Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Yearly gear purchase costs

I was wondering, because I'm getting new gear, what everyone spends on gear. With gear alone, I have about $700.00 in right now, not including tags and other expenses (flight, meat handling, etc..) I still have a couple more items to get for my trip. I�m trying to get rid of the randomly purchased B.S. and purchase higher quality multipurpose gear. Feeling it in the pocket book and from the wife! What do you spend for BIG trips and just on yearly average.

That's kind of a loaded question. Depends on the hunt. Location, weather, style of hunt etc. I spent quite a bit for the first couple of years. I was learning rapidly that what I had was not great, as far as gear goes. I feel like I'm pretty set now though. However, I can't help but to keep researching and shaving ounces off of my back, and that usually costs money. I could get away with 3-400 dollars on the next trip (gear costs) pretty easily. Probably less than that actually. That's just me though. The next guy may be set and not have to spend a dime. Somebody who was just getting started may spend a lot. Tipi/tent, backpack, sleep system, weapon of choice, boots, clothing, etc etc...all adds up quickly. Sorry, I don't have a great answer to your question.

I have spent very little on gear for a couple of years and compared to most not that much in total. The only "expensive" items I have bought are binos, boots, backpack, and sleeping bag. They are far from the most expensive or nicest, but they work and have so now for multiple years. The rest of my stuff is pretty cheap and mundane. There's a lot of better/nicer stuff I'd like to have, but my financial situation for the last few years has given me the choice of trips or gear, not both. Trips win everytime...

I agree trips are #1. But I'm in a spot where better is a necessity for the weather. I just bought new outer wear and a 0 degree sleepng bag that I hope will cover me for quite awhile and a few trips. I ask myself a lot is it worth the expense for the time spent and cost for "bigger/ better" stuff. Top of the line is not a option when gas and everything else is SOOO high.

This is an impossible question to answer. Each person has to weigh priority vs. necessity vs. desire. For some, one piece of gear is top priority and no expense is too high. For others considering the same piece of gear...meh, not a high priority.

There are people on here that apparently feel if you don't spend $700 on your tent, $700+ on your custom built pack, or $700 on your custom fitted boots(and own multiple pairs) then you're buying "inferior gear", and perhaps you're even not much more than a neophyte.

Apparently, there are some on here that have unlimited resources too!

What a person who every year takes multiple high elevation sheep hunts 10 miles back actually "NEEDS" vs the guy who makes perhaps one or two 4-6 day hunts per year for mulies "NEEDS", is not the same list.
And hunting anything in late Novemeber is a different ballgame than in September.

Some boots, Cabelas for example, are perfectly fine for some, considering their needs, while others will/would laugh if someone even suggested such "garbage".

I am a firm believer that you get what you pay for and there is a lot more cheap, poor quality gear out there than good quality. (look at my signiture quote) Having said that, I believe gear doesn't have to be top of the line to be good and perfectly adequate for the needs of an individual, even most individuals. (And I believe some take themselves more seriously than they should.)

I understand you don't want to get caught in a snowstorm at 10000 ft in your LL Bean cotton flannel shirt, fleece jacket and bluejeans. But common sense and using your brain coupled with some decent serviceable gear will get one through a lot.

And FWIW I'm not talking about low quality inferior gear. But there is a lot of quality gear, that isn't crap, that used within its design parameters is perfectly fine when you don't have to have "top of the line" and you don't have unlimited resources.

Anyway, my 2 cents.

PS. RE: You and your wife's concern as to the $$ you're spending? Get the heck off this site!!!! There is no end to gear you NEED that is constantly coming up on here!!!! I've done nothing but spend money since being on this site!!!

Very well said!

Snubbie, how much of your advise is actually based on real use and backpack hunts? Sorry if I am calling you out but its my understanding you have never been on a backpack hunt. Just wondering where all this knowledge came from all of a sudden.

We have had plenty of dicussions about budget gear and money saving deals. Your a big boy you dont have to give in to the peer pressure and buy every cool peice of gear out there. Like you said a guy that goes on one or two backpack trips a year does not need "top of the line gear". When your out in the mountains 5-6 days a week you find out what works and what does not. Top of the line american made gear is what I rely on, my life on. I have found spending money on quality gear the first time will save you money in the long run. That is if you use gear enough to find its weaknesses, if you dont then picking up gear at Wal Mart will do you just fine. Your sig line says it all and I agree.

Bought a Kifaru pack earlier this year, after working with a cheapo external frame pack for about eight years. Also ordered a Western Mountaineering sleeping bag, because it was the only one that I could find (important caveat) that had the features I wanted. I think that should do it for this year. Oh, I also bought a knife, but I'm not even counting that. Bought new boots and a different sleeping pad last year. So it does add up to a significant amount. I could still use some good raingear, and a luxury item would be a rangefinder. That would be about it. Possibly... :-)

I have been backpacking, and I have taken backpack hunts. Typically though, a backpack hunt here in my backyard will consist of one or two days, and not more than a few miles from the trailhead. We simply don't have quite the wide open spaces you guys have out west. I realize an overnighter 3 miles back is laughable to some, but it is what it is and I go when I can work it in to my work/life schedule. Time requirements for owning a retail store, an elderly parent, church, and a 6 year old(at age 51) just doesn't leave much time for dinking around in the mountains...as much as I'd love to.
However, I have not been on a typical hunt like you and others frequently take. I posted on here about taking a solo hunt, out west, in strange territory, and the wisdom of such an undertaking. I had many great responses from those, such as yourself, that are much more knowledgeable than I about that type of hunt. And, as a result, I've gleaned much useful information, and I do intend to take that solo hunt come October, i've purchased a mule deer tag and a wolf tag. Will I have success? Actually the odds are low, having never visited that particular area and no chance to pre-scout. The trip will be a success regardless of collecting a mulie or wolf.

As far as your first question, I have quite a few years in the outdoors, I've backpacked and I've hunted, I've hiked and I've flyfished out west, up north and points between. I've logged many miles in these Appalachain mountains. I've hiked into gorges to flyfish and I've packed deer out in a backpack and turkeys over my shoulder. I'm confident I'm knowledgeable enough and posess enough woodsmanship and common sense to take care of myself in the outdoors. Thus, my experience coupled with a good dose of common sense is not something that has come about "all of a sudden" to use your quote.

I clearly differentiate between the gear requirements of one with limited opportunities to spend in the outdoors, or a style or type of hunting that simply doesn't require quite the commitment of time or ruggedness of terrain, from the gear requirements of one who's type of hunting, time spent outdoors or terrain type my be catagorized as somewhat "extreme".

No, I've never taken the big "out west backpack hunt" but what knowledge I do posess from my research on that particular subject is at least partially obtained from people such as yourself, from this site. I feel I can gain more from real life people than from a book on the subject. I've obtained and upgraded to some decent gear as a result of info from the people on this site, many who are much more experienced than myself. I hope I can perhaps pass on some information that is useful to someone who may have less experience than me, or like me, is just fishing for information to be better informed to try things that work for them. I think it reasonable for all to participate in the discussion, regardless their level of "expertise".

My only point was one person's true "need" concerning gear may not be the same as another's and thus, the impossibility of assigning a price tag on the sum total of gear needed for backpack hunting. I don't have to spend 6 days a week in the mountains to be qualified to say that.

And besides, you say the same thing ^above^.

Well I stand corrected and I am sorry if I offended you. I agree with most of what you said. There is just a big difference between the gopher mounds that they call the Appalachain mountains and out west. That also means the gear you choose will be a lot differnet and will be more abused by the elements. Your quote about being at 10,000 ft in a snowstorm is the reason I asked. When its blowing 60+ mph and snowing/raining I want to be in a $700+ tent. I am saying this because I know your planning on hunting idaho this year and you might change your opinion at little bit after that.

Some of those "gopher mounds" are just as big and just as steep as the "out west mountains". They just start and stop at a lower altitude. Not all, but some.

I was thinking about this overnight and decided that I mostly disagree. There are plenty of ~$300 tents that will weather a storm just fine with reasonable space to boot.

However, I was also thinking about late fall through late spring in the Cascades and how much it flat out sucks. It's not really wind that is an issue, it is the precipitation which is nearly constant and constantly hovering somewhere between rain and snow. In those conditions, having a heated shelter with enough space to hang out in is something that "I want" too. You shouldn't have to pay $700+ to get it, but without getting someone to put a jack in a golite or megamid for you, you pretty much do. Heck, at full retail even a golite is a pretty spendy tent. I don't know if anybody buys golites at full retail though. Plus, if you want North American made, that is your price range as well.

I admire folks who spend time out in the Appalachians. From the little I've been there, I don't think I could hack hanging out in that jungle very long. No thanks.

Oh yes you are right, there are plenty of shelters out there that would handle severe conditions that are under $400. I was just using that as an example. I am trying to convert all my stuff to quality american made gear, that means you are going to pay a premium for it. I want to give my money to small USA based companys. You should understand that . The Golite SL's are not american made but I think are a worthy shelter. My $300 Big Agnes tent held up fine during a wind storm on the flanks of Mt. Daniel. If I am choosing to go American its Seek Outside or Hilleburg for me now. Late fall to late spring conditons in the Cascades flat out sucks? Well yeah maybe it does but I love it. When it dumps 3 ft of snow in 24 hours and then starts raining, blowing 60+ mph that just plain fun to me. On the other hand your pictures of the desert look like hell on earth to me.

What I was trying to get at Snubbie is what gear you might find to be quality now might not turn out to be once you are out west hauling a large load off a mountain. Gear that I thought that was once awesome stuff turned out not to be after some use. It can be trial and error, the best way to avoid wasting money doing that is to buy right the first time. From what I have read you have an old Dana pack and a Golite SL3? See, thats some wallet friendly gear that should do you just fine. You will soon find out if your other gear choices were good buys or not. Aint nothin to it but to use it!

I suppose beauty is in the eye of the beholder. This is my home. I love these mountains.

I once drove across South Dakota. There were long stretches of many miles with only open grassland, where I would top a small rise and you could see from horizon to horizon and not a tree in sight. I wondered how anyone could choose to live in such a desolate looking place. Some would think the same about some of the arid regions of the west with their canyons, arroyos, dry gullys and spiney plants.
We all know each area has its own beauty and with it, its own challenges. What a boring place this would be if it were all the same!

God knew what He was doing!

Nobody likes a knit-picker, but.........Hillebergs are made in Estonia, and before that Sweden. Only their US headquarters are in Washington, with the Mothership being in Sweden. They're awesome tents, for sure. I own one, and plan to add a couple more at some point. While I'd love to give my money to US companies, I don't mind supporting the Europeans a little also-----------especially when talking about top tier gear like Hilleberg. I just hate buying bullets for the ChiComs.

I am wrong, thought I was sure they were made in the states. I do not currently own a Hilleburg tent but I was going to replace my Big agnes tents with one next year. I guess sending money to Europe is not all that bad . I actually do not need to have any other shelters than that from Seek Outside anyways. Once the LBO is out I will be set.

Like with my McHale, Zpacks gear, Seek outside shelters and HPG stuff I really like being able to speak directly with the owners if I have any problems or questions. Also knowing I dont have to jump through hoops, be on the phone with a service rep or any warrenty crap if I need my gear repaired or replaced. I would have bought a sleeping pad from Kooka bay if they didnt go out of business. Their website is still up but I heard they are no longer working, idk.

I agree on all fronts W. I forget just how close you live to Redmond WA, but I have no doubts that Petra Hilleberg would take care of any customer service concerns you might ever have.

Its hard to beat golite pricing on shelters , packs and bags for general use. What you can do is create a better product for a specific usage and support it well. The price is a reflection of foreign made quantity vs more tailored American made. Folks ultimately vote with their wallet.

The original thread title says yearly, and that puts an annual average spin on it. Most of us spend more in the early years till we get outfitted well. Then we level off and don't spend nearly as much per year, just spring for something every few years. I don't spend much per year on gear nowadays, but have been spending more on fewer hunt trips.

Most of us also buy, try and discard stuff in the early years, sorting through gear to find what works with our style and locations! Of course, we all want/need newer stuff with cool features...

Lighter gear, faster horses, etc.