Optics, clothing, electronics or whatever. What is the best thing you found this year for your outdoor stuff?

I picked up a daiwa trigger spin fishing reel that i've been using a fair bit. Bought it for my wife, then I used it and bought another one for her...

And a 22" walkstool. Walkstool
Always in the truck and even carried places I wouldn't carry any other seat.
And very comfortable...

Merino wool boxers.

Wiggies waders.

Just bought a choke tube, a Gobble Stopper by Tru Glo for 24 bucks at Dick's.

Went from counting pellets on one hand with my Mossberg 500 at the turkey shoot down the mountain, to counting bills and pounds of pork this past weekend.

Best 24 bucks I spent. Does what they said it would do.

just figured out this morning that the walkstool makes a pretty fair rifle rest.

Merino wool socks are great, I have a couple of pair of Smartwool brand.

Tikka rifles - I could never warm up to them, but bought one this year. It works perfectly for its intended use. So perfect, in fact, I bought a 2nd one a few weeks after the first. I’m impressed.

Fishing kayak - I wanted something fast and easy to get on the water on week nights. A kayak accomplishes that in spades for me.

A pair of Crocs for around camp use has proven very handy. No more soggy, cold feet on late night trips to whiz off the deck for me.

Thermacell. It works! No more bugs around while sitting on the stand or camp in mild weather.

I bought me a little Estwing chopping axe.

Seems pretty good.

Gotta be the Garmin Inreach. Great piece of kit!

Trojan Magnums they dont rip. I just got to thinking I havent bought anything hunting related this year. I must fix this issue soon.

This.

Leica Geovids- no more separate binoculars and rangefinder.

Gore Tex in the pouring rain and the “butt out” tool have been indispensable, I’d happily pay triple. 😉

old town vapor angler kayak. for 4 bills, it can't be beat.

I make a custom leather/wood version of that stool. I took mine to Disney World with me this past summer due to me having really bad knees. Every time the wife and kids stopped to shop, I'd plop down on that thing outside the shops and people-watch while they shopped. I had more questions and comments on that thing than you could imagine. I'll bet I could have sold a dozen of them if I'd had them with me.

Maybe you ain't filling them up properly (need a smaller size, that is), then.

Cabelas Merino Wool outfitter hoodie with 4most windshear. Spent 5 days in Idaho going up and down mountains deer hunting last week. That was the outer layer when leaving camp at zero dark thirty well below freezing and it kept me just right throughout the day until returning in 55 degrees. Like Aces said, knowing what I learned, I'd gladly pay triple for it again.

Kifaru Tut and cylinder stove

I was cussing myself Saturday when I forgot mine. Mosquitoes ate me up....

Hunting season is just starting here so I have to put a Fieldcraft through a few hunts before I crow about it to much but based on it's range time performance Barrett has put together a winner. Hoping to say the same about a Tract Toric 2-10x42 after a few months of hunting.

You can drill extra holes in the Walkstool legs and make it even more adjustable for height and mainly for uneven ground. With multiple holes you can adjust one leg shorter and make the seat level on steep ground. I modified my Walkstool with extra holes to fit sloping ground on long predator calling stands. I keep intending to put a spike at the bottom end of each leg so it will bite into wet wood and frozen ground. I've tried a half dozen three legged stool over the years and the Walkstool is the best IME. I have the taller one, 26" I think.

I have 2 pairs. One in the house and one in the trailer. For those exact reasons you say. My son and wife hates them. He calls them Big Rubber Masturbater shoes or BRMBs. He says the holes are there to let your dignity leak out. I love them.

Not new, but the land ownership chip in the GPS is so useful I wonder how I got along w/o it.

Kuiu Attack Pants, mostly because of thigh zips.

I recently got a Dometic CFX-40US (not the newest model) that works as a fridge or freezer, 12VDC or 115VAC. My old man had similar when I was a youth. We could refreeze ice jugs and run the high desert, independent and indefinitely, and have frozen food and a second dry cooler. Always wanted one and now finally do. I keep it in the truck set at 32F, colder stuff in the bottom. Very energy efficient with a variable speed high quality compressor. While a bit more than a big Yeti, no more buying damned ice, especially barely frozen cubes. Dometic, Engle and ARB are the brands to stick with. Buy once, cry once. I grabbed an open box unit off Amazon and saved $100+... This Dometic line is well reviewed by the solar power folk for their efficiency.

Trout Magnet SOS fishing line in 2lb. and 4lb. test. Kinks less than other light lines I've used, and I've used a lot of them over the years. Casts good too, and reasonably priced..

I recently broke down and finally bought myself a pair of 16" LL Bean Maine Hunting Boots. They are beautifully crafted, great leather, and very comfortable. Been ogling them in the Bean catalog since I was a teen.

Lux Pro Lights.

Browning HP HV Ammo.

Rada sharpeners.

Mora high carbon. (the cheapest ones on amazon)

Garmin Oregon 600 with landowner map.

Mossberg Shockwave.

Fiocchi factory ammo (.223)




Dave

Does your map show the block management areas and school lands?

I'm grudgingly going to say best new gear about my CenterPoint open reflex red dot sight, jury rigged on my .22 rifle because no combo of bases and mounts fit as designed. There are several things I don't like about the sight but doggone, I've killed 9 out of the last 11 grouse that I have seen.

Sig Kilo 1250 rangefinder, got for $200 on sale at Cabelas. Hell of a ranger for $200.

Gold Tip Hunter and Hunter XT arrows. Fly great and very tough. (Deer test pending)

G5 Montec 100gr broadheads, Fly great and extremely tough. I've buried all 4 of them in oak or juniper at least once while sighting in and getting back into archery. Still flying great. (Deer test pending)

Rinehart targets. Awesome. This target is going to tolerate thousands (yes plural) of shots with Montec broadheads.

Olympia Wave 6 catalytic propane heater for the travel trailer. Installed it into the trailer before we left for antelope hunting this year. Uses propane and no electricity. Heats the trailer up plenty good enough without having to rely on battery power or noisy fans.

While not new - I am once again convinced baby wipes are the best thing ever.

L.L. Bean quality is awesome. I recently got a good deal on a pair of leather double-sole slippers that in fact are a fine version of native moccasins. No arch support, but perfect for camp or stalking in the woods.

And in my experience, the rubber bottom Maine boots last forever and are perfect for hunting, running the snowblower, etc.

Norm

Marsupial Gear bino harness + LRF pouch.

This^^^^^^ and baby wipes!

My very similar folding stool has four legs and 24 in. legs as opposed to this one with a max of 22 in.

It also has the fourth or back leg 10 inches longer and shaped like a cane. It is not much of a backrest, but it helps a little. The cane aspect is extremely useful.

I wish I could remember where I got it. One of the rubber feet wore off, but I was able to buy cane ones at Walmart that fit perfectly.

Norm

Interstate 5'x8' enclosed utility trailer. Hauls all the camping gear we want w/ ease and is weather tight. It also works well as a solo dwelling for short hunts. We are also loving our REI Kingdom cots, plush sleeping and very easy set up. My Avian x wings 8x20 binos are useful beyond my expectations and compact enough to always carry.


mike r

Baby wipes are old school. These bad boys are cocaine for your asss...........

My ass has always wanted cocaine.

Negative on BMA.




Dave

Thanks Dave. Guess maybe they change too much....

Mine shows BMA areas. They are cross-hatched areas. Just updated a month ago though.

Sitka Cloudburst jacket and pants.


Okie John

Can you please specify which product you are using, chip, subscription etc... ? Thanks.

Primos trigger stick. I never shot off a tripod before and it sure helped me. Plus, it packs easily/ deploys quickly.

I think it's available, I just don't have it. And you can update the chip every year for $20 or some schit.





Dave

I don't even have kids and agree. Face wipes. Sweaty ball wipes. Gets rid of the salt and grease! I just bought a Costco box of them. Probably take me three years.

PRO TIP: If you're doing colonoscopy prep, skip the baby wipes- they all have citric acid or alcohol in them. Just grab a vat of Vaseline.

A Gaz stove.
Sits in two aluminum halves that is the case. Cut off two spoons to fit in the halves/case along with the pot grabber.
One tank is enough for a few days.
Open it. Boil water and pour into the freeze dried meals.
All the kitchen in one package.

Been made fun of a couple times, but my HPG Kit Bag is awesome.

Best thing I've bought in a long time for biking/hiking. Might not use it hunting, but I've got a ton of miles in mine so far and love it.

MSR Guardian. Handled all water needs for 4 guys on our Alaska trip. Fast and simple, compact to store, overall pretty bomb-proof.

Is the GAZ like the optimus 99?

OnX maps will show BMA areas plus state and federal lands.

Pretty much anything First Lite
RYO bino harness
Exodus Broadheads


And I'll agree with everyone above...baby wipes are clutch

Thanks. I think I used their stuff in Oregon one year. Time to pony up some cash.

My GoLite shangri-la 5 was lightweight, sturdy and roomy enough for 2 bigger guys on a fly out hunt in goat country Alaska where we had 50mph winds at night off the glacier, snow, sun and rain.

I’ve always liked my Sitka gear and the newer knockoffs are pretty good too.

Monolithic bullets.

Talley lightweights.

Echo leaf blower,,,hand held, 5 year warranty and starts in 2 pulls when cold,,,I use it for saw dust in the shop, cleaning gutters, and blowing the porches/decks clean.

Milwaukee 18v cordless Circular saw,,,great for throwing on the tractor or quad for work too far from the house, only a 6" blade & view cut from left side,,,but very powerful and runs for hours on 1 charge.

PhoneSkope adapter,,,fast and easy hook-up for digiscoping out in the woods and fields, smart phone slips right in and perfect pictures with the ease of fast editing in picture app,,,great product if you want to show off the monsters instead of telling your buddy what "it looked like".

Banjo Cam lever couplings,,,super fast hook up and disconnect for commonly used hoses and fittings that are switched or moved around,,,and very reasonably priced.

Tipton Gun vise,,,should have got one years ago, simple and easy to clean guns or mount scopes, adjustable for rifles and AR's.

Kuhl Renegade shorts,,,love these friggin things, swim/hike/fish/drink comfortable and cool to wear even in the hottest temps,,,got about every color made, 12" inseam style for me.

Seahorse SE-6 pistol case,,,great product, much cheaper than Pelican, but still a really tough well built pistol case for 5 semi's and magazines.

Nope. GAZ is a propane stove. Maybe 3 1/2” in diameter 6” long. Small propane canisters. .

More like the MSR Pocket Rocket. Stove wise...

The GAZ Globetrotter..........the short canister type.

Nikon Monarch 7 10x42 binocs. IMHO, worth about four times the price.

Just joined the club also... Really nice on a cold morning.


My wife just bought me one of these for a wilderness hunt. Pretty useful I would say, even for just tooling around in the back country where the cell does not work. I tested it the past week and its fairly live time.


I have had one for several years, but the wife bought one with the Inreach

Many great ideas here!

Okanagan & johnw:

Thanks for posting this! You made me curious, so I looked the Walkstool up.

Weighs only 1.76 pounds, and is rated to hold 495 pounds! It is designed and made right here in Sweden and not bloody China!

I think I will have to buy one of these just to admire the engineering. Perhaps I will get a fat woman to sit on my lap for testing so I can report back!

I also found that the company sells replacement parts very reasonably too, so if said woman is a little too heavy I can replace any damaged part.

John

I was wanting something to keep my feet dry and was having no luck sealing my old leather boots. Rubber boots tend to be on the HEAVY side. I searched on Amazon and found "Tingley Men's Ultra Lightweight Snow Boot" for under $50 and have been very pleased. They are truly Ultra-Light. I've had them a little over a year and probably worn them about 35 to 50 times for a few hours each time. They appear to be made with material similar to what Crocs are made of and so far are holding up really well.

Bought a Sitka Duck oven jacket after last season, used off a guy who wanted the new camo pattern. What a jacket. Used it in MT when glassing last week and was very impressed. Can't wait to use it for duck season.

I'm likin' these Muck shoes,....had 'em on all day.

Fiskars X27 splitting axe

Bought the Swarovski 10x25 CL pocket binos before my Montana trip a couple weeks ago. Very impressed.
Really clear and a great size. This was an upgrade from the 8x20 Leica pocket model I’ve been using. I like to carry them when I’m out chasing birds.

Outdoor edge razorlite EDC knife, it's the havalon style "knockoff" knife with replaceable blades. Went out for youth rifle with a bunch of kids and didn't have my normal gear along. I had just purchased this item on a whim. Ended up gutting skinning and quartering 3 deer. The knife was awesome, stayed sharp. When I got home, I just put a new blade on it and "boom" this thing is ready to go again.

Prana Zion pants. Would like to try the kuiu attacks, since everybody talks about them also, but I just wore these in a back country hunt and loved them.

And for the tougher stuff Fiskar has an 8 lb splitting maul now.

Vortex Viper HD 8x42 field glasses - much lighter than my old field glasses and clear/bright. Not this year, probably five or six years now, but Muck boots have pretty much replaced leather boots for me in eastern NC hunting.

SItka core light weight hoody

https://www.sitkagear.com/products/whitetail/new/core-light-weight-hoody

Has a built in hood and face mask bascilly three pieces of gear built into one.

Been using it during bow season this year and I highly reccomend it.

Bestop Supertop cap for my F150. Now has several road trips on it. Handled hours of 80 mph highway, lots of 2 tracks thru heavy overhangs, and my truck bed remains dry. Takes about 5 minutes to fold into nose of bed. About a quarter of the price of a hard cap, ditto for weight.
Have enjoyed looking over this series of posting! May even have learned something.

OnX hunt app:

shows all lands and who owns them. Many of our dove hunting spots are a mix of lands, nice to know where I am. We even found some BLM lands in the middle of state trust lands. BLM allows target shooting while State doesn't. Fun to look at the houses on my street and see who is the real owner.

-----------------------------------

I like a slim knife when I bird hunt:

https://www.knifecenter.com/item/GB...nife-plain-blade-stainless-steel-handles

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+1 on the Leica bino/rangefinder

Was in Goteborg this Summer. Never saw a single Swedish woman that was too heavy.

Did not know that the company also made prosthetics.

All of you who think your clothing is the best ever I have news for you. It is a distant second. the best piece of clothing ever invented is yoga pants....

Another vote for the OnX app for your phone. Game changer.

Sitka timberline pants and kelvin series.

Schnees boots.

Leupold products just plain work as intended.

And how about a vote for Mountain House. Sure, a person can get tired of it, but by golly, for freeze dried food on a mountain in a snowstorm, they are pretty darn good!

Wapiti River elk calls rock!

Clip-Shot has changed how I take photos and improved my pictures immensely. Look them up.

> Kathoula Micro Spikes

> Leica 2000-B Range Finder

Based on what I've seen from others, I'm buying a havalon knife to throw in the pack.

Thumbs up for onX here also.

Might want to look at the Gerber version as well. Uses the same blades, but changing them seems a bit easier/safer. Also, but the #60 or #70 blades. The bit extra length comes in handy.

Will do. Thanks for the heads-up.

Store-brand fiber capsules.

You'll use fewer baby wipes.

FC

Kel-Tec SU-16.

Some people have had problems with them. Some people haven't. I just bought it on a whim one day when I had some money to spare and it's been dependable as a stone ax. I've never gotten serious about loading it for accuracy, but with slapped together plinking ammo using old military brass and 55 grain mil spec bullets it'll shoot 3 MOA all day long with a cheap 4X scope on it.

That's very similar to the TravelChair I use when I I know I'm going to take a stand somewhere.

Told you..............

New toy and impressed. Universal Satellite Radio Mirror Mount Antenna With 21' Cable by MobileSpec. Pod on a post looking thing with heavy duty cable. Nice tight gold plated connection to the radio and threaded removable on the antenna end too. So far absolutely zero cutouts since installed, overpasses, ridges, filling station roof... This model appears higher grade than other similar configurations I've seen, certainly the cable is better quality. Can be had from Love's truck stops for a shocking amount of money. Just enough stainless hardware to mount on an about 1 1/8" round mirror mount. Blue sky compliments of TN.

Hill People Gear .com Kit Bag

Perfect for a not-slim guy.

Yup. Ya got to watch them. Folks want to adopt them.

Leopold Thermal Tracker

The real reason I bought it is to help locate a nuisance skunk that has been coming around at night.
Have not bagged the skunk yet but it lights up the cats in the fields at night real well.
The skunk's days are numbered.

Alamosa, how does that thermal tracker do on the batteries? Does it eat them quickly or not?

The lithium CR123 is supposed to last 100 hours.
The one that came with it didn't even come close to that - less than half.
The OEM battery was an Energizer. I believe that I will get longer life from a Duracell.

http://www.fireboxstove.com/5-inch-folding-firebox

They also work great for blowing a couple inches of snow off vehicles, and clearing that annoying dusting of snow off sidewalks and steps.

Without a doubt, it has to be the bloat gauge. It is indispensable in Tennessee where most of your deer hunting is with a U-Haul van. Detecting just how much the animal has bloated will help you keep from passing up a good deer that may be only hit a few days ago...

To All,

When camping, serve lots of beans. That keeps the skunks out of camp.

CHUCKLE, satx

To All,

When camping, serve lots of beans. That keeps the skunks out of camp.

CHUCKLE, satx

I had my Schnee pack boots rebuilt- new bottoms. Came back looking like new. They gave me a lot of $hit on the phone for all the tire patches I had on it- hey, the Arctic was hard on them~

I bought the 5 for $25 neck gaiters on FB and must say they are handy. Just enough to keep the wind at bay on days when a fleece gaiter would be to much. Supposed to be good for sun protection too but haven't tried them for that. You get your pick from dozens of colors and patterns.

New tennis shoes

tag

2 mil Surplus items

Spanish fleece jacket

French tricot long sleeve zip neck base layer shirts. good stuff

Leica Geovids

Swarovski EL 8.5s changed my hunting more than anything else.

Recent years:

Outdoor Edge skinner with replaceable blades
Thermacells for mosquitoes
Leupold Gold Ring HD 10x42 binos
Homemade ATV-style ramp for getting animals up in the back of my truck by myself

XMaps on a tablet deer hunting Wyoming first time didn’t rely on paper maps primarily. Pretty darn good I have to say.

Ok - Just dropped the $ for OnXMaps App for my state last night.

They've come a long ways in the few years since I used their product last in 2014 or 2015. Gotta say it seems great. I do not think I will buy another GPS, been considering it.... I played with it a bit last night then this morning got my Garmin out and the interface is chit compared to the app. Code: Randy got me 20% off BTW. Under $24.

It has hunt units, private/public land, our BMAs with links to the BMA info pages and maps and allows for downloading maps for offline use in 5, 10 and 100 mile sections.

Worth a look if you're in the market.

Slime 12v pocket air pump and low-pressure air gauge for my 4-wheeler tires. Both work like a champ!

RS

OnXmaps is worth every penny. I use it daily for work, with my phone, tablet, gps (sometimes), and even with their Google Earth plugin when using the computer. Excellent

I finally ponied up for the onX state info, and it is awesome. 99%+ private land for my hunting near home. Used to bust my tail figuring out who to go to for access. OnX makes it easy.

And just another word about the walkstool. Mine stays in the truck and I find it useful and comfortable if I wind up at a neighbors bonfire or the family's Christmas get together. it works well inside or out. Crowded old farmhouse this afternoon with 5 generations of family. Seating was hard to come by and the walkstool doesn't mar floors and gets me off my feet in any corner.

Edit; The OnX and the walkstool make me look smarter...

This little camp light rocks!! We cooked and played cards for hours every night. Lasted three and a half days on a four day trip w/o charging it. Light ( under3 oz) and compact, perfect for backpacking.

http://www.goalzero.com/p/377/lighthouse-micro-usb-rechargeable-lantern

Elastic banded gutting gloves that extend beyond your upper biceps and stay put.