'22 Gear/What Worked/What Didn't

[jbseamus83]

Hits above its weight:
Surplus base layers, surplus fleece layers, Crispi boots, darn tough socks, surplus rain gear/winter gortex outer shell, vortex bino harness, Barnes bullets, army sleep system, wool gloves, black diamond hippie sticks, mora knife, marmot hiking pants, gransfor burk hiking ax. Same stuff I have been using for almost a decade.

What didn’t work:
frozen baby wipes at 0 degrees

I've actually been using marmot hiking pants for last 3 seasons and love them.

 

[huntnpack]

I took some Velcro and double sided tape, one side on my hammock, one side on my air pad.

Just enough to keep my pad from going left when I roll right.

@Gellar

I hear adding dots or lines of seam grip to the bottom of pads helps with this as well. Always planned to, but never tried it. I just continue to surf around on my pads for no apparent reason.

 

[jbseamus83]

Well, I still have 3 tags in my pocket, but so far through several hunts this is what I have noted:

Worked:
- Kryptek Cirius puffy jacket - crazy light and have never been cold in it through 2 seasons
- MTHD merino base layer mid weight tops and bottoms - half the price of other brands, comfortable as all get out, and kept me cool during 70 degree weather and warm during 28 degree weather
- Mystery Ranch Metcalf pack - I know a lot of you already know this, but it's just freakin awesome. I carried an old Kelty external metal frame pack for 12 years. It worked, but when I switched this year I was blown away at how much more comfortable it is.
- Cabelas alaskan guide cot - it's heavy and HUGE, but for setting up camp near a road and not backpacking in, I will never go without it. So comfortable. Slept almost as good as at home.
- Kelty 20 degree mummy bag - 13 yrs old and still going strong
- Barnes ttsx bullets - first hunt I've ever tried them on was my son's deer hunt and they worked flawlessly. Very impressed.
- Kryptek gear in general - I ran a pair of the Alaios pants, Cronos half zip shirt, and krypton gloves so far this year and have been really impressed. I have the Bora overmits that I will be utilizing during my late season cow elk hunt and expect good things from them as well.
- Smartwool socks - have both the midweight and heavy-weight and both have been great. Best socks I have used so far.

Didn't Work:
- Eureka Kohana tent - not that it wasn't a good tent, but after more than 10 years, it gave out on this last hunt and developed a bad rip in it while setting it up the first night.
- Heating packs in about 40% of OMeals backpacking meals. Some worked awesome and the food was decent, but a number just would not heat correctly and ended up being pointless.
- Kumho all terrain tires - Ran them for 1 year and ended up having to replace 2 from blow outs (one on this last deer hunt for my son) and 2 others had to be repaired. Bought a whole new set of tires (pathfinders) just last week because I disliked the kumho's so much.
- ATVs that have owners that feel the need to blast their music while driving directly into a great hunting area at 10:45 pm and then exit said hunting area at 2:30 in the morning blasting music and honking horns as they drive by others' camps...

 

[jbseamus83]

I took some Velcro and double sided tape, one side on my hammock, one side on my air pad.

Just enough to keep my pad from going left when I roll right.

This is brilliant. I didn't bring my cot when hunting with my son. We both had air mattresses (boujee, I know) and I put sleeping pads on it to insulate from the cold air that can get trapped by the air mattress. Both my son and I were sliding off of the sleeping pads all night. In the future, this technique will be happening.

 

[338win]

I've actually been using marmot hiking pants for last 3 seasons and love them.

Look for the sales. I have 5 pairs that I wear for everything.

 

[TrumpkinTheDwarf]

What worked:

• 199 Hammer Hunters - performed as advertised and then some. Full pass through and left a blood trail I could see from 800 yards away with the naked eye. I’m really liking how these group out of my .300 PRC.
• Christensen Ridgeline - probably should put a separate review of this, but hot damn what a rifle. Carry’s well in the hands, balances well, light, muzzle brake definitely helps, very accurate.
• Kifaru Supertarp - bought this from @TrumpkinTheDwarf this summer. Easy to set up, very very light, but also with the addition of a stove was great to have later in the season. Stake it up high for lots of air movement early season, down tight to the ground later. Sweet piece of kit.

Glad to hear that tarp treated you so well! Especially since my season has been a total bust. Haven't spent a single night in mountainous regions, let alone in a tent.

'22 gear that worked: N/A

 

[Movi]

‘22 gear that didn’t work: archery equipment. There’s going to be a lot of lion kills found next spring from antler hunters.

 

[TrumpkinTheDwarf]

‘22 gear that didn’t work: archery equipment. There’s going to be a lot of lion kills found next spring from antler hunters.

You winged multiple animals without recovering them, eh?

 

[Movi]

You winged multiple animals without recovering them, eh?

Yeah im a bowhunter.

 

[TrumpkinTheDwarf]

Yeah im a bowhunter.

Bummer to hear that man! I thought you were taking pot shots at archers everywhere, and just had to poke the bear. My bad.

 

[Flatrock]

What's worked: Buying a bucket of KFC chicken and then reheating it at camp. That's money at the end of a long day.

 

[Nick87]

What's worked: Buying a bucket of KFC chicken and then reheating it at camp. That's money at the end of a long day.

ain't even fit to eat the first time around

 

[Gellar]

ain't even fit to eat the first time around

What's worked: Buying a bucket of KFC chicken and then reheating it at camp. That's money at the end of a long day.

My grandma used to make fried chicken before we’d go fishing in Canada every summer. We would eat it cold and throw the bones out the window on the way.

 

[Nick_CO]

What's worked: Buying a bucket of KFC chicken and then reheating it at camp. That's money at the end of a long day.

I did this last weekend, but instead of kfc it was homemade tamales from a lady selling them out the trunk of her car in front of the gas station. Impulse buy on the way to the Trailhead. Also money when consumed at camp later.

 

[Flatrock]

ain't even fit to eat the first time around

Uh oh. The food police are here.

 

[noharleyyet]

A fine gent from Michigan gave me this during our elk hunt. There were times I needed it but forgot it was in my pack. My daughter told me it was good for hangovers also.

https://flic.kr/p/2nXsAWP

 

[LousyResident]

I did this last weekend, but instead of kfc it was homemade tamales from a lady selling them out the trunk of her car in front of the gas station. Impulse buy on the way to the Trailhead. Also money when consumed at camp later.

Trunk tamales, burritos, and tacos are the best. I worked a few construction sites where a midday minivan with the middle and rear seats pulled out would roll up and sell. Just Delicious.

 

[jbseamus83]

Look for the sales. I have 5 pairs that I wear for everything.

Yep. I think I bought mine on sale on Sierra trading post for like $25.

 

[hank4elk]

Waking up in the morning has worked , so far, this year.
Trying different merino bases again, pre hunt. The boots are ready.
Shooting the mz this week to check scope, and prep the poke for hunt. It should work just fine.
The 700 has been oiled and taped for Dec. It will work.
The skre gear will be washed and pinion dried this week.
Gotta dig out my old J-`104 hunt pack for the mz hunt.
The Zeiss binos and the Leica RF work. 2 hunters through here so far and I watched parts of the hunts.
Trying out the knives on a hog Wed. They should work.

oh and the old Polartec base layers will be washed for sure warmth . Turns out they are the cats meow base over light merino in Dec. cold. Then I'm plenty warm under the skre stuff.

Looking at the Sierra ads today for the Marmot pants and trying to find the stretchy Wranglers friends have been using. For wood cutting, maybe.

 

[Gellar]

A fine gent from Michigan gave me this during our elk hunt. There were times I needed it but forgot it was in my pack. My daughter told me it was good for hangovers also.

https://flic.kr/p/2nXsAWP

Boost was an integral part to our Colorado hunt a few years ago in a pretty high unit.