Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting 2013 Gear Thread

Sorry, but snubbie's pic of the toilet seat has blown your cover!

Nothing new here other than I'm thrilled Milkman is available again... started with it in the 1970's and it went out of production a few years back. Also found a coconut based milk powder at our local hippy co-op that is terrific too. I felt like it was Christmas finding these sources, which got me back to the type of breakfast I prefer... ie, Granola/Musli w/ nuts and fruit.

http://www.rei.com/product/829886/milkman-instant-low-fat-dry-powdered-milk-1-quart

8th year with Jetboil, 3rd year with the Sol Ti. Best stoves I've ever used, and IMO one of the most important pieces of "breakthrough" gear in the last decade +.

2nd year for MSR Hubba HP. A nearly perfect solo tent. Will likely get Fibraplex poles for it to drop more weight.

Back to the Kimber MT 308. A backpack rifle par-excellence.

Likes:
Salomon Speedcross 3 climashield for all hunting until it gets damn cold. I'm getting to the point that I absolutely hate boots however I've got some Schnee's enroute for snow. The rougher it gets the better my feet feel wearing trail shoes. 2 years of training in minimalist Inov-8's have led me here.

Rei XT 85 pack. I may buy another to salt away for when they stop making it. Weight is nil and nothing I don't like about it.

Jetboil remains king in my realm. Hot coffee in a minute for the win.


Big Agnes Insulated Q-core. Nuttin' but comfort.

Priorities, Man, priorities!

Lemme tell you, when you have a real toilet seat on a "backpack" trip, LIFE IS GOOD! (Just be sure to remove the frost in the morning! Ouch!)


I enjoyed my HPG Kitbag again this year, as well as the Kuiu Spindrift jacket. Both good pieces of gear.

Not entirely thrilled with my Eberlestock J107. It worked fine, is completely functional, and well built IMO. It's just that, with an empty weight of almost 9 pounds, when you add field dressing kit, first aid kit, poncho (just in case), jacket, lunch, etc., you know, just typical stuff you'd put in a day pack, before you know it, you've got twenty pounds you're carrying all day to hunt.
I can see why people pursue light weight packs. I just can't quite make myself drop 6 bills +/- on a pack.

I have a really good Kelty day pack that gets left home most of the time. It has stays, a really good waist belt, lots of pockets...and weighs as much as a cinder block. I have a homemade day pack that always gets to go. It only weighs a couple lb empty and is very functional.

That reminds me, I used a Go-lite pack this year, and liked it a lot for what it is. I forget what I payed for it, but I got it at their local outlet for $200 or less. I'll weigh it again, but it's right around 4 lbs IIRC. It carries up to 50 lbs pretty well, and has a rigid frame sheet, which helps. I used it to pack in my gear, and to pack out the first load of elk meat. After the first load, I swapped it for the Kifaru LH Guide pack for the heavy lifting though.

It's all about the proper application for the selected tool.

The only new thing I fell in love with this year was some BD trekking poles. Despite being relatively young and in some of my best shape ever going into this fall, I don't know how I backpacked without them all these years. Saved my ass numerous times on the packout from a mtn goat hunt.

Other than that I continue to be impressed with my first gen Late Season pack and Firstlite wool top. They have both taken a lot of abuse in the years I've owned them and they look none the worse for wear.

New stuff that worked:

Kind of like Kevin T, I have usually hunted in trail runners, but with more wet weather I went to a pair of Lowa Renegade's. They are almost as light as trail runners, but higher and better support. Great boot.

Tried some new gaiters this year, the OR Wrapid Gaiter:
http://www.outdoorresearch.com/en/review/product/list/id/32455/?pageId=61110OR

I really like these. Time will tell if the Velcro or Omni Tape or what ever brand fastener they use will hold up. But so far they are great.


Black Diamond Ultra Mountain Carbon Trekking Pole. Awesome and fantastic comes to mind. These are the burlier big brother to my BD Z poles. Very sturdy, compact, accept both trekking pole baskets and bigger snow baskets. I have shot my last 5 animals using trekking poles as a rifle rest and these are the best so far.


Paradox Evolution Backpack. The more I use it the more I like it. I'll have a more complete write-up on this.

Not really new but I've been really pleased with the Dahlgren Alpaca socks. Actually like them better than Merino.

Also not exactly new, but the Ibex Hooded Indie Merino top has replaced my nearly worn out BPL Merino Hoodie. The Indie is slightly heavier weight Merino but still light enough for a base layer. I love a Hoodie, as I can then just wear a ball-cap and not carry an extra hat unless it is really cold.

Existing gear that just flat works:

Kimber .308 with Barnes 150 TTSX. This little rifle/bullet combo has tipped over somewhere around 8 elk, several sheep and a couple deer over the past years.

Kahtoola MicroSpikes. For me they are essential for packing big loads in slippery conditions.

Zebra light headlamp. Love the size, brightness and the fact that it takes a single AA battery. You do need to remember to throttle down the light output when you can for maximum battery life.

Rab Vapour Rise pants. Still the best I have ever used. Light, great comfort temperature range, work well in the snow and wet. I plan on picking up a pair of the Vapour Rise Guide pants next.

Sawvivor, still the most efficient saw for the backcountry IMO.

GB axes. They rock and are one of the quickest ways to get a good fire going. Still not sure on the Outdoor Ax. I've been carrying the Small Forest or the Scandinavian Forest Ax more and more. I am beginning to think the handle is too straight on the Outdoor Ax.

More season left, more stuff to decide on.

All this gear was used on a third season CO Elk hunt, backpack style:

Gear that I loved:

- Paradox 4800 pack and base Talon. Going to do a full report on this pack. Used it to haul camp in, used it as a daypack, and used it to pack down nearly 100 pounds of boned out meat. Passed with flying colors.

- Seek Outside 6 Man and Large stove. I've always read - you can get the inside of the tent HOT with a stove. Was hard to believe, but let me tell you - 18 degrees outside, 65 inside. Had it glowing, and boy it felt good.

- Jetboil. Too easy. Too much fun. I've had it for years and it keeps on trucking. No problem getting a good boil at high elevations.

- Kimber Montana 270. What can't it do? I wish the stainless was a little more resistant (may get it coated someday), but love this little rifle.

Clothing that I loved:

- Marmot Scree pants. Boy howdy. These were awesome. I thought MANY times that I would rip them on a dead fall or oak brush. Never tore a hole in them. Paired with a light base layer, they took me through all kids of temps. Have become my go to hunting pants. Will be keeping an eye out for more 34 waist, long inseam to have another pair.

- Patagonia Houdini. I felt like an idiot buying this little garment. So light and small. How could it do anything? And for $100? It was one of the BEST items I had in my day pack. Need to sit on a windy open hill side to glass? Put it on, and slap on the hood - instant wind block. I highly recommend a wind shell to everyone. And one with a hood. The warmth difference with and without the hood was huge.

Gear I could improve:

- My sleeping system is heavy. Big Agnes Lost Ranger, Insulated Air Core pad (that has never leaked - going on 5 years) and a Z-Lite. Too much stuff, too heavy. I know it can be expensive to shed ounces in the sleep system, so I'm putting it off for now. I could probably shed 1.5 pounds and have a warmer set-up.

- My binos. I see why guys like range finding binos. One less gadget to have in my pocket - its all around my neck. I will be asking questions about the Swaro and Leica rangefinding binos. So damn expensive, but so quick to range and make a call on legal animal or trophy animal.

- Game bags. Brought cotton pillow cases. Heavy, don't compact. Will buy real game bags next time. Maybe the TAG BOMB bags as mentioned here. So light at compact.

Clothing I could improve:

- I think I'm leaving the soft shell behind. Wool base layer, fleece layer, puffy and a wind shell was plenty. The soft shell is just too much of a "tweener", does a good job on a lot of things, but not a great job. The puffy/wind shell combo does better and does it lighter. I'll keep it around for less physical hunts, but it won't go up the mountain with me again.

- Boots. Blew em out. On the search. Looking at everything. Buddy has some Kennetrek Mountain Extremes. Was surprised how light they are for such a substantial boot.

All for now. Hope this helps someone!

It appears the Sawvivor did not survive. Feel free to elaborate on hatchets/axes if you would Ed. If you are packing a saw, what justifies the weight of anything larger than a GB Mini?

Glen,

The Sawvivor is my choice for bucking up a lot of wood and also for sawing skull plates on elk.

I got rid of my GB Mini when the Outdoors Ax came out. Much more efficient and not that much heavier. However, I have gotten to where I mostly prefer a big knife like this:



When used baton style I think it is as efficient and safer than a small ax/hatchet.

There are time though, like this fall where our weather was like NW Montana, almost Pacific Northwest like, in the amount of rain and wet snow. This past week, I couldn't get red slash pine needles to burn without first drying them, Everything was soaked. The only way to get a sustainable fire was through sawing and then splitting wood. In those instances an ax like the GB Small Forest or Scandinavian Forest axes really shine and well worth the added weight.

Dry wood and the Scandinavian Forest Ax:



The resulting fire:



I have learned that there is no one kit that works for all conditions and I try to adapt to current conditions as necessary.

Some thoughts from this year. Much of this is copied from my elk hunt thread, but I added to it a bit.



The Seek Outside BCS tent and ED T Ti stove are incredible. Borderline life savers the first night this year. The ability to go from dark, cold, wet conditions to reasonably comfortable in minutes is amazing. I will likely upgrade to the new version of the BCS with two zippers for ease of access though.

My MRE Pocket Rocket and the Ti cup worked great yet again. I may add a small, light skillet so I can cook up eggs or pancakes (luxury items!).

Need a backup lighter. Only had a single lighter. Had that failed I would have been in a difficult situation.

Gaiters are a great thing. I picked up some from Cabela�s (Alaskan Guide Gore Tex) and they proved invaluable when plowing through snow all day. Great to get back to camp, pull them off and have the bottoms of my pants and top of boots be dry.

Salomon Quest 4D GTX boots were excellent. Although not insulated, my feet remained reasonably comfortable when paired with wool socks. Despite slogging through wet snow for days and the occasional bog and creek, my feet stayed completely dry. Toes were a bit cold when standing in camp in the evenings after it cooled off or after stopping during the day for a length of time. I would want more insulation if I knew I was spending significant time in snow and cold (our forecast was a small chance of an inch or two, it actually snowed 8�+).

My Eberlestock J104 again worked great. The versatility is amazing. Used the top bag and existing straps to hold the antlers and it was like they weren�t even there. Opening it up to carry the camp or closing it down for day-pack use while hunting worked well. Could be lighter though. Given that, I am looking hard at the Paradox pack. I would like to have a really light pack to have on while hunting. Just needs to carry a few things, but be able to take on a load of elk meat.

I switched to Mtn House meals vice MREs. I think I�ll go back to MREs for lunch. That eliminates need to carry source of hot water all day (stove) and the MRE is easier. And, I prefer the variety of an MRE (Main course, snack, etc.). I will use single serving Mtn House for dinner and keep the PowerBars, fruit snacks and almonds to cover the rest of the day.

The small Wyoming saw worked well. Only drawback is that it is not large enough to cut the skull plate of an elk in one cut. Have to turn the head around come from the other side to finish. Moving and twisting a dead elk�s head is easier said than done.

The 338 FED with the 160 TTSX is great for elk (the 185 TTSX worked real well too). Given its excellent accuracy in my rifle and what I saw it do on elk, I think this is my go-to load for now. There just might be something to the light and fast for monometal bullets. A 338 Cal bullet hitting the chest at ~3000 FPS makes a mess, in a good way! Combine that with the Kimber Montana rifle and it is an absolutely fantastic mountain hunting rifle. I will never carry a heavy rifle again in the mountains. Here's where he was standing when hit. He's down just on the other side of the timber in the upper right side of the picture.



Checking to see if it was still sighted in properly prior to leaving. (Truth in advertising, that was only 50yds - length of indoor range)



On a related note; I did learn the importance of proper rifle care. During the hike in it was snowing very heavily and the rifle got placed in the snow on a few occasions. Apparently some snow got inside the trigger, or possibly it got in around the bolt. Either way, the next morning it was quite chilly (~15 deg) and discovered during a quick function check that it would not cock. The small piece that catches the bolt would not engage. One minute of heat from the MSR Pocket Rocket fixed the issue. I have since cleaned and degreased it all out.

Kuiu DCS Guide jacket worked great. Hours in very heavy snow and I never had the slightest problem with moisture. They don�t recommend it as a true rain jacket, but it certainly did well in heavy snow and then in significant melting snow in the forest the following days. It�s a keeper. Layered with a Cabela�s Switzer Primaloft jacket and Kuiu and/or First Lite Merino wool kept me comfortable with temps in the teens.

Need better gloves. Mine got wet working through heavy snow and getting them dry was always a challenge. Priority for next year. I picked up some warm gloves at Cabela�s. They claim to be waterproof, we�ll see. I�ll try them out during deer season this year.

Home!

Least favorite piece of gear this past season was a Thermarest inflatable sleeping pad that almost went flat on the first night of a deep wilderness Coues deer hunt.

Most favorite item of gear this past season was a new Frontier Gear pack harness which was installed on an old Frontier Gear frame, right before a hunt in pursuit of Alaska/Yukon moose.

I've had nothing but good performance from Thermarest products over the past 30 years or so, probably 4 or 5 different models. Used one this year with the same results.

I've consistently used Thermarest pads the past 20 years, while providing guided hunts across North America and especially in Alaska.

I've never had a problem till this past week, when a pad failed me during a hunt in extreme wilderness and while in pursuit of world-class Coues whitetail deer. I was disappointed, but not daunted.

The hunt recent Arizona continued, regardless of my lack-of-sleep because of the hard ground beneath my sleeping bag, each and every night.

Thermarest sells a little patch kit that works like a champ. You prep the damaged area with an alcohol pad, then boil a pot of water, then apply the glue to the patch, stick the patch over the hole, then set the pot of hot water on it. When the water cools, you are good to go. The problem sometimes is finding a pinhole leak if you don't have water to dunk it in.

That's great, but I took my "leaking" Thermarest pad back to Sportsmen's Warehouse in Phoenix and they offered me an upgrade to a better pad and I actually was able to get some money back, too.

Have been using Thermarest pads since the mid 1980's... some have failed. Anything that is blow-up will have issues sooner or later, which is one reason I carry a 1/4" Evazote pad to use on top of any inflatable.

Yeah, I had a closed-cell foam pad that was stashed in the four-wheel-drive at the trailhead and I debated taking that pad as well, but after considering bulk and subsequent noise factor while negotiating dense oak and dense pinon pine and dense mountain mahogany )all combined together) I decided to stay as compact as possible while chasing whitetails in a very remote stretch of mountains along the Arizona/New Mexico border. After my first night afield, though, I was wishing I'd just brought the closed-cell pad and had just left that Thermarest behind.