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

[WRO]

Kuhl silncr pants, love these, probably 100 days between 2 pairs hunting, scouting, and wearing them for work. Fantastic durability, quick drying, and very comfortable.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SonnyDay]

ZenBivy Ultralight Mattress (plus sheet, pillow, and quilt). Slept like I was at home in bed (king size tempur-pedic). Maybe better.

 

[43.6N]

14x52 NL Pures
Successfully replaced my spotting scope. And with practice I was feeling decent handholding them.


2nd was the Dixie skinner knife.
It’s not often that a hunting knife makes its way into my daily kitchen rotation. But this one is special.

 

[N.ID7803]

This beanie/balaclava from Carhartt. I love this thing. Great when it’s snowing, sitting, stalking whatever.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

14x52 NL Pures
Successfully replaced my spotting scope. And with practice I was feeling decent handholding them.
View attachment 980132

2nd was the Dixie skinner knife.
It’s not often that a hunting knife makes its way into my daily kitchen rotation. But this one is special.
View attachment 980133

Those are both great choices!

The 14 NL Pures were finally a bino with enough of a “wow” factor to replace my 15s I’ve used forever.

And once you go CBK form factor it’s hard to go back to anything else haha.

 

[TX_Diver]

I was a fan of the MDT mountain Bipod.

Also going back to a powder throw for reloading rather than an electronic dispenser. The time saved is worth the charge weight variation to me.

Didn’t try much else new this year.

 

[ThorM465]

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

 

[Jermh]

1. Stainless T3x 223/3-9 SWFA. First new rifle for me in quite a few years. I've only used it on 4 whitetails so far but it really is a breath of fresh air from the M700 30-06. Factory 73 ELDM shoot great out of it and none of the 4 deer took a step after the shot. Only have a couple hundred rounds through it but what a fun combo and Ive been finding myself actually shooting a lot more often than I ever really have.
2. Dixie Zipper. Between me and the old man I've used it in some capacity on 6 deer so far. Very slicey and comfortable in the hand in use. It'll take over the spot in the pack previously held by a BM Steep Country even though I really liked that knife too.
3. Vortex Razor HD 10x42. I realize they're not Swaro's but I got a great deal on them and they're a giant step up from the Diamondbacks I was using.

 

[HuntHarder]

A few things that again stuck out this year so far.

1. LS wild's 2-5 rear bag. So light and easy to manipulate. I take it on every trip. Showed some buddies how much of an effect having a rear bag or rest can make when shooting LR. ( We terrorized a Pdog town for a few hours last week.)

2. Fenix headlamp provided plenty of light and kept enough charge for multi-night usage.

3.Harbor Freight hard gun case. Last year, I had an airline almost destroy my SKB bow case. So I gave the HF gun case a try this year. Came out unscathed with very little indication it went on 5 Different planes.

4. Leica Pro Ab+ geovids. I used a buddie's on a hunt in MT and fell in love. Great glass and AB ballistics. I got back in town and grabbed a pair. I'll put them thru their paces and update. The few days I used them, they were great.

5. Almost forgot about the zip off Kuiu merino bottoms. Things worked great and we're easy to get off without having to take my boots off. I hate taking my boots off and having to put them back on. I much prefer to let my dogs rest at the end of day.

 

[voltage]

Sig Zulu6

 

[Steve300xcw]

Hanawag yukons. Snagged for cheap and my feet are very happy with them!

First year hunting with b5 15's. Might be too much of a good thing for what I do, but still a game changer.

 

[Silviuswolf]

I am a MI hunter. Not out west. I fell in love with using a hand muff. I have one from cabelas. I throw 2-6 hand warmers in there and it’s like shoving my hands in an oven. I will wear a thin liner glove while hunting.

Coming from a fellow Michigan hunter, I started rocking a hand muff a few years ago and it's amazing. The only upgrade I would make to it, is to invest in some electric hand warmers.

 

[Fowl Play]

Standouts for me were the Tricer Bipod — very light and the increased height capability made it much more versatile, especially on my pronghorn hunt this year.

Also really like my new rechargeable Black Diamond headlamps. Storm and Spot. About double the battery life as their similar form factored AAA battery cousins and it is awesome to be able to quickly top them off and head out the next morning knowing I have a 100% full battery.

 

[Lawnboi]

Exo k4 frame

MDT mountain bipod

 

[Schmo]

1. Hunting suppressed. My first year for it, and I won’t go back, especially when hunting with a partner.

2. 6mm - First year to hunt with a 6 PRC, and I’m very happy with it. A good balance of performance and shootability.

3. Minimalist footwear - hunted in Lone Peaks and some Danner hikers. Working my way into hunting in barefoot shoes.

4. Honorable mention for a piece of gear that I started using last year - Fenix HM50R V2 headlamp. Very light. Bright enough, and just works.

 

[IDVortex]

Only thing ive added this year was a new sleeping bag. Bought the Argali Alpine 20. Absolutely have loved it!

One thing I realized I very much disliked is my Vortex Aluminum tri pod. They havent bother much, but doing a goat count in the back country of GNP, I realized they're heavy for what I get, and not great for setting up in piss poor sitting positions. Ill be replacing those this coming year.

 

[IDVortex]

Actually, honorable mention. Salewa boots, replaced my Lapponi 3 boots with a pale of salewas, so glad I did. Regret not changing them out last year. The Crispis just destroyed my heels and the front of my heel.

 

[DB29]

1. SSS pillow

2. Camp Creek Hex chair

3. Seek DST tarp

I loved shooting off the molinator strapped to my pack but the SSS is an improvement. It also doubles as the best seat, knee pad and pillow I have used. Put it on the crazy creek chair and I can sit and glass all day! I call it the back country lazy boy…. Throw a 2.5 bag under your calves and it gets better.

The DST is fairly light and easy to pitch. I was able to stay out in bad rain glassing comfortably. I have good rain gear but being in the rain still sucked before the tarp. Sitting under the tarp on the crazy creek chair and SSS pillow I had no thoughts of heading back to the truck.

 

[robtattoo]

A $12 six pack of camo, stretchy neck gaiter/snood thingies. Face mask & scarf, all in one.

Amazon Basics puffy vest. Way warmer & 1/10th the price of my old Sitka.

Folgers instant Vanilla Latte powder. $7 a can at Walmart. Absolute lifesaver on a cold day!

Surplus German Army combat boots from Sportstmans Guide (the resoled version) Insanely warm & comfortable, generous toebox, great ankle support & I honestly prefer them to my Lowa Ticams

Not really this year, but my all time favorite warm/dry weather hunting footwear are Palladium Pampa Hi boots. They're basically tactical Chuck Taylor's.

Honorable mention goes to this...... goes up in minutes, lots of room for me & gear, you can put it up fly first, inner second to stay dry & for under $100, fantastic value! I bought it for a motorcycle trip, but it'll get used a much for hunting as it will motocamping.

Amazon.com

 

[DisplacedHusky]

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

On the Sparrow, once it’s sitting on the trekking pole, how secure is it. If you are not paying attention and your pole tips a little one way or the other, is there a risk of your binos falling off?