Thought i'd do this one a bit differently. I'll post my gear list and how it performed then on with the report.
Rifle: Winchester model 70 270
Ammo: Federal Premium Vital Shok 150gr NP's
Scope: Leupold Vari-X III 3.5x10x40 matte duplex
Binos: Swarovski Habicht 10x40
Spotter: Nikon XL II
Rangefinder: Bushnell Scout 1000 w/ARC
Knife: Gene Ingram Semi #2 custom
Clothing: Sitka 90% pants, Core and Mountain shirts, Core4Element Element jacket and pants,
merino hoodie and boxers,
Lorpen lighthiker socks, Wigwam medium weight hunting socks
Boots: Lowa Sheephunters
Trekking pole: Leki Makalu
Packframe: Wilderness Specialties molle frame
Stove: Jetboil Sol Ti
Sleeping bag: Wiggys Ultra Light
Sleeping pad: Thermarest NeoAir (lg)
Tent: Marmot Limelight 3
Camera: Panasonic Lumix DMC FX40
ATV: 2004 Honda ForemanES 450 4x4 (for access)
All the clothing I used on this hunt worked better than I had thought except for the Sitka shirts holding odor. After 1 day they smelled pretty bad so I had to rotate them and wash them as I went. The Core4 stuff was awesome, the Element jacket kept out the wind, and we had lots of it, and the merino wool stuff was money well spent. Highly recommend the hoodie and boxers!
Swaro binos are my fav and i've had them for a long time, best investment i've ever made in hunting gear.
Bushnell rf worked incredibly well, I had issues with the Leica ranging sheep (it wouldn't)so I decided to try something else and these Bushnells worked as advertised and I especially liked the ARC feature.
Jetboil Sol Ti, what can I say about this rig, it boiled water faster than I could put the Via coffee in my cup, best buy of the year by far!
Thermarest Neoair in large, super comfy and much lighter than my old Prolite 4 regular pad.
Marmot Limelight 3, to be honest, I only had a chance to use the tent for 3 days and it held up to some pretty strong winds and gave me more room than I needed but it is a 3 man tent. I'm going to use it next year when I take the wife sheep hunting in the Wrangells and will post another report on it then.
Lowa Sheephunters, these are the best boots I have ever owned. Boots usually only last me 2-3 years and these are going on their 4th year with several more years of use still ahead of them. Feet never got wet crossing creeks and streams and they perfromed well on the mountain.
Wiggys Ultralight, I know many here don't care for them but this bag has always performed well for me and I wouldn't go anywhere in the wilderness without it.
Ingram Semi #2, I could cut up 2-3 sheep with this knife after using it on one 2 years ago. Love this pattern by Gene.
Panasonic DMC FX40 camera, I took some of the best pictures I have ever taken with this camera and weighing in at about 1 lb I could hardly tell it was in my pack. Super impressed with this thing.
Honda ForemanES, what can I say, it's a Honda!!
Rifle, scope, and ammo. I've hunted with this rifle for probably 25 years and it has never let me down. It shoots the 150gr Partitions well and the Leupy has been rock solid since I bought years ago.
Winderness Specialties packframe, I have to say that I was quite disappointed with the meat hauling abilities of this frame. The shoulder straps would not stay tight and I had to really cinch it up good to make it comfortbale enough to carry. The waist belt fit more around my stomach than my waist, which really wasn't that big a deal but still, it's suppose to fit around your waist. I would never try and carry a moose hindquarter on it.
Leki Makalu trekking pole held up well once again. I let my partner use it on my second hunt and he was glad to have it, it saved his butt several times when hiking downhill.
