What is your equipment upgrade strategy?

[northernalpine]

The great thing about the internets is that the collective audience comes from every aspect of life, to include financial; I have no doubt this forum covers the full spectrum.

As a family guy, I only do one aspect a year and use the bulk of my limited hunting budget for tags, trip costs, and bullets to shoot every week. This last year I scored two tags, upgraded my sleep system to a lighter and more comfortable setup, and left the rest for dedicated weekly shooting practice. This year I’m shooting for two tags again, scored rain gear during the end of year blow outs, and should be able to increase my shooting slightly.

So what is your approach to upgrading your equipment?

- Drop the big bucks every few years for a complete upgrade?
- Piecemeal certain aspects every year?
- Only upgrade when something fails or a new proven technology can replace an older technology?

 

[Geewhiz]

If I have an extra dollar I spend it on more hunting related crap. Thats my strategy.

 

[ArcherAnthony]

If there is a deal I can't pass up I buy it. Cabelas taking extra 10% off Rifles cost me 2 rifles. Cabelas 15% off everything else plus Rakuten 10% cash back plus Leupold taking $200 off cost me a new VX5.
The list goes on and on and on

 

[ODB]

So what is your approach to upgrading your equipment?

Is it broken or did it fail?

 

[northernalpine]

If there is a deal I can't pass up I buy it.

That’s a spendy approach, but I get it

 

[northernalpine]

Is it broken or did it fail?

I beat the snot out of my gear, this is usually what drives equipment purchase choices.

 

[jhm2023]

I reevaluate my gear at the end of big hunts and after hunting season, then try to make one or two big upgrades per year during the off season. I'm not all that rough on my gear, so I typically upgrade due to desired weight savings, increase efficiency, comfort, or boredom. Other than that, I'm financially irresponsible according to my financial advisor (wife), and spend more than I should on guns, suppressors and reloading stuff.

 

[Kurts86]

I generally keep a list during the season of things I would like to upgrade next year as a baseline but my actual purchases are usually triggered based on what tag I draw and the gear I would use on a given hunt. I also keep a list of gear to sell to partially fund upgrades.

The best gear deals tend to be Black Friday and December-February but also Memorial day and Labor Day sales are common. I always manage a few friends and family pro deal sales as well.

The amount of researched, quality gear I have seen outright fail in the last decade is incredibly low, like almost zero. If you take care of good gear it last for a decade or so at which time something better probably exists.

The nicer the gear you buy the fewer sales there are.

I used to do the camofire/hunt of the day deals but that accumulated a lot of redundant or unnecessary gear for me. It’s very helpful early on getting geared up but it has a ceiling.

 

[northernalpine]

I reevaluate my gear at the end of big hunts and after hunting season, then try to make one or two big upgrades per year during the off season. I'm not all that rough on my gear, so I typically upgrade due to desired weight savings, increase efficiency, comfort, or boredom. Other than that, I'm financially irresponsible according to my financial advisor (wife), and spend more than I should on guns, suppressors and reloading stuff.

It seems we use the same financial institutions

 

[northernalpine]

I generally keep a list during the season of things I would like to upgrade next year.

Same - learned the hard way what the retained heat difference is between 650 and 850 fill a few years ago.

I also keep a list of gear to sell to partially fund upgrades.

I am getting 4-5 years of use and haven’t had much luck with resale, more often than not I end up handing it down to buddies who have teenagers that need something to start with.

The nicer the gear you buy the fewer sales there are.

Fact

 

[pirogue]

I just need to draw more tags to be able to use the stuff I have, more. Gear wise, maybe another pack, even though I probably don’t need it. Being an older guy, I learned long ago to buy once, cry once. Upgraded my Swaro EL binos to the NL Pure, so should be good on optics for a few years. Did just buy a Spartan precision bipod from Happy Antelope( great company to deal with by the way). My bow is 4-5 years old, but doesn’t need replacing. Maybe another predator caller before long. Kinda like your health; be thankful for what you got, because you don’t have to look hard, to see those less fortunate.

 

[Kurts86]

I am getting 4-5 years of use and haven’t had much luck with resale, more often than not I end up handing it down to buddies who have teenagers that need something to start with.

Resale is really limited to expensive gear like optics, guns or other hard goods. Clothes resale only really works if something is high end, less than a year old and barely used. You have to flip stuff within a year or hold onto it for a decade.

 

[butcherboy]

I usually get what I need when I need it depending on the hunt and time of year. Purchases are very few and far between. I’ve had the same Cabela’s space rain gear for probably 25 years. Kifaru backpack for about 14 years. Same bow for 13 years. Same rifles from 30 years ago to the newest at 15 years. I’ve changed arrows and broadheads a few times. Same hunting boots for the last 16 years. My latest upgrades have been buying newer Kuiu and Sitka clothes, new boots this year, Stone Glacier pack this year. I’ve been selling old gear to pay for the new gear.

 

[Davisjj8]

I upgrade when I find a good deal a lot of the time as long as I can afford it or when I can wheel and deal for something better. I’m super picky about my deals though. Like my spotter for example. I started with no spotter, bought a vortex Diamondback hd 16-48 for 125. I traded for a 20-60x85. I sold that for 300 and bought a gen 1 viper that ended up being busted so I got the new viper for free through warranty. I sold that for 700 and bought a gen 1 razor for 550. Lasted me a couple years before it had issues and I ended up with the new razor. Next upgrade will be for a swaro Ats, but essentially I got a brand new razor for free.

 

[def90]

I don't really buy anything until I've come to a point that I've decided the cost is worth it. By then I've usually done enough research that it's a buy once cry once deal.

 

[Steve300xcw]

If I need shit, I buy it.

mix in a few drunken purchases throughout the year an I'm G2G

 

[*zap*]

check the classified ads regularly..

I wanted a katanaboy but they were pretty expensive. I own one now......

 

[NRA4LIFE]

I've hunted with guys in the past who HAD to have new gear every year, regardless if it was inferior to their old stuff. A new pack almost every year, new this, new that, I never got that. Me? I only buy under necessity. I lost a glove last year due to my own stupidity (left them on the tailgate of my truck), so I bought a new pair of gloves. I stayed a few extra days with my dad in MO last year so instead of trying to wash some socks and underwear, I bought some new socks and underwear.

Now guns, that's another story. WA put a ban on everything AR last year, so I felt I needed to build 3 more. But, I thought, necessity.

 

[northernalpine]

Same hunting boots for the last 16 years.

I don’t know what kind of boots you were rocking but that company should send you a pair just on principle. That’s like your car or truck making it to 500,000 miles without falling apart. Awesome.

My latest upgrades have been buying newer Kuiu and Sitka clothes, new boots this year, Stone Glacier pack this year. I’ve been selling old gear to pay for the new gear.

Solid.

 

[northernalpine]

I've hunted with guys in the past who HAD to have new gear every year, regardless if it was inferior to their old stuff. A new pack almost every year, new this, new that, I never got that.

I know a guy like that, but his paycheck is significant and he’s a 45 year old divorcee/bachelor with no kids…and he’s probably the saddest shooter out of the group I know. I won’t talk trash on someone with disposable income, same as I can’t hold it against someone who can afford to hunt certain types of animals that for most of us is a lifetime goal.

Now guns, that's another story. WA put a ban on everything AR last year, so I felt I needed to build 3 more. But, I thought, necessity.

Can’t blame you for that. I have some good friends up north of Spokane near Colville and they did the same thing before the laws went into effect. One might argue that’s just common sense