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

[TheHammer]

The forloh allclima soft shell jacket saved my butt this archery elk season. Every day I had weather. It’s bomb proof over anything Sitka I own. But it is heavy and a bit noisy.

 

[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.