the official 2017 edition of "the good, the meh, and the ugly"

[CorbLand]

Good. I was able to take the girlfriend on a hunt this year. Spent 6 days chasing elk around the mountains. That was a good time.

Meh. Hunting was great this year. No Elk or Deer on the ground but it still beats working.

Bad. Had all my duck hunting stuff stolen. Lost about $500 worth of stuff. Found the kid that did it but can't really do anything about it. Sucks.

 

[Idahomnts]

Good: a lot of time in the field, got a pintler on glf, man it was nice after lots of miles under a horn hunter, north face furnace 0*, sconfeild head, bino mount(way more effective), got to try new said pack to haul meat, 2 year old German short hair doin awesome

Meh: klymit pad deflation, (customer service was great), restless night freezing in newest old bag , not a lot of game in known areas,

Bad : low game numbers , sleeping bag and pad lettin me down , resulting in early departure from mountain, lack of game was also not enough to keep me interested for another restless night , got it all figured out and looking forward

 

[IdahoElk]

Good-
- Kuiu Super down Pro,wow is this jacket warm! It's not cut as athletic like the previous super down and in addition to better arm cuffs and way more down fill it hangs lower in the rear to cover your lower back better.
- Cascade Mountain Carbon Trekking poles from Costco.These are definitely worth the money.
- Xped Mega 12 sleeping pad,yeah it's heavier than most mats but if you have a base camp or horse hunt it's the bomb,best sleep I've had in the woods ever.

 

[mfolch]

Nice to see this thread become revived after I started it last year.

The great:
My third child—a girl—born in October.

The good:
SG xcurve. Kifaru frame waist belts always seem to slip on me. I can put 60lbs in a sg and walk around with just the belt tightened and no weight on the shoulder straps, and it doesn’t slip at all.

The meh:
Sleepless from October to January because of the above.
Thinking of selling all my kifaru gear. After training with sg all fall and winter, my kifaru set up is looking more and more like money that’s locked up in a product that doesn’t work for me. But it’s like the ring from the hobbit; every time I pull the frame out and decide to sell it, I begin admiring the craftsmanship, the design, the beauty, and I put it back in the closet determined to revisit the decision at some later point.

The ugly:
Missed hunting season entirely to watch the newborn...
Schnee’s pack boots. Great design, but for the second year in a row, the rubber has started to crack and leak after wearing them for two months. I walk about five miles each day. They’re just not made for regular use.

 

[AK Troutbum]

The Good:
Sitka Gear Blizzard beanie. Putting your head into this hat is pure paradise. I didn't wear it too much while hunting, but wore it every night to bed.
Arctic Oven Artika tent. Best tent on the face of the planet...unless you have to pack it more than a few yards.
Scarpa Mont Blanc GTX boots. I can't seem to wear these boots out or break them down.
HMG Ultamid 4. For a two person spike camp shelter, this one provides tons of extra space and is super wind/storm resistant, and all for a mere 21 oz.
Helinox cot. I used this for the first time and slept like a log. Fast and easy setup, but I have to use a pad with it or I freeze my ass off.
Stone Glacier Sky 7400 and XC frame. I've been using this bag now for a couple seasons, used the new frame for the first time this season and love it.

The Meh:
Thermarest Zpad. I used this pad for the first time this year in combo with the Helinox cot and, well, I guess it performed like a $35 foam pad would be expected to perform. It did the job okay when it stayed under me, unfortunately keeping it under me was an issue.

The Ugly:
Seal Line zipper duffle dry bay. I left it out in the rain, like I do all my dry bags, and the zipper failed, allowing a fair amount of water into the bag. Fortunately there was nothing in the bag that couldn't take a little water. I notified Seal Line when I got home and mailed the bag back to them, and they promptly sent back a brand new one. Hopefully this one won't leak.
Thermarest UL cot. This was my buddy's cot, it took him about 20 min. to put together and one of the aluminum poles (that runs the length of the cot), ended up breaking on the 4th night of use.

 

[sneaky]

The Good:
Sitka Gear Blizzard beanie. Putting your head into this hat is pure paradise. I didn't wear it too much while hunting, but wore it every night to bed.
Arctic Oven Artika tent. Best tent on the face of the planet...unless you have to pack it more than a few yards.
Scarpa Mont Blanc GTX boots. I can't seem to wear these boots out or break them down.
HMG Ultamid 4. For a two person spike camp shelter, this one provides tons of extra space and is super wind/storm resistant, and all for a mere 21 oz.
Helinox cot. I used this for the first time and slept like a log. Fast and easy setup, but I have to use a pad with it or I freeze my ass off.
Stone Glacier Sky 7400 and XC frame. I've been using this bag now for a couple seasons, used the new frame for the first time this season and love it.

The Meh:
Thermarest Zpad. I used this pad for the first time this year in combo with the Helinox cot and, well, I guess it performed like a $35 foam pad would be expected to perform. It did the job okay when it stayed under me, unfortunately keeping it under me was an issue.

The Ugly:
Seal Line zipper duffle dry bay. I left it out in the rain, like I do all my dry bags, and the zipper failed, allowing a fair amount of water into the bag. Fortunately there was nothing in the bag that couldn't take a little water. I notified Seal Line when I got home and mailed the bag back to them, and they promptly sent back a brand new one. Hopefully this one won't leak.
Thermarest UL cot. This was my buddy's cot, it took him about 20 min. to put together and one of the aluminum poles (that runs the length of the cot), ended up breaking on the 4th night of use.

The Sitka incinerator hat is worth every penny too. Gore tex, insulated, with just a long enough brim to keep rain out of your face. One of my favorite pieces of gear this year.

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[sneaky]

Field tested and approved

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[Lawnboi]

I'll second that all the heavy sitka beanies and hats are unlike any other.

 

[nrh6.7]

Scarpa Mont Blanc GTX boots. I can't seem to wear these boots out or break them down.

How cold have you still been comfortable with these boots? Did you size up for extra socks?

 

[AK Troutbum]

Only wear thin liners and medium wt. hiking socks. I wear them on all my mt. hunts and all my training hikes, year around. So, some winter hikes during the day with temps down to as low as 10° or so. I tend not to go on hikes when it’s super bitter out so I’ve never used them in really cold temperatures.


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[BG775]

The good: the seek outside redcliff. Absolutely awesome and a great upgrade. Slept three guys with the stove going and still had room for all our gear. Great customer service too. Switched over to an underground quilt too. Can’t believe How much lighter it is. First trip out of state to ID for a cow elk

Meh: chukar hunting in NV. Last winter killed off a lot of birds.

The bad: my 15 year old wirehaired griffon passed last season. I had him since I was in my early twenties and he was an absolute stud

 

[nrh6.7]

Only wear thin liners and medium wt. hiking socks. I wear them on all my mt. hunts and all my training hikes, year around. So, some winter hikes during the day with temps down to as low as 10° or so. I tend not to go on hikes when it’s super bitter out so I’ve never used them in really cold temperatures.


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I bought the Grand Dru's a few months ago and am really starting to like them but they don't have any insulation, so was curious about the Mont Blanc. Thank for the info, may check them out.

 

[AK Troutbum]

I bought the Grand Dru's a few months ago and am really starting to like them but they don't have any insulation, so was curious about the Mont Blanc. Thank for the info, may check them out.

I love them, and as soon as they wear out, I will definitely buy the same. But, you know, boots are a very individualized thing.


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[Daubsnu1]

Week long trip to Sandhills of Nebraska. Stay in hotel, drive 40 minutes to public land, do this all by myself. Great time to disconnect and reconnect with nature. My list:

The Good:
- Kuiu Guide Jacket. Most of my outerwear is 15+ years old, and I'm a huge fan of Cabela's / Gore-Tex. Wanted to try something different and really liked the Guide. Kept warm, breathed well, liked the fit.
- Sitka Mt. Pants. Replaced my old cotton 6 pocket BDU's with these that were found at the Cabela's Bargain Cave. Very nice.
- Kuiu Attack Pants. Since the Mt. Pants above were virtuially free (1/2 price, sale coupon, Cabela's points), I when ahead and ordered the Attacks. Like them very much, especially the hip vents. They may be just a little too warm for me. I sweat a lot. But in colder weather I think they will work great. Will be good addition to the Mt. Pants.
- Thermarest Z

The Meh:
- Time for a new pack. The Cabela's rifle/bow pack just doesn't cut it any more. Need additional space and better layout. Kuiu Icon Pro ordered and on it's way.
- My truck was in the shop getting hail repair and rusty rocker panels replaced. Thankfully my brother loaned me his truck. Very much appreciated! But I really missed having the ol Big Block.

The Ugly:
- Got in to something, and had horrible poison-ivy-like-rash in my eyes and down in my junk. Even with steroids from the doc, took a good three weeks to clear up.
- Wide ranging temps...lows in the 20's, highs in the 70's. And saw this little guy walking in the Sandhills...Yep, that's a black widow! Rattle snakes, mountain lions, and these little bastards...

-

 

[Huntindog45]

Week long trip to Sandhills of Nebraska. Stay in hotel, drive 40 minutes to public land, do this all by myself. Great time to disconnect and reconnect with nature. My list:

The Good:
- Kuiu Guide Jacket. Most of my outerwear is 15+ years old, and I'm a huge fan of Cabela's / Gore-Tex. Wanted to try something different and really liked the Guide. Kept warm, breathed well, liked the fit.
- Sitka Mt. Pants. Replaced my old cotton 6 pocket BDU's with these that were found at the Cabela's Bargain Cave. Very nice.
- Kuiu Attack Pants. Since the Mt. Pants above were virtuially free (1/2 price, sale coupon, Cabela's points), I when ahead and ordered the Attacks. Like them very much, especially the hip vents. They may be just a little too warm for me. I sweat a lot. But in colder weather I think they will work great. Will be good addition to the Mt. Pants.
- Thermarest Z

The Meh:
- Time for a new pack. The Cabela's rifle/bow pack just doesn't cut it any more. Need additional space and better layout. Kuiu Icon Pro ordered and on it's way.
- My truck was in the shop getting hail repair and rusty rocker panels replaced. Thankfully my brother loaned me his truck. Very much appreciated! But I really missed having the ol Big Block.

The Ugly:
- Got in to something, and had horrible poison-ivy-like-rash in my eyes and down in my junk. Even with steroids from the doc, took a good three weeks to clear up.
- Wide ranging temps...lows in the 20's, highs in the 70's. And saw this little guy walking in the Sandhills...Yep, that's a black widow! Rattle snakes, mountain lions, and these little bastards...
View attachment 65764
-

That sounds like those middle America crabs... it’s a bitch when they get in your eyebrows too.....


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[mtwarden]

Nice to see this thread become revived after I started it last year.

.
The ugly:
Missed hunting season entirely to watch the newborn...
Schnee’s pack boots. Great design, but for the second year in a row, the rubber has started to crack and leak after wearing them for two months. I walk about five miles each day. They’re just not made for regular use.

Yup- very good thread- wanted to make it an annual affair- tons of good info!

Congrats on the new one!

Funny I wore my Schnee pacs more this year than any other (we were hit with early, heavy snow that stayed)- I was putting 8-14 mile days in and they were great. They're 20 years old now, with untold miles (lots though) and not an issue one. I do know the tread pattern has changed (mine are just plain air bobs), possibly the rubber too??????

 

[nrh6.7]

I love them, and as soon as they wear out, I will definitely buy the same. But, you know, boots are a very individualized thing.


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Sounds like you've got your money's worth! Since the mont blanc is the insulated big brother of the grand dru I think they would work. Thanks.

 

[flatlanderhuffandpuff]

The Good-

First Western hunt. Colorado backcountry elk rifle hunt. My dad was able to take a cow on the 2nd to last day and It might as well have been a record setting bull. There have been few times in my like that I have seen him so excited. I did a small photo series on the instagram in my signature.

My dear wife. She gave me her blessing to travel across the country to live in the mountains chasing animals while taking care of our 2 month old son for 11 days.

Diligent research and planning. If we would have tried to wing the trip we did we would have been in for a world of hurt. Pretty much all of the gear we took performed just as we needed it to. Every minute of research paid dividends on our enjoyment and success.

Crispi boots-Comfortable and supportive under heavy loads and tough terrain.

Sitka Kelvin lite- Great warmth to weight.

Garmin Delorme inreach. Worked great.

Nosler Partition 150 grain in .270- I killed three deer this season with my rifle and all three dropped on the spot from broadside lung shots. I typically shoot them in the lungs if broadside but they never get dropped like that. I give the credit to the bullet.

Starbucks via and Jetboil. I started taking my jetboil with me for whitetail stand and blind hunting. A nice mid day treat to have a hot cup of coffee.

Meh- Kuiu kenia insulated pants. Didn't fit me the way they should have. Still wear them because I paid good money for them but not a good fit. Good warmth when stationary.

The bad- The OnX for Iphone worked all the times when I didn't need it but not when I did need it. I missed some prime morning time by being on a steep section in the dark without the map showing on my phone.

 

[Jimi Nugent]

Spent all of September and October guiding in western Wyoming and came away with a lot of revelations regarding my gear. Spetember got very cold, very fast this year in Wyoming and was much different than the usual September archery hunting that I'm used to in Oregon. As such, most of my warm weather archery gear got left in the wall tent pretty early on and the cold weather gear got put to a pretty extreme test.

The Good;

Sitka Stormfront Gaiter
I put these on the first day we had snow on the ground, and I wore them every single day after regardless of the weather. They were absolutely awesome. Totally bombproof, I wore them through knee deep mud, snow up to your waist, crossing countless streams, waded in them across the Greys River, you name it and they held up to it. The one piece of gear that no matter what the conditions or the plan was for the day, I would not leave my tent without them.

Kuiu Icon Pro 3200
I started out the season with both the 5200 and 3200 bags and an Icon Pro frame. I used the 5200 for the first couple days and then pared my kit down a little bit and swapped the bags out in favor of the 3200. It was great, plenty of room to spike out for a few days if you wanted to and more than enough room for a daypack. It is lightweight, tough, quiet, and had more than enough pockets to organize all my gear. There were a few days when the weather was very extreme that I had it filled up, but admittedly I was really loading up with extra warm gear in anticipation of long glassing sessions in bad conditions. I had a couple long, heavy packouts and it handled the load very well.

Sitka Kelvin Down Hoody and Kelvin Lite Pant
These were awesome! They compress down into a small stuff sack that Sitka sends with them. I literally crammed both of them in the same stuff sack and just kept it down in the bottom of my pack for most all of October. Weight wise, you dont even know they are there in your pack. When you get to a glassing spot where you know you are going to be for a bit, I would pull them out and slip them on over all my other gear. The pants have full leg zips which make them easy to put on over your outerwear and boots very quickly. It could be 15 degrees out with wind blasting you, and these incredible pieces keep you toasty and warm. They are spendy pieces of gear, but they are worth it. With them on, you are better able to focus on the job at hand of glassing up some bucks and bulls instead of fighting the weather and trying to stay warm.

The Meh;

Lowa Tibet Pro Boots
I hate to put these boots in the Meh category. They are uninsulated which is what I usually prefer. In the warm weather these boots are great. I put a shit ton of miles on these boots and they held up great, provided excellent traction in super snotty slick conditons and never leaked, even when fording the Greys River. That all sounds awesome, and I do love these boots! The problem was once the weather turned cold, my feet absolutely froze. No matter whether wearing sock liners and heavy merino wool socks, etc... my feet froze in these boots once it got chilly. These boots just provided zero in the way of warmth. Next year I will use these only on warm days and get another pair with heavy insulation for the cold days.

Schonfeld Sportsmans Aluminum Tripod
First, the build quality on this tripod is very nice. It is lightweight at just over 2lbs, which is nice for strapping it to your pack and not feeling too loaded down. It has the twist tensioners which makes deployment very quick for when you need to get a fast closer look at that fleeting buck. The problem with it is that it's just a bit too short. When fully setup with the spotter on top, a 6 foot tall dude has to slightly crouch or bend over just a little to get a full view through the spotter. That doesn't sound like too big of a deal, and many times you are sitting or kneeling while glassing, so in those cases this fault doesn't even come into play. That said, I dealt with this every single day for 2 months straight, and when you are trying to put exact tine lengths on a buck at 1000 yards out, it makes it very difficult when you are slightly hunched over. It is hard to be very still when you are slightly hunched or have your legs slightly bent. Just not optimal for the job and I want gear that makes my job easier. The tripod is still very nice, but I think I'll be handing it down to my wife for her to use.

The Bad;

Kuiu Bino Harness
I did not like these at all. I had the Sitka Bino Bivy and used them for most of the season, but another guide and I traded optics for about a week and we also traded bino harnesses just to simplify the tradeoff. These were not comfortable, and made accessing my bino's a pain in the ass. Almost to the point where I felt like I didn't even want to pull out my binos and glass many times. Seriously, I'd be riding my horse and pop over a ridge see what may be a stump or an elk and mentally didn't even want to pull the binos out to look. Obviously I would, but this piece of gear just made accessing my optics a chore. The next week I was super happy to have my Sitka Bino Bivy back!


I'll try to revisit this thread when I have more time as I used a ton of different gear over the course of two straight months in the mountains and some of it performed great, and some not so much.

Good hunting guys!

 

[Ridge Ghost]

Good:
New Tikka T3x. Love the weight savings over my old Remington, love the crisp trigger and action.

OnXmaps app. Downloaded layers ahead of time to use later in offline mode. Worked great and this was the first year I never pulled my GPS out of my pack.

Meh:
Kifaru Gunbearer. I much prefer this method for carrying my rifle as opposed to a strap. It rubbed the finish off my rifle scope though. I never could get it adjusted right to make this stop. Not too happy about it.

Bad:
First Lite Red Desert boxer. Blew through two pairs this year. After reading this thread, it sounds like I'm not the first one to have durability issues. I much prefer merino over stinky synthetic, but can't afford to keep replacing them at this rate.

Kenetrek Pacs. Kept my feet toasty warm while elk hunting in the snow. However, my heel slipped all over the place when doing any sort of uphill. Not the best boot for hiking in rough terrain. I picked up a pair of insulated Lowa Hunters after the season ended to replace the pacs on late season hunts.