The $1500 challenge

[tstowater]

With all the opportunities to spend loads of money on gear, I'm curious whether someone here is willing to take the "$1500 challenge". This is based on my daughter's 4-H project of buying a complete outfit to model at the county fair and the total cost to not exceed $15.00. The challenge will be for your "buddy" being setup to hunt on a backpack hunt in the back country. The buddy is starting from scratch, that means: no weapon (your choose of archery, muzzleloader or rifle), clothes, boots, backpack, optics, sleep system, hydration, eating/cooking setup, kill kit and whatever I missed for a 7 day solo high country mule deer hunt and the total budget for this setup is $1500. Based on LB's thread, the buddy should be able to learn everything needed on this site and by watching a few tv shows and reading a magazines to survive the hunt. Food, communication device (cell coverage is available) and tags are not included in the $1500. If you are willing to take the challenge, all the gear (including what the buddy is wearing must not exceed 80 lbs- this includes food) needs to be itemized for relative weight and expected cost. I guessing that this may be hard to do and that is the reason for the thread as I have a relatively good idea what the cost of my setup would be and $1500 wouldn't go very far.

Any challengers out there??

I can't let franklin come up with all the crazy ideas.

 

[KHNC]

Well my bow and my pack are 1100.00 already. That doesnt leave much. Unless i hunt in a loin cloth and nice boots!!

 

[fillthefreezer]

how about deal shopping or is it all retail. say i got my sleeping bag used for $X, and i actually did, can i figure that in as realistic?

 

[HockeyDad]

Are we supposed to PM you the "list" with supporting cost links? cuz If I post it here, then everyone will see my cheap deals web sites and come up with the same list.

And, no-one should be able to riddle Craigslist with "Free to good home" adds with their current equipment list!

I think it could be done under $1500, and you will have some decent "used" gear. Going to be a minimalist tho.

 

[ams]

I'm doing this with a good friend and co-worker. He's been interested in hunting for the last three years since I started myself. Last year I put two deer in the freezer and that was what he needed to see to get himself started. He's only been dove hunting with me last year and has never shot anything else. We are almost done with his setup. I'm not sure how much he/we have into this right now but it has stayed pretty cheap and we've been working on it since the beginning of the year so we had plenty of time to shop deals. List to follow......

 

[tstowater]

You can buy used (obviously) to stay in the budget and you don't need to disclose your "secret" places to buy. I don't think just stating Craigslist is good enough. What I am driving at is whether the concept is achievable and how much used or non-"top of the line/state of the art" gear would you have to include. My vision of a successful challenger is to buy new where possible and fill the holes with used. I don't care where it comes from. I would just want to be able to verify the numbers if questioned. If you are worried about disclosing something that you would prefer not to, then don't. Do understand, my binos cost more than the budget so you aren't going to help me. I'm just trying to find out how achievable it would be to really get someone started with a decent setup and not have to know who Aron is or what he could offer to make your life better. Let me know if I need to clarify more.

 

[Rick Leathley]

Lol reading this thread I started thinking about how much my gear cost all together. My bow already used up most the budget. I don't even consider myself a Heavy weight when in comes to spending on gear. More of a middle weight lol.

The total cost including the weapon is what makes it so challenging.

 

[cmeier117]

My boots, and clothes and pack are over that amount. LOL.... Way over that amount!

 

[tstowater]

Lol reading this thread I started thinking about how much my gear cost all together. My bow already used up most the budget. I don't even consider myself a Heavy weight when in comes to spending on gear. More of a middle weight lol.

The total cost including the weapon is what makes it so challenging.

I originally was going to use $1000, but the only way to do that was to practically steal things (that's not allowed). You do have to buy from a "willing seller".

 

[tstowater]

My boots, and clothes and pack are over that amount. LOL.... Way over that amount!

That's my point. Most of us are more than willing to throw more money at the prize, so to say. As AMS pointed out, this can be done.

 

[fillthefreezer]

man im close but i dont want to set my friend up with total junk...

 

[Rick Leathley]

man im close but i dont want to set my friend up with total junk...

Then I always look at the cost of upgrading later if they end up sticking with it.

I think most guys waste to much on clothing .

 

[2rocky]

If we are looking at retail/new it will be a challenge...

I'll start on the Rifle...$645 Howa Nighteater package in a standard caliber.

Boots, $150 logger boots
(795)

(Assuming Existing Clothing will suffice, No Camo.)

REI Outlet purchases:
Pack Osprey Aether 85 Pack - 2012 Closeout $224
($1019)
Kelty Cosmic +0 Sleeping Bag - Men's Long - 2012 Closeout $162
($1181)
ALPS Mountaineering Foam Sleeping Mat - 72 x 20 x 0.4 in. - Special Buy $12
($1193)
Esbit Alcohol Stove and Camp Cookset - 2013 Overstock - $40
($1221)
Light My Fire Spork - 2010 Overstock $2
(1223)
Potable Aqua Iodine and Taste-Neutralizer Tablets $11.00
(1235)
Nathan Widemouth Tritan Water Bottle - 34 fl. oz. - 2012 Closeout $7
(1242)

Mountain House Dinners x5 @ $7 $35
(1277)

Asolo Astro 2 Tent - 2012 Overstock $140
(1417)

20 rounds of Rem Core Loct Ammo 30-06 $25.00
($1442)



You guys fill in or substitute...

 

[aron]

If we are looking at retail/new it will be a challenge...
You guys fill in or substitute...

$223 doesn't go very far for clothes, shelter, first aid.

This would be damn tough to accomplish for $1500 and would have to give up a lot of comfort items in order to do so.

 

[2rocky]

Additiopns since your post...

(Assuming Existing Clothing will suffice, No Camo.)


Asolo Astro 2 Tent - 2012 Overstock $140
(1417)

20 rounds of Rem Core Loct Ammo 30-06 $25.00
($1442)



You guys fill in or substitute...

 

[Mckinnon]

When my girlfriend got into backpacking, we faced a similar budget issue. The solution was an REI garage sale. We got an osprey aether 70 pack, a big agnes 15 degree sleeping bag, and a thermarest z-lite for about $275, all of this gear was almost brand new. I bought my dad a jetboil sol at the same garage sale for $40.00, it was brand new except for small cut in the neoprene case. Optics I would go for vortex diamondbacks for $210, also found a weatherby vanguard for $340, topped it with a Nikon buckaster 3-9x40 with BDC that was on sale for $150. I guess the point is it can be done, just won't end up with top grade stuff, good stuff for sure, just not the very top of the line. Off of my list that leavs $500 for boots and shelter, and whatevers left.

 

[2rocky]

When my girlfriend got into backpacking, we faced a similar budget issue. The solution was an REI garage sale. We got an osprey aether 70 pack, a big agnes 15 degree sleeping bag, and a thermarest z-lite for about $275, all of this gear was almost brand new. I bought my dad a jetboil sol at the same garage sale for $40.00, it was brand new except for small cut in the neoprene case. Optics I would go for vortex diamondbacks for $210, also found a weatherby vanguard for $340, topped it with a Nikon buckaster 3-9x40 with BDC that was on sale for $150. I guess the point is it can be done, just won't end up with top grade stuff, good stuff for sure, just not the very top of the line. Off of my list that leavs $500 for boots and shelter, and whatevers left.

Nicely done. I think at REI the difference between Good better and Best is mainly weight. My parents bought an REI 4 Half Dome Tent while I bought the BA Copper Spur ul4. They got a damn nice tent for $300 less and 2 pounds more...

 

[jmez]

Hell, I'd show up naked with my bow.

 

[luke moffat]

Rifle Scope combo (Marlin XS7 in 7-08 and Redfield 3-9) 550

Zen Ray ED3 10X43 300

Kelty Lightyear 20 78

Alps Mountaineering Ultralight Series Pad 32.5

Asolo Sasslong Boots 130

LL Bean Carry all with 65 liter Sea to Summit Dry Bag 120

Mountainsmith Mountain Shelter LT 110

Aqua Mira water treatment $10

Fishing/Hiking Pants $19

Marmot Precip Top/Bottom Raingear $85

1 Liter Used Gatorade Water Bottle $3

Primus Eta Solo Camo Stove 49

100 gram canisterw/spork $10
Total: 1496.5

Not everything you'd need, but I could use that setup all year long and likely be just as succesful or Not as if I used the gear I had...not quite as comfy, but the bank account would sure be more comfy.

No socks, shirts, or jackets, but did get boots, stove, cookset, water bottle, waterdrops, rain gear, pack, shelter, pad, sleeping bag, rifle/scope, hiking pants, and binos, and even fuel for the stove and a spork. With $4 to spare I might add. All pricing I found with just a bit of shipping around.

Plus you'll be WELL under your 80 pound minimum.

 

[bbell]

You could make a selfbow to keep weapon cost down. tab, string, broadheads, and arrows will be under $100 and bow is free. Good 30 yds and under with practice.