Share Your “Gear of the Year” Winners For 2025!

[BigSkyHntr]

With a MT sheep tag in my pocket this year I upgraded some things.. Here are a few that I liked.

Aziak Backcountry Light Tripod with Tricer LP panhead.. loved this setup for everything from Swaro EL 10x42s to 65mm spotter to 95 mm Swaro BTX! Super light setup. (I think @26 oz. total) Only downside to me is it’s just short for standing to glass.

Upgraded from my Vortex Vipers to Swaro ELs. Yes I know they aren’t NLs but still a massive upgrade, especially for the price. Got them very lightly used from an authorized dealer for $1500. Biggest complaint for me was how much bigger they are than the Vipers- a good inch ‘longer’… (10x42 in both)

Hatch Bipod was great. I haven’t tried a lot of different ones but coming from a cheap Caldwell this thing is way better!

 

[bruffa]

Durston X-dome 1 person tent. Amazing sturdy little shelter for 34oz. Tons of headroom- at 6'2" i was tired of sleeping in little coffins

 

[el_jefe_pescado]

1. Maven RS 1.2 — a largely unknown scope to users on this site. Great clarity, idiot proof reticle, has held zero and performed without issue after bouncing around the truck and all over the mountain.


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[huntcookwrite]

Second a few things:
- tyto finisher: can’t believe how much easier this made field dressing and skinning.
- Duckworth powder hoody: used this on a December tuna fishing trip as a midlayer and was super impressed.

 

[grfox92]

1. Maven RS 1.2 — a largely unknown scope to users on this site.


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Was this sarcasm?

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[grfox92]

Ill add, I quarted a bunch of animals this year. I have a Havalon my buddies had Outdoor Edge.

Ive used the same blade to do 2 whole elk with my havalon. My buddy had to change his outdoor edge blade after half a mule deer. Same with another buddy on an elk.

So shout out to Havalons blades.

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[Poser]

I was a huge fan of the Wiser Precision Sparrow. Fit nicely in bino harness, went into tripod easy, and the best feature of all was the spot you could place your inverted trekking pole. Super quick to get binoculars stable, the best was when I had been hiking and breathing heavy I could get on one knee flip pole and glass, can’t afford image stabilizing binoculars but pretty much have them now for $40. Now I will keep saving for a set of binoculars with stabilizing feature when they add range finding to the mix and have better glass.

Edit.
Thought of one other piece that was handy, the stone glacier zip off helio base layer. In the mornings I would hike without. Once at glassing point I could zip these on in a minute, then when warmed up or start hiking I could take them off. Didn’t have those days I regret wearing a bottom base layer and end up with swamp ass. Excited to use them for backcountry skiing.

The Sparrow is pretty sweet. I didn't get a chance to use it a whole lot, but I think its going tobecome one my favorite pieces of gear -definitely reduces frustration of setting up/tearing down to glass. I've lost at least 2 bino mounts in the last 5 years.

I can't believe you're just now catching on the zip off base layers. They've only been on the hunting maret for 11 years now. and HUGE for backcountry skiing. I do find myself just unzipping them to my knees quite a bit and then likewise opening my hip vents on my pants -that scrubs quite a bit of heat without taking them on and off if the situation warrants it.

 

[robtattoo]

Amazon Basics kids puffy jacket is supposed to be legit. So is the adult one. They have camo, I plan on getting one for my 11 year old son for hunting this year.

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Can confirm.
The Amazon Basics puffys (in my experience) punch way over their pricepoint.
I have an Amazon vest that, so far, is kicking my Sitka vest's ass in all departments. It's the same weight, it's twice as warm, it packs down to nothing & (most importantly) IT WAS $16.99!

32 Degrees are also good to go. I've had one of their packable puffy jackets for 3 years & it's one of the best value for money clothing items I own.

 

[Poser]

SG Helio used as a base layer in blaze orange. I know they market this as a midlayer, but, IMO it makes a better baselayer for cooler weather. its so much more practical to have all orange layers for rifle seasons. I've also been using it as a baselayer so far this winter for backcountry skiing -great hood for the purposes of a sun hoody, long chest zipper for letting heat out and enough face protection when fully zipped up.

"Hunghee" energy shots. https://hungheeenergy.com/pages/shop
grass fed Ghee, sea salt and raw honey + a 3rd ingredient: Cacao, peanut butter, cinnamon, vanilla, depending on the flavor. 170 calories, 15 grams of fat. If you are cold, its enough of a dose of fat to warm you up pretty quickly. Great shot of energy for being in zone 2. Pricey, so I use them a bit sparingly, but I am really liking them. I had to do an unplanned/forced bivy at 11,000 feet in October. I got up 3x during the night, did a shot of these and did some jumping jacks.

Relatively minor, but I started adding Ceylon Cinnamon (this is different from conventional cinnamon) to my diet (coffee, smoothies, sweet potatoes, stew etc) + some capsule supplementation to keep it consistent. I have a finger that got frost bitten on a mountaineering trip back in 1999 and its always been incredibly problematic in the cold -just. turns into a piece of lead and can get pretty painful. Once it gets cold, it is difficult to get it back. This seems to have solved that issue as an ongoing problem as Ceylon Cinnamon is known to improve circulation by relaxing the blood vessels as bit. While more expensive than convetional cinnamon, its not that much more.

 

[Mike Islander]

Cheap Timberland Mount Maddsen waterproof boots. $109. They last me about 3 years of gentle sea island hunting and scouting. Comfortable out of the box. Lightweight and keep my feet dry.

Not a boot I'd use when packing heavy loads on rocky terrain. I have Crispis for that. But heading to Hellhole Swamp trails or Edisto coastal forest to scout or stand hunt, I always grab these.

 

[MT_Wyatt]

For me:
New: 6CM, Suppressed 18” Tikka, Peak 44 Bastion stock, SWFA 3-15 gen 2 scope. Such a joy to carry and use. I have a custom 7PRC and chose to carry and use this rifle as soon as it was finished.

Not changing:
- Exo K4 system was something I tested and used in 2024: replacing SGs I used for 9 years. No need to change.

- late season puffy: Sitka hyperdown jacket. Remains extremely warm, good hood, gives me more glassing time, dries stuff I wear well, actually packs down.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

Dillon xl750, replaced Hornady lnl ap

Benchmark powder, replaced TAC

Sitka fanatic, replaced shivering

Total vise legacy bow press & accessories, replaced ez green

Those were the new to me things that stood out this year. Finally got into the stuff I wish I could have started with in the first place.

Thankfully now I'm at a point where most of my stuff is good enough and I can focus on just using it and improving my skills. Took a while to get here since I haven't hit the lotto.

 

[Drenalin]

Several new to me things this year that I really liked:

• Suppressor - I put a SilencerCo Hybrid 46 on an 11.5" AR and have loved it so far, out to 300 yards. My daughter went on her first hunt this year and shot her first deer with this setup.
• Fjallraven Singi Stubben for day hunts - love the structure, and it makes a great rest for shooting seated. I haven't used it as a stool at all; about 2 inches too tall for me. My daughter used this pack and a S2H Molinator bag to shoot her deer.
• SeekOne Wind Indicator (milkweed) - I've been aware of milkweed as a wind indicator for a long time, but the shit is frustrating to deal with. This little tube makes it entirely bearable.
• Duckworth Powder Hoodie - I've got two of these now and use them a ton. If there's no wind, I'm good down into the 40s with just this and a merino base.
• Enlightened Equipment Torrid Hood - my biggest challenge with using a quilt in cold weather solved! Way warmer than a heavy fleece gaiter and beanie.

 

[Speaks]

1. Hogue Expel Scalpel. I ate tag soup and didn't get to use it for its intended purpose, but it made a great multipurpose knife I was able to store on the side of my bino harness.

2. Milwaukee Packout Rolling Tool Chest: I bought this for storing recovery gear in my truck, but ended up using it to store my hunting gear. It turned out to be absolutely ideal.

3. MSR Evo Ascent Snow Shoes: I had to head back into town for a set of snowshoes because the trails on the north side of the mts had gotten to knee deep in snow in some places (~Nov 20th). I think there's a good chance I would have filled my tag had these been with me from day one.

4. Biltong Fat Slab

Which biltong fat slabs are you getting? Seen some with fat on but none straight fat

 

[benconfused]

Can confirm.
The Amazon Basics puffys (in my experience) punch way over their pricepoint.
I have an Amazon vest that, so far, is kicking my Sitka vest's ass in all departments. It's the same weight, it's twice as warm, it packs down to nothing & (most importantly) IT WAS $16.99!

32 Degrees are also good to go. I've had one of their packable puffy jackets for 3 years & it's one of the best value for money clothing items I own.

What fill weight, what type of insulation?

 

[benconfused]

For me:
New: 6CM, Suppressed 18” Tikka, Peak 44 Bastion stock, SWFA 3-15 gen 2 scope. Such a joy to carry and use. I have a custom 7PRC and chose to carry and use this rifle as soon as it was finished.

Not changing:
- Exo K4 system was something I tested and used in 2024: replacing SGs I used for 9 years. No need to change.

- late season puffy: Sitka hyperdown jacket. Remains extremely warm, good hood, gives me more glassing time, dries stuff I wear well, actually packs down.

How far are you able to shoot with the 6cm 18'?

 

[Sully_44]

I really liked this tripod head.

It comes with a lifetime warranty. I can’t wait to pair it with a Slik 632 next year.

Fluid Head

I love that head too, just not from that brand. I’ve played with a few of them. They’re virtually the same $20 small rig head off Amazon with fancier hardware (I’d assume all from the same manufacturer), a hunting logo, and much higher price tag. It’s good to see these guys aren’t gouging customers as bad as other companies with the same head (I’ve seen this head for around $200 from other brands), but still much more than the small rig.

Update: I just checked the small rig and it’s now $40 on Amazon (if I remember right I got mine with an open box or something so it was discounted). And all the hunting brands (Alpyn, Mutnt, Mtn Hntr) that make it are now in the $90-120 range. So not as big of a jump as it used to be, but still much more expensive than the same head off Amazon.

 

[MT_Wyatt]

6CM in 18” with 2765 MV, 5000ft, 41F/50% RH chart below. Gun is okay to 700ish. I’ve only taken it to 550 and not comfortable enough with the left/right variance in wind to take it that far on game yet. Advantage being it’s a lot easier to practice with this cartridge…..

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

How far are you able to shoot with the 6cm 18'?

My 16” suppressed (fast barrel) is “good” to 750ish at my hunting DAs with 115 Bergers. Longest kill this year was 623 with multiple 500+ yard kills in tricky wind. Not an issue at all.

 

[Drenalin]

Several new to me things this year that I really liked:

• Suppressor - I put a SilencerCo Hybrid 46 on an 11.5" AR and have loved it so far, out to 300 yards. My daughter went on her first hunt this year and shot her first deer with this setup.
• Fjallraven Singi Stubben for day hunts - love the structure, and it makes a great rest for shooting seated. I haven't used it as a stool at all; about 2 inches too tall for me. My daughter used this pack and a S2H Molinator bag to shoot her deer.
• SeekOne Wind Indicator (milkweed) - I've been aware of milkweed as a wind indicator for a long time, but the shit is frustrating to deal with. This little tube makes it entirely bearable.
• Duckworth Powder Hoodie - I've got two of these now and use them a ton. If there's no wind, I'm good down into the 40s with just this and a merino base.
• Enlightened Equipment Torrid Hood - my biggest challenge with using a quilt in cold weather solved! Way warmer than a heavy fleece gaiter and beanie.

Meant to include Carnivore Snax on this...170 calories per ounce, it's helped me be able to stick to carnivore without big energy drops in the field.