the Just One for my wife and it is also a backup.

Everyone one of those packs were great, but the Eberlestock fit my body best and thats what really matters in a pack. The Kifaru sounds great, but I can't afford to try it out at this moment. I may try it out in a few years. I do believe gear makes a difference. Expensive gear usually equals less weight, more dry, less noisy, better fit, and increased overall performance. In most cases, top quality gear is not necessary but more of a luxury for those willing to fork out the cash. In the end, backpack hunting has been far less expensive than buying a nice truck with a trailer, a fancy ATV, and a wall tent. I believe you could own all of the best gear and be able to afford to hunt in other states, rather than having the nice truck and stuff.

 

[Above Timber]

I hunted for years in hand-me down BDU's from my dad and uncles until about five years ago and I started buying good equipment one or two pieces at a time. It have taken me several years to get good stuff and being comfortable on a hunt makes a huge difference. I can remember my first archery elk hunt 10 years ago. For a 3 day trip my pack weighed about 75 pounds. It hurt really bad on the way out to the truck. Today a 3 day pack for me might weight 35 pounds. It is not just the better equipment but also a better understanding of what it needed and what can stay home. I can remember taking a hatchet, a bow saw (tree saw), and a folding army shovel on that first trip. I do not know what I was thinking.

Sometimes spending the money helps to make you a little better pretared

 

[Ross]

Gear does not make the hunter, but bad gear can break the hunt.........I am a gear head like many of us, but I still wear and use gear I have had for 30 yrs....I always try to rationalize something new that comes out, do I want it or do I need it.....more often than not I just want it and if it's in the budget I will buy it and not look back

 

[In God We Trust]

I am in the same boat as a lot of you guys. I have slowly built up my gear to where I am comfortable with what I have and replace a few items per season. I replaced my boots, rifle, and range finder this year ( good bonus at work well spent). I hunt 3 different states every year and would rather have good adequate gear and hunt as many places as possible than have all new stuff and only be able to hunt my home state.

 

[Brandon Pattison]

Hawker told me he'd rather suffer and be able to afford an OTC bear tag vs. having better gear. There's some truth to being less equiped with more tags.

 

[RosinBag]

I will second the welcome to John (2rocky)...

I upgrade when I feel it will help me in the woods. Usually it means lighter packs, more comfortable clothing and ease of use with some gear. That translates to more energy to hunt, better attitude to stay longer and make things happen.

 

[Aron Snyder]

I spend as much time on the ground as I do in a bed, so being comfortable is kinda important for me! I've also structured my life around being in the outdoors/hunting and have given up A LOT to have nice gear on a construction workers budget.

It is not needed, but it makes my life easier.....and saves you money, because I tell you if it's a POS ahead of time

 

[Backpack Hunter]

High quality gear generally makes me more comfortable in the back country. I sleep better when I'm more comfortable. I hunt better when I am well rested.......I guess quality gear does make me a better hunter

 

[HellsCanyon]

Gear does not make the hunter, but bad gear can break the hunt.........I am a gear head like many of us, but I still wear and use gear I have had for 30 yrs....I always try to rationalize something new that comes out, do I want it or do I need it.....more often than not I just want it and if it's in the budget I will buy it and not look back

This sums it up for me right here! Well put Ross and thats my thinking...
I honestly don't have a decent shelter right now for back country stuff (zipper on my tent is busted and a fiberglass pole needs replacing... but am waiting to see what tags I don't draw in ID before I make the plunge. Already got a new pack, new boots, binos, and some other little things for this year and am beyond what I usually spend for hunting gear every year. Don't regret a single purchase though. Thanks for the great thread fellas!

Mike

 

[luke moffat]

I agree, Ross and Yellowknife stated it very well. I have bought and sold quite a bit of gear always dialing it in mostly to make things a bit more comfy or lighter given the same weight. That said, I'd rather be in the shape I am in now with the crappy gear I had in high school than the shape I was in 5 years ago with the gear I have no. Conditioning and mental toughness plays a LOT bigger role in the field than which sleeping bag, tent, or pack you are using.

 

[weaver]

It is not needed, but it makes my life easier.....and saves you money, because I tell you if it's a POS ahead of time

That is why we love you....

 

[Aron Snyder]

Thanks Brother!

 

[JG358]

I dont think the high end gear is as connected to success levels as it is comfort. Sure there are some items that lead to more meat in the freezer(thinking optics).

You take some of deadliest hunters here and strip them of all their Kuiu clothes, Kifaru packs & shelters, and Swaro glass. Then send them out with Coleman tents, Slumberjack bags, Tasco glass, and a TAG. Chances are they will come back with a cheap frame hauler loaded with meat, They just wont be as comfortable getting it done.

Me on the other hand, I have decent gear but barely manage to kill a rabbit during season.

C

Well put.

I have more rabbits than you could shake a stick at if you need a confidence boost

 

[fillthefreezer]

quality gear making for more comfort helps get you past the point in the hunt "any excuse will do" where the slighest hiccup makes you want to head for the truck. the mind is much weaker than the body...

 

[a3dhunter]

Well put.

I have more rabbits than you could shake a stick at if you need a confidence boost

Only cause you can't hit them!