Something fun, gear what worked what didn't 2017

[rlmmarine]

So what worked really well for you this year and what went wrong

Bough a big agnes long wide bag and loved it expecially since it has a pocket for the pad. I roll around alot. On the other hand my exped mat sprung a leak but it was warranted and they gave me no problems with an exchange that seems to be holding up very well. Thanks exped. I know it might be sacrilege but on everyone's advice hear I bought a kifaru pack and paired it with my existing kuiu 5200 and love the fit as well as the organization of the bag.

I paired a x bolt stainless stalker with a nikon monarch 7
The X bolt stock started to fall apart on a ky elk hunt and the scope got a black ring inside in low light. My guide Jimmy wanted it and he got it as a tip. The gun combination cost me an elk as far as I'm concerned. I'm now working loads for a tikka with a leupold.

 

[rm06]

I bought an AGC Kodiak Cub, I've always used a slimmer, more utilitarian bino harness because I didn't want a suitcase riding on my chest. Well, now I feel a little dumb because I really like it but as with most things with available open space it can quickly fill up, you just need to be mindful of how much gets stuffed in there.

On the downside, I bought a Jimmy Tarps Granite Mountain that just isn't going to suit my needs and I need to list it for sale here. It isn't as versatile or as forgiving as I was hoping and it is entirely beholden to the flat ground which can be difficult at best to find where we hunt. Just to clarify, this isn't a Jimmy Tarps problem but just the wrong tool for the job

 

[Tick]

Used an EXO 5500 and Jimmy Tarps Hudson tipi for the first time in 2017. Both worked as advertised. The EXO was comfortable with moderate weight and had plenty of room. I also like how well it compressed to use as a day pack. The Hudson kept me dry in several rain showers and packs down to fit in your hand.

Luckily didn't have any equipment failures.

 

[rlmmarine]

Used an EXO 5500 and Jimmy Tarps Hudson tipi for the first time in 2017. Both worked as advertised. The EXO was comfortable with moderate weight and had plenty of room. I also like how well it compressed to use as a day pack. The Hudson kept me dry in several rain showers and packs down to fit in your hand.

Luckily didn't have any equipment failures.

Tick I may need to get your gear list it might save me a lot of money

 

[NDGuy]

I bought a MR Metcalf last year worked great and compressed well when not hauling anything. I could not believe the difference a good pack made on packing out meat. I used my bros Badlands pack the year prior and it was horrible. The Metcalf carried a bone in rear quarter and all my gear without issue.

Used some 125 grain reloads for my 30-06, my friend who made them got them going 3100 FPS and it's fun seeing fire come out of my barrel..lol won't be shooting a lot of them though.

FL clothes. I jumped on the wagon last year and buying wool base layers has changed the game for me. They have much better moisture control, no stink, and much better temperature regulation. I am sold.

 

[bozeman]

Sold the Kuiu pants and went with the Wrangler outdoor stretch pants (save $100 a pair and lose very little).
Campfeld Custom 6.5x284 and 140gr Partition handload proved deadly.

 

[snowplow]

Bad:

kifaru reckoning (awesome, just wrong config for me)
Marsupial gear bino harness (underwhelmed)
Hiker hunger carbon trekking poles montem ultrastrong trekking poles
(cosco ones are cheaper and better imo)

Good:

outdoor vitals mummypod. Love this.
Bearpaw LaGarita tarp
ACG cub with max pocket
Cascade tech (costco) trekking poles


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[snowplow]

Bad:

kifaru reckoning (awesome, just wrong config for me)
Marsupial gear bino harness (underwhelmed)
Hiker hunger carbon trekking poles montem ultrastrong trekking poles
(cosco ones are cheaper and better imo)

Good:

outdoor vitals mummypod. Love this.
Bearpaw LaGarita tarp
ACG cub with max pocket
Cascade tech (costco) trekking poles


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Oh and KIFARU AMR!

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[JP100]

2018 has been a good season for testing gear

Good:
All my ESS gear has held up well
2nd hand pair of Kentreks(comfy and waterproof)
New Twin Needle bino case is OK
Swaro 95mm is unreal!
80 series Land Cruiser has been very good upgrade, shes old but works!

Not so good:
Cabelas Outfitter tent, folded up in first trip
Scarpa boots, leak. dont seem to fit me right
Zeiss scope, seems not to track properly
Kifaru hunter frame/harness, didnt last through two seasons
Slik bag, ripped the seams

 

[Becca]

Most of the new gear I used in 2017 was somehow child related since our daughter was born at the very end of 2016. Our Osprey Poco Premium backpack was probably the biggest let down for me...despite being billed as the Cadillac of kid carriers, I found it super uncomfortable even with minimal weight. It was salvaged by strapping it to an old Kifaru Duplex frame, but I am still disappointed it was so uncomfortable as designed. I suppose years of using quality backpacks spoiled me.

In the plus category, the majority of my hunting last year was done with a Tikka CTR in 6.5 CM with a Suppressor. If you’d told me two years ago i’d Be hunting animals out to 500 yards suppressed, I would have said you were crazy. But being able to reliably shoot farther, and have the noise and recoil be very minimal was absolutely paramount to taking an infant on numerous hunts in 2017.

Most of the rest of my personal hunt gear has remained pretty well dialed in for several years. I did run the Sitka Women’s line last year (after testing the prototypes in 2016) and I remain really impressed with the Cloudburst jacket and rain pants, as well as the Kelvin hooded puffy.

 

[GraveyardNRSE]

2018 has been a good season for testing gear

Good:
All my ESS gear has held up well
2nd hand pair of Kentreks(comfy and waterproof)
New Twin Needle bino case is OK
Swaro 95mm is unreal!
80 series Land Cruiser has been very good upgrade, shes old but works!

Not so good:
Cabelas Outfitter tent, folded up in first trip
Scarpa boots, leak. dont seem to fit me right
Zeiss scope, seems not to track properly
Kifaru hunter frame/harness, didnt last through two seasons
Slik bag, ripped the seams

How hard are you on your stuff? I’ve never heard of Kifaru doing what you did to it.


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[Tag_Soup]

How hard are you on your stuff? I’ve never heard of Kifaru doing what you did to it.


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May be a bit harsh...some guys are really hard on gear. That being said, I too would like to hear how it failed and if JP100 has put other gear through similar abuse with different results. I have found Kifaru to be about tops in durability. Complaints about the weight I could understand, but man, I don't know how someone could go about busting/wearing out a hunter frame in two seasons unless that person lives in it 24-7 or seriously abuses it. I don't personally have a slick bag, but a hunting buddy is going on his 3rd season and he rarely uses a pad or ground cloth without issue. Care to share your experiences a bit more in depth JP?

 

[Tag_Soup]

I may as well contribute positively here...

Goods:
- OR Gaiters
- 1st month on my new kifaru lite frame has been a joy for weighted training - To be continued after a full season and some meat hauling
- Darn Tough light hiker socks - Tough as HELL
- Prana Zions - I doubt I will ever need another early/mid season pant. If they ever discontinue these I might cry

Meh:
- Vortex Razor HD 10x42 binos - I talked myself into these over the leica trinovids due to the eye cups and tripod stud...wish I would have listened to my eyes. The razors have a weird pinkish flare in the outer areas when looking into bright sun that bugs the heck out of me.
- Crispi Idaho GTX - maybe i broke these in too hard? they were super comfortable and have great traction, but my feet were constantly wet and would never dry out. Not sure if I will give the briksdal a try or go with some scarpas next...
-Trophy Taker Shuttle T-locks...Used to love these, but the blades are obsolete so its on to a new system.

Bad:
- Princeton Tek Remix LED headlamp - started intermittently flickering and eventually stopped working all together. Thankfully I carry one of the Petzel e-lite's in my bino harness and made it back to camp without having to use braille. Will be testing out a black diamond model this year.
- PolyCro ground cloth - ripped it the first night and pad kept sliding off regardless of how hard I tried to keep it together. couple that with a quilt and I was constantly out of my bag on the dirt. I will go back to tyvek and add some silicone strips to the back side of my pad.

 

[JP100]

May be a bit harsh...some guys are really hard on gear. That being said, I too would like to hear how it failed and if JP100 has put other gear through similar abuse with different results. I have found Kifaru to be about tops in durability. Complaints about the weight I could understand, but man, I don't know how someone could go about busting/wearing out a hunter frame in two seasons unless that person lives in it 24-7 or seriously abuses it. I don't personally have a slick bag, but a hunting buddy is going on his 3rd season and he rarely uses a pad or ground cloth without issue. Care to share your experiences a bit more in depth JP?

I will probably do a write up on what happened in the near future. I know Aron does not overly want me to understandably.

Basically where the shoulder straps attach to the hip belt is a major weakness, they have fixed it in newer frames, but have a look at one and you will see 2 rows of stitching through ONE layer of Crodua, thats what holds it on, and it isnt enough. I know other people have tore them off(Aron said he has) and that why they have updated it. Its good to see them making changes, but for the price of the pack it should have been better made in the first place IMO.
I am surprised more people have not had them come off, if you have one I would strongly recommend getting it re sewn as a just in case measure. Only cost me $30 bucks to get it re sewn, along with some of the seams on the Argali that were coming apart.

The issues I had with the frame a little bit of a grey area, and what I would call 'flexing', its not broke, but the frame sheets seems to flex and fold quite easily. Again the newer ultra light frame has a horizontal carbon stay to fix this, I also have had one fitted to my hunter frame and it made it ALOT better.

The Slik bag I hardly use, seriously only use it as a 'camp' bag as its too bulky to pack and one of the interior seams pulled out.

I am hard on gear, I am a guide, and do pack out 100+lbs regularly. But I was under the impression thats what its made for.

Aron and Frank have been very good, and sent me replacement gear as fast as they could.

I dunno how to feel about it, at the time I was very pissed off, as it cost me alot of money to get the pack landed in NZ

But over the last couple of seasons through my work and talking with other guides there is pretty much no gear that cant be broke.

I know a guy who has broke two Stone Glaciers as well as Kifaru's.

Not being a dick or anything but some of us work shit to the extreme(not trying to sounds hard core), I thought what I did was 'normal' for a long time, but I dont think it is haha.

Aron is now fully in charge at Kifaru from what I understand and he has all ready made quite a few simple yet needed changes to the packs, which is great to see.

 

[GraveyardNRSE]

I will probably do a write up on what happened in the near future. I know Aron does not overly want me to understandably.

Basically where the shoulder straps attach to the hip belt is a major weakness, they have fixed it in newer frames, but have a look at one and you will see 2 rows of stitching through ONE layer of Crodua, thats what holds it on, and it isnt enough. I know other people have tore them off(Aron said he has) and that why they have updated it. Its good to see them making changes, but for the price of the pack it should have been better made in the first place IMO.
I am surprised more people have not had them come off, if you have one I would strongly recommend getting it re sewn as a just in case measure. Only cost me $30 bucks to get it re sewn, along with some of the seams on the Argali that were coming apart.

The issues I had with the frame a little bit of a grey area, and what I would call 'flexing', its not broke, but the frame sheets seems to flex and fold quite easily. Again the newer ultra light frame has a horizontal carbon stay to fix this, I also have had one fitted to my hunter frame and it made it ALOT better.

The Slik bag I hardly use, seriously only use it as a 'camp' bag as its too bulky to pack and one of the interior seams pulled out.

I am hard on gear, I am a guide, and do pack out 100+lbs regularly. But I was under the impression thats what its made for.

Aron and Frank have been very good, and sent me replacement gear as fast as they could.

I dunno how to feel about it, at the time I was very pissed off, as it cost me alot of money to get the pack landed in NZ

But over the last couple of seasons through my work and talking with other guides there is pretty much no gear that cant be broke.

I know a guy who has broke two Stone Glaciers as well as Kifaru's.

Not being a dick or anything but some of us work shit to the extreme(not trying to sounds hard core), I thought what I did was 'normal' for a long time, but I dont think it is haha.

Aron is now fully in charge at Kifaru from what I understand and he has all ready made quite a few simple yet needed changes to the packs, which is great to see.

If you’re doing this to Kifaru I can’t imagine what you would do to kuiu.


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[Napperm4]

How hard are you on your stuff? I’ve never heard of Kifaru doing what you did to it.


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I don’t have any personal experience with Kifaru and was all set to pick up a pack and shelter last year but did some brick and mortar shopping to check fit on other packs too.

One of our pro shops brought in a few of the big names in packs a couple years ago to torture test them under regular conditions with around 75 lbs. Kuiu and Kifaru were the first to fail. As in completely fall apart would leave you screwed 5 miles back fail.


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[GraveyardNRSE]

I don’t have any personal experience with Kifaru and was all set to pick up a pack and shelter last year but did some brick and mortar shopping to check fit on other packs too.

One of our pro shops brought in a few of the big names in packs a couple years ago to torture test them under regular conditions with around 75 lbs. Kuiu and Kifaru were the first to fail. As in completely fall apart would leave you screwed 5 miles back fail.


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Sorry man, I find this completely falsified. Brick and mortar carry eberlestock, mystery ranch, Alps outdoorZ, stone glacier. I would put my Kifaru up against ANY pack made and I know it would come out on top. I’ve carried 100+ in my pack several times and it’s been a dream.


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[Napperm4]

Sorry man, I find this completely falsified. Brick and mortar carry eberlestock, mystery ranch, Alps outdoorZ, stone glacier. I would put my Kifaru up against ANY pack made and I know it would come out on top. I’ve carried 100+ in my pack several times and it’s been a dream.


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It’s an archery shop/club that doesn’t actually carry any packs in store or have skin in the game. It started off as one of those beer fuelled debates of who’s better so they sunk the funds to try things out for fun.

I’m not saying they’re a bad product or prone to failure. I come from the engineering world and we never take a sample size of 1 as accurate but pointing out that shit happens to any pack regardless of the name on the label.

I have a hunting partner that had a couple of the older frames fall apart too and I’ve broken a mystery ranch frame myself.

Every great brand out there has its flaws and failures. Hahaha don’t get me started on vortex.

I’m still debating trying them out based on the rave reviews and searching for something different than my current set up but I can confirm that even the toughest gear on earth fails.


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[ljalberta]

I don’t have any personal experience with Kifaru and was all set to pick up a pack and shelter last year but did some brick and mortar shopping to check fit on other packs too.

One of our pro shops brought in a few of the big names in packs a couple years ago to torture test them under regular conditions with around 75 lbs. Kuiu and Kifaru were the first to fail. As in completely fall apart would leave you screwed 5 miles back fail.


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Which shop was that? I'm not doubting you! I'd just like to hear about it further! I love the torture tests.

 

[GraveyardNRSE]

Please don’t tell me 1shotgear either.


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