Go To Guys N Gals

[TurkeyBowMaster]

You only have to mention Scent Loc and Rage to prove us as hunters are a fairly unreliable group when it comes to delivering reliable info on gear. The fact is most are suckers when it comes to latest and greatest gear. This makes it hard to trust the many opinions and when it comes to spending hard earned $$$ it is best to get it right the first time. To complicate things even further is the many "pro" staff these days who promote just to get a sponsor, not because the believe in a product. If you can't trust the multitudes, who are some of the go to guys and gals that seem to get it right and which gear do they have the most experience with.

 

[WonkyWapiti]

Most of the senior people on this forum.

 

[SLDMTN]

Watching what guides wear is how I started and formed my own opinions through experience.

I agree with wapiti above. Also, the pro staff of this site doesn't throw out erroneous endorsement.

When watching tv hunting:
If the guide beside the hunter is in blue jeans and the hunter has face paint, the hunter is probably full of crap.

 

[5MilesBack]

Over the years I have discovered that I just have to bite the bullet and do all my testing myself, as my results rarely mimic the results of most. I'm also much more of a function over form kind of guy, so the latest and greatest with all the flare may just not be my best choice. As they say......one man's junk is another man's treasure. So I don't really fully trust anyone's opinion until I've put stuff through the ringer.

 

[Hall256]

Whoa...whoa...wait a minute are you saying Scent-Lok doesn't work? But, they have studies and things that say you won't be detected (heavy sarcasm).

I will be the first to admit that that I have fallen for more than one marketing ploy...but now I try to either find a conversation going on this site (I think that is how I actually stumbled upon Rokslide) or I will try and watch enough You Tube videos of random people using the gear.

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[elkguide]

Best camo pattern.................

whatever is on the sale rack!

 

[beachbunny]

I watch the guides also and the locals especially

 

[4rcgoat]

If its on the Internet, it must be true......right?

 

[Flashmo]

I watch the guides also and the locals especially

Without going into detail on how the outdoor industries work (pro deals, pre-season ordering, contracts, sales reps, sponsorships, F.E.T.) I have to say that you picked two of the worst methods of making an informed decision. The only one worse is using a bloggers online product review.

Every word is paid for in some manner...it is how we market products and more effective than any magazine ad. When you see a highlight article on a company or product in a magazine or online magazine...we pay for those, the magazines don't write them out of the kindness of their journalistic hearts, it is just a more expansive and expensive ad.

You are being marketed to in ways you will never understand or know about.

Best advise, is cruise forums like Rockslide that deal with a specific pursuit and base decisions on replies from the people who work ordinary jobs (nothing outdoor related, even if they work in a different aspect i.e. hunting vs. fishing vs. climbing). You will see trends develop as to what gear is better than others.

The outdoor industries are a lot like the Wizard of Oz. Retailers and salespersons and bloggers and writers and guides get to go behind the curtain to see who they think is the Wizard...but there are more curtains behind...(that just made it sound like some kind of weird Tri-Lateral Commission thing for a movie, which it is not). Just saying that YOU as a consumer will never get to know how it all works.

 

[Jeff Martin]

You only have to mention Scent Loc and Rage to prove us as hunters are a fairly unreliable group when it comes to delivering reliable info on gear. The fact is most are suckers when it comes to latest and greatest gear. This makes it hard to trust the many opinions and when it comes to spending hard earned $$$ it is best to get it right the first time. To complicate things even further is the many "pro" staff these days who promote just to get a sponsor, not because the believe in a product. If you can't trust the multitudes, who are some of the go to guys and gals that seem to get it right and which gear do they have the most experience with.

I think the majority of posted experiences on this forum are the exception. I have learned a ton from this forum and I have done my share of contributions as well. I always enjoy getting PMs thanking me for something I posted that made folks think differently. God knows I learn more than I contribute.

Lastly, this forum is the best Keyponite for GIF (Good Idea Fairy)


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[wapitibob]

If you can't kill an animal with a Rage you should probably stay home.

 

[TheCougar]

I place more stock in rokslide reviews from experienced guys than probably anywhere else. When you see a bunch of "^^+1"s on a post, then the piece of gear is probably legit. I haven't been steered wrong yet. Not sure why the Rage hate... they work.

 

[hodgeman]

The best way to figure out what works and what is malarkey is to find the most cynical killers around.

If the guy or gal buys something and then goes out and kills a pile of critters...it works. Their skeptical cynicism makes them impervious to marketing hooey and dead animals equal results.

That said, not everyone who gets a pro-deal, pro-staff, blogs, or writes a product review (disclaimer, I've done all of that) is drinking the company Kool-Aid but it takes some time to sort out the who does what to who in that business. I had one company drop me from their list because I slammed their product (which was OK by me...and them). The outdoor business is like any other consumer industry- full of marketing hype, BS, fads, liars, and hucksters. Caveat Emptor applies.

That said....
You have to consider what you're asking... sometimes I think folks expect other folks to sort out value judgments. for them. Words like "best" or "most effective" are situational. Consider a request for the "Best bullet", I could give you a half dozen names that I killed a critter with, at least half folks won't describe as "best"..heck I killed a whitetail with surplus Soviet ammo in an SKS once and it was clearly complete crap, but it worked in that particular situation.

THe archery industry is perhaps the worst for pure gimmickry. You have a thousand manufacturers all making pretty much the same thing- the only thing that widely separates them is the quality of their marketing department. I couldn't sort out "best" in a month of Sundays.

 

[TurkeyBowMaster]

I honestly expected names to show up instead of a discussion. Guys like Kotaman come to mind.

I use Rage as an example because I am high end on broad head knowledge. Anyone who can't kill with a field point should stay home too, so you can't use that argument...way more to evaluating broadheads than that.

 

[Brendan]

Generally I'll start by avoiding anyone who refers to themselves as "The People's Pro Staffer..."

Rokslide is the biggest resource for me. A lot of the moderators and contributors here are out using gear day in and day out. You could do a lot worse by basing gear decisions on recommendations from those people, as long as you can be cynical and ask yourself why people recommend certain things and if how they use the gear would be the same as you do.

If you want a "Someone" - People like Aron Snyder have been there / done that more than I ever will, so if I hear one of his reviews, I tend to listen.

 

[Matt Cashell]

I use Rage as an example because I am high end on broad head knowledge.

Unfortunately , when I saw this thread start, I was waiting for a post like this TBM. It seems like there are several threads you have started with the intent of making yourself an expert. Why not post your personal experience in the threads where you have it, and maybe open your mind to the opinions of others with experience as well?

If you are looking for a good discussion and exchange of ideas about backcountry hunting and gear, Rokslide is the place. If you are looking for validation, I am sure there are psychology forums out there.

 

[elkduds]

When I post a gear review online I include whens, wheres, how longs and how oftens. Also what wasn't so good. I disregard reviews w/o details like these.

 

[wapitibob]

Same shit different forum.

 

[TurkeyBowMaster]

Elkdudsx2

If you aint got something bad to say about a product then you don't need to say anything at all...they all got something less than perfect about them.

Actually this site prompted this. A clothing thread was 50/50 split on synthetic vrs merino wool on wet cool environment. That was parti frustrating because high end cloths are my next step.i find it hard to believe they hype about the wool being cool when it's hot and warm when it's cold but just as I can know that I know about some things I equally know I don't know anything about the high end cloths

 

[Jeff Martin]

Elkdudsx2

If you aint got something bad to say about a product then you don't need to say anything at all...they all got something less than perfect about them.

Actually this site prompted this. A clothing thread was 50/50 split on synthetic vrs merino wool on wet cool environment. That was parti frustrating because high end cloths are my next step.i find it hard to believe they hype about the wool being cool when it's hot and warm when it's cold but just as I can know that I know about some things I equally know I don't know anything about the high end cloths

Do your research on the merino wool itself and you will find your answer. Hint: read up on how the fiber resists water, then takes on water and you will understand better the benefits in both weather climates


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