Equipment: What worked and what did not

[Tradewind]

Great thread someone put up a year ago abt what worked for them. Here's my list.
Worked
Sitka mountainpants held up great.
V-bar snow chains, but I need another pair for the rear
Vortex viper 12 x 50 bino - finally got something to rest them on, like them a lot better now.
My cheap plastic 19.99 dollar sled. tossed everything in it in the snow 'cept the rifle and took off.
Tikka T3 has been a tack driver since I got it dialed in. 7mm

Sorta
My Eberlystock (heavy stock) large pack. Works great but gets heavier every year. Time for something lighter.

fails
Danner pronghorn boots. They never did keep my feet dry over the past 5 year's. they really gave up this year. My feet hurt the whole time
and i put on a lot of miles
Leuold (loopold) 1000 tbr range finder. Couldn't find the mule deer I was looking at in light fog. kept reading 12 yards. time for something new
Walking sticks, not sure the brand I have but they click now with every step and won't extend far enough

 

[noharleyyet]

Aye: First Lite Obsidian Pants. FL underlayers, Zamberlan Vios GTX, .28 cal Scenar L's from here to way over yonder, and Leki Cork-Lites

Hell Nay: yoga mat sleeping bag cushion and cheapo coleman replacement

Gotta get a better daypack, the cheapie (forget the brand) I've been remiss to replace gets taken for granted every year and makes the trip...suggestions welcomed

 

[Tradewind]

Aye: First Lite Obsidian Pants. FL underlayers, Zamberlan Vios GTX, .28 cal Scenar L's from here to way over yonder, and Leki Cork-Lites

Hell Nay: yoga mat sleeping bag cushion and cheapo coleman replacement

Gotta get a better daypack, the cheapie (forget the brand) I've been remiss to replace gets taken for granted every year and makes the trip...suggestions welcomed

I was wondering if the yoga mat would make the list

 

[6mm Remington]

Whites Outdoorsman boots with the Claw lug sole. I got the uninsulated ones with the waterproof lining. Man are they well made and comfortable. So far I really really like them. I wore them in 20 degree temps with a foot of snow on the ground and my feet stayed plenty warm. I know they aren't insulated but the lining has to help a bit and my feet are always warm anyway.

Leupold 15-30x50mm Gold Ring compact spotting scope. I used it a lot on my antelope, deer, and elk adventures this fall. I really like it. It is compact and light and has good optics in it I'm impressed!

Cam-lock V-bar tire chains from Les Schwab. Once again they proved their worth. They are simple to put on and take off and with the cam-lock you can tighten them and they stay tight. Great chains!

Leica Ultravid 8x20 compact binoculars. Love these things. They are light and small and have awesome optics. No I do not miss having a larger objective lense.

Winchester Model 70 custom built to a .280 Ackley Improved. Took my third animal with my third shot! Antelope at 280 yards was the last one. It has a Shilen match grade barrel 24" long. Love this thing.

Cooper AT3 all-terrain tires: My third hunting season on these tires and I am really impressed with them.


Fails: Really the only thing this year was my insulated beanie cap. It's just not that warm and they make them one size fits all and they don't ever seem to cover the ears enough. I can't recall the name of the cap at this time.

Merry Christmas all!
David

 

[HighDesertSage]

Leupold CDS for the win!

 

[JohnCushman]

WIN: Howa 1500 in 30-06, Leupold VX2, handloaded accubonds, inReach, the sitka gear I had in Montana, and Gerald's elk loin

NO: My knees, back, and lungs, brain injury headaches, and whitetail does that are in an area I'd have to corner cross to get them

 

[Southern Elk]

What worked:
-My trusty Browning A bolt 7mm mag. I know it's overkill for an antelope, but I have total confidence in it and now that antelope does too.
-Slick Trick broadheads. I always think of switching, but there's no need to. I made a marginal shot on a deer and I have no doubt the broadhead made up for my shortcoming.
-Outdoor Edge knife with replaceable blades. I cleaned 4 animals on the ground with it and I don't know why I'd ever use a conventional knife again.

What didn't work:
-My boots. My feet repeatedly got wet. It's time for an upgrade.

 

[N2TRKYS]

My Thunderhead 100 broadheads have worked just like they have since '92.

My pirogue has also worked well this year.

 

[Addicting]

Good: ExoMountian day pack! Worth every penny.

Bad: Leupold 15-30x50mm Gold Ring compact spotting scope. Just too small and was hard to use at low light. Gonna sell it and get a 60mm.

 

[Pagosa]

What worked:
Remington 700 CDL 7mm with a new timmey trigger and 175 grain core-loks. I had two scary mis-fires last fall while deer hunting and purchased a new trigger assembly.
New game sled called the jet sled, attached a 3' long 2" wooden pole onto two ropes back to the sled. You can pull 200 lbs with a little snow.
My homemade knife that my dad made for me in 1997 out of D2 tool steel, and stag horn.
A new Arkansas whetstone that I purchased from Cabelas, it really puts a razor edge on knifes.

What didn't work:
My 8x42 Brunton bino's that are 12 years old. I lost a lens cap and they stayed fogged. My buddy had a set of Vortex 10x42 that looked very clear.
I got completely soaked in my carhart pants, raincoat. Need better raingear before next year.

 

[Lawnboy]

Worked:
Sitka Mountain pants, Both packs EXO and Stone Glacier, My custom 7wsm (I'm so confident in every shot with it easily out to 800) makes 2-400 seem easy. Having friends with high end spotting scopes
Not:
Goat hunting with lesser spotting scopes. Could barely make out that it was even a goat with another "high end scope" while the Swaro ATX 95 you could tell it was more than likely a good Billy. Unbelievable. Then reconfirmed on elk hunt in Nevada glassing bulls 3 miles across canyons.

 

[hank4elk]

Really worked,& still do.
Rem 700 30-06,still a tackdriver.
98Tacoma.
Kenetrek Grizzly Pac boots.
Alpen Binos & spotter.
New & works.
Lowa Tibets,nuff said.
Zeiss Conquest scope,night & day difference from any I have had.
Gerber BG Vital,awesome.
BD trekking poles,excellent for traveling, but too noisy to hunt with.
Tag bags.

Failed
Butler flip covers,lasted 1/4mi blacktail hunting. Caught & broke in chapparal.
Cheap hunting knives,any.
Leupold gold ring 65 spotter,eye strain gave me head aches.Just me.
Steri-pen in NM...LOL clogged instantly.

 

[Hunting Wife]

The Good:
First Lite women’s gear- the Alturas pants and Artemis hoody. I almost live in the hoody.

Kenetrek Mountain Extreme (women’s, insulated). I need a lot of ankle support, and these were excellent. My feet were exceptionally happy during our steep, snowy Alaska deer hunt. No slips, no rolled ankles.

Seek Outside Redcliff tent- So much nicer than climbing in the little Kelty at the end of the day. Also nice to stand up when putting pants on. And heat - yay!

The Bad:
Had a pair of Outdoor Research wool gloves fall apart the first time I wore them. They weren’t cheap. I was not impressed.

My old Cabela’s gaiters. I love how quiet they are, and they still do the job. But the snow buildup on the strap gets irritating at times. Might be time for something with some other material under foot.

 

[Gerald Martin]

New for me that worked really well- Delorme Inreach. Nice to have peace of mind I can always get in touch with the outside world. I was able to coordinate the retrieval of my wife's moose by texting my brother in VA who called the outfitter in MT and then relayed info back and forth for us. Otherwise it would have required a 50 mile one way drive to cell service and an extra day of wait time before we could have coordinated the meat retrieval. It is also really nice to know I can keep my wife in the loop about my expected arrival times when I'm out of cell service, alone, and have game down.

Kennetrek boots
Mystery Ranch Metcalf
still solid and working well

No big fails for me this year

 

[406LIFE]

Good:
Outdoor Research Gatiers: dusted these off after not using for 4 years. IDK why I stopped but they are definitely not leaving the bag now.
OnXMaps App: Works flawlessly now. Absolutely love it. Sold my GPS since I didn't use it all all during archery.
Alaska Guide Creations Bino Harness: got the one with the basement, hides my Cliff bar. Superior to my FHF (wish it weren't, I like supporting MT companies).
Mathews Halon 32: HAven't really hunted it yet, but shoots incredibly.

Bad:
Hunting Partners that Crap out on you.
Weather that shuts down the rut during the week that you took off.
CWD in MT.

 

[Irrelevant]

I hardly got out hunting this year, but the one hit was dirt cheap super lite stove for warming water on while glassing: https://www.amazon.com/Reehut-Ultra...2-spons&keywords=lightweight+camp+stove&psc=1

fail: I newest attempt at a cheap backpack (Osprey). I need to pony up and get one meant for packing 80-100 lbs of meat

 

[Dan O]

Good: Kenetrex Mtn Extremes un insulated, Kenetrex gaiters, wool pants, Swaroski 10x42 SLC "always good", Leupold 4.5x14 CDS, Nosler 30 cal. 180 grain Partitions,

Always Bad: Wind on the East slope of the Rockies in Central Montana.

 

[Tikka06]

The good: Slick Trick 100 grain broad heads, Marmot Sawtooth sleeping bag, my homemade shooting rest for my vortex tripod, and my New Kuiu Icon Pro 3200- I know it has its shortcomings but it fits my needs nicely. Best of all, my Mathews Chill-R that I got a smoking deal on clearance.

The bad: my old Nikon monarch 10x42's have about had it. I have to refocus them every time I use them. That will be my new upgrade for next year.

 

[belly-deep]

Worked:

Kuiu Yukon Gaiters. Best gaiter I've tried. Used the Kenetreks for years, but I like the Kuiu much more.

Patagonia Nano Puff jacket. These things are about the best "hunting" jacket around, IMO. Windproof, just a little insulation, and quiet enough they won't spook game unless you're right on top of the critter. Patagonia is even nice enough to make them in a color close to blaze orange every few years.

First Lite beanie. Great to pull down over your baseball cap when it is cold.

Kuiu merino beanie. Lightweight enough to give your ears some coverage while hiking. I trade off with this and the FL beanie depending on whether I'm actively hiking or still hunting/sitting.

Kenetrek Mountain Extreme 400g insulated. I love these boots. Had them 4 seasons now and they are still waterproof.

MR Longbow. I went back to this pack after trying a few others in past seasons. Still my favorite pack.

Kimber 8400 300 WSM. Did't kill anything with this rifle, but enjoyed carrying it. Great to have 300 mag power in such a light rifle.

Didn't Work:

Kenetrek Mountain Extreme uninsulated. I thought these would be just like the insulted model, but for some reason they gave me some bad foot pain.

FL Merino base layer. Actually, this could be on both lists because it was warm and didn't smell after several days of hunting. But I was disappointed in the lack of durability merino wool has. Wore holes it in a few places. For the price of these babies, its a little disheartening to have them start wearing out in just one season.

 

[Walkathon]

Worked: Tikka T3.270 win. Winchester 140gr Accubond ammo. OnX maps with my old Garmin 62, Danner Pronghorn boots and Irish Setter boots, Havalon piranta, Cabelas brand 3/4 hp meat grinder

Didn't work: Nothing really comes to mind, can't complain. Life was good, this season was a lot of fun. Hope for a repeat next year