'22 Gear/What Worked/What Didn't

[noharleyyet]

10x42 Pures...clear crisp, noticeable FOV improvement from the same power EL

Primos Gen 3 Trigger Stick Monopod...used a borrowed, have one on the way

Mt Extreme Kenetreks/Smart Wool socks....monotonously proficient A/T trekkers

PolarTec baselayers...still work

Sig Range Finder...bright, instant info, clear

First Lite/Sitka mishmash...kept me warm, wicked dry what the polartec transferred...supplied just the correct amount of garage sale je ne sais quoi indifference

KUIU Bino pouch...easy to put on... quick/convenient/and safe storage

Gerber blade trade thingy...great for opening Amazon goodie bags (meaning no animals were harmed, it's a capable tool)

Denny's all day breakfast in Raton...awesome 1PM meal stop for the trip to

Pat's Bar and Grill in Hotchkiss...killer burgers

A new Chili with beans (yes beans) recipe

My truck's KO2's....dicey passes, never had to chain

............

What didn't...local shooting range, a complete horror show, one look and out of there

 

[JoltnJoe]

3 things I had this year that I’ll never go in the backcountry without again:
-Puffy pants (blackovis on sale at camofire, never felt the need to make a fire up on the mountain)
-Crocs
-Leki trekking poles
-Sawyer fast fill bladder adapter (fill your bladder w/out removing it from your pack)

And to echo @noharleyyet…. I think smartwool socks are second to none

Lastly if you are in search of the worlds most perfect breakfast burrito look no further than the chorizo, egg, and cheese at taco star in Colorado Springs. I would also advise you to buy multiple for later reheating on a hot griddle… we literally ate the first ones and were like “holy shit go order 2 more for tomorrow”

What didn’t work:
Not enough fiber in my food bags!

 

[338win]

Hits above its weight:
Surplus base layers, surplus fleece layers, Crispi boots, darn tough socks, surplus rain gear/winter gortex outer shell, vortex bino harness, Barnes bullets, army sleep system, wool gloves, black diamond hippie sticks, mora knife, marmot hiking pants, gransfor burk hiking ax. Same stuff I have been using for almost a decade.

What didn’t work:
frozen baby wipes at 0 degrees

 

[Khunter]

Alpacka pack rafts
sig sauer range finder

 

[DouglasR]

Ditched the nalgene and took two 2 liter bladders.

 

[Lilhowie83]

Ditched the nalgene and took two 2 liter bladders.

Tell me more? I've been thinking about ditching the bladder and getting 2 nalgenes with the hard side swig rig hose set up.

 

[Birdbander]

New that I was pleased with:
Eberlestock X3A1

New that failed (due to abuse)
Primos Gen 3 Trigger Stick Bipod - stacked mine and a friends side by side, zip tied my antelope's feet together and we shoulder carried it out over a mile.
The entire handle fell off my sticks the next day but the poles held.

 

[stealthy_bowman]

No complaints on my gear, but what I should have brought and didn’t was sunscreen…
Was a successful hunt, but certainly the hottest and sunniest October western hunt I ever experienced. Actually got a bit of sunburn on my arms and face. Wasn’t planning on beach weather!

 

[BackofBeyond]

What worked:

• 199 Hammer Hunters - performed as advertised and then some. Full pass through and left a blood trail I could see from 800 yards away with the naked eye. I’m really liking how these group out of my .300 PRC.
• Christensen Ridgeline - probably should put a separate review of this, but hot damn what a rifle. Carry’s well in the hands, balances well, light, muzzle brake definitely helps, very accurate.
• Kifaru Supertarp - bought this from @TrumpkinTheDwarf this summer. Easy to set up, very very light, but also with the addition of a stove was great to have later in the season. Stake it up high for lots of air movement early season, down tight to the ground later. Sweet piece of kit.

 

[CB1]

Worked: MR Beartooth, diy tipi tent (minus guy lines), cascade mountain trekking poles were very helpful. Clothing kept me warm and dry. FL uncompahgre, thought it might be too light for me but worked well down into 20s. Cheap foam pad to sit on.

Didn’t: Brought way too much food. Thought I was in better shape, had to take it slower than I thought I would. Underestimating the number of other hunters in my planning. Wind- Tent guy lines slipped out of the line locks in the middle of the night resulting in the tipi falling over and blowing off and getting snow all over my gear, twice before giving up and just pulling the center pole and trying to sleep under it. will be looking for a better guy line that won’t slip out, or a better way to prevent it than just tying a knot.

 

[DouglasR]

Tell me more? I've been thinking about ditching the bladder and getting 2 nalgenes with the hard side swig rig hose set up.

I took a platypus hoser 2l and their 2l soft water bottle.
When hiking in and out with the whole backpacking rig to set up my deep camp I had the bladder in the sg hydro lid and the soft bottle in the hyrdosleeve inside the pack.
After I got camp set up, when I was getting ready to hunt hard I would take the lid off my pack, put it in bivy mode and carry just the 2 liters in the sleeve and have the rolled up soft bottle in the pack to fill up before I got back to camp in total darkness every night.
I felt like it saved room and weight and noise and stuff.
Downside is it’s kinda hard to fill up with a sawyer squeeze, but definitely doable.

 

[Dsnow9]

Worked: MR Beartooth, diy tipi tent (minus guy lines), cascade mountain trekking poles were very helpful. Clothing kept me warm and dry. FL uncompahgre, thought it might be too light for me but worked well down into 20s. Cheap foam pad to sit on.

Didn’t: Brought way too much food. Thought I was in better shape, had to take it slower than I thought I would. Underestimating the number of other hunters in my planning. Wind- Tent guy lines slipped out of the line locks in the middle of the night resulting in the tipi falling over and blowing off and getting snow all over my gear, twice before giving up and just pulling the center pole and trying to sleep under it. will be looking for a better guy line that won’t slip out, or a better way to prevent it than just tying a knot.

You can use a butterfly knot mid line and then run the tail down to the stake and back through the butterfly. There are a number of ways to tie it off after that. Most of which are quick release. Allows you to tension the snot out of it and no equipment to fail.

 

[Bsquad]

What worked:
-army surplus smoking jacket
-$20 discount sporting goods store insulated jeans
-irish serrer elk tracker boots

What didn't work-
-my hunting skills
-teton sleeping bag, zipper busted a day before leaving. However, their customer service sent me a brand new one..so now I have two.

 

[Dsnow9]

I took a platypus hoser 2l and their 2l soft water bottle.
When hiking in and out with the whole backpacking rig to set up my deep camp I had the bladder in the sg hydro lid and the soft bottle in the hyrdosleeve inside the pack.
After I got camp set up, when I was getting ready to hunt hard I would take the lid off my pack, put it in bivy mode and carry just the 2 liters in the sleeve and have the rolled up soft bottle in the pack to fill up before I got back to camp in total darkness every night.
I felt like it saved room and weight and noise and stuff.
Downside is it’s kinda hard to fill up with a sawyer squeeze, but definitely doable.

I went to bladder bags too. Decided on hydrapak because of the options. Have the quick detach lid that I can also hook my water filter hose straight into. When the temps drop to much for the drinking hose I just switch to the bite valve lid.

I usually bring that and a small yeti water bottle to keep coffee hot or water unfrozen.

 

[JoltnJoe]

I took a platypus hoser 2l and their 2l soft water bottle.
When hiking in and out with the whole backpacking rig to set up my deep camp I had the bladder in the sg hydro lid and the soft bottle in the hyrdosleeve inside the pack.
After I got camp set up, when I was getting ready to hunt hard I would take the lid off my pack, put it in bivy mode and carry just the 2 liters in the sleeve and have the rolled up soft bottle in the pack to fill up before I got back to camp in total darkness every night.
I felt like it saved room and weight and noise and stuff.
Downside is it’s kinda hard to fill up with a sawyer squeeze, but definitely doable.

Check out the quick connect bladder fill kit for the squeeze, slick rig, can fill bladder without ever removing from pack… editing my post now to add this

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

Platypus quick draw... little column A little of column B.

Filter works great.

The squeeze bag, like every platapus bag I've used is utter garbage, glorified ziplock. First time using it I managed to burst the bag... cause you know the la croix drinking, keyboard warrior over here has hands that rival liver king or alex honold.

 

[MtnElk]

Platypus quick draw... little column A little of column B.

Filter works great.

The squeeze bag, like every platapus bag I'm used is utter garbage, glorified zip lock. First time using it I managed to burst the bag... cause you know the la croix drinking, keyboard warrior over here has hands that rival liver king or alex honold.

 

[Dsnow9]

Platypus quick draw... little column A little of column B.

Filter works great.

The squeeze bag, like every platapus bag I'm used is utter garbage, glorified zip lock. First time using it I managed to burst the bag... cause you know the la croix drinking, keyboard warrior over here has hands that rival liver king or alex honold.

I use the same setup

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

I use the same setup

The 1L+ smart water bottle are a must with that thing.

 

[old270hunter]

Here is what worked. Waterproof expensive tarp, portable buddy heater, Peak beef stroganoff, and a brewery in town. Also, the Sig rangefinder and Steiner Predator 8x42 binos, cheapie blue tarp to keep the Subaru blood free, Kodiak Cloth quilt (excellent). And the ice scraper/brush combo was a Godsend. Shower at Elk Mountain Inn. I’m still in camp. Deer is done, still working on the cow.

What did not work for me. Wet wood. Peak breakfast skillet (bland as hell), heater in my car, frozen fishing reel, frozen Carmex lip balm, frozen anything not in coolers (very cold year for Co unit 11 in 2nd season). High country trails are now just a mess as of today unit 12/23. Lots of snow and freaking cold.