'20- What Worked, What Didn't?

[ignorethefringes]

Well y'all, I need to kill time and do some final packing before I head out next week. Those of you that have a few hunts under your belt for 2020, tell me what worked, what didn't, what sucked, and what shined.

Go.

Also, this is definitely a tag on from the thread @Backofbeyond created last year.

 

[JLS]

Shined:

Hammer Bullets
MR Beartooth for packing heavy loads
Big Agnes Copper Spur in high winds (once it was oriented correctly w/ the wind direction)
Wall tent with a wood stove

Sucked:

26 gallon gas tank
Dried up water sources
Smoke

 

[jdf]

Shined:
Wrangler Outdoor Cargo pants for May Idaho hunt and September Elk/Deer/Bear hunt.
Jetboil that my wife can use on her own.
Exo packs.

Sucked:
Not more time to stay longer!

 

[MTLabrador]

I’m far from done this year, but so far I’ve been very happy with:

Stone Glacier Xcurve frame/Sky 5900, outstanding pack.
Western Mountaineering Antelope on a few single digit nights.
143 Hammer hunters in my .280.
Mora knives that are cheap, light, and extremely sharp.
Swarovski ATS 65 with 25-50 wide angle eyepiece. Light, clear, excellent spotting scope that works very well for picking apart the mountains.

Didn’t work:

Wyoming wind.
My little Stihl 170 when faced with 5 hours of cutting through deadfall.
Hiking and falling through deadfall.

 

[Flatrock]

Dang dude, it's barely mid-October!!! Hunting season isn't even half over!

This is becoming a popular yearly thread that @BlakeA got going a few years ago.

 

[noharleyyet]

What doesn't suk....Marlin 1895 45-70, good spring rains, lots of promising young bucks on game cams, plenty of grass for the cattle


What sukked....no '20 elk hunt to look fwd to, thus no gear pile

 

[JLS]

Mora knives that are cheap, light, and extremely sharp.

These are a GREAT value.

 

[MTLabrador]

These are a GREAT value.

I found myself leaving my fancy benchmade at home. I’ve never had a knife I could get as sharp as the Mora, a few minutes on a sharpener and it’s like a big Havalon.

 

[JLS]

Dang dude, it's barely mid-October!!! Hunting season isn't even half one quarter over!

LOTS of hunting left to do, I'm sure I'll break some shit between now and January.

One piece of gear I did add to my wish list is an MSR Windburner. It makes my SnowPeak stove seem laughable.

 

[Irrelevant]

Good:
Big Agnes Seedhouse - super lightweight and sturdy for a two man tent.
Nikon Monarch Spotter - had there been less smoke I would have loved this even more.
Nemo Fillo pillow - OMG where have you been all my life.
Costco wool slacks (though I wish they weren't pleated) - you haven't experienced breathable pants until you've hunted in lightweight wool slacks
Puffy pants - greatest thing since sliced bread.
Peak fuel dinners - very tasty

Bad:
costco wool socks - I knew better and still wore them... bad choice.
used manfrotto tripod - holy hell was it heavy and the cam locks broke 4 times.
exceptionally cheap tiny stove off amazon - technically it still works, but I need something a little better, and an insulated cup for coffee
Cheap Lowes paracord (I didn't bring it, but it still made hanging meat shittier than it should have been)
Single serving chicken and tuna packets... kinda gross
Replacement wind indicator powder - just didn't work as good as the original.

 

[Irrelevant]

One piece of gear I did add to my wish list is an MSR Windburner.

I will be getting one soon-ish as well.

 

[ignorethefringes]

Dang dude, it's barely mid-October!!! Hunting season isn't even half over!

This is becoming a popular yearly thread that @BlakeA got going a few years ago.

Like I said, I need to kill some time lol. My big hunt doesn't even start until next week.

 

[Bambistew]

I guess I would caveat it by saying things that should have worked better.

My 10yo BA Copper Spur tent leaked pretty bad, my fault for not checking seams we managed, but it was annoying in 7 days of rain. Not sure if I'll straight up replace it, seal it, or look for something different.
OR Gaiters, they still only last about 60 days of use, but I've yet to find ones that last any longer.
The new Mountain House meals same price and 25% less in them. Nice to figure out when in the field. Drinking spaghetti soup didn't impress me. Should have read the instructions.
My math skills and shooting at steep angles. Overshot a ram at 440 yards. #FUwhitesheep
Nikwax "dry down" wash in stuff. Didn't see any appreciable difference in performance.
Havalon knives are way overrated, I always forget this and realize as am staring at a pile of meat on the ground to cut up, and can picture my forchener sitting in the knife drawer at home.

Things that worked well
My new range SIG 2200 range finder, wish I would have bought it last summer
My frankenstein 375H&H moose straighten-outer
An olicamp pot, worked well for 2 people
rolling my own backcountry dinners
Asolo boots, sadly the model is now discontinued. First pair I've had in decades that remained waterproof for an entire hunt/season.
Platypus filter system
Havalon 22xt blades, way better for gutting than the shape tipped (60a?) blades. They don't break nearly as easy, and you don't run the risk of poking yourself so easily
My liver - Moose hunts are hard on them.

Hunting season is winding down here. A couple late season caribou hunts left and some lynx hunting, but winter is coming on fast.

 

[Sytes]

Shined:
InReach for family communication both ways and dry bags.
Sucked:
... time cut short. Unavoidable.

The modern dry bag has become a staple for my pack gear. It's extremely lightweight and compresses for minimal space. Example use as a potable container for camp water supply.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

LOTS of hunting left to do, I'm sure I'll break some shit between now and January.

One piece of gear I did add to my wish list is an MSR Windburner. It makes my SnowPeak stove seem laughable.

I've been using the Windburner as my primary for the last few years, LOVE it. I only switch to an inverted canister when it hits single digits and multiple days, which I try to avoid anyway ha.

 

[MTLabrador]

I've been using the Windburner as my primary for the last few years, LOVE it. I only switch to an inverted canister when it hits single digits and multiple days, which I try to avoid anyway ha.

Same. I broke mine this September and ended up buying another one after looking at a lot of options.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

A couple high and low lights.

Newer to me stuff that's good:
--Bison Tactical pic rail adapter for tripod plate. I have picatinny rails on the front of both of my hunting guns, and a QR adapter is just what I needed to make a rock solid tripod setup for the cost of a couple ounces.
--80mm Swaro, bumped up from 65, for what I do it's worth the weight
--Hoka Sky Kaha Boot. These replaced the Tor Hi, they are not the most durable but very easy on the feet for miles and miles.
--Peak Refuel meals, for an off the shelf option probably my favorite meals thus far.

Not so good:
--Cork grips on BD Alpine Carbon poles. I love the poles but the grips are falling apart more than I feel they should at their age.
--Heather's Choice Meals. I wanted to like these, but so far I'm not a fan; blueberry and cherry breakfasts, bison chili, salmon chowder. The blueberry cinnamon breakfast is the first backpacking meal that I've ever been unable to eat.

 

[GearJunky]

Shined:
Motorhome - Sure was comfortable!!
Exo Pack k3 1800 (Upgraded from Kuiu 1850) - very comfortable and well thought out... still waiting to use on a dead elk, but still pleased with the pack
Small dry bag - used as a lunch box. Always know how much food you have left for the day. It can easily be clipped onto your bino harness while you wander the ridges glassing (keeps a fat kid happy).
Suspenders - Finally no more dealing with belt pinch points and losing tightness.

sucked:
Not much so far, still enjoying the season

 

[golfer]

Worked well:
Mathews vxr 31.5. I know most bows do their part. I struggled early with this bow but came around to figuring it out and connected on a great archery elk.

kudu 100gr- these broadheads flew well and are by far the quietest I’ve ever shot.

Right now I’m undecided on my inReach mini. Set it up ahead of season. Turned it on and couldn’t get it to link up with my phone to send a message. This may be my fault. Still learning how it works.

 

[JLS]

Right now I’m undecided on my inReach mini. Set it up ahead of season. Turned it on and couldn’t get it to link up with my phone to send a message. This may be my fault. Still learning how it works.

Weird, I had no issues getting mine to pair up. I did notice sometimes it didn't do a very good job of sending text messages in steep canyons, which was a little concerning.