Top 5 gear items that help you hunt more efficiently/comfortably

[mcseal2]

What are your best 5 items you would hate to hunt without? I'm not looking for the necessities of Rifle, Bow, Boots, Pack, but the things that help you pack lighter and hunt better on this. Thanks for the help.

1. Leica rangefinding binos. Having binos and rangefinder in one makes me use my rangefinder more and faster

2. Kuiu Kenai zip off pants. Having the easy-off insulated bottom layer lets me stay dry and comfortable walking or glassing

3. Outdoorsmans tripod. Great with the spotter also, but having my Leicas on a tripod is game changing for me in limiting eyestrain and helping me effectively spot game. If I don't want separate sticks the shooting rest with this is slow to set up but very steady.

4. Bushnell bino tripod mount. Nothing fancy, but I can't hook the Leicas directly to the tripod head with a metal adapter. This one uses a buckle and strap instead of Velcro so it's quiet to set-up and holds them firmly.

5. HPG mountain serape. I don't use this all the time, but it can replace a puffy jacket in some weather or supplement other insulating layers in more severe weather. It is nice because it can insulate the upper or lower body, whichever needs more, and is quick to put on or off. I've used it as a sleeping bag comfortably into the upper 30's also. It isn't ultralight but its versatile, and if it's replacing another piece of gear it can reduce pack weight.

What's your list?

 

[Orion81]

Might sound crazy, but I feel like my world is ending without a schemagh (basically a large scarf). Many different ways to wrap it around the face, head, and neck. Great in warm temps to keep the sun off your face during long glassing sessions and provides a surprising level of warmth in cooler temps. Also good for concealment. It stays around my neck at all times.

 

[Dameon]

In no particular order.....
1. Neck gaiter. I am 5'11'' and 162 pounds and get cold easy. I have a cheap Cabelas blaze orange neck gaiter that keeps me warm and comfortable. I wear it all the time when hunting. Everyone talks about having a puffy on hand and good base layers, but I find a good neck gaiter and appropriate head cover works wonders for me.
2. Thin but durable gloves. I tried the Browning Hells Canyon liner gloves this year and was impressed by their durability. Again, I get cold easily and prefer to keep my hands covered with thin gloves so I can keep the chill off yet still feel the trigger on my gun or bow release. I haven't found a merino wool liner glove that can be classified as any kind of durable. If anyone knows of something, I'm all ears.
3. AGC bino harness. This one is new to me, but I don't think I'll ever hunt without one again. It kept my binos, wind checker, rangefinder, Delorme Inreach, GPS unit, backup headlamp, and balm quickly at hand and nicely organized so I didn't have to go digging for stuff in my pack or pockets.
4. Dead Down Wind 3 in 1 balm. I kept this in the harness. It supposedly works for sun protection, chafing, and protects your face and lips from chapping. I bought this on a whim this year, but it was awesome. Spot and stalk hunting for ten days straight at 10,000 feet, you are going to encounter some fierce winds at some point and UV rays are stronger at higher altitudes. My face was red with wind burn and sun exposure after just a couple of days. Just apply the balm as needed and keep hunting. I like this stuff enough, I think I'll buy another just for fishing. I didn't have any chafing problems, so I'll just take Dead Down Wind's word on that one.
5. Delorme Inreach. This is also new to me this year. I was able to hunt with confidence 1000+ miles from home knowing that my wife and kids could contact me if they need me. Also, my dad was my hunting partner this year and he is not in the greatest of shape. He had angioplasty last year and is on blood thinners, so I carry a pretty comprehensive first aid kit in my pack to be on the safe side. I felt better knowing that if something seriously catastrophic happened, I could call for help to get him out of there.

 

[TheCougar]

1. Lightweight tripod stool for glassing. More comfort=more and better glassing
2. OnX or Gaia for iPhone. I hate using my garmin, but with new hunting GPS apps like OnX or Gaia I find myself marking spots all the time.
3. +1 Schemagh
4. Merino Wool. I hate wearing anything else now. It isn't perfect, but it combats four day stank-butt like nothing else.
5. Bino harness. S4 was a huge improvement over the old school elastic models, and I just upgraded to a KUIU.

 

[jtw]

Merino wool.
Quality rain gear.
Quality boots that fit well.
A water filter (even on day hunts) I found it's much easier to carry a water filter and refill throughout the day than pack 12 lbs of extra water all day.
Enough food.

If I stay fed, hydrated and comfortable (clothing) I can stay out forever.

 

[strand]

In no particular order...
1. Petzl e+ lite. This thing weighs 1 oz and stays in a pocket on my bino harness so I always have a headlamp with me.
2. Kuiu 145 zip-off merino bottoms. I love these things. Being able to layer up or down without removing my boots is a game changer.
3. Glassing butt pad. I have a couple different pads, the colder it gets the thicker my pad gets. A thick 10 oz pad is worth it's weight in gold for comfort and heat retention when glassing for long periods in below zero weather. I also have an ultralight sub 3 oz pad if I'm trying to shave weight.
4. Sea to Summit Aeros Ultralight Pillow. 2.1 oz of pure heaven.
5. Packing food that doesn't require a stove. I don't drink coffee and I don't need a hot meal every day, so I leave the stove in the pickup most of the time.

 

[elkyinzer]

Merino and compressible, packable insulation are probably the two biggest game changers for me. Worlds more comfortable and functional than the cotton stuff I started out hunting in.

GPS, it's hard to imagine hunting without. I can navigate with a map and compass in the sense I can find my way out in a pickle, but man is GPS nice for marking waypoints and tracks.

Gaiters - I was a late adopter of these things and they make a big difference when the vegetation is wet.

Hand muff, neck gaiter, and boot blankets. I froze treestand hunting before I upgraded to these three items.

Google Earth/online topo maps. The ability to find new places and analyze areas from my computer desk is incredible. It doesn't eliminate boots on the ground scouting but it makes it exponentially more efficient.

Leukotape - I seem to be prone to blisters in a few places and I used to use duct tape. It worked ok but I tried this stuff this year and it was worlds better.

 

[Steve O]

1. Puffy vest. I spent the night out on the mountain with the ram in my avatar with nothing but a rain coat. It was miserable. I know with my Kelvin vest stuffed in my pack I can make it thru any unplanned night away from camp.

2. Tripod. I've been glassing off a tripod for close to 20 years now. I know I find more game.

3. Seat pad or Helinox chair.

4. Water Bladder. So much more convenient and easy to stay hydrated than with many "canteen". Definitely gives me comfort to be Hydrated.

5. Insulated air mattress (and most times Luxury Lite cot). I sleep more comfortably in the back country than I do at home. That is big.

 

[Weekender]

1- trekking poles. I find myself using them for all sorts of situations

2- butt pad. Zlite pad feels like it warms you up while glassing

3- backpack. Feel naked without it. Guess it's my man purse

4- gloves. Always have gloves on warm or cold.

5- rain gear. Always have rain gear for blocking wind or rain.

I'm sure there's more but I know I never leave camp without this stuff. Ok baby wipes would be 6....


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[5MilesBack]

When I'm spending 20+ days hunting during archery season my absolute top priority is good sleep. Without good sleep I won't make it well through 20+ days. So my shelter, my sleep system, and my comfort items within that realm. That's why I love my wall tent base camp so much, it's comfortable and I sleep better than at home. For packing in.....my Copper Spur UL2, down quilt, and Xtherm pad do a pretty decent job as well, but it's always a joy coming back to base camp.

Coffee pretty much goes without saying much more than that.

Beyond that.......I could hunt with just about anything and wearing anything, but my merino base layers wick the sweat away from my skin well and that makes me comfortable so I hunt better without having to think about the sweat running down my body or legs. Microtex Lite clothing is super lightweight, comfortable, breathes well, and dries quickly so I stay comfortable in that as well.

My Zamberlan Dakota 7" boots provide enough support yet they are pretty light weight, comfortable, and mobile at just over 3lbs per pair in size 13. Can go all day and all season with these on my feet over a poly liner sock and Smartwool merino boot socks.

My daypack is compact yet holds everything I need and feels like an extension of my body. I don't even notice it back there when I'm hunting and rarely take it off during the day.

And finally........Wilderness Athlete Hydrate & Recover. It really does work.......or at the very least works in my mind. Either way doesn't matter......it works.

 

[cbeck36]

Great thread.

+2 on she schemagh.
fhf bino harness
Quality footwear. Lowa ranger
Cell phone. Where I'm at I have better coverage in the back country than I do on Main Street. Camera, podcasts etc...
Topo maps and gps on my cell phone sooo much easier to read.

 

[dreamingbig]

1. Kifaru hunting frame and nomad pack.

2. AGC bino harness

3. Garmin 62cs combined with Delorme InReach

4. FL stormtight rain gear in my pack.

5. FL clothing (hat/tops/bottoms) and Kuiu pants/gaitors


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[justinspicher]

1-moved to Colorado from Kansas.
2-retired.
3-worked all summer for the forest service so I could scout while working.
4-worked 4/10's so I had three uninterrupted days of hunting.
5-bought a house that's ten minutes from a national forest.

 

[rodney482]

Havlon Piranta
Zebra light
BA seedhouse 2
Helinox chair
Crocs

 

[mcseal2]

Thanks everyone, I have several new ideas from this thread already. Hope others find it helpful also.

 

[robtattoo]

In no particular order......

A good sleep system. I'm a big fat bastard & fit most sleeping bags like a champagne cork. Switching (last year) to a quilt & good quality pad, coupled with a good, floorless tent, had kept me hunting longer & harder than I ever thought I could.

A good dehydrator. Because Mountain House tastes like ballsack after 2 days. Being able to make my own food, in ways & quantities that I like is a freaking lifesaver.

Coffee. No explanation needed.

Good clothes & boots. I lived in various cotton camo clothes & cheap boots for for years. I finally saw the light 4 years ago & traded ALL my hunting clothes (probably 6 full outfits) for one Kuiu outfit. 2 years ago I sold a rifle to buy a pair of Lowa Tibet boots. Without a doubt, that had been the biggest revelation of my hunting life. I no longer scrimp on ANY footwear.

My Exo pack. Utterly worth every penny & if our when it wears out, I'll buy another without a second's hesitation

I have a sixth that I cannot leave out. It doesn't really pertain to western mountain hunting, but at home I use this rascal as much as I do my rifle. It's the hammock seat from Fanatic Outdoors
Without a doubt THE best $50 I've ever spent on hunting gear (no, I don't own the company!)

 

[tttoadman]

1-moved to Colorado from Kansas.
2-retired.
3-worked all summer for the forest service so I could scout while working.
4-worked 4/10's so I had three uninterrupted days of hunting.
5-bought a house that's ten minutes from a national forest.

I appear to be doing everything contrary to this. I better rethink my position. I keep hinting to the wife that we should move to ID, but she says she is not interested.

You are the man.

 

[Sierra1]

Lot of repeats on my list....

1. Merino wool under layers

2. Bino Harness

3. Gaitors

4. Starbucks Via coffee...you don't get the fun of brewing but no other instant can touch it for taste

5. Delorme Inreach

 

[TurkeyBowMaster]

I just got a marmot sleeping bag but so far I don't know if I took and used 3 items. I would say toilet paper was #1 and snacks, diaphragm turkey call and wiffel ball bat. Water and cherry flavering. Compass and flagging.

 

[jmez]

1) Helinox chair and it isn't even close. No particular order after this one.
2) Sawyer in line mini on my Camelback
3) Clip shot camera holder
4) Crocs
5) ACR resqlink personal locator beacon