What gear are you going to ditch (or ditched)?

[AZ8]

Yes if it were hot weather that would figure in but I normally hunt cold weather (snow in the pic).
The BO XL bags I have are 26 oz and it saves space in a day pack that's usually full

Yeah. It’s a “little“ warmer here in Arizona..haha….lots of flies!

Ive been happy with the Alaskan game bags. They compact nicely at the bottom of my pack.

 

[Mtnboy]

Count me in for ditching a Havlon after quite a few years of only using them.

I don't have a lot of issues changing the blades but I just think they are too dangerous to use out in BFE as mentioned by others. I BARELY touched my hand with one this summer cleaning the hide off a skull and it split my hand wide open, a similar graze with a normal knife would not have even cut me....I shudder at thinking what could happen in the field if you had a real accident with one.

I'm also not in love with the wastefulness of throwing away the blades but the main reason for ditching it was not wanting to accidentally start a surgery on my hands while in the field.

 

[MT_Wyatt]

Ditching TAG bags for Argali. Want a shape that is a bit more versitile.

 

[roosiebull]

No sir, still skin & quarter everything up & just hang them up with a short piece of P cord or over a limb while you take the first load back to camp / truck. Of course if you're in griz country you need to hang higher but it's just a personal preference to not carry around the other bags.

View attachment 350813

Around here in September, the blow flies would make a nasty mess without bags… takes them no time

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Trail cameras as they will be illegal to use in AZ come January 1.

 

[KChunter71]

I’d like to upgrade to range finding binoculars, seems much easier than switching back and forth.

I should of when I bought my SLC Swarovski’s but like a hand unit when bow hunting. But that might change now that the binos range closer for bow ranges.

 

[lifeisgoodsteve]

Been carrying 8x and 15x Meopta. Too much weight. Gonna do just 12x Meopta.

I invested a little more in the 7x Leica rangefinder which I use if close quarters thick timber, combined with a 15x for the open country. So far so good, but also tempted by 12x.

Ditched jetboil a year ago for simple overnights. Clif Bar makes an Espresso bar so in the morning I can get a mini-coffee fix without the weight of stove and time to cook.

 

[Fatcamp]

I invested a little more in the 7x Leica rangefinder which I use if close quarters thick timber, combined with a 15x for the open country. So far so good, but also tempted by 12x.

Ditched jetboil a year ago for simple overnights. Clif Bar makes an Espresso bar so in the morning I can get a mini-coffee fix without the weight of stove and time to cook.

I can't handhold my 15x very well. The smaller 12x seem to be a choice for many

 

[Elk97]

Ditched my bear spray (have carried both for years) and only carry pistol. Main reason to ditch is I didn't want any mental second guessing at crunch time. Had two close encounters with griz this year and felt fine with just the 44. Only reason I had for carrying both was as back up after an initial attack in case my gun hand was damaged, and that's still a consideration, but it's also extra weight and the can bangs into my bow on my left side.

 

[Scoot]

Will add I ditched OnX for Gaia maps. OnX has better interface but im liking Gaia overall.

Haha I dumped Gaia and went back to OnX. Not sure I'm fully in love with either...

 

[Ten Bears]

I have went fully stoveless and dropped carrying/buying dehydrated/freeze dried foods on all my trips. I just can't handle the amount of salt and bubble gut I get from it and it takes up so much space in the pack.

I might still carry in my pocket rocket from time to time to heat water, etc. Just going strictly bars, nuts, cured meats, pita, etc for dinner.

 

[Newtosavage]

No sir, still skin & quarter everything up & just hang them up with a short piece of P cord or over a limb while you take the first load back to camp / truck. Of course if you're in griz country you need to hang higher but it's just a personal preference to not carry around the other bags.

View attachment 350813

This is how I did it this year. One bag in my kill kit for the first pack out, then I'll grab my dedicated meat hauler and another bag and go back in.

 

[GreenNDark Timber]

Ditched (on most hunts) my Swaro 10x42 SLCs for 8x25 CL binos

Ditched my handheld Garmin GPS for my phone with Gaia. I know, I'm slow on this one but it took me a while to fully trust it so I was carrying both.

Ditched my point and shoot camera for my phone. Again, late to the party, but my phone camera is just now high enough quality that I'm comfortable without a camera and now my phone now has a self timer function.

For whitetails, I ditched my deer cart or dragging and now bone them all in the field and use my Lone Wolf stand as a pack frame so I eliminate an extra trip back in.

 

[Highvoltage1]

For those with the knives with interchangeable blades… I’ve used the same outdoor edge blade for 3 years. Multiple elk and whitetails. I bring the lansky quad sharpener and resharpen in the field. No reason to go through blades. The outdoor edge is the best I’ve owned so far, which isn’t saying much but if definitely gets it done. Best wishes

 

[Firemedic710]

My kryptek takur is at the very top of my “to ditch “ list

stone glacier bino harness

kudu broadheads also… still think they are great for the price, but red flags have appeared over the years

What’s making you ditch the takur gear? Been using it for 2 years and have been pretty happy.

 

[roosiebull]

What’s making you ditch the takur gear? Been using it for 2 years and have been pretty happy.

it didn't hold up at all for me.... among the worst i have tried. not much rain gear holds up on the coast for long. i had about 10 days wearing mine until i was getting soaked on my lower half. that's the one thing i like from kuiu, they have rain gear dialed... now to finish the year, i'm wearing my 2 year old kutana storm shell and staying a lot drier. the whole zipper scenario on the takur would be enough for me to not buy again, even if it did hold up.... they obviously don't hunt in rain gear much. i got the jupiter set for my wife, and it's holding up better... back to my point though, on the pants, the little storm flaps on the pockets are put on backwards, so rather than shedding water, they capture it, haha... i wanted to like kryptek, but what i bought this past year is the last kryptek i will buy.... they may use good materials, but too much of the design seems like an afterthought.... for the price, i can do way better

 

[bsnedeker]

For those with the knives with interchangeable blades… I’ve used the same outdoor edge blade for 3 years. Multiple elk and whitetails. I bring the lansky quad sharpener and resharpen in the field. No reason to go through blades. The outdoor edge is the best I’ve owned so far, which isn’t saying much but if definitely gets it done. Best wishes

Lol...my buddy does the same thing. Seems very odd to me to carry a device to sharpen the garbage blades they put on those knives....why carry a knife with disposable blades if you aren't going to dispose of them? Part of the reason I went to a Tyto in the first place was to save weight, so if I have to carry a sharpener with me it defeats the purpose. Why not just carry a real knife that will hold an edge through multiple animals?

 

[roosiebull]

Lol...my buddy does the same thing. Seems very odd to me to carry a device to sharpen the garbage blades they put on those knives....why carry a knife with disposable blades if you aren't going to dispose of them? Part of the reason I went to a Tyto in the first place was to save weight, so if I have to carry a sharpener with me it defeats the purpose. Why not just carry a real knife that will hold an edge through multiple animals?

Agree!
I used a piranta for several years, couldn’t kill that cheesy knife, and bought a tyto in the name of being proactive, which I like

I want to like real knives, but none stay sharp enough through an elk including my altitude. I have a Dalstrong that’s a better blade, but can’t make it through an elk, so I carry a real knife for looks, and a tyto for business, haha

I used to occasionally break blades, but haven’t for years since I learned their limitations

I have my procedure down and it takes 2 blades for an elk, including lower legs cut off at the joints

 

[Firemedic710]

it didn't hold up at all for me.... among the worst i have tried. not much rain gear holds up on the coast for long. i had about 10 days wearing mine until i was getting soaked on my lower half. that's the one thing i like from kuiu, they have rain gear dialed... now to finish the year, i'm wearing my 2 year old kutana storm shell and staying a lot drier. the whole zipper scenario on the takur would be enough for me to not buy again, even if it did hold up.... they obviously don't hunt in rain gear much. i got the jupiter set for my wife, and it's holding up better... back to my point though, on the pants, the little storm flaps on the pockets are put on backwards, so rather than shedding water, they capture it, haha... i wanted to like kryptek, but what i bought this past year is the last kryptek i will buy.... they may use good materials, but too much of the design seems like an afterthought.... for the price, i can do way better

Not sure what it is with breathable rain gear But seems to be a qc issue with every brand. My kuiu yukon set left me wet and took forever to dry out. I’ve got about 45 days of sheep moose and caribou hunting with some pretty awful weather in the takur set and has been solid. Definitely agree with about the zipper. Glad the kutana is working out for you, that was gonna be my next pick if these didn’t hold up.

 

[roosiebull]

Not sure what it is with breathable rain gear But seems to be a qc issue with every brand. My kuiu yukon set left me wet and took forever to dry out. I’ve got about 45 days of sheep moose and caribou hunting with some pretty awful weather in the takur set and has been solid. Definitely agree with about the zipper. Glad the kutana is working out for you, that was gonna be my next pick if these didn’t hold up.

Yeah, none are perfect! I have had 2 sets of chugach (and a third coat) and 2 sets of Yukon and now the kutana which has been great… the takur was like my 2 sets of Sitka rain gear and got pin holed out fast, kuiu does a lot better in the salmonberry and devils club and briars, with the original chugach being the best (before the nx version) that was a great set of rain gear

none of it breathes as well as pit zips, so holding up in the brush is #1 for me

in the future if you get kutana, it’s cut smaller, almost a size I would say