Gastro Gnome - Eat Better Wherever

Hunting Gear Thats Punches Above its Pricepoint

Are you eating any solid foods with these? I have no experience with meal replacement shakes
Yes.

 
Powdered meal replacement. I use Huel and Kachava.

Most people opt for things like mountain house which are not great nutritionally, loaded with garbage, and can cause "logjam" of you are not used to eating them. Not to mention being expensive. Or they go for sugary granola bars, candy bars, spam, chips, gatorade, and other low quality food when hunting which adds up quick.

Powdered means are much better for you, easier to prepare, help you hydrate, ultralight to pack, and are loaded with things that are actually good for you. Not to mention cheap, which was the point of the thread. For $3-5 you can get a good bit of nutrition.

I think hunters often overlook these food options.
I have Kachava at home. Do you just pack in a bunch more water and how do you keep your shaker cups clean? Seems like a lot of clean up in the field.
 
I have Kachava at home. Do you just pack in a bunch more water and how do you keep your shaker cups clean? Seems like a lot of clean up in the field.


I can't imagine anything that would be easier. I just mix it with the water I would be drinking normally. I carry a container for water anyway do why not just use the shaker for water. I only clean my shaker up about once a week. I use it for all my water so it never really gets dirty since it's constantly getting rinsed out.

It's a good way to give yourself extra calories, protein, etc and it's easy to make, carry, and digest.

No extra water, and no cleaning.

What do you eat in the field?
 
Mora knives are incredible, if you can handle a fixed blade. I'm on #3- one lost, one gifted, and this is my current one. I opted for stainless, and just touch it up more often. It's a hard steel, so be careful with the tip- I busted mine off about 1/64" and had to re-profile it. Still works great. Careful when you sharpen them, because it has a Scandanavian grind on it- meaning the edge profile is the bevel- it doesn't step down like the standard full flat, sabre, or even hollow-ground. You lay nearly a quarter inch of steel on the stone to sharpen a Scandi grind.

Cascade Mountain Trekking poles- snap locks, carbon fiber, good price.

Costco bear spray. Good price, carries well, haven't used it.

Leukotape is nearly as essential as a knife and lighter in my book. Keep some wrapped on my trekking poles.

Bic lighters live everywhere- even though I don't smoke. Packs, vehicles, tackle boxes, etc.

Sawyer Mini-squeeze water filter. Absolute gold, weight savings, simple, and CHEAP. I will never go back to my old ceramic-filter-cartridge hand pump.




Have to disagree with Black ovis game bags- two of my 5-bag set developed holes after the first cycle in the washing machine.
 
ATG fleece lined pants by Wrangler. Tough, super light and warm. I wear a thin base layer under them and never get cold. Walmart even sells them in the fall. The are on the Wrangler store for $50, or Amazon for $30. Best investment I've made in a while.

blacksheep
 
Mora knives are incredible, if you can handle a fixed blade. I'm on #3- one lost, one gifted, and this is my current one. I opted for stainless, and just touch it up more often. It's a hard steel, so be careful with the tip- I busted mine off about 1/64" and had to re-profile it. Still works great. Careful when you sharpen them, because it has a Scandanavian grind on it- meaning the edge profile is the bevel- it doesn't step down like the standard full flat, sabre, or even hollow-ground. You lay nearly a quarter inch of steel on the stone to sharpen a Scandi grind.

Cascade Mountain Trekking poles- snap locks, carbon fiber, good price.

Costco bear spray. Good price, carries well, haven't used it.

Leukotape is nearly as essential as a knife and lighter in my book. Keep some wrapped on my trekking poles.

Bic lighters live everywhere- even though I don't smoke. Packs, vehicles, tackle boxes, etc.

Sawyer Mini-squeeze water filter. Absolute gold, weight savings, simple, and CHEAP. I will never go back to my old ceramic-filter-cartridge hand pump.




Have to disagree with Black ovis game bags- two of my 5-bag set developed holes after the first cycle in the washing machine.
I hear a lot of people like to bring leukotape. Is the idea to use it instead of mole skin for blisters or are you bringing a bunch of it to wrap a knee or something if you tweak it?
 
I hear a lot of people like to bring leukotape. Is the idea to use it instead of mole skin for blisters or are you bringing a bunch of it to wrap a knee or something if you tweak it?
I've also used it to tape the back of my ankle (just a single strip) for Achilles tendonitis- keeps you from overflexing and irritating it (lasted for over a week of showering & work boots). It sticks a lot better than bandages or medical tape, so it's great for covering cuts, burns, etc. In a pinch, I've used thin strips in place of butterfly strips, but that is FAR from my preference. I wrap maybe a foot total of the tape on a trekking pole and take that with me.

Otherwise, it's to cover hot spots and blisters to keep them from getting worse. Just a super-sticky, no stretch, breathable tape- incredibly versatile, and I love it, maybe more than duct tape for backcountry usage. You just have to make sure your skin is dry so it actually sticks.
 
I've been pretty impressed with the quilts made by Cedar Ridge Outdoors. Their prices tend to be a bit less expensive than comparable others, the temp rating is a comfort rating (not a lower limit rating), and their size regular width is most other companies' size wide (which those companies charge extra for).
 
Now days hunting is getting to be a massive investment so people are often asking for info on gear that is on the cheaper side (me included). Just curious what hunting gear you guys have found that is a great bargain for the price? Whether it be guns, clothing, knives, packs, whatever. I'll start with something(albeit something kind of lame), the 3 pack of 550 lumen Duracell headlamps at Costco for $21. Are they top of the line? No. But they truthfully are not far off, and at $7/ piece I think they as amazing. What comes to mind for you guys?
My find of the year. I think I paid 16 bucks maybe 2 years ago. It locks up good and does good as a walking stick and rest for the gun. I'd buy it again at the current price below, no doubt.

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Red headlamp from Walmart. I don’t remember the brand. I like it better than the BlackDiamond that cost me 5X as much.

I got some ColdPruf thermals from Tractor Supply Company. I don’t remember what they cost, but it wasn’t much. They are the best thermals I’ve ever owned. I gave them away expecting to just by a new pair, and haven’t seen the same ones since. I may have to order some this year.
 
Meriwool Mernio specifically boxers and socks off amazon. $25 for a quality pair of merino boxers is a pretty darn good deal and a 3 pack of 75% mernio socks for $25 is pretty unheard of as well.
I’m getting ready to buy a pair of those boxers, I was wondering how well they worked👍
 
I’m getting ready to buy a pair of those boxers, I was wondering how well they worked👍
I just bought a pair, delivered today actually. Anyway they have a nice soft feel to them out of the package. I'll be wearing them around tomorrow but first impression is really nice. Much better/softer feel than some of the other knockoff cheaper merino underwear I have.
 
I just bought a pair, delivered today actually. Anyway they have a nice soft feel to them out of the package. I'll be wearing them around tomorrow but first impression is really nice. Much better/softer feel than some of the other knockoff cheaper merino underwear I have.
I’m getting ready to buy a pair of those boxers, I was wondering how well they worked👍
This is probably TMI but the things DO NOT SMELL at all even after wearing them for 3 days straight chasing gobblers out in Western Oklahoma. It was 80-90's everyday all day, rained a bit (not enough to cool the temps down just enough for the humidity to skyrocket and cause swamp a$$). I got home and it was the first time I wore them and the socks or boxers had no odor at all, I was so shocked I thought maybe I picked up the Rona on the trip or something so I joked with my wife to sniff them if she didn't believe me and she fell for it and was shocked that they did not smell at all. I wanted to test them before heading out on a 10 day backcountry bear trip this fall in Colorado and they passed with flying colors.
 
Caribou Gear

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