What is your equipment upgrade strategy?

[LostWapiti]

Agreed. I don’t mind the weight of my Exo and it carries weight like a champ. This is a perfect example - how long did you have your previous pack for and how many seasons do you have on your 5900?

I previously had a mystery ranch metcalf which was working fine but the guys at stone glacier hooked me up what I was leading an NGO club in college 7 years ago and that thing has been going strong ever since. I have no plan to replace it unless I see an opportunity for massive weight savings from Stone Glacier. I love the X frame and am not gonna let anyone pry it from my cold dead hands.

 

[Koda_]

My baseline kit is solid, but it seems like every year one of the key items is due for a lifecycle so to speak. At this point it’s almost like a predictable schedule of maintenance purchases.

This is where you want to be, it shows experience in selecting the right gear you need that lasts you until its lifecycle is up. I cant imagine buying entire new setups every couple years like people upgrade cellphones.
An advantage is also if something does actually break in the field I usually have its old equivalent thats still in usable condition. I have a couple maintenance clothing purchases this year but I could also skip buying them and be ready to go another year. I dont baby my stuff but I dont abuse them either.

 

[northernalpine]

I previously had a mystery ranch metcalf which was working fine but the guys at stone glacier hooked me up what I was leading an NGO club in college 7 years ago and that thing has been going strong ever since. I have no plan to replace it unless I see an opportunity for massive weight savings from Stone Glacier. I love the X frame and am not gonna let anyone pry it from my cold dead hands.

That’s a perfect example of an “ad hoc upgrade”

 

[JohnJohnson]

My upgrade strategy? Incoherent and constantly sabotaged by my goldfish-like attention span. However on a meta-level I tend to identify a need and then spend more money than I need to in order to have the peace of mind that I couldn't have done better. The latest upgrade is that I just bought a Ckye Pod (lightweight single pull) because extending/shortening my Atlas CAL's legs just annoyed the hell out of me and sometimes required I get off the gun to adjust them. A few days before that I bought a folding chassis because I got annoyed about transporting my rifle + 9" suppressor via backpack/truck.

 

[roadrunner]

Wouldn't say I upgrade much of anything, more like find a replacement when it's time.

 

[northernalpine]

My upgrade strategy? Incoherent and constantly sabotaged by my goldfish-like attention span. However on a meta-level I tend to identify a need and then spend more money than I need to in order to have the peace of mind that I couldn't have done better. The latest upgrade is that I just bought a Ckye Pod (lightweight single pull) because extending/shortening my Atlas CAL's legs just annoyed the hell out of me. A few days before that I bought a folding chassis because I got annoyed about transporting my rifle + 9" suppressor via backpack/truck.

This is the best answer in this whole thread, I almost spit my beer out on your opening line. Well played sir, well played

 

[ericacymcdonald]

I drop hints to my wife I'm thinking of upgrading and if she doesn't seem to get mad I buy it

 

[northernalpine]

I drop hints to my wife I'm thinking of upgrading and if she doesn't seem to get mad I buy it

Does she know the difference or is it all just “hunting stuff”? I only ask because mine is definitely the latter.

 

[ericacymcdonald]

Does she know the difference or is it all just “hunting stuff”? I only ask because mine is definitely the latter.

The later, and it's actually better. Pretty sure she thinks a nice binocular upgrade is like 100 bucks

 

[northernalpine]

The later, and it's actually better. Pretty sure she thinks a nice binocular upgrade is like 100 bucks

Living’ the dream lol

 

[LostWapiti]

The later, and it's actually better. Pretty sure she thinks a nice binocular upgrade is like 100 bucks

For a $50 fee I will manufacture any invoices needed so you can buy NLs for $100.

 

[Koda_]

This seems to be the longest service life out of anything we buy, the only times I’ve purchased with working gear in my storage bins is if so needed something larger to accommodate more people. I still have a Coleman dual burner from 20 years ago that works like a champ.

My camping stuff blends in with my backpacking stuff and definitely lasts way longer. My oldest item is my UL tent is still my favorite after 15ish years.
I seem to have a weakness for backpacking stoves though I dont know why I cant find the "perfect" stove so I have like 5 of them (all functional).

As far as vehicle based camping goes cookwear is easy... a campfire grill and a cast iron skillet or dutch oven is all I need and those last forever.

It seems like the highest turnover is hunting clothes (4-6yrs) then hunting gear like packs, shooting sticks, bino pouches, then camp setup.

 

[Marble]

I never do a complete upgrade. I have purchased several pieces of clothing freezing my ass off.

I generally piecemeal stuff. I but my favorites from each brand and wear what works.

If I do have a gear failure, I find the issue and either fix or replace it.

After decades of western backcountry hunting, my gear is dialed in. I purchased gear as my budget allowed. Nowadays, each year it is fairly inexpensive to go since I have what I need.



Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk

 

[robtattoo]

If it breaks or wears out I'll oooooooooh! Shiny!

I joke, obviously. The only things I've actually uploaded/replaced in the last 3(?) years are a couple of rifle stocks & 2 pairs of hunting pants that outgrew me.

I would like to get some decent, cold weather gear this year, but as I get older it's getting increasingly easier to stick my head out the door & go "Nooooope" than it is to drop multiple hundreds on 2 items of clothing.

 

[Yoder]

I generally buy new things when they wear out or if after some use, I decide it's not going to work for me. I'm not buying a new $2k Hoyt every year just because it's "better" than last year.

 

[5MilesBack]

I started big game hunting with a rifle 44 years ago this year. Every year after hunting season I assess how the season went.........what worked well.......and what didn't. If it didn't......then what is available that will overcome that, and will work better. I do a cost/benefit analysis on everything I buy, and then hunt and search for the best deals I can find on those items all through the off-season.

It doesn't help when you change over to archery hunting (some 18 years ago) and have to get completely re-outfitted for totally different gear for different seasons and different methods. This is where you can really rack up the costs.

In general, I'm pretty picky and I demand quality. The items I use WILL perform as I demand they do, or they won't be around for long. I test a lot of gear through the off-season. Having said that, I still have and use many items that are 15-30+ years old. They just flat out work for me. My favorite pair of Zamberlan boots are going on year 12, and I've used them every archery elk season since 2013. They are getting resoled soon, in the next couple months. I also have a pair of Crispi's that I had resoled last year.

 

[ericacymcdonald]

For a $50 fee I will manufacture any invoices needed so you can buy NLs for $100.

Unfortunately swarovski also makes jewelry so that is the 1 brand I can't pull a fast one on! haha

 

[Walmart Greeter]

The stuff I have has been killing deer and elk for 20 years. If I have extra money I use it to spend more time in the woods.

 

[Boarmaster]

I started out buying what I could afford. I started with nothing. So back in the 80s it was army surplus woodland camo and waffle long handles. Firearm was a Remington 1100 that served as a quail, dove , turkey, deer and hog killer. Boots where some Chippiwaw snake boots. Most uncomfortable things I ever had on my feet. I used everything in every place I hunted. I hunted in Florida , South Carolina and Ohio.
As time went on I added a rifle and some better clothing. It was always linked to finances. Once I got making pretty good money I upgraded pretty quickly to quality gear. I went from $100 binos to Swaro ELs As an example. I havent bought much in the last 15 years Other than rifles. At 61 I may make an upgrade to my optics one more time. Well really its an update. I guess my strategy ,if i had one, was to save up the the best I could identify and then pony up for It. By buying what was the best I was satisfied with it and used it for many seasons.

 

[Dented]

My strategy is to stop buying better arrows, and use the money to become a better Indian...