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

[Bado20]

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.

As a guy who is in the SG camp but is Exo curious, what do you prefer about the K4 vs the X-Curve system?

 

[MT_Wyatt]

As a guy who is in the SG camp but is Exo curious, what do you prefer about the K4 vs the X-Curve system?

Build quality, stay heights to fit my torso, the lumbar/harness padding, fit, waist belt, and how it carries weight for me. The only thing I didn’t initially like with exo was the weight and bags seemed a little “busy” - that’s totally changed as I have used the system more and more. Just look at the website and how detailed they explain every little decision and approach to the packs - there’s a video for everything. It’s all just done so well.

One other thing I prefer: supporting Exo vs what was a grassroots brand, now being ruined by multiple company sales/hand changes. I had an SG pack when they still sold them through Schnees. With their main people gone, so am I.

 

[lightelk]

Hunted in the rain a lot this year and the OR Seattle Rain Hat (formerly Seattle Sombrero) really makes a difference in quality of life during a long rainy day. No need to wear a hood, no rain on your face or neck.

 

[Coopsdaddy]

Which silky blade did you use and for wood/bone or both? I used the extra fine to try and cap a deer just to see and was less than impressed. Teeth broke, blade flimsy and bent. Seemed like bone and meat clogged up the teeth as well.

Curious as well,i bought that handle in a 170 but haven’t got any blades yet.

 

[TreeFarm]

Kuiu Ranger 2200
Stable/ light compressible

 

[BackcountryLR]

Gear I Keep Coming Back to in 2025:

• Wiser Precision Nighthawk
  • Lightweight, compact, smooth panning head that punches above it's weight. I've used this with a BTX 65mm, dual mini Razors, smaller optics, and shot off it without any real complaints.
• Aziak Backcountry Tripod
  • Excellent glassing stability for its weight, and it packs down incredibly small without any wasted space or bulk. I cut down the top to make room for the Wiser panning head. I would like to see how much stability could be added to the fully extended legs by adding length/strength to the joints--I think it would be worth a few more ounce to have stiffer legs in the second, wider deployment.
  • I brought my Sirui ST124 on my deer hunt this year to support a larger spotting scope, but would have been better off with a single mini Razor spotter and my Aziak with substantially less bulk and weight.
• LS Wild Triple S Pillow
  • I almost always pack this thing and have shot off of or been sitting on it for almost every shot at game I’ve taken since purchasing a couple of years ago. Support @hereinaz and get one for yourself.

New Addition Gear of the Year 2025:

• Kramer Designs SnipePod V2 Bipod
  • The jury is still out on the KDC tripod adapter and panning head for the SnipePod--I think it will become a favorite--but I really like the SnipePod as a bipod. Its light weight and small form factor when stowed make it a great accessory for predator calling in rough terrain. It offers greater flexibility in setup and on-the-fly adjustment from a sitting position in comparison to a tripod.
• Durston Gear Kakwa 55
  • If you want to haul your camp and a load of meat out in one go, this isn't your pack. It will probably be too much weight and volume. But if you want an ultralight pack that can handle a smaller deer and some gear in one go, this isn't a bad choice. My UltraX 200 size large Kakwa 55 weighs 30.4oz and I hauled out my bone-in, quartered deer plus some gear--about 64lb--without issue. It wasn't as comfortable as my K4 or similar packs, but with working load lifters, it wasn't uncomfortable, and performed well for a pack advertised with a 45lb comfort limit. I felt like I was floating with it on my back as I went back for my camp gear.
  • The internal volume for the Large is actually 52L. I'm not sure how many or if any rolls in the roll top this accounts for.

Emerging Favorites:

• Sky Rover Banner Cloud 12x50
  • A little heavy compared to the 12x42 NL Pures I previously owned, but huge FOV and really nice image.

• DIY Removable Frame Lumbar Pack
  • Tooting my horn on this one, but this thing has been great so far on day hunts. I haven't been able to pack any animals out with it yet, but hopefully sometim

Gear I Keep Coming Back to in 2025:

• Wiser Precision Nighthawk
  • Lightweight, compact, smooth panning head that punches above it's weight. I've used this with a BTX 65mm, dual mini Razors, smaller optics, and shot off it without any real complaints.
• Aziak Backcountry Tripod
  • Excellent glassing stability for its weight, and it packs down incredibly small without any wasted space or bulk. I cut down the top to make room for the Wiser panning head. I would like to see how much stability could be added to the fully extended legs by adding length/strength to the joints--I think it would be worth a few more ounce to have stiffer legs in the second, wider deployment.
  • I brought my Sirui ST124 on my deer hunt this year to support a larger spotting scope, but would have been better off with a single mini Razor spotter and my Aziak with substantially less bulk and weight.
• LS Wild Triple S Pillow
  • I almost always pack this thing and have shot off of or been sitting on it for almost every shot at game I’ve taken since purchasing a couple of years ago. Support @hereinaz and get one for yourself.

New Addition Gear of the Year 2025:

• Kramer Designs SnipePod V2 Bipod
  • The jury is still out on the KDC tripod adapter and panning head for the SnipePod--I think it will become a favorite--but I really like the SnipePod as a bipod. Its light weight and small form factor when stowed make it a great accessory for predator calling in rough terrain. It offers greater flexibility in setup and on-the-fly adjustment from a sitting position in comparison to a tripod.
• Durston Gear Kakwa 55
  • If you want to haul your camp and a load of meat out in one go, this isn't your pack. It will probably be too much weight and volume. But if you want an ultralight pack that can handle a smaller deer and some gear in one go, this isn't a bad choice. My UltraX 200 size large Kakwa 55 weighs 30.4oz and I hauled out my bone-in, quartered deer plus some gear--about 64lb--without issue. It wasn't as comfortable as my K4 or similar packs, but with working load lifters, it wasn't uncomfortable, and performed well for a pack advertised with a 45lb comfort limit. I felt like I was floating with it on my back as I went back for my camp gear.
  • The internal volume for the Large is actually 52L. I'm not sure how many or if any rolls in the roll top this accounts for.

Emerging Favorites:

• Sky Rover Banner Cloud 12x50
  • A little heavy compared to the 12x42 NL Pures I previously owned, but huge FOV and really nice image.

• DIY Removable Frame Lumbar Pack
  • Tooting my horn on this one, but this thing has been great so far on day hunts. I haven't been able to pack any animals out with it yet, but hopefully sometime this winter or spring.

The sky rovers are a major sleeper in the hunting world! Love them

 

[4090Sharps]

The sky rovers are a major sleeper in the hunting world! Love them

Truly. There is a thread on them here and I'm sure your experience with them would be a welcome addition: https://rokslide.com/forums/threads/sky-rover-banner-cloud-10x42-binocular-review.392296/