Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Single best piece of equipment...

If you had to name the one single best piece of equipment, clothing, firearms, boots, accessories, etc, that you have, what would it be? If everything else was stolen except for that, you would be a happy camper. If only that was stolen, you would be heartbroken. Do it from a functionality perspective and not a sentimental perspective please!

As I thought about it, I decided that my Beretta 390 12 ga is the No. 1 hunting thing that I own. I use it on waterfowl, upland, deer, target, you name it and it has delivered flawlessly every time. It fits me like a glove.

Honorable Mention (limit it to 1 please!): My Buck 118 hunting knife my dad gave me when I was 12. I have tried a lot of different knives and keep coming back to this one.

A camera. I've regretted not taking more and better pics more than anything else.

I can get the job done without cool camo, super accurate rifles or SBC7899000XYZ steel knives. But a bad camera takes bad pics and there's no way around that.

Boots.

It takes me too damned long to find some that fit my awkward-a$$ed feet. I could hunt in just about any clothes (yes, even blue jeans), make do with any recent optics, & find a 700 here on the fire that would fit me well enough & shoot straight enough for me to take most any game. Boots take a while for me, & poor-fitting ones could make a dream hunt feel like being trapped in an elevator with the former spouse.

Actually, this thread could be the impetus for a reality hunting show. Give the contestants $500 and 24 hours to accumulate their gear, then see who kills what with their setup.

FC

What boots specifically? I thought it might be interesting to see what people really, REALLY like. More than interesting...educational even.

The camera idea was good! Which one?

Yeah, $500 huh? We would need to lay out the details (what to hunt, where, when, and for how long). I could present the scenario if a few want to do it and then we could judge who spent their money the wisest. For example, blue jeans would be free ( I assume everyone has them), but if you wanted the new Sitka gear, it is gonna cost ya!

My brain.....I can replace everything else.

Might wanna do a re-take...your brain misspelled everything...

Did I?

Where?

bastid.....

I'm rollin' with Asolo TPS 520's these days. In fact, I just got back from the store, where I ordered some 1 size bigger than the pair I bought last month. It's a total b!tch to lay out the $ like that 'til I find the sweet spot, only to have them change all the styles & sizes by the time I need new boots.

If we're doing reality shows, we also ought to have one where we get all the .22 cal proponents together, & have them hunt DG 'til one of 'em gets stomped. My guess is we'd witness far more critters dying than we would have expected. Whether it would be 2-legged or 4-legged critters? Well, that would have to play itself out...

FC

Boots, by either Ecco or Merril.

It would be boots for me also, either White's or Danners. I have 2 pair of the White's, the Smokejumpers & the Hunter model....I think.

Dick

Boots for me Kenetrek Hard Scrabble and then bino's

good bino's.....my knees are chit, they save me more miles than anything....can always borrow a gun on short notice....ppl are less happy bout lending their good optics cause then they dont have them to use....

Boots; when I am hunting down east in flat country (95% of the time) I simple love the old (sadly now discontinued) Browning upland style green kangaroo leather boots - as comfortable as moccasins, Goretex lined, enough thinsulate for winters in the south and light weight to walk in all day. For rough country I have been using a pair of military spec Matterhorn combat boots for 11 or 12 years - great for colder weather and lots of rock.

My truck....I don't know what I would do without it.

Leica 8x32 Ultravid's... but at the end of the day it's all replaceable and just "stuff."

My wife. She's a much better hunter than I am, and a great camp companion as well.

Probably my hunting fanny pack that I ordered from Cabelas years ago. I have god knows what stashed away in that thing. Just about everything I need for a days outing including light survival gear and tools and repair items. It rides in my truck usually from Oct. til Feb. It's held up great and goes with me everywhere when I am in the outdoors.

Nice John.

My Tree Saddle.

It simply allows me to hunt longer and in more places than anything else.