Starting from scratch

[Midwesterner00]

Hey guys, long time Midwestern hunter looking to do my first western hunting trip this fall. I have been doing a lot of research but I thought I would get some more opinions on gear since this forum has been super helpful already. I am pretty much building my inventory from scratch and I am kind of on a budget due to spending too much money on hunting as it is (so my wife says). I am looking for what you guys think are essential pieces of gear that you can't live without? Are there any areas you can go cheap and any items that you NEED to spend more money on? To be more specific I am looking at a car camping set up for rifle mule deer in October/November. I am looking at everything from packs and optics to boots, trekking poles, tripods, and tons of other things. I do have a lot of gear for Midwestern hunting so if you have any examples of common whitetail equipment that would be helpful that would be great to know as well. I just want to give myself the best chance to be successful and not get divorced in the process. Thanks in advance guys.

 

[NDGuy]

Hey welcome to the forum, one thing to do in addition to this is use the search feature. There are a bazillion threads that go over this type of question. You might get a lot more insight than the replies here.

That being said:

Things to not skimp on:
Boots
Pack
Optics/Scope

Another thing, I am a Midwesterner too and I use my Clam thermal pop up ice house to camp out of. Has worked great for me and will help with your budget if you already have one!

 

[Gunnersdad49]

It's easy to get caught up in spending when planning for a new adventure. If you are car camping, you can get by with what you have already for most of it. Bring your existing tent, add a couple of tarps, and your shelter is done. If you have a cot or foam mattress, add your sleeping bag and a few blankets, and your sleep system is done.

Get good boots. Wear them a lot before you come out, not just a couple of miles, but dozens of miles at least.

Optics are an easy place to spend several mortgage payments, but depending on your goals, don't have to put you into the poor house. A good pair of 8x, 10x, or 12x binoculars will find you plenty of game. You don't need a spotter for most Rocky Mountain mule deer and elk hunts in my opinion unless you want to judge trophy quality. It's your first western hunt, find critters and get in on them. That will teach you tons of lessons that you can take forward when you become more choosy about what your animal scores.

I would make sure you have good clothing that you can hike in, glass in, and sit out a storm in. In Colorado, afternoon storms can be pretty common, and a good rain jacket that is with you in the field can be invaluable. A lightweight puffy coat and the rain jacket, and you can spend a night in the woods if need be.

 

[MikeStrong]

I would suggest starting out with a good pack and boots, and if that uses up most of your budget, get some entry level optics that will get you started and upgrade next year. Vortex Viper HDs can be an example. They won't break the bank, and while you may not be judging trophy quality with them, you should be able to spot deer and make your move from there. Once you get something on the ground, you will appreciate the investment in your pack and boots.

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[MuleyFever]

You probably don’t need much of anything and you don’t NEED to spend a lot on anything. As mentioned boots should be broken in and of some quality. If you don’t have a pack you will need one but could easily get by with a mid tier pack like a Horn Hunter. Dress in layers for hiking and sitting. Car camping you can bring a big blow up mattress and some quilts/comforter and a full size pillow.

 

[Young Blood]

Need is a very subjective term. I've grown up out west and been hunting the mountains and plains of Montana my entire life. In 20+ years of hunting I've never "needed" the following: a spotting scope/tripod, trekking poles, a $600 pack, a $250 pair of boots, sitka clothing, etc... Are those items nice to have and can they make things a little more pleasant? Sure. But they are not needed in my opinion. You probably have 80%-90% of the gear your really need already. Get a decent set of 10x42 binos and 95% of your glassing is covered. You won't be able to judge an animal miles away but you will be able to see a lot of game. You likely already have some sort of a day pack so you could get a pretty cheap pack frame to pair with it to haul quarters with. In all honesty though, I've drug every deer I've ever shot. I've only packed elk quarters. Not saying that is preferred, however, as I have had some hellacious drags. If you don't have a pack already, there are a lot of used ones for decent prices or if you watch you can get a good sale price on a Mystery Ranch (I finally just upgraded my gear in this department and found a brand new MR Pintler on Optics Planet for $290... super score!) which is one of the top 5 pack makers. A lot of guys will likely chastise me for saying this but I use $100 Danner boots for most everything and I put on a lot of miles in steep country. I go with 400g insulation personally. As others have said, car camping makes things much easier and you can likely make due with what you have. For clothing, just layer up. Coming from the midwest you likely have much of what you already need in this department also. All I run is a pair of long johns under a pair of $100 wool pants for bottoms and then a polyester or merino wool base layer with a hooded sweatshirt and a Cabelas polyester blend coat for outer layers on top. I've got a young family and its just not responsible to break the bank (or my marriage) for luxury items at this point. Someday I will have all of the top brands, but it will come slowly in pieces. I guess what my long drawn out post is meant to say is that its easy to get sucked into the mentality of "need" vs want, especially when checking out these threads as everybody always recommends the top of the line gear. You don't "need" all those luxury items to be successful or to have fun! Especially if you are only coming out for a week long hunt every couple of years.

 

[LaHunter]

Good info provided already. Having solid gear and knowing how to use it is important, but you don’t need top tier gear starting out. You will figure out what works best for you.
Physical conditioning is one of the most important aspects of western hunt prep, more than gear buying. This involves much more than jogging a little bit or getting on an elliptical machine. Also, educating yourself on elk and deer behavior and seasonal needs is another important part of your preparation.
Good Luck

 

[Midwesterner00]

Thanks guys for all the great advice. This is very helpful and reassuring. I do have a decent set of binos and boots so it looks like my biggest investment will be a pack. I have been keeping a look out for used name brand packs but they are still way more expensive than I was figuring on spending. Is there a size pack or brand that I should be looking for? Again I will be car camping but I will need to pack optics and gear in as well as meat out. Again thanks for the help.

 

[mnspotnstalk]

Thanks guys for all the great advice. This is very helpful and reassuring. I do have a decent set of binos and boots so it looks like my biggest investment will be a pack. I have been keeping a look out for used name brand packs but they are still way more expensive than I was figuring on spending. Is there a size pack or brand that I should be looking for? Again I will be car camping but I will need to pack optics and gear in as well as meat out. Again thanks for the help.

A cheaper frame pack from Cabela's or something similar would get you by just fine. My first mule deer was carried out by a 50 year old contraption held together by spot welds and duct tape. In my opinion you don't "need" anything you likely don't already have. Lots of stuff will make the experience easier and more enjoyable though.

Best piece of advice, make sure you enjoy this and are willing to deal with the amount of effort necessary before investing a boat load of money. If money is tight then just let birthdays, Christmas's, and cash you can stash away over time take care of the rest.

Clothes wise - just don't bring cotton if possible. Most of your whitetail stuff should fit this bill though. Light rain gear is nice, but some kind of rain gear will likely be necessary unless you're willing to turn around as soon as you get wet.

 

[Gunnersdad49]

no binos and no boots? you just saved yourself a grand! Watch the classifieds for a Kifaru frame and pack. The frames retail around $375 new, but some of these package deals go for $400 or $500 with a bag and accessories.
Before you say "$500 is too much for a pack", you can tell the wife you are basically MAKING $500 by not buying binos and boots~!

A good pack will go from training to day pack to eventually back pack hunting if you want it to. Training with a weighted pack was a game changer for me.

 

[mnspotnstalk]

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Stanspor...MI6KeMo7yW4AIVAsDICh0bagQREAQYBCABEgKviPD_BwE

55 bucks at Wally World, plus probably another 6 bucks for paracord, and some old pillow cases and you're good to go pack-wise.

 

[NebraskaStickHunter]

I was in your boat a couple years ago. It is like people say, a slippery slope. Think about things that you can use with your current hunting where you live. Dual purpose is great to justify buy a higher quality item. Or buy more earthtone colors for clothing and wear it for activities beyond hunting. That being said there where a few things that I used daily elk hunting in Colorado this fall that I viewed as great items in my quiver. Trekking poles (don't need $100+ ones but reliable ), Boots ( I had Danner Pronghorns and thought they were great until I went with some Crispi Valdres but I bought some Mammut Trovat on steepandcheap.com for $125 and they are great backpacking boot for that price. ) Socks (they can be worn year around if you don't go heavy weight merino) and my pack ( exo mountain ) what more that what I wanted to spend but with two back surgeries under my belt it is cheaper that a third surgery. There were 4 of us that went and three different packs and two different boot brands, we all liked the boots we had and I was the only one that loved my pack. I found used and clearance items to make things more affordable but you do honestly get what you pay for. I plan on making the west hunts more often so having better gear was easy for me and you can figure out after the first hunt what needs to be upgraded and what worked great or you never used.

 

[aion2come]

Lots of good info. First time and car camping. Here is my list in order.

1. Boots. Don't assume yours will work until you put a few miles on in some steep stuff with a 20-30 lbs pack. Hours on your feet will make them sore and if your feet aren't used to the abuse ... well, it may not go so well. Doesn't hurt to also get some padded insoles too. My feet have thanked me for that.
2. Waterproof sleeping place. Don't care what it is. A cheap tent that is waterproofed works fine. Getting soaked makes for long nights.
3.. Water filter. One case of mountain fever was enough for me.
4. Decent pack (frame). With car camping you can go with a mid level day pack like a Badlands. But then you will also need a frame for hauling meat. That is going to be over $300 right there. Is almost just as cheap to get a high end frame to start with and get a compression panel and dry bag for your gear. That saves you money in the long run as then all you have to do is buy the bag later. Alternatively, some great MR packs with great frames on camofire recently.
5. Something to carry water with you in your pack. The west is dryyyyyy! Dehydration can set in quickly. A bladder is awesome, but not necessary.
6. Odds and Ends. Blister pads, sharp knife, synthetic game bags, a plan on how you'll get an elk out, the ability to hit where you're aiming, prehunt conditioning, a willingness to work hard., a gps app or gps unit, knowledge of your game, ability to call, etc, etc.

Me personally - I'd put optics down the list. Your whitetail bino's will work fine for now.

You are going to have a blast. Enjoy!

 

[rayporter]

I do agree that you have what you need but don't be surprised if some of it falls short. you will learn what needs upgraded soon enough.

as mentioned above some things might be suspect. one may be your tent, if you get snow you may be sleeping in the truck if it collapses. BTDT

i feel you will make wiser choices after the trip.-so go, have fun!!!!

don't be surprised if you search for many years for certain pieces of gear.

luck-ray

 

[nickstevens2588]

Exo mountain podcast just put out a podcast today that's right up the alley of your posted question. Item names, weight, cost. I think it would give you some great reference for things to look into.

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[fngTony]

Find a deal on a flight to Denver in a couple months (warmer) and hike the foothills, acclimate to the altitude, stop by some local shops to see and try gear. Bring the wife/family spend a day or two in summit county for higher altitude. Maybe spoil the wife with a day at a spa in Breckinridge.

There now you have tasted the environment and spent quality time with your wife instead of spending $$$$ on gear.

 

[Midwesterner00]

Thanks everyone for all of the ideas and suggestions. I actually just listened to that Exo mountain podcast this morning and it was fairly helpful. Also my wife and I took a trip to Colorado last summer and I did some hiking out there which was awesome, but I am thinking of trying a different state for hunting due to the high pressure in that area.

 

[jt4]

A lot of people have mentioned a good pack with a frame. Is the badlands 2200 a good pack that fits this bill?


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[NebraskaStickHunter]

If you already own it then try it out with about 75% of max load expected. If you don’t own it, in that price range or slightly more the horn hunter would be a great pack that would hold weight better and have more versatility than the badlands.

 

[jt4]

If you already own it then try it out with about 75% of max load expected. If you don’t own it, in that price range or slightly more the horn hunter would be a great pack that would hold weight better and have more versatility than the badlands.

I ask because it’s almost 60% off right now and I could double it’s use and use it outside hunting. But if it’s not a great pack I won’t bother buying it.


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