Long Cut
WKR
- Joined
- May 24, 2019
- Messages
- 575
Mobile Hunters are like cross-fitter's, not a lot of folks do it but they’ll be sure to tell you about it.
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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 ...
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...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….
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.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.
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.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 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.^^^
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.
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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.
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.
clothing to sit still in sub freezing temperatures is bulky.
Nothing changes that.
Why does everyone want to shove bulky clothes inside of a pack? Strap them to it.
You don’t need a pack big enough to shove a sleeping bag in. Just strap it to the outside.
Another one that grinds my gears on whitetail tree stand huntjng packs. What do you need compartments or storage for? You’re sitting in a tree for a few hours. You need a grunt call(maybe), a sandwich, a bottle of water, and a thermacel. 3 of the 4 fit in cargo pockets.
Disagree here...how can I strap them to my pack when my climbing sticks and platform are strapped to the pack? Then, if I kill a deer, Im really screwed.
Also disagree on the compartmentalization part; I complain nonstop because Eberlestock doesnt have a compartment-heavy attachment to their F1 EMOD mainframe which I use. I love compartments bc in my bag I keep my call, rattle pack, snacks, drinks, toilet paper, and since I film my hunts (for my own personal enjoyment), I have my camera and camera gear. Then during muzzleloader season I have extra bullets, powder, caps, and a bullet starter. Then I need a small kill kit for if I kill something (knife, gloves, game bags).
Granted, I may carry more than most guys and Im definitely in the minority, but I want all the compartmentalization I can get when it comes to a bag. Im the opposite of the western guys who carry a 7000 cui bag and dump a weeks worth of stuff in there knowing theyre going to get it all out when they set up camp. I carry all that stuff but leave it in the bag and hang the bag in the tree. So imagine digging through mounds of stuff to get what youre looking for. Compartments make it so much easier to stay organized which makes things much quicker and smoother when in the tree.
I agree with the OP; Wish there were more types of packs and clothes marketed to my style of hunting, but I understand why there isnt as Im in the great minority of hunters
I can tell you the maniml bag by Kifaru has checked all the boxes since it came out. I put my platform and sticks behind the access pack. The stuff I need in the tree goes in the access pack. The main compartment will hold all my clothes and that includes a full fanatic set. Has the meat shelf to go with it.Disagree here...how can I strap them to my pack when my climbing sticks and platform are strapped to the pack? Then, if I kill a deer, Im really screwed.
Also disagree on the compartmentalization part; I complain nonstop because Eberlestock doesnt have a compartment-heavy attachment to their F1 EMOD mainframe which I use. I love compartments bc in my bag I keep my call, rattle pack, snacks, drinks, toilet paper, and since I film my hunts (for my own personal enjoyment), I have my camera and camera gear. Then during muzzleloader season I have extra bullets, powder, caps, and a bullet starter. Then I need a small kill kit for if I kill something (knife, gloves, game bags).
Granted, I may carry more than most guys and Im definitely in the minority, but I want all the compartmentalization I can get when it comes to a bag. Im the opposite of the western guys who carry a 7000 cui bag and dump a weeks worth of stuff in there knowing theyre going to get it all out when they set up camp. I carry all that stuff but leave it in the bag and hang the bag in the tree. So imagine digging through mounds of stuff to get what youre looking for. Compartments make it so much easier to stay organized which makes things much quicker and smoother when in the tree.
I agree with the OP; Wish there were more types of packs and clothes marketed to my style of hunting, but I understand why there isnt as Im in the great minority of hunters
Would you pay 2000.00 for the perfect pack suited to your needs exactly? Custom to you.
I can tell you the maniml bag by Kifaru has checked all the boxes since it came out. I put my platform and sticks behind the access pack. The stuff I need in the tree goes in the access pack. The main compartment will hold all my clothes and that includes a full fanatic set. Has the meat shelf to go with it.
Disagree here...how can I strap them to my pack when my climbing sticks and platform are strapped to the pack? Then, if I kill a deer, Im really screwed.
Also disagree on the compartmentalization part; I complain nonstop because Eberlestock doesnt have a compartment-heavy attachment to their F1 EMOD mainframe which I use. I love compartments bc in my bag I keep my call, rattle pack, snacks, drinks, toilet paper, and since I film my hunts (for my own personal enjoyment), I have my camera and camera gear. Then during muzzleloader season I have extra bullets, powder, caps, and a bullet starter. Then I need a small kill kit for if I kill something (knife, gloves, game bags).
Granted, I may carry more than most guys and Im definitely in the minority, but I want all the compartmentalization I can get when it comes to a bag. Im the opposite of the western guys who carry a 7000 cui bag and dump a weeks worth of stuff in there knowing theyre going to get it all out when they set up camp. I carry all that stuff but leave it in the bag and hang the bag in the tree. So imagine digging through mounds of stuff to get what youre looking for. Compartments make it so much easier to stay organized which makes things much quicker and smoother when in the tree.
I agree with the OP; Wish there were more types of packs and clothes marketed to my style of hunting, but I understand why there isnt as Im in the great minority of hunters
all fair points. To which I'd add:As someone whose requirements for deer hunting are a rifle, some ammo, a pair of good boots, a knife, and a blaze orange clothing item, I find the idea of specific clothing for whitetail hunting a bit silly. Everything I need fits in my pockets or on my body. For me, hunting means moving and moving means staying warm. I wear essentially the same gear to go hunting that I wear to walk my puppy in the morning.
When it is really cold out, I carry an assault pack with a bit more stuff in it in case I break my leg and need to stay warm until someone can come help me, but all my hunting needs can be accomplished wearing the same clothes I wear every other day at that time of year. The last time I gutted a deer, I was literally wearing a Peloton sweatshirt my ex-wife bought for me. That’s the same sweatshirt I wore to walk the puppy this morning.
An old dog leash wrapped around the antlers is enough to drag the biggest whitetail off the mountain or close enough to a truck.
Even if I went “deep” (a mile?) into the National Forest for some reason, I would not need any “whitetail specific” gear. I’d carry a larger pack so I could have some food and a sleeping bag. The last time I tried going “deep” into the National Forest I shot a big buck five minutes after entering the woods. I never even made it to the National Forest.
If I didn’t have private land, I’d have to add a forty minute drive in my truck to get over the mountain to National Forest. But once there, it would take me five minutes to be hunting.
I really think a lot of people over complicate things. Almost all this gear is to catch hunters, not animals.