Go-To Gear

[Sapper]

I know nowadays, it's all about the gear,, or so it seems sometimes. Magazines, hunting shows, fb, etc - advertising for gear! I like finding out some of the new things out there, High tech, light weight and so on. I own some high quality gear myself. But at times, it just grows old.
I wanna hear about the cheap shit!
What gear, packs, clothing are you running that's cheap, outdated, your "old reliable" or just your favorite no brand name go-to. Something that gets the job done.

 

[ezmorningrebel]

i wear a mismatch of camo that would make a lot of guys on here cringe. predator, asat, sitka open country, multicam, realtree, cabela's outfitter. sometimes all at once. i've purchased quality second hand stuff and can't afford to scrap it all and chase the next camo fashion trend.

i've tried a few nice headlamps but always fall back on a cheap princeton tec that i paid $15 for.

i've got a growing collection of mora knives because i buy one before every season and relegate last years to tackle box/glove box/toolbox duty.

and i also shoot a 5 year old bow with a whisker biscuit and no stabilizer. gasp!

 

[backcountry_hunter]

Mtnsmith mountain tarp LT
Eureka 3 season tents
buck knives (specifically the paklite)
north face cats meow bag when it's not cold (pretty cheap, economical bag despite the name)
$30 headlamps
dry bags from walmart or amazon


I have more expensive stuff in each of these catagories but all of these are proven to work by me and won't ever part with them.

I've also gone full circle on the apparel end of things and had what many/most would consider to be the best or "trendiest" back when I thought I needed it. These days I find myself wearing alot more earthtones from arcteryx, patagonia, etc... which does come with it's own price tag but often online-discount sites will have comparable items to what you want from sitka, kuiu or FL and at a fraction of the $$.

 

[Sapper]

I've bought and sold several different types of expensive camo over the years and they just never seemed all that comfortable to me. I fell back to the good 'ol Kings Camo. Cheap stuff but man, is it ever comfortable!
My dry bags are made up of an assortment of garbage and zip lock bags.
Have a $50 eureka tent that I can't part with. Replaced the poles but is lightweight and works great.
I have a no name folding pocket knife that I've had for over 15 yrs. I just carry a plastic slide through sharpener I got from work to use several times while cutting up deer! And same here with the Princeton tec headlamp.

 

[Randle]

Cabelas microtex clothes , buck paclite knife, have worked well for me

 

[Btaylor]

Shooting a 1987 or 88 model fletch hunter release. Late season outer stuff or cold weather is nat gear winterceptor fleece. If it is real cold I will throw on a pair of fleece lined blue jeans from Sams. Can't beat it with a wet skwerl.

 

[desertcj]

I've got a "Winchester" 4" fixed blade knife that I got from Wal-Mart about 15 years ago. Must have been $10? Just works and if course I can't seem to lose the stinking thing...lol.

 

[bluetick78]

My rifle has a wood stock. Most stare in disbelief at the range. My hunting truck is from the 90's. Runs fine. My dry bags come in a cardboard box marked "Glad". My bow is a Ross, been out of business for several years. I've punched 17 tags in 3 states with that bow and don't plan on changing anytime soon. I do own some boutique camo, mostly out of curiosity. I like it, but it isn't worth the money. My $40 Kings camo jacket still keeps me warm and mostly dry. I paid $70 for a 2P backpacking tent 4 years ago on Amazon and it has done everything that my friends Hilleberg does. Most of the rifle bullets I handload aren't "premium" bullets. Hornady btsp killed elk 20 years ago and suprisingly still do. Most of my scopes are still "gloss" instead of "matte". Could go on for days. Only gear I usually spend serious $$ on is binos and spotters, because the extra money is almost always worth it. I've been suprised lately though, some cheaper optics have performed suprisingly well.

 

[justinspicher]

I take my USGI woobie that I've had for a couple of decades on almost every outing.

 

[skaldugwas]

i wear a mismatch of camo that would make a lot of guys on here cringe. predator, asat, sitka open country, multicam, realtree, cabela's outfitter. sometimes all at once. i've purchased quality second hand stuff and can't afford to scrap it all and chase the next camo fashion trend.

!

If you wear all the same pattern you just end up looking like big blob. Mixing and matching makes the most out of the camo you have on.


I have a cheap plastic plano rifle case i got from kmart back in the 90's. Its survived a couple car wrecks AND my starving college years because it was too cheap to pawn or sell for ramen noodles. At this point im
Pretty sure that thing qualifies as a family heirloom.


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[sojourner]

Down vest from Costco- I think it was $19.99. Love it for backpacking

 

[hodgeman]

The $15 Mora is still tough to beat as an all-around outdoors knife. I've got some knives that despite a pedigree and 10x the cost aren't even half the knife.

The humble Remington CoreLokt....I've got a couple of rifles that shoot these surprisingly well for a $20 box of ammo and they still kill stuff when you run them into a rib cage. My nicest caribou was killed with a 150gr Corelokt from a .308 at 325 yards.

When it really rains, Helly Hansen and Grundens still keep me drier than any $350 uber light, fashion forward, breathable shell.

The Ruger American... I've set up a half dozen of these and they shoot way better than a $300 rifle should. I own two that shoot sub MOA with at least four brands of factory ammo. A guy could roll with one of these and give up nothing to a far more expensive rifle except bragging rights down at the local hook and bullet. Personally, it has all the appeal of a claw hammer or a screwdriver, but they still knock critters in the dirt.

 

[elkyinzer]

I'd really hate to bring up again how well my 20 year old "Coleman Xtreme" cooler (hand me downs no less) have held up over the years, how many walleyes have met their death in them, how many pallets of beer they've kept cold, and how many days they will hold ice. I've done some McGyver work on the hinges and handles but otherwise they are 100% good to go still.



I also use a mismatch of camo, do much of my hunting in plaid wool, have the same climbing treestand I started hunting with almost 20 years ago, get by just fine with a Garmin eTrex GPS and a lot of other cheaper gear, use mostly old hand me down guns, buy a new bow about every 10 years, drive an old beat up jeep, have a 20 year old boat with an engine that barely gets it on plane, the list goes on.



I got lots of flack on the cooler thread for criticizing the spending habits of others. I have no problem splurging for good gear, especially if the price delta is truly buying me quality and extra durability. That is a necessary consideration today, because frankly I am sick and tired of the plastic age. When I buy gear, I want to give it to my kids, like gear was given to me by my dad and grandpap.



Where I get a chuckle is when the price delta is just buying extra cool or luxury factor, and that happens all the time with gear espoused on this fine forum. If that's how guys want to spend their money, good for them, but I'll reserve my right to call them tools for it. If that make me an asshole, I’ll own it.

 

[fngTony]

Energizer headlamp, liner and wool socks from Walmart or Payless. Growing fond of my paradox merino blend baselayer.

Winchester rifle from Walmart, cost $350. 6 year old pse bow bought used, love the wisker biscuit.

Cheap tent(s). I did buy a slumber jack 4 man for group or family trips, it's not ultra light or bombproof but it works.

Primus classic trail stove. Simple, cheap, works. Stanley cook set. Found at Walmart, target, etc. Found mine at Goodwill for $5.

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[mvmnts]

My model 70 was made in the 60s, and no it's not one of the "good ones". Still shoots like a sonofabitch.

 

[awaldro7]

The Ruger American... I've set up a half dozen of these and they shoot way better than a $300 rifle should. I own two that shoot sub MOA with at least four brands of factory ammo. A guy could roll with one of these and give up nothing to a far more expensive rifle except bragging rights down at the local hook and bullet. Personally, it has all the appeal of a claw hammer or a screwdriver, but they still knock critters in the dirt.

Couldnt agree more. I always recommend these rifles to someone who is looking for a good rifle on a budget. I have one in 7mm-08 and my wife has one in .243 and they both shoot great! In fact both of them shoot better than a $1200 browning 300WM I have.

 

[jorgensen.travis]

I use Magic bags or the Zip lock equivalent from Walmart. These are vacuum bags that you don't need a vacuum to compress your stuff in. I put my sleeping bag, clothes, puffy suit, and anything else I want to compress and waterproof in them rather than using dry bags or compression sacks.


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[uwantasandwich]

The humble Remington CoreLokt....I've got a couple of rifles that shoot these surprisingly well for a $20 box of ammo and they still kill stuff when you run them into a rib cage. My nicest caribou was killed with a 150gr Corelokt from a .308 at 325 yards.

^^This...my dad has an old pre-64 model 70 .270 that my brother and I love to fight over that shoots these cheap old bullets better than anything else. They straight up work on game too

 

[camelcluch]

Costco trekking poles, cheap tap lights and a $5 battery clock for the tent.

 

[desertcj]

I'll also go in on the cheap blue box federal core locks. First ammo I picked up at Wal-Mart to break in the barrel my .243. One shot at 25yds to make sure it was on paper and the next five shots at 100yds went just under an inch! I've only reloaded a few combos of powder and bullet that are more accurate.