Thought I would post a few things I tried this year:
Eberlestock Mainframe w/ Superspike Duffle:
Thought this pack setup was a really good value. It kept my gear mostly dry without any rain covers and supported weight really well. Next year I may try the drybag attachment but the superspike didn't leak that bad. I think I may put a camelback bladder between the duffle and the frame on the molle webbing.
Killik Axiom Rain Jacket:
I was really excited about this jacket but was disappointed when I was completely soaked within 2hrs in the Olympics during high buck. All the other reviews I have read rave about this jacket so maybe I got a lemon. Then again, maybe nobody else tried it in a rain forest.
Helly Hansen Impertech Rain Jacket/Pants:
After the Killik I exchanged it for this jacket and pants. It was just too warm this year to wear rubber. If the jacket had pit zips it may have been nice but the back vent was rendered useless while wearing a pack so it was just too warm and sweaty to wear during any pace faster than still hunting.
Kifaru Gun Bearer:
This was my favorite change this year. It put the weight of the rifle on my hips and kept my rifle stable regardless of what I was doing. It made it really nice to duck through brush and drop to a crawl during a couple stalks. I really liked having my hands free to grab onto stuff during some steep ascents/descents in the timber as well.
Alaska Guide Creations Bino Pack:
Not necessarily the brand and model, but mostly having the binos in a pack on my chest really made a difference to using my binos with much higher frequency to peer through brush.
