2016 Gear Review. One thing that worked for you, and one that disappointed.

Hit: Nalgene backpacker flask was a new addition this year, it was light, durable and protected my spirits.

Miss: Alpine Air Lasagna, taste was so-so but was impossible to mix/cook thoroughly. I even added more hot water and let sit an additional 10 minutes after working the stuff out of the corners. Still had a lot of crunch to it.

OK but looking to augment/upgrade: Menzilla fleece bowhunter glove. I love these for an all around glove but they are not designed to be waterproof. They retained enough water to leave my hands a little swollen and pruned at the end of the day. Any recommendations on a lightly insulated waterproof glove for rainy hunts?
 
Hit: Heather's Choice meals, Loved the spice-saved weight not having to carry hot sauce. Never had a dip in energy while elk hunting.

Miss: KUIU Backpacks-I personally didn't have one but my two hunting partners had them and they both failed. The first day of a 7 day backpacking trip one of my hunting partners kidney belt buckle snapped, had to tie it the rest of the trip. Also, multiple rips in both of their packs.
 
Hit: Hand winch worked great when was needing to shift a bull moose around during field-dressing. Thankfully, a local guy I met on a hunting forum during the research phase for the hunt awesomely showed up after about 2 hours and is the only reason I got done before dark. Even with two people during the last half of the meat recovery, the winch connected to a shank and to a nearby aspen helped keep things steady as maneuvered each leg upright while cutting to get quarters safely cut loose. Also used the winch to shift the moose torso.

Miss: Paper maps in the backpack. GPS ownership chips are faster and more accurate. I still like to look at a paper map as plan strategy but once boots hit the ground it is all GPS for me now.
 
Likes:

Katadyn Base Camp water filter...gravity filter for 10 liters at a time

Havalon knife with replacement blade, Cutco double-D knife

Stanley sharptooth saw for cutting moose antlers
 
Stanley sharptooth saw for cutting moose antlers[/QUOTE]

which model of the sharp tooth saw? I see there are a couple diff ones. I snapped my hack saw blade last year and was stuck. Now looking for something else
thanks
 
Stanley sharptooth saw for cutting moose antlers

which model of the sharp tooth saw? I see there are a couple diff ones. I snapped my hack saw blade last year and was stuck. Now looking for something else
thanks[/QUOTE]

I use a Stanley sharptooth finetooth hand saw (12 points per inch)
Almost impossible to break, lightweight, cuts on both push & pull strokes.
Cost me about $12 in Alaska ten years ago.

I can usually cut off moose antlers from the skull in 5 minutes or less.

-Skeeter
 
Hit - New Sitka mountain pant. The knee pads where much better. I even cut my old pads to kind of match the new.

Miss - Alpen Optics 20x compact scope. Lasted one day before it basically failed me. The front half was threaded on and pulled free and I did not abuse it at all. Alpen is a decent entry point optic I think as I have owned a few binos from them. But all of my items eventually broke. But a $100 bino lasting 5 years probably is not that bad. They did replace them no questions asked though. For an inexpensive optic, the warranty was great. Definitely not something id want on an extended backpack hunt though.
 
Hits- Tight spot quiver, only regret is I didn't buy it sooner.
Hevi shot chokes, my brother and I both noticed significant
improvements with these this year.

Miss- vortex binos, I have sent them back for warranty work twice in
One year. I'll be going back to and sticking with leupold.
 
Leupold BX-4 Rangefinding Binoculars

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