Whats your game changer purchase?

[Netherman]

Gaiters. I tried them for the first time last year in 6" to 2' of snow in MT and they were awesome and now mandatory for any appreciable snow. no more wet pant legs with ice build up or wet socks.

 

[MTarrowflinger]

Added a Seek Outside Redcliff and a DST Tarp to the mix this season.

Hoping to bring a little more comfort to camp and glassing to stay out there longer.

 

[LostArra]

Training smarter all year round as I get older has been a game changer for me.

Fatigue from inadequate fitness, inadequate hydration or inadequate food results in poor decision making when I'm hunting elk.
I've accumulated decent gear over the years but it makes no difference if I'm exhausted.

 

[bignocks]

over the last couple years I have really seen the benefits of gaiters. On elk hunts you can get away with a lighter pant with gaiters as they keep most of the morning dew from soaking most of your pant legs. Or If you ever hunt in tennis shoes they are great for keeping stuff out.

 

[mcseal2]

Over the last few years its mostly been glass:

Binos on a tripod as others have said. I have a Promaster 525 with an Outdoorsmans pan head. I generally pack my 15x but if it's to much weight I'll use my 10x Leicas on the tripod instead.

15x Swaros. The big field of view, lack of eye strain, and stability with the tripod help me find more game. I even use them whitetail hunting in the hills or big fields now, I can see detail at last light at 300yds I couldn't before.

Rangefinding binos. I have the Leica Geovid HD-B 10x42's now. Eliminating a step between finding and ranging animals helped me bag a buck in 2016 that was on the move when I spotted him.

Kowa 55mm spotter. It makes the decision of if I should take a spotter or not easier to make. It's light weight and incredible glass. I sold all my other spotters after getting this one. I seldom use a spotter for anything but evaluating distant game since I went to the 15x binos.

On X maps. I absolutely do not ever want to trespass and this takes the guesswork out of that for me, opens up country I'd have avoided before.

 

[Jason t]

I’ll echo the binos on a tripod. I didn’t believe it would make a big difference and thought that it would just be extra weight on my pack. How wrong I was!

I use an Alite Mayfly to sit in, behind my Zeiss 10x42 HTs, and have them mounted on a Brunton carbon tripod with a Leica pan head. I use a DIY bino mount that doubles as rifle rest. The tripod will allow me to stand if needed as well.

Someday I will bite the bullet and get an Outdoorsmans stud put on my binos and maybe spend the extra coin for a lighter tripod, but those are secondary thoughts after running this setup for a couple years now.

I’ve found that there is no need for a spotter, but am intrigued with seeing what a BTX setup could do. There always has to be something to day dream about.


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id like to see a picture of your diy bino mount/ rifle rest if you dint mind

 

[fngTony]

OnX maps for my phone, rechargeable headlamp, battery pack. The three together really simplify my electronics.

OnX is a must imo, not saying it’s a replacement for a map and compass but extremely helpful for boundaries.

Luekotape. Cuts redundancy from my first aid kit and does a better job at most things. Last week was the first time hot spots didn’t sideline me, it actually stays on.

Trekking poles= just get some if you don’t already have them.

 

[W.D. Crawford]

Kahtoola micro spikes. I don't think I will ever hunt with out them.

 

[Rokwiia]

Two items.

Hill People Gear Original Kit Bag. I am never in the outdoors without it. Perfect for concealing a firearm and/or items you want at your fingertips (compass, inhaler, firestarter, phone, etc..). You can dock it to your backpack's shoulder strap webbing and all the weight is transferred to your backpack.

Hill People Gear | Real use gear for backcountry travelers

Seek Outside Revolution Fortress 6,300. I own quite a few backpacks including a McHale and Zpacks which are on opposite ends of the spectrum. The Fortress is the most comfortable and reliable pack I've ever owned.

 

[fisherman983]

Swarovski 15s on an outdoorsman tripod/head setup, then a second pair in the 12x flavour, quality boots, custom rifle, kifaru pack. Quality hunting gear.
Every purchase I make, I make deliberately to better myself and my odds of success.

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[rayporter]

a minus 30 sleeping bag. ahhhhh. added to an air mattress and a pad.

I don't discount wool pants and gaiters either

 

[Jordan Budd]

There’s been some good ones. My top 3 are:

Tarp and stove combo. 100% game changing especially as the season gets later. The first time you light that fire when it’s cold outside you’ll be a believer.

First lite uncompahgre puffy pants. Same with the stove, the first time you put them on you’ll go “damn”.

Binos on a tripod. If your a heavy glasser like myself, binos on a tripod will change the glass game. You won’t go back to hand holding.

I’ll ad a 4th because it’s fun. The Kifaru Sheep tarp has proven itself to be game changing a few times to me. We were able to sit on a ridge all afternoon with spitting snow and 40mph winds glassing under it, there’s absolutely no way I’d have lasted that long up there without it. Then the sun, pitching to glass under when it’s super hot out is so dang nice to get in the shade. I carry it basically all the time now.


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[JP100]

95mm Swaro

My 3rd spotter purchase and my last haha.

Wish I had this thing years ago. Its unreal, heavy for sure, but I see so much more and can make better decisions on animals from further away than any other spotter Ive used.

 

[justinspicher]

My Nemo pillow. I have had nothing but a solids night sleep due to having this in my pack.

 

[SoDaky]

15 Swaros and Outdoorsman compact tripod.

 

[Thinkingman]

F150.
After 9 years of owning a Tacoma, the F150 is just a totally different world.
So much better in every way.
Why did I wait so long?

 

[1shotgear]

I wasn't too interested in Trekking Poles for a long time. I thought they were for the older crowd and unnecessary. However, I had a chance to use a buddy of mines Distance Carbon FLZ Trekking Poles this last season and was blown away. It really makes a huge difference when packing out over uneven terrain. They definitely helped lower muscle fatigue and reduced stress on my knees. I have a pair of poles myself now that get quite a bit of use.