Gear essentials for a newbie

WillB25

FNG
Joined
Nov 11, 2019
Messages
25
Hey guys me and a buddy of mine have got the bug. We have talked about it for a few years, and now that the kids are older we are planning on taking our first trip out west next year. Besides guns and optics which we already have what are the must haves for the hunt/enjoyment out there (thinking Colorado right now) We would love to be the lucky rookies but are being realistic and understand that the first years will more than likely be more of learning than killing. We both have kids so we are trying to be smart about what we buy and want to start with the essentials. I have already learned a lot from other peoples post in my 18 hours here. Thanks in advance for any help!
 
Joined
Apr 5, 2015
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Boots. Find some that work. Heavier weight hikers or a hunting brand. Pay up for them and you won’t be sorry. You can go cheap on about everything else and build your system over a couple of years.

Check out the Rinella books on hunting and fishing. Volume 1 has a great gear section.
 

Elkhntr08

WKR
Joined
Nov 3, 2016
Messages
1,078
Sounds like a rifle hunt, so weather could be colder. Boots, hands down the most important item for me. A good tent and sleep system is almost as important. Get in shape, that’s free.
I’m sure others will have different gears ideas, but those are where I spend the money.
 

406unltd

WKR
Joined
Jul 6, 2018
Messages
668
Best boots you can afford is a must. Next would be the best pack you can afford. Brands aside proper fit and comfort for both of these are important. Next would be a proper layering system if your budget allows. I’m poor so it took me multiple years to put together my system. The first two would be what I focus on. Once you have a pack that can haul weight I’d recommend putting some weight in it and hiking. Then gradually up the weight. Good luck
 
Joined
Aug 8, 2018
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Minnesota
X3 on the boots. Are you camping or staying in town. We rented a condo the 1st 3 years. It was good and bad I hated the drive every morning but hot shower, bed and plug in the crock pot was awesome.
 
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WillB25

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Joined
Nov 11, 2019
Messages
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X3 on the boots. Are you camping or staying in town. We rented a condo the 1st 3 years. It was good and bad I hated the drive every morning but hot shower, bed and plug in the crock pot was awesome.

We are planning on camping for this trip. That could change but we want the full experience.......again new guys here lol
 
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WillB25

FNG
Joined
Nov 11, 2019
Messages
25
Sounds like a rifle hunt, so weather could be colder. Boots, hands down the most important item for me. A good tent and sleep system is almost as important. Get in shape, that’s free.
I’m sure others will have different gears ideas, but those are where I spend the money.

We have already started on the getting in shape part. Makes it more acceptable with the wife since I am forced to do this in order to reach my goal of getting out there. She considers it a win win for both of us
 
Joined
Feb 17, 2013
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2,254
A wall tent with a wood stove is your survival system where you can regroup and dry everything. Not one but 2 Black Diamond headlamps. A replaceable blade knife. 10x42 binos... the best you can afford. If you will be in semi open country then a rangefinder is priceless.
 
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WillB25

FNG
Joined
Nov 11, 2019
Messages
25
Best boots you can afford is a must. Next would be the best pack you can afford. Brands aside proper fit and comfort for both of these are important. Next would be a proper layering system if your budget allows. I’m poor so it took me multiple years to put together my system. The first two would be what I focus on. Once you have a pack that can haul weight I’d recommend putting some weight in it and hiking. Then gradually up the weight. Good luck

Is there anything that we should be looking for in a pack. As whitetail hunters we dont typically use the same kind.
 
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WillB25

FNG
Joined
Nov 11, 2019
Messages
25
Shoot me a PM. I have an older GPS and a spot satellite messenger I'll send you and your buddy if you want to cover shipping. They are nothing special but I'd rather see you guys get some use out of them

That is awesome. I dont think I have the ability to PM yet but I will as soon as I can'
 

cnelk

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Joined
Mar 1, 2012
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Colorado
Is there anything that we should be looking for in a pack. As whitetail hunters we dont typically use the same kind.

You are going to get a lot of high dollar personal advice on this.
But in actuality, lots of elk are killed and packed out of the mtns on basic frame packs.

Until you decide that elk hunting is something you will keep doing, stay with the basic tools and upgrade later.

Buy tags - not gear.
 
Joined
Feb 17, 2013
Messages
2,254
You are going to get a lot of high dollar personal advice on this.
But in actuality, lots of elk are killed and packed out of the mtns on basic frame packs.

Until you decide that elk hunting is something you will keep doing, stay with the basic tools and upgrade later.

Buy tags - not gear.
^What he said^ Elk hunting isn’t for everyone. Until you’ve tried it don’t dump a bunch of money into high end gear.
 
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WillB25

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Nov 11, 2019
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Thanks I think we have some stuff that is cross compatible. Definitely looking into different tents/stoves but we can use those here on quota hunts as well. The help so far has been great we appreciate it for sure
 

THunt

FNG
Joined
Jan 20, 2019
Messages
34
You are going to get a lot of high dollar personal advice on this.
But in actuality, lots of elk are killed and packed out of the mtns on basic frame packs.

Until you decide that elk hunting is something you will keep doing, stay with the basic tools and upgrade later.

Buy tags - not gear.
What this guy says! Buy a hard frame and just hook a day pack to it for now. I hunt elk every year, and I've packed 10 loads of meat in the last 2 seasons with one hunt left to do. My Cabelas aluminium frame gets a lot of work.

The best advice I can give is get ridiculous about your fitness....like really work at it. Lots of leg stuff. Air squats, step up/down from a box, lunges, etc.

Learn your shooting system. Practice a lot! Don't skimp here. You don't want to be the guy that sounds like you're in a firefight with the elk. They aren't hard to kill, but they get infinitely tougher when they're hit poorly.

If you've never done anything like this, the mental aspect will likely be more of a challenge than expected. Be ready for the down days. Lots of folks can hunt hard for one or two days, but the consistently successful hunters are still hunting hard on day 5 or 6.

I'd wager more elk are walking the mountain right now due to lack of hunter fitness and shooting ability.

Good Luck and enjoy the trip!
 
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
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Tijeras NM
I'm gonna go against the grain and say buy the best gear money can buy or you will be buying it again because you will have a new addiction and you will be going back for more! ;)
 
Joined
Nov 26, 2018
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1,185
Location
Ohio
As others have said frame pack. Doesn’t have to be hunting specific... the older USMC ILBEs are good and can be had cheap.

Good layering system... gore tex, puffy, moisture wicking base layers. Does not need to be “camo” or hunting specific. Liner gloves and mitts.

Gun season means some sort of hot tent system unless you have a camper. Some means of drying out and warming up. That said we had a hot tent set up this year and still got driven off the mountain with temps 20-30 degrees below normal.

Likewise a good bag of at least 0 degrees and an insulated pad designed for winter temps. Cots were really nice to have while we were near the truck, but not required.

4x4, Tire chains and at least basic recovery gear.

I’d recommend reading the thread I posted about our first timer experience this year. We made some rookie mistakes, some mistakes we should’ve known better about, combined with some freaky record cold weather and bad luck.

Either way I’d like to reiterate that elk hunting is hard, the weather can be really dangerous no matter your gear or experience level, and bottom line don’t count on success and enjoy the experience for what it is, dead elk or not.
 
Joined
Sep 7, 2018
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Location
Pennsylvania
We are planning on camping for this trip. That could change but we want the full experience.......again new guys here lol
We used a ozark trail 10x12 wall tent, you can pick them up for a couple hundred. Put a wood stove in it. A place to warm up and dry out will change your whole hunt. Dont try to do it out of a little pup tent. The difference is huge.
 
Joined
Nov 26, 2018
Messages
1,185
Location
Ohio
GPS messenger (Garmin InReach) is also a huge safety plus. No, it doesn’t replace good judgement, and you can still really easily get in a bad way with one in your pocket, but I won’t go out west without one.

Your piece of mind, your families piece of mind, and your safety margin is increased exponentially with a device that costs less than $300 bucks. They are worth every penny.
 
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