Share your "Hunting Items I've overspent on with no advantage"

[JeffRaines]

I bought a spotting scope because all the cool guys had spotting scopes. I hauled it around the mountains for years before I realized it's not something I need to carry for the type of hunting I do.

I'll probably never care too much about antler scores, so glassing usually involved me looking at an elk through binos, then switching to the spotting scope and saying, "Yep, there's that same elk. But a little more magnified".

Yeah I would have to agree with this as well. A set of 10s or even 15s on a tripod would probably be much more beneficial to a lot of people over a dedicated spotter. The guys who are after the biggest animals on the mountains definitely need a spotter and I wouldn't argue that at all... but most regular Joes get too wrapped up in whatever YouTube/hunting show and sees them using the spotting scope and thinks "man I wonder how many animals I've missed" then you get one and realize most of your glassing is done through binos, the spotter comes out to verify if its an animal worth chasing... which, to a great majority of guys means that its legal, which you can tell through the binos most of the time.

 

[fngTony]

Ive wasted more money on junk food, beer, and chasing women in my younger years than I ever will spend on my nice hunting gear. Now Im restoring a boat - you want to feel like an idiot spending money, fix up an old boat. (Or be a bass fisherman apparently lol)

Im happy with my expensive hunting stuff, along with all my hand me downs. Keeps me comfy and safe since I dont shy away from hunting the worst weather, and a lot of times I enjoy doing it alone. The inreach is nice to keep in touch with my wife n kid while Im away.

7 years ago, my first backpacking kit was under $500 for boots clothes pack tent etc. It worked but wasnt comfy, and Id get cold or wet easily. Spent many hours not hunting by a fire staying warm or drying out. Im too old at 35 to be sleeping on dirt in wet blue jeans under a tarp like a homeless person. Hats off to the guy tougher or younger than me who does that.

Lol, at least get the Walmart jeans with the realtree camo!

 

[orionsbrother]

I don’t think any successful hunt could be attributed directly to any of my better gear. It’s contributed to my comfort, lighter, faster drying, easier to pack. Maybe it has incrementally allowed me to push a little further in a slightly wider range of weather conditions and, maybe, that’s helped with success rate... maybe.

I think attitude is much more important, drive and tenacity.

I have worked to carefully upgrade my gear over time, buying higher quality on sale and from the classifieds. I believe that the amortized cost of that gear makes sense and value the reduction of discomfort.

But I’ve seen pics here and elsewhere of Hilleberg tents trashed by bear, packs and clothing chewed by ground squirrels and mice etc.

Any situation like that with my old gear would suck, but I wouldn’t be worried about replacement. I’d shrug and only care about the immediate impact on my hunt.

And absolutely no worries about thieves. I can’t imagine buying a $700 cooler and leaving it in a base camp.

That was kind of liberating.

No one would’ve stolen my old gear off a mountain. It wasn’t worth carrying unless you were me. The ice in my cooler in base camp was worth more than the cooler. If anyone came through any of my camps, they’d have been more inclined to throw some change and a couple of singles into my tent.

 

[PNW bow hunter]

Top 2 expensive things I bought with no advantage was a Mystery Ranch Crew Cab back pack, and First Lite Rain Gear.

I pondered bying that backpack for quite some time. At the time that was a HUGE purchase for me. All the reviews I read were great. Friends of friends that I thought hunted similar to me loved it. Guys on coloring like this one at the time raved about it.
The thing weighed around 9 lbs if I remember correctly. If I got any where near 50 pounds of weight in it, it was horrendous. The frame was to short to have any function lift on the shoulder straps, and just uncomfortable. It was fine for a day pack, but who needs a 9 pound $800 day pack to carry around 15 pounds of stuff. Boy I was pissed after using on a 7 day backpack hunt in the trinity alps, and then elk hunting the next month after that in NE Oregon. After elk season I lugged that thing around during late archery season that lasts about a month here in Oregon.
I put it for sale on Archery Talk Classifieds $650, and to my surprise sold it to a guy instantly!

The rain gear was another big purchase for me. I think it was nearly $600 for the pants and coat. One again lots of good feedback and reviews.
I used the rain gear in the spring on a wild boar hunt in California for 4 or 5 days. That year during archery elk season we had a lot of rainy weather so I probably used it 6-8 days the first 3 weeks of the season. The last 10 days of season me and a buddy were hiking 6 miles out to one of our favorite spots. The weather forecast called for rain/snow the whole first week. On the 3rd day of that last trip the zipper on on of the pant legs failed. So I barley got 14 days of use before a catastrophic failure. Spent the rest of the trip with one pant leg that wouldn’t zip shut.
After that they replaced the pants under warranty. I was hoping it was just a one time thing, they told me they changed the zippers. The next year the jacket started leaking water, leaving me pretty wet each day. The year after that the pants replaced under warranty started leaking water bad also. Almost $600 set of rain gear that wouldn’t even last a couple hunting seasons.

 

[SecretSpot]

No advantage? Hmm all the expensive gear I've purchased gives me an advantage. Most only a very very small one. An oz there or sharpness in image here, minutely more accurate there, more penetration over here, and the anecdotal placebo affect of believing your gear is the best and leaving all the excuses on your drive and physical abilities.. well that's priceless.
I dont buy anything that wont give me an advantage. When I'm unsuccessful in the field I cant blame anything but myself and what I lack within. That right there pushes me to be successful.

 

[cburgin72]

Up until the fall of 2019 I had just one bolt action rifle (300 wsm). My second bolt action was a custom rifle (25-06). If I am being honest, I don't think I am a good enough shot to tell the difference between a custom rifle vs. a factory rifle. But I really enjoyed researching and selecting all of the components to build my rifle. It is something I have always wanted to do and will probably be the only custom I buy for myself. All that to say I didn't and don't need such a fancy rifle, but I would probably do it again if given the chance.

One recent purchase I have slightly been questioning is the purchase of a new kifaru frame. I already have one for myself but bought a new one when it was on sale recently. I bought it for my wife to use but we will see how much use it gets.

I personally feel like I was a better hunter back in the days when I couldn't afford fancy gear. I spent less time researching gear and more time worrying about hunting. My goal for next season is to spend more time and money on the hunting part and less on the gear part.

 

[Winnie]

It depends on how you define success. being wet and/or cold with poor fitting clothing, gear that breaks, but you shoot a critter is success, then you probably don't gain a lot. But to me, success is enjoying the whole hunt in every aspect and notching my tag is only part of that. Sure, those guys of yesteryear shot stuff in jeans/flannel/carharts, but if given the chance, most of them would have opted for better gear. How much is having gear that doesn't break worth? I personally do not want the aggravation of gear that doesn't perform. Ironically, compared to most of the guys here, I would be in the middle of the pack in terms of gear. No Swarovskis, no Seek Outside, no custom rifles, etc.

 

[JeffRaines]

It depends on how you define success. being wet and/or cold with poor fitting clothing, gear that breaks, but you shoot a critter is success, then you probably don't gain a lot. But to me, success is enjoying the whole hunt in every aspect and notching my tag is only part of that. Sure, those guys of yesteryear shot stuff in jeans/flannel/carharts, but if given the chance, most of them would have opted for better gear. How much is having gear that doesn't break worth? I personally do not want the aggravation of gear that doesn't perform. Ironically, compared to most of the guys here, I would be in the middle of the pack in terms of gear. No Swarovskis, no Seek Outside, no custom rifles, etc.

I think the point people try to make with the “jeans/flannel/carhart” comment isn’t to say we shouldn’t use modern fabrics, but that camo for most hunting isn’t needed. You don’t need to spend 150/200$ for hunting pants when you can grab $30 pants from Costco and run those. Same for shirts, you can get shirts in modern materials in earthy tones for much less than “hunting” brands charge and be just as successful. Not to mention all the stuff likely comes from the same country, so it isn’t like your buying “made in USA” over something foreign(which would make sense).

I will say one place you shouldn’t skimp is rain gear and insulation... but even with that, that’s an extra 200/300 bucks in your pocket for tags/gas.

 

[PNW bow hunter]

I read through pretty much all of this thread.

There are a few things I have noticed reading through it.

1. A fair amount of people feel like it’s a badge of honor to proclaim they buy all their gear at Walmart.

2. A fair amount of people are “triggered” by the sight or the thought of another person having “high end” stuff.

3. A fair amount of people think buying high end gear should make you a better hunter.

We all hunt different ways, different areas, different times of year, different animals, and in different weather conditions. These are all factors in what gear will work for your individual scenarios.

I posted above about high end gear, that FAILED. It did not do what it was made for. After rereading the original post and following answers I realize that’s not what this is about.

If you spend money on something and get no return on YOUR investment, YOU made a bad purchase. It doesn’t mean it’s useless equipment.

A guy that sets up camp by his truck and returns there each evening has different gear requirements than a guy that loads all his gear in a backpack, and doesn’t return for 10 days. The truck camp guy can basically bring whatever he wants. The backpack guy has to carry it all and fit it in a pack. Guess what? The back pack stuff is going to be the newer technology and more expensive. If you tent camp next to your truck, or sleep at motels when the weather is bad, something like a seek outside tent and stove won’t seem like a good purchase.

If you spend 30-40 days a year backpacking, and are are packing elk out 4-6 miles each year, you will appreciate a really high quality pack that works like it is supposed to. If you deer hunt out of a tree stand 400 yards away from where you can park, you probably won’t see a big advantage to a $800 pack.

Spending money isn’t going to give you more skills to outsmart and kill wild animals. If your not good at killing elk, all the fancy pants, backpacks, and jackets won’t help you kill elk. You still won’t be good at killing elk, and you’ll be pissed about wasting all that money on stuff that didn’t help at all. Time in the woods learning what works and doesn’t will make you better at killing elk.

The only thing I haul around in my vehicle back and forth to work is me and my lunch box. I use a 2004 Toyota Prius for that job. That doesn’t mean there isn’t guys that get a good return on investment out of a f350 turbo diesel crew cab 4x4.

 

[JeffRaines]

Spending money isn’t going to give you more skills to outsmart and kill wild animals. If your not good at killing elk, all the fancy pants, backpacks, and jackets won’t help you kill elk. You still won’t be good at killing elk, and you’ll be pissed about wasting all that money on stuff that didn’t help at all. Time in the woods learning what works and doesn’t will make you better at killing elk.

That was the point of my last post. If you want to buy all the expensive gear be my guest - its your money and a free country! Its surprising the guys that will post year after year about not killing animals, then go and chase after some other piece of gear when in reality if they just stopped buying gear for a couple years and put that money towards tags/gas... doing so would net them more opportunities, which in my opinion directly correlates with learning to kill animals faster. If you only see one(or less) legal animal in an entire season of hunting you're gonna learn more slowly than the guy who has 3/4+ opportunities per season.

The expensive stuff, sure it makes a difference in some cases. The pack in hunters are one of those areas where having lighter weight gear does make your life a little easier... but if you suck at finding animals, you're still gonna suck. Save for the guys packing 5lb sleeping bags/7lb tents in august/September, most of the guys with reasonably weighted gear are gonna see a better return on a gym membership/personal trainer/tags than they would on a DCF shelter... likewise the guy who already kills animals every year off his back will see a better return on the DCF shelter.

For the absolute beginner, they'd be money ahead to hire a good guide for a season and hunt with cheaper gear(whatever the guide doesn't supply anyway) than to go all in on a big money camo setup, alpha glass, custom rifle, etc. and be putzing around the woods lost for a season or two(or more). Its different if you've got a good buddy/family that hunts and can show you the ropes, but for the guy who has none of that and wants to learn, dropping 4k is cheaper in the long run.

 

[Nick87]

I've thought about this a lot lately, the older I get the lighter/more casual I dress or approach a hunt. Lot of money wasted. Some of my most successful hunts have been in jeans and a flannel. Same way they did it years ago. I think if I never hunted in camo again I wouldn't kill one less animal bowhunting or rifle hunting for instance. Ymmv.

Took my boss duck hunting last year he was all nervous cuz his camo didnt match. Told him dont worry the ducks dont care if the guy who shoots em matches.

 

[Selous]

As I age, I’ve realized that I don’t get to hunt enough to leave anything to chance beyond baseline circumstances that effect all of us. So, I buy the best gear I can justify to maximize my time in the field with as little chance of error/failure as possible. That definitely doesn’t make me a better hunter, but one who recognizes his limitations (mostly time and experience).

The bottom line is that each of us only has so many more days in the field before our ticket gets punched. That’s not an excuse to just get silly with buying stuff. But if I was really trying to be frugal, I’d just mow the yard, watch free TV, and fish for perch off the side of the road, not drive/fly across the country/world hunting and fishing.

 

[idcuda]

I don't feel like a high dollar rifle scope would have changed the outcome of any hunt I've been on.

 

[MOhunter46]

Probably my Sitka, but I still love it.

 

[wingmaster]

I collected all the western state OnX GPS chips so that I would be "ready," as if having a state's chip in my pocket would improve my chances of drawing a tag there (it doesn't)

 

[MallardSX2]

I have bought a lot of deer feeders over the years.

I should have just spent the money on corn and just dumped it on the ground.

 

[chutinlead]

Well you guys make me glad I didn't go out and buy a brand new $2000 sitka setup. I still do really want to build a lightweight 7saum in the new MDT HNT26 stock with a vortex LHT on top. It's on the wishlist. And it probably won't shoot or kill any better than my old 270 savage.

 

[Badger 5]

Yeah I would have to agree with this as well. A set of 10s or even 15s on a tripod would probably be much more beneficial to a lot of people over a dedicated spotter. The guys who are after the biggest animals on the mountains definitely need a spotter and I wouldn't argue that at all... but most regular Joes get too wrapped up in whatever YouTube/hunting show and sees them using the spotting scope and thinks "man I wonder how many animals I've missed" then you get one and realize most of your glassing is done through binos, the spotter comes out to verify if its an animal worth chasing... which, to a great majority of guys means that its legal, which you can tell through the binos most of the time.

I thought I would never buy a spotter for these reasons until I got interested in deer hunting Washington State where there are 3 point minimum APR...

Hunting elk in Idaho we had a high end spotter and never used it. I could see elk 1 mile away in my binos and are combo would go like this- “those are elk, we are going after them no matter how big the racks are”


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Huntnfish89]

I've wasted alot of money on high end gloves, always disappointed. The good ol kinko pigskin "farmers gloves" with a spray of silicone are just as good for 1/8 the price.

This. I've spent probably hundreds on gloves from cheapo work gloves to sitka and find myself using some mid priced Outdoor research wool gloves 90% of the time.

 

[cured_ham]

Matching insulated boots

Nothing will beat my favorite uninsulated hikers plus a 30 dollar pair of boot blankets