EOY ‘23 - What Worked, What Didn’t?

[crock239]

A couple new or new-to-me pieces of gear, and old gear used in new ways this year...

Worked:
- Soto Windmaster stove w olicamp xts pot. Great little regulated stove.

- Nikon Fieldscope III w fixed 30x wide eyepiece...certainly not a new spotter but it worked great again, this time on AK tundra.

- Sea to Summit Comfortplus SI insulated sleeping pad...not a backpacking pad, big and bulky, but was warm and comfortable on tundra.

- Garmin Inreach Explorer+ worked great for communicating with outfitter and my hunting partners, nice to have a backup mapping navigation tool as well

- Browning Pheasants Forever upland vest, seems to have exactly the pockets I need, like it so far

Didn't work:
- Crispi Idaho boots. I've loved these boots for the past few years and they've been great but they failed miserably and immediately in AK. Feet stayed wet for days. They failed me so fast I was thinking of this thread within a day of being on the ground in AK.

- Cabelas stocking foot waders...same, see above. Wet feet immediately even though I tested them in the river at home prior to flying to AK.

- Seek Outside backpack...lightweight, waterproof, has a taller frame (28") that I need for my height, it got the job done but I just couldn't get the waistbelt to fit me right, and it kept slipping. Gone back to my MR for now, but wouldn't mind trying a SG or Exo with a 26"+ frame sometime.

 

[Harrier]

Worked:
My new Yildiz single-shot 12 gauge. It’s lightweight and perfect for walk-in hunts on public land, such as this morning’s rabbit/quail hunt.
I’ve learned that a keffiyeh, also called a shemagh, is an incredibly useful item. I bought one in brown & black and used it on several hunts.
I bought a vintage Ulster scout knife for 99 cents plus shipping. I cleaned off all the rust and shined it up; I used it to field dress today’s rabbit.

Still trying to think of something that didn’t work this year …

 

[Deleted member 16014]

Worked:
My new Yildiz single-shot 12 gauge. It’s lightweight and perfect for walk-in hunts on public land, such as this morning’s rabbit/quail hunt.
I’ve learned that a keffiyeh, also called a shemagh, is an incredibly useful item. I bought one in brown & black and used it on several hunts.
I bought a vintage Ulster scout knife for 99 cents plus shipping. I cleaned off all the rust and shined it up; I used it to field dress today’s rabbit.

Still trying to think of something that didn’t work this year …

There isn’t much that’s more fun for a kid than a rabbit hunt with a single shot.

 

[Schism]

NW retention is also an option to try for a chest holster. I had the Kenai and it was well built but just uncomfortable for me. The hinges connecting the strap to the Kydex always dug into my stomach. NW retention uses leather there, and I can get a nice snug fit and don’t even notice it there. I called to specifically ask about that attachment point and the owner seemed like a great dude. Said he’d ship me one and I could hunt with it for a week and if I didn’t like it he’d let me return it.

The Best Chest Holster for Hunting | the RECON | NW Retention

The RECON chest holster has the best fit, function and quality on the market. Made to be tight to the body and ultra-flexible with no hotspots or binding points. Fits seamlessly underneath your bino harness and backpack, allowing for a quick and effective draw when things get a little hairy...

invaderconcepts.com

I might ask to check this out sometime.

 

[brocksw]

I might ask to check this out sometime.

Absolutely brother!

 

[rogerthat]

Yup:

Howa superlite 7-08: can’t beat the price to weight ratio on this gun if your looking to ultralight your setup

Kowa 554: also great little spotter for the weight; will leave you wanting a bigger objective at critical first and last light depending on your hunt but the scope is crystal clear to 45x and all I needed 95% of the time

Nope:

Costco sleeping pad: no clue why I decided to take this pad on my buddies Mountain goat hunt instead of my thermarest pad. Cocky I guess. The Costco pad had been comfy and I had been liking it for how cheap it was but I got what I paid for on this hunt and got to sleep on the ground.

Crispi summit gtx: comfy and good soles but these boots have been miserable failures and should have went back to scheels immediately. They have had no water resistance or repellency whatsoever. From the first time I wore them my feet have gotten soaked in any dew or rain at all. Epic fail. I have never had a boot fail this badly. I will wear them as a day boot for dry weather but for $350 I am beyond upset with these

 

[perma]

Reading a lot of bad Crispi reviews lately..

 

[perma]

What worked:

Argali game bags. I think any synthetic game bag could fit here, but the ones I got were great. Used them quite a bit and they were easy to clean.

Tyto scalpel and Gerber EBS. As a rookie field dresser, I had all animals cleaned and dressed within 30 minutes with both.

Argali Absaroka. I should have bought this one first. I just need extra space. Pair that with a tarp or tyvek and that is a great shelter.

Exo K3 4800. Comfortable pack out. Nuff said.

What didn’t:

Harris bipod. For whatever reason, I could not get consistent groups with this bipod among two different guns. I opted to axe it after some range time and shot off of my backpack.

Nalgene bottle. At least if it’s windy and cold. Quickly learned that water froze consistently. I used my yeti and problem fixed at the expense of extra weight.

CVA Optima 50 cal. Gun would not hold a zero after sneezing on it. I’m switching out the sights to see if that helps. If not, it’s getting traded in somewhere.

Tooth of the arrow broadheads. Also would not hold zero after shooting into a field target. Switched to muzzy G5 and my bow was happy.

I need to add a few more.
Worked:

- Cotton balls with petroleum jelly. Flame gets plenty hot. Pair it with my Seek Outside stove and I had a fire in no time.

- Nosler 30-06 E-Tip 180g. Killed two of my three animals this year. Bullets work very well.

Middle of the road:

- All of my first lite clothing except brooks down mitts. I dealt with a lot of cold wind this year, and through it all, only my digits froze. The down mitts just don’t do anything to beat the wind. I subbed in the Tundra gloves and problem is solved. Rain gear, Unc jacket, base layers all great.

Nope:

- Salewa mountain trainer mids. Toe box was wider than the Rapace and the shoe strings are chafing. I have around 50 miles or so this year on them. Going to try some new shoelaces and reasses.

- Weatherby Mark V Backcountry 2.0. This one pains me to write. I wanted to love that gun but it had a laundry list of problems. Too much to the point where I didn’t feel comfortable bringing that gun hunting. I took it out one last time last week and just lost all confidence in the gun. Traded it in the next day.

 

[trackerbacker]

I need to add a few more.
Worked:

- Cotton balls with petroleum jelly. Flame gets plenty hot. Pair it with my Seek Outside stove and I had a fire in no time.

- Nosler 30-06 E-Tip 180g. Killed two of my three animals this year. Bullets work very well.

Middle of the road:

- All of my first lite clothing except brooks down mitts. I dealt with a lot of cold wind this year, and through it all, only my digits froze. The down mitts just don’t do anything to beat the wind. I subbed in the Tundra gloves and problem is solved. Rain gear, Unc jacket, base layers all great.

Nope:

- Salewa mountain trainer mids. Toe box was wider than the Rapace and the shoe strings are chafing. I have around 50 miles or so this year on them. Going to try some new shoelaces and reasses.

- Weatherby Mark V Backcountry 2.0. This one pains me to write. I wanted to love that gun but it had a laundry list of problems. Too much to the point where I didn’t feel comfortable bringing that gun hunting. I took it out one last time last week and just lost all confidence in the gun. Traded it in the next day.

You should give these a shot re:cotton balls and stove. I went from using the duct tape trick to these...convert..vegetable oil and paraffin I think?

Been working great from starting scrap fire while logging my land out to backpacking stove, good solid 3-4 minute burn, I think they say 5-7 minutes but I haven't seen that yet

 

[Speeddmn]

The goods:

CA Ridgeline 300 PRC with Hornady 212 ELDx, groups great, dropped the deer in their tracks.

Savage Switchback (sportsmans model) 6.5 Creedmoor, HSM 140gr Berger VLD, stupid tight groups, makes the deer also just as dead.

Maven rangefinder, much nicer than the old vortex and Sig Sauer I used in prior seasons.

Outdoor Edge knives, I use a flip zip to cut the hide and the folder replacement blade for everything else. Never lets me down.

Kenetek boots, got two pair from the VA this year. 1 is non insulated and other is 400gram, both feel great and no slipping.

The bad:

Schnees Beartooth boots, they just cant seems to get tight and I sliped and slid all over.

 

[Tradewind]

Absolutely brother!

so, did you wear your bino harness over the holster?

 

[375H&H]

All of my gear worked great as it is all pretty well dialed in at this point so won’t list it.

However what didn’t work was rifle hunting during rutting elk. Yes I got a bull, but I had a very high bar set. I found it is much more difficult to tag a big bull with rut activity going on. Too many cows around to really sit back and judge the bull, quick snap shooting, not around other bulls, when one bugles it put me instantly in kill mode, etc the list goes on. So next time I draw that tag I will hunt later but am thankful for the experience I got and all the elk we did see.

 

[375H&H]

FHF Bino Harness - I finally had it with this. used it for years, but there's too many better options out there to keep these. I take my binos in and out a lot and i hate the flap whacking me in the face, especially when it’s windy. The new version is better, but Trying the kuiu one next time out. Seems to be a little smaller profile, which is another thing that i'm generally starting to hate about chest harnesses. Someone should make a hip harness or something that works better.

I find it interesting that FHF is changing their design to what others already knew worked better. Consider trying the bino bro.

 

[brocksw]

so, did you wear your bino harness over the holster?

Yes

 

[rjthehunter]

FHF Bino Harness - I finally had it with this. used it for years, but there's too many better options out there to keep these. I take my binos in and out a lot and i hate the flap whacking me in the face, especially when its windy. The new version is better, but Trying the kuiu one next time out. Seems to be a little smaller profile

I am a week in to using an eberlestock recon bino harness... coming from the fhf, I love it. Front open. Can leave it open when stationary, and super comfortable. Pistol even rides extremely nicely behind it. It fits and rides better than the fhf I used before. I'm sure the fhf FOB is better, but it's expensive.

 

[WIbiggame]

Worked:
1) Stone Glacier quilt. Was always hesitant to go to a quilt glad I did! It worked very well.
2) Zoleo. First time using a satellite messenger and this one worked great. Nice piece of comfort to have
3) Kuiu gaiters. Was a wet fall and these things were a life saver for my lower legs.

Didn't:
1) This pains me but need to add another Crispi failure. Idaho GTX 2s. These things were soaking wet from day one and never dried out. Went back to my insulated Meindl boots.

 

[choc dogs]

We had a spectacularly unsuccessful season.

What worked
Savage axis ll in 243. It’s probably dollar per pound the most effective rifle in the safe. It’s accurate enough to give my wife confidence in carrying it.

Camping trailer. It’s nice to sleep comfortably, even when it’s chilly in the mornings, throw a costco lasagna, or a pot pie in the oven and eat like a king.

Halloween candy. Bought a giant bag early in the season, threw a couple of pieces in a bag every hike.

What didn’t work

Quite simply me. Had tags that should have been relatively easy to fill. Didn’t find critters where they “should” be, and didn’t give up those spots early enough to find other places. Add in some laziness over the summer, and poor conditioning, and we’ve got tag soup.

But I had some great camping trips in October when I had a rifle along.

 

[golfer]

liked - (trying not to repeat others)
Schnees timberlines = perfect boot for mountain hunting
Miss September - The caller should have one of these set up. elk come in expecting to see elk.
phelps metal bugle tube - loudest bugle i've ever had. also works great for raking
phelps ez sukr - give it to the friend that has to call,but sucks at it. dummy-proof
swaro el range 8x42's - clear, quick readout, love 'em
thumb release kydex holster - i found one of these on etsy and it did a good job. would've preferred a AOT magnetic one that mounts to the bow, but they didn't have one in my style release.
Stone Glacier quick release rifle sling - works great as long as you don't need to re-sling quickly
coleman foam stadium seat - might weigh more than the thermarest z seat, but it's also wayyyyyy more comfortable for when you're taking a break or glassing.
Boot fans - i bought these cheap amazon CPU cooling fans after seeing the grakksaw version. They're not something i'd backpack in, but if you're at a basecamp, these with a little battery pack dried out my wet boots a couple times and i was pretty impressed. good way to dry them out without worrying about heat ruining your boots.
BOG Deathgrip - got this for the kids. set up easy, very stable. i was able to get it locked into position on deer and all the girls had to do was shoulder the rifle and squeeze the trigger. unfortunately, they only did the first part! oh well....


didn't like -
vortex razr hd spotter. never have liked it, its just not clear. need to find something else
MSR trailshot = trash. could not get it to work at all. Used a friends sawyer squeeze and it worked much better. wife got me a grayl geopress, but didn't get the chance to use it.
Inov-8 Roclite Pro G 400 GTX. light and comfortable, but don't rub against a sharp rock/stick/antler. They'll rip.
FHF Bino Harness - I finally had it with this. used it for years, but there's too many better options out there to keep these. I take my binos in and out a lot and i hate the flap whacking me in the face, especially when its windy. The new version is better, but Trying the kuiu one next time out. Seems to be a little smaller profile, which is another thing that i'm generally starting to hate about chest harnesses. Someone should make a hip harness or something that works better.
Spartan Bipod - might be better once i get the holster for it, but i think i'm going back to one that stays on the rifle. carrying it in a pocket or homemade holster was annoying
Stone glacier water bottle holder - i might have it setup wrong, but it has a lot of play in it.

want/need -
thin, waterproof gloves

How exactly does the flap hit ya? I’ve not experienced this.

 

[Hunting Wife]

What worked:
The new ACL. Wasn’t sure if having this done in my 40’s was going to mean I would just have to deal with something less than 100%, or if it would be more painful than before after hard hunting. One year later, that hasn’t been the case and it’s felt as good as ever.

Relining the barrel on my vintage rifle. I went back and forth on whether to have it fixed, or leave it original. Eventually, the desire to actually use the thing won out. I’m glad I had it done. It shoots really good now.

The puppy. She’s earned her place already. I think she’s going to be great.

First Lite women’s Furnace baselayers. Finally the heavyweight layer I’ve wanted. Love it.

What didn’t:
Sport Dog ecollar. Bought this for the little dog, but even on the lowest setting possible it was still way too hot for her. Just not enough levels of adjustment for training a pup. Ended up using the new collar on the old dog and the old Dogtra on the pup with much better results. The old dog really only needs the buzzer so it worked out.

That’s about it for new stuff. Don’t get new gear too often these days.

 

[Wyo_Jeeper]

How exactly does the flap hit ya? I’ve not experienced this.

I have that problem primarily out on the sagebrush flats. Those light Wyoming breezes come up and slap you in the face with the flap while the binos are in hand glassing. It’s the main reason I’m not upset that my FHF harness went missing since the last time I used it. I’m looking forward to trying the Marsupial gear over the next year.