The “mobile hunting” push, vs. the lack of LW/packable whitetail clothing and equipment?

[Long Cut]

Mobile Hunters are like cross-fitter's, not a lot of folks do it but they’ll be sure to tell you about it.

 

[pamountains570]

I have to generally agree here, but I believe that is most often the case because of the types of backpacks pushed by the system, which have traditionally always been so small.

 

[Swamp Fox]

Mobile Hunters are like cross-fitter's, not a lot of folks do it but they’ll be sure to tell you about it.

This is true.

Plus being "mobile" seems to mean (in many minds) a LOT of special gear that is mostly on the high end of the $ spectrum.

I ran across a post elsewhere lamenting that the boy had to haul a lot of gear to be mobile, and had paid a pretty penny for it.

Seemed like something was out of whack ...

 

[Long Cut]

This is true.

Plus being "mobile" seems to mean (in many minds) a LOT of special gear that is mostly on the high end of the $ spectrum.

I ran across a post elsewhere lamenting that the boy had to haul a lot of gear to be mobile, and had paid a pretty penny for it.

Seemed like something was out of whack ...

I miss the “good old days” I.E. before the YouTubers made it “cool” to hunt public land and be a “mobile” hunter…

A guy could buy 4 Lone Wolf sticks for $99 and an Alpha or Assault stand for $2- and change.. that was it. Or hunt out of a makeshift ground blind out of some deadfall’s…

Nowadays we’ve got guys counting ounces like they’re packing in 15 miles….

 

[SirChooCH]

I miss the “good old days” I.E. before the YouTubers made it “cool” to hunt public land and be a “mobile” hunter…

A guy could buy 4 Lone Wolf sticks for $99 and an Alpha or Assault stand for $2- and change.. that was it. Or hunt out of a makeshift ground blind out of some deadfall’s…

Nowadays we’ve got guys counting ounces like they’re packing in 15 miles….

I have noticed people count ounces on stands and sticks but then put into their bag a camera arm, dslr with lenses, spare camera batteries, extra call cam and batteries just in case, maybe go pro and another mount and batteries for another shot angle...

 

[Speaks]

There is light weight hunting gear, and heavier hunting gear. There are trade offs to go light weight generally being some combo of cost, comfort, and durability. Much of what is marketed and sold to eastern and midwest white tail hunters is heavier gear as it balances the rest of those factors and they dont need to haul a bunch of it around in packs. Even "mobile white tail hunters" are not packing in days of gear and living out of tents very often. I tend to buy more "western" hunting gear despite living in the upper midwest and hunting mostly white tails. I appreciate light weight gear though my other back packing and canoe camping adventures and it translates into what I want in hunting gear.

 

[Macintosh]

There is light weight hunting gear, and heavier hunting gear. There are trade offs to go light weight generally being some combo of cost, comfort, and durability. Much of what is marketed and sold to eastern and midwest white tail hunters is heavier gear as it balances the rest of those factors and they dont need to haul a bunch of it around in packs. Even "mobile white tail hunters" are not packing in days of gear and living out of tents very often. I tend to buy more "western" hunting gear despite living in the upper midwest and hunting mostly white tails. I appreciate light weight gear though my other back packing and canoe camping adventures and it translates into what I want in hunting gear.

This is spot-on. Despite the fudds, there are some folks who, by virtue of what is available to them either need to, or choose to, hike their stand far-enough to want to be lighter, and are not carrying camera equipment etc. The original question was why the whitetail companies marketing to this activity choose to let THEIR customers buy their other equipment from someone else. It seems that answer is some combination of ignorance and it being a niche market not capable of recouping their investment. The question seems to be where along that continuum is the objective reality.

But people are really going to bring up cost as a prohibiting factor? Really? Thats laughable, with so many people buying a new bow every year, leases, farm equipment and a dozen fixed stands, all to kill a deer. One good “mobile” setup costs exponentially less. Compared to the private-land “deer farming” thing that is so prevalent, even the most expensive mobile setup is the economy option, by far! Regardless, so far I dont see any evidence of price stopping enough people to make it a factor in whether there’s a market for something.

 

[Skerhunter]

I feel compelled to mention again that I am NOT asking about peoples hunting choices, or whether "mobile hunting" is good/bad/indifferent or whether you do it or not, or whether you hunt in jeans and flannel versus the latest and greatest new thing each season. I am wondering why the industry that is using "mobile hunting" as a marketing tool is not also making and marketing lighter and more packable (and quieter) cold-weather apparel, or packs suitable for carrying late-season equipment or maybe even a deer, TO WHITETAIL HUNTERS. The comments are telling...people are having to cobble together what they feel is an ideal kit for their needs from non-hunting companies and from companies making products for a very different type of hunting. Its obvious it all crosses over, sometimes well and sometimes not so well, but its also obvious there is a hole in what is available and the companies focused on THIS kind of hunting are NOT addressing it.

It is clear most people posting think there isnt a market for it. A lot of the comments people have made about hunting in the east do not apply to where I hunt in the east, but I'm happy to concede that the majority of WT hunters may very well not hike more than a couple hundred yards, and that "mobile"is a small niche.

Yet, these companies exist, and they ARE selling product. They're sellinG it to someone, regardless of whether that someone is like me and said "finally, someone is making equipment for how I have to hunt", or if that someone aspires to hunt on public land but doesnt do that as often as they'd like. It doesnt matter who it is, someone is buying it.

So then if there is a market for lightweight tree stands, why is there not also a market for lightweight tree stand apparel and other gear? This is a question about the business, not a question about how I hunt or what anyone thinks of "trends". I'm wondering why no one has tried to market something like this. If they have, I havent seen it, and many of the best "crossover" products that would be ideal ARENT marketed as good (or even appropriate in many cases) for Wt hunting, despite those companies having a collectin of products for WT hunting. At least one person feels strongly that making warm gear that is quiet but also lighter and more packable than current options simply isnt possible. Fair enough, I am quite confident that's not the case, but that is the sort of reason I'm looking for. Perhaps it's cold weather being a niche thing more so than mobile hunting being a niche, I dont know. I think if it existed enough people would choose to buy it, the same way they often choose a lighter stand or a saddle. I would.

I think what you are looking for doesn’t exist and won’t ever be sold as “a kit or system”. Say light weight clothing/pack/stand/weapon that is good to from below zero to 60 degrees that is quiet/packable/durable.

You can be light and fast, but you’re not going to be comfortable. Or you can carry the stuff to be comfortable, but it will be heavy. It’s no different than western hunting where ppl are doing long hikes. It is impossible to market “light weight” when all together you’re packing around 50lbs+ in clothing/gear vs marketing a light weight stand. Yes the stand is lighter to pack but it’s also way easier to hang or get in a tree with (true be if it). They just slap some extra marketing on there.

 

[DINforlife]

^^^

I think Post 86 from MacIntosh is a good summary. As a Southern bowhunter (primarily) who hunts through December in high humidity, quietness is Number One for me, warmth second, weight third, and bulk fourth.

I'll swap quietness for warmth if set up for longer shots with a rifle, but if there's a chance that a deer is coming within 50 yards of me, we're back to Quiet even if I could cut a buck the Evil Eye and have him fall over dead as a stone.

My deer are wound tight! Quiet is non-negotiable.

I hate that I sometimes look and feel like a D-Day paratrooper going in to set up some days, but you do what you gotta do. Ninety to ninety-five percent of my whitetail hunting is an ambush game, with plans set ahead of time, and you can mitigate weight and bulk concerns by planning and prepping ahead.

I believe this is prolly true of most whitetail hunters, and may explain the lack of effort towards true mobile utility for WT.

I felt this post and picture in my core. I'm so glad I'm not the only one, haha! I'm using a stripped down Marine Corp ILBE retrofitted with an HPG belt & suspension system that's always stuffed to the brim with an eclectic collection of Bass Pro, MidwayUSA, and First Lite clothes. Add the Millennium Stool and the rifle strapped to the side, and I definitely commiserate with the guy in the photo. But hey, it gets me in the woods and its a lot of fun, so its worth it.

 

[Swamp Fox]

I felt this post and picture in my core. I'm so glad I'm not the only one, haha! I'm using a stripped down Marine Corp ILBE retrofitted with an HPG belt & suspension system that's always stuffed to the brim with an eclectic collection of Bass Pro, MidwayUSA, and First Lite clothes. Add the Millennium Stool and the rifle strapped to the side, and I definitely commiserate with the guy in the photo. But hey, it gets me in the woods and its a lot of fun, so its worth it.

Plus we're not getting shot at while floating in the air or when we get we're going...

So we got that goin' for us, which is nice ....

 

[Twitch2146]

Great point. For whatever reason, a lot of the eastern white-tail states want you to bring an entire carcass in for inspection so you would have to literally load the entire deer into a pack instead of parting it out. One of the WMAs near me said I could cut into as many pieces as I wanted, but every piece minus guts had to come in for inspection and weigh-in.

this is very true. In Texas we have weekends where you have to bring in the deer only field dressed so they do a CWD inspection. The area I hunt I get 1-2 miles deep and there isn’t a real beaten trail. It’s tough for sure but doable. It really sucks in warm Texas weather when you are trying to get the deer out in 80 degree weather. Not to mention we aren’t allowed to debone the meat until we get it to the final destination so you are at least carrying out 4 whole quarters, backstraps, head and proof of sex.

As for clothing it just is what it is. Whitetail hunting can be a lot of still hunting so you aren’t creating much body heat compared to western hunting. So stand or still hunting is just naturally bulkier. I have been using a Kifaru shapecharge the last couple of year for a majority of my hunts. If I go somewhere where I need a lot of layers and the need to pack out I just take my Exo 3600. Is the bag size overkill when I’m hunting whitetail? Sure. But it compresses down easily enough that it’s not an issue.