Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting What gear failed you this year?

The season isn't over yet, but its getting close to looking at next year.
I like playing with my gear almost as much as scouting, but not as much as hunting.

I want to hear which gear you used that didn't hold up to your expectations and why. Might save somebody some money?

My biggest one wasn't really the piece itself. I had my exped mat tied to the pack and poked a hole in it. When it was time to blow it up, I blew foam all over the ground.

still have at least 2 more months of hunting left and so far the only issues I've had have been operator error.

Technically the new strap on my Kifaru gunbearer failed where the backpack strap and the gun strap meet - but this is a known weakness that I stupidly neglected to reinforce, with predictable consequences.
It's difficult to say which hit the ground first: the muzzle or the scope bell (insert D'Oh here). Both came away with nasty rock gashes but remained functional enough to get my second antelope.

I also managed to install a nice rock scratch on the left ocular lens of my Leica 8x42 crawling after said antelope but it's outside the filed of view and I've had them down to 5* a couple times this month whiile after elk without internal issues.

but, as they say, "the season is still young!"

MSR hyperflow water filter froze up and just sucked.

My Wiggy's pillow............. again.

My katadyn base camp did also, that does suck

I had my Badlands Hypervent frame break for the second time. I still need to send it back for repairs but I think I might see if they'll do a partial exchange for a different model that doesn't creak so much. I do have to say that their customer service is excellent and they stand behind their product. I'm sure they'll help me out with this one.

I broke my Katadyn Hiker Pro pump handle on a backcountry bowhunt this year. Called Katadyn when I got back and they replaced it for free. Great customer service. Resorted to sucking out of my Aquamira Frontier Pro.

Would you care to elaborate on the known weakness? I run two gunbearers (both the universal & the Kifaru pack specific model) and have had no straps break. But if there is something I should know then spill the beans before a rifle falls off into the deep bottomless darkness??

Thanks in advance,

MtnHtr

Petzal Tikka headlamp.. Plastic pile of poo..

I'll chime in here Mountain Hunter. I may be attaching the gunbearer wrong, but if you fall on your rump, as the rifle butt hits the ground, it will shear the upper strap in half. I've done this twice and always carry an upper spare.
Don

yeah, pretty much.

the strap that goes around the shoulder-strap of the backpack is really two different bands that are only loosely sewn together. a good jar will separate them, leaving one loop attached to your backpack and one loop attached to your gun, which in now in freefall, pivoting from the hip/buttstock.

some form of reinforcement of that connection is highly recommended. (I'll actually sew a third piece of thin nylon strapping in a tight loop connection the two bands)

make sense?

Katadyn vario - Lost seal after several uses, could not repair in field. Was my brothers unit and I'm not sure if he ever got it fixed.

Cabelas external frame - One of straps on the shelf broke when I was loding with quarters last weekend. I hated that piece of crap anyways.

Badlands 2200 - Several small buckles and small zipper tabs have broken over time.

I remembered more, I broke a couple of pull tabs on my badlands 2800 (seems to be a common issue) and a chest strap buckle on a MR grizzly, my fault packing meat and closed it in the tail gate of the truck

I'm kinda surprised at the number of Katadyn failures.

(IIRC, PUR became or was bought by Katadyn some time back.)

I have a PUR filter - the one now called the Katadyn Guide model - that I've used forever without issues. I replace the filter and seals periodically and have never had an issue.

Has their quality declined?

I would call mine operator error, freezing up, leaving it outside the tent

My little Gerber fold-em-up saw nearly split in half sawing through it's first skull cap. I'm gonna see if they'll replace it with a knife.

Makes sense Doc & UT, never had it happen yet. I've come real close to busting my butt several times though, trekking poles saved me!

I'll check mine out.

MtnHtr

For me Wiggy's over the boot hip waders were garbage.Actually garbage bags would have probably lasted as long.

I've also had problems with two different Petzal's in the last two years. They replaced them but that didn't help me see in the dark at the time.

Yep same with my Badlands 2800 I think about 4 zipper pull tabs are broken and now sporting zip-ties instead which is fine saves wait and plus I sold it to a buddy in favor of a MR Longbow.

Leki trekking pole broke on me while hiking a heavy load with a goat. Going to a 90 cm ice axe as a result. Same idea in weight transfer as Brad's cane, but not near the style points.

I snapped one this last summer on a scouting trip. 2nd time I used it. Guy at the store I bought it from said he thought it was defective (the tubing did look a little thin on that side) The 2nd one, I actually tried to break. So far, so good... Now I wonder ??