What’s Your Most Reliable Piece of Hunting Gear?

[Nextbuyers]

Hey everyone,
I’ve been looking over my kit and thinking about which pieces of gear I absolutely trust when I’m out in the field. Some items just never let you down..whether it’s a backpack that’s seen a decade of hunts, boots that hold up no matter the terrain, or a piece of glass that always comes through when you need it.
So I’m curious:

• What’s the single most reliable piece of hunting gear you own?

• How long have you been using it?

• Have you found anything that outperforms it over the years?

I think it’ll be interesting to hear what gear has stood the test of time for different hunters here.

Looking forward to your responses.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

I’ve always told newer backpackers and backpack hunters that the one piece of gear other than a properly set up first aid kit, that can save your life out there, is a properly rated sleeping bag. A bag that can withstand conditions, doesn’t wet out easily, and when does get wet, dries quickly.

I’ve used western mountaneering down bags since the late 90s. There isn’t a bag I’ve used yet that has the same longevity, lack of down degradation in heavy use, face material quality, stitching quality, the list goes on. They work and keep on working in what I’ve seen with mine and friends over the years.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

My Filson blaze orange vest. Someone gave it to me about 30 years ago and it is still doing very well.

My Kershaw Folding Field knife has also always been reliable. It breaks the pelvic arch on deer like nothing and never seems to need sharpening.


____________________
“Keep on keepin’ on…”

 

[Steve300xcw]

04 tacoma

 

[Ucsdryder]

Vortex LHT scope.

5 years of murdering furry critters.

 

[ChrisA]

870 Wingmaster

 

[bigunit]

Kifaru stryker xl and leica geovids

 

[survivalistd]

 

[Pochunter97]

Havalon piranha for me. I’ve had mine for probably 8 years and have cut up more big game then I can count and it still works like knew. Last knife you’ll ever buy!

 

[justinspicher]

This nod probably goes to my MR pintler. I’ve had it for almost ten years, made some mods and use all year for everything.

 

[Decker9]

Iv been using a kifaru DT1 bag since 2011/12 for sheep and goat hunts, often multiple trips a year. I think the only way to wreck it would be from stink or fire.

 

[Billy Goat]

Leupold vx3.


I can count on exactly what it will do.

 

[Matt5266]

Myself.....I just keep plugging along, sometimes filling a tag sometimes not. I trust in myself and can count that I'll piss my wife off every season.... I leave on the 4th for a week of antelope. Wish me luck

 

[grfox92]

Honestly it seems like almost all of my gear has been pretty unreliable regardless of price point and alleged quality.

Montana Black Gold slider. Un reliable and fragile.

Kenetreks. Heal seams blown out on both boots, soles worn down to slicks in 2 seasons.

Zoleo. Unreliable, sometimes takes hours to transmit messages.

Seek Unaweep 4800. Needed constant adjustment never fit correctly. (I ditched it and got a K4 last year)

Kuiu Guide Jacket. Love it but the draw string broke the first time I used it.

Havalon Piranta. Blades break and slip out of the knife.

Trekking poles. I break them every year.

Kenetrek gaitors. Broke 2 pairs in one season.

Maven binos. Eye cups always coming loose.

AGC Bino harness. Always came loose and sloppy.

I have since upgraded a lot of this stuff but only have 1 season on alot of it.


So far my Exo K4 has worked flawless.

FHF Bino harness stays put.

OR Crocadile Gaitors. Bombproof.

My cheap $69 Amazon Manfroto knock off tripod has been chugging along for 8 years.

Steripen. Just works.

Cheap $12 Amazon iso butane stove with the orange ignitor lasted me 6 seasons of hard use before my Pard lost it. I replaced it with the same one.

Sent from my SM-G990U using Tapatalk

 

[LCguy]

Coleman Peak backpacking stove. $20 at Walmart and never misses a backpacking trip in the summer or a hunting trip in the fall. Especially love that it's adjustable to you can actually "cook" with it.

 

[casey36]

I would say a Boker lock back knife i bought in Germany in 1987. After that, my Leica Ultravids. Guess ive got a bit of a German thing going here.

 

[mtnbound]

I'm mostly solo on my outdoor activities, and the invention of satellite communicator technology allows me to give my wife a great sense of peace of mind knowing she can see where I am and can contact me. It began with the original Spot units and continued with multiple versions of InReach, culminating in the Mini2. Happy wife, happy life.

 

[Smokey Bear]

Honestly it seems like almost all of my gear has been pretty unreliable regardless of price point and alleged quality.

Montana Black Gold slider. Un reliable and fragile.

Kenetreks. Heal seams blown out on both boots, soles worn down to slicks in 2 seasons.

Zoleo. Unreliable, sometimes takes hours to transmit messages.

Seek Unaweep 4800. Needed constant adjustment never fit correctly. (I ditched it and got a K4 last year)

Kuiu Guide Jacket. Love it but the draw string broke the first time I used it.

Havalon Piranta. Blades break and slip out of the knife.

Trekking poles. I break them every year.

Kenetrek gaitors. Broke 2 pairs in one season.

Maven binos. Eye cups always coming loose.

AGC Bino harness. Always came loose and sloppy.



Sent from my SM-G990U using Tapatalk

 

[5MilesBack]

I don't know. I have a lot of stuff that I've had for decades that still works well. I still use the daypack that I've been using for the past 20 years. This will be year 13 for my favorite pair of Zamberlan boots. My bow release is 20 years old, sleeping bag is 36 years old, Toyota 4x4 is 37 now this month, wall tent 18 years old......etc, etc. I tend to find stuff that works, and I stick with it.

 

[Carr5vols]

API Grand Slam Stealth turns 30 this year and I use it multiple times every year. When I do climb my last tree I hope it is with that stand.