2016 Gear Review. One thing that worked for you, and one that disappointed.

BlakeA

BlakeA

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Location
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I'm a gear junky and always enjoy trying new stuff out each year. I like reading about new gear that others have used and REALLY liked and also what disappointed. So with 2016 coming to an end, name ONE piece of equipment that you bought for 2016 that you won't leave the truck without again, and ONE that didn't live up to your expectations.

Love: Kifaru Tut w/smith cylinder stove. It is absolutely perfect for a solo backpacker and can EASILY fit two guys with gear. Takes less then 5 minutes to put up and withstands the wind better than expected. On one trip this year, we actually squeezed 3 of us with our packs in there and wouldn't hesitate to do it again. Perfect size, lightweight, bombproof. Gold for me.

Hate: Goal Zero Venture 30. It's not that it is absolutely terrible, because it does a solid job of recharging and it's lightweight and pretty compact, but it kept losing battery life while NOT even being used. If one of the buttons gets bumped it will turn on and the lights keep flickering which gets annoying. Nothing worse than having it fully charged only to hike up to a ridge and see that it's already down one bar. I will keep it for camping and a backup for in the truck but I will be trying something else in 2017.
 
I can't be restricted to just one new item. I added 3 items this year which I used extensively and they performed like champs. I hunted in conditions from 20 degree blowing snow to 80 degrees and sunny. Lots of time in the 9000-10,000 foot elevation range.

First Lite Chama Hoody
First Lite Uncompahgre Jacket
Kuiu Kenai Pants

I don't want to say I HATED anything but a few of the Heathers Choice meals were tough to choke down. A few were damn tasty. Funny enough, one I really disliked has been described as a favorite by other friends. Food is obviously subjective. I will say that my body liked all the Heather's Choice, energy levels were great and my stomach felt great.
 
Hits:
1.FHF Bino Harness: waited forever to get it, but it is so slick, Montana made and worth the 100 bucks. The only draw back was I had to get the Newberg-approved wind checker because mine wouldn't fit.
2. Sitka Timberline Pants: Finally broke down when camofire had them for $100. Well worth that and more, but I just can't afford them regular price. I'm now diligently watching everywhere to get a deal on some more sikta gear.

Misses: The weather: when it is 55 degrees on the last day of rifle season in Montana, life is wrong. I didn't fill my sheep tag for the second time and majorly bummed by that.
 
Liked: alaska guide creation bino harness. Held everything. large bino. small camera. flip phone. knife. handy
Liked: my new skinning knife w/ the replaceable scalpel blade. Worked great on an elk. And even better cutting fingers. Blades could be easier to replace tho.

disliked: Heather's choice. Like Josh's post above. I liked her story of building the co and really wanted to like the food but. Wow. camping 5 miles out, low a water and dug into one of the "highly recommended, popular choices'. It was so spicy my lips burned the rest of the night and I used up a lot of water trying to remedy it. who puts a ton of hot spice in camping food?. the 2nd one I tried only mildly better. Ate alot of bars and nuts the rest of the trip.

So,so: Love/hate with my main pack. the one where you go in light and come out heavy. It hauls everything I want to carry and then some. Handled a elk pack out without problem. altho, a humorous side note: tried to shorten the
number of trips. about 130 lbs on board. negotiating heavy down fall area, stepping over a high log, pack meat shifted. Pulled me over backwards landed flat on my back. Like a turtle, lodged between down fall. Stuck for a while.
Felt like a long time. Claustrophobic. finally unbuckled and worked my way out. Anyway, the thing weighs almost 10 lbs unloaded. After 5 day tired of hauling it around.
 
Love: Have to second the FHF Bino Harness. Love this thing, though I need to buy some of the extra pouches. Also finally found a backpack that feels like it fits right, the Mystery Ranch Marshall. Hopefully it'll stand up to punishment the way they always have now that they've moved production.

Hate: With my weird allergies I'm pretty much restricted to Alpine Air meals. Can't tell you how much I hate these things. The recipes are mostly terrible and they NEVER seem to properly cook.
 
Hits:

1. Sitka Celsius Jacket - that thing kept me warm in the tree stand down into the 30's. Couldn't have been happier. Soft, comfortable, silent.
2. Cabela's Cooler - 4 days antelope hunting with a frozen gallon of water...food was still cold and chili had to be unthawed. Super impressed with quality and price.

Misses:
1. Cabelas wool sweater - bulky, heavy, and snags on everything.
 
Like Alaska guide creation bino harness. And first lite puffy. Trekking poles were my best buy of the year.

Didn't have any gear that failed.
 
Love: Down insulation. Switched some jackets and all sleeping insulation to down. Can't beat the weight and insulating abilities.
Love: Hiking pants. I started with a nice pair of Patagonia and then picked up some cheaper ones. Light weight, stretch, dry quickly, articulated knees, impressive durability. And you can save some serious coin getting all of the features of high end stuff (Sitka, Kuiu) for a lot less if you are okay with it not being camo.

Hate: Heavy Carhart pants for hunting. See love above.
 
Last edited:
Hit:

- Orion 85 Cooler. That thing kept my elk really cold for a long time during an unseasonably hot rifle season.
- Putting a topper on my truck, that was super nice for my long road trips.

Misses:

- I tried to go without a real camera and only take pics with my Iphone 6. Not doing that again.
 
Love - Selkirk Canvas Spike Tent with Wilderness Stove from the Wall Tent Shop- No issues

Hate - Magnum Tents Spike Kamp and HQ Stove. The tent plastic window broke on the first cold night. The peg loops broke during my elk hunt in Utah. The Stove doesn't seal and the legs broke. I guess you get what you pay for in the end. A $300 tent and a $100 stove seems like a good idea, but in the end it was throwing money down the drain.
 
Love: Theron Questa 10x42's

Hate: New truck tires that sucked up a bunch of cash right before hunting season
 
Hits: Sitka Coldfront Jacket and Pants. Thankfully I scored both at steep discounts otherwise id still be looking at them. I wore them everyday on Kodiak this year in rain, wind and snow while busting through a lot of brush. I stayed dry, didn't feel the wind and it held up great.

Miss: my choice of boot for the Kodiak hunt. I took a pair of cabelas outfitter series boots instead of my Lowa Tibets (don't ask!). Dumb move. The lack of ankle support in very steep country almost ended my hunt on the first day.
 
I didn't really try much new this year, but the things I did worked well enough:

1. My own gun dog. He's not finished, but he found birds.
2. My old 20ga 870 with 3" Prairie Storm #5 shotshells. I shoot this gun much better than my other one and the 20ga with those shells did great on pheasants.
 
Hit: My wife's new CVA Wolf muzzleloader. Nicely priced and accurate.
TruGlo fiberoptic ghost rings. Installed them on mine and my wife's no scope muzzleloaders and greatly improved groups and accuracy.

Miss: 70 degree weather during 3rd rifle season elk hunting...WTF??!!

Maybe: Honest Amish beard balm. It left my beard a bit greasy and didn't condition it very well. But, it helped tame the swirl I have from my shrapnel scar at the corner of my jaw.
 
Loved: Kuiu Attack pants, Howa 6.5 Creedmoor

Hated: The round-end heavy duty havalon blades, glad I had the traditional scalpel blades along as well...
 
Hits:
1) Bloodline muzzleloader bullets (review in the muzzleloader forum)
2) Home made "gun bearer" gun sling. Wife wanted to buy me the real thing for Christmas so I put together a home made version that did great, but I can't wait to get the real thing
3) Kuiu Guide Pants. The more I use them the more I like them.
4) Kuiu Bino Harness. I have used a couple different harnesses and I really like Kuiu version.


Misses
1) Ledge Featherlite 30 degree Sleeping bad in 10 degree weather. Not the sleeping bags fault, but it was all I had for backpacking and froze my butt off for a couple of nights
2) New Alaskan Game bags. I loved their stuff for years, but the last couple of years their stuff has gone to crap (material is much cheaper)
3)


Still deciding
1) OnxMaps App. Its been a little hit or miss, but feels like it is getting better.
 
Loved: new Exo Mtn pack 3500, packed everything I could possibly muster, 4 times a complete boned out mule deer, boned out front and hind from a cow elk, I have a Canadian pack, a 104, a Dwight shu, an x1, a freighter frame, for me this pack is the single best investment I have made besides a rifle,

let me down: Solomon 4d boots, the lack of water repellant/ waterproof, even though they have goretex? is just killing me, other than that they are the best fitting, non blister forming boots I have ever owned, and I have had many brands and styles,,,
 
300stw said:
let me down: Solomon 4d boots, the lack of water repellant/ waterproof, even though they have goretex? is just killing me, other than that they are the best fitting, non blister forming boots I have ever owned, and I have had many brands and styles,,,
Click to expand...

+1

Mine weren't too terrible for waterproof until late season in the snow. Other than that, I absolutely love them. They are perfect for me and will be used again next year up until the really cold/rainy days in the field. Zero blisters and unbelievable comfort. I will be buying another pair once they break down.
 
Loved:
Swarovski binoculars. No explanation needed.
Delorme sat phone. Great for communication and also ease of mind. As we learned though, pocket dialing a SOS request is not good....

Hated:
Not much but I actually wasn't too crazy about my FHF bino harness. Definitely louder than I was expecting and not the best for bowhunting.
 
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