When Gear shined

[fishngamereaper]

So with the gear failure topic. I figured lets look at gear that's overly impressed us. Not just the usual ya it worked, the holy cow how is that still functiong stuff.

For me a few things come to mind.

-Swarovski Bino's. Hands down the best bino's I've ever used. Even when soaking wet still bullet proof, clear and flawless.
-Meindl boots. Freakin rock solid. 10 years on my current pair and not a single issues, even knee deep in rivers they still don't leak. I did have to put hot rocks in them in the back country of the Frank Church one year to dry them out because my feet where so sweaty they got the boots wet, it was really cold out and I didnt want to die.  But the best boots I've ever worn.
-Eberlestock back pack. I don't use it anymore because honestly there are better and lighter brands. But I was packing half a cow(I know, its a long story) anyway packing half a cow elk out in the Taneum one year. Probably 1030 at night, pitch black. Half mile to camp and I had this steep little draw to go down, cross a creek and up the other side before I was home free. I stepped over a log at the top and lost balance and rolled 50' to the bottom and landed in the creek upside-down. The elk was still attached to that back pack and it didnt bust a single stitch. Impresive.
-Prana pants. For the price those things just keep on going. Water resistant longer than I expected. Two thunbs Up 

I'm sure I've got more but this is just a start. Lets hear em.

[KNOPHISH]

I have a Simms rain coat for fishing but wear it hunting too and can bust brush cuz it's bomb proof.

[jackelope]

My Meindl boots have been totally bomb proof for more than 10 years until they crapped out on me over this past winter. Thinking about having them rebuilt.

Sitka Timberline pants. Best. Pants. Ever.

OR Crocodile gaiters. Bombproof.

[Alchase]

My Cabelas West Wind tent. This tent has been through hell for nine hunting seasons and too many camping trips to count, still going strong.

Columbia light weight camo hunting pants. Bought two pairs many years ago both still in great condition.

Lux-Pro 180-Lumen LED Portable Work Light, perfect for inside a tent.

Coast 130-Lumen LED Flashlight (4 in.) - I used to be heavily invested in Maglights. Once I bought one of the Coast HS5, I replaced all my Maglights (both minis and full sized) with these flashlights.

 

[Stein]

I have a pair of Cabela's insulated boots that have been bombproof and waterpoof for 8 years.  I don't put huge miles on them as I only wear when the weather is real nasty, but that's money well spent.

My best gear survival is a Petzl headlamp.  It's been through numerous hunts, chores around the house and 12 Goruck events where it went into the ocean about a half dozen times, fully submerged multiple times.  I got home, opened the battery compartment, dumped the batteries and saltwater and rinsed and it still works.  It isn't waterproof at all, just very well built.

[nwmein199]

Kenetrek gaiters.

I hunt thick wet nasty western wa elk and they have not let a drop of water through in 6 years (guessing at least 150miles hiked in them). Definitely the number one piece of gear I reccomend because of how fantastic they are.

[TRD1911]

Garmin Inreach Mini. My wife has been much more open to my solo backcountry trips since having it

[mburrows]

Love my maven B2's, ill be adding the 18x56 b5's to the lineup as well in the near future.

Trioxane, wet wipes and kifaru woobie are some of other favorites.

[h20hunter]

My Xtra Tuff boots....kept my feet dry and comfy during my Sitka experience with Skillet.

[greenhead_killer]

I second swaro Binos. What a difference!

Also my Zamberlan boots. I’m really hard on footwear and these things have been solid all year round. Non insulated and my feet still stay (somewhat) warm while I’m still hunting late season wt. just picked up another pair for backup

[kentrek]

B5 18s

Pretty cool what you can see with those

[cougforester]

Sitka Timberline pants when it's below 55 degrees. Otherwise things get a bit...swampy. Favorite pants ever though.

Cabelas Alaknak 12x12 tent with stove. Had that thing warmed up to over 70 during Montana archery last year and it was incredible. Perfectly waterproof in nasty, rainy weather and a godsend.

Exo K2 5500. Most comfortable pack I've ever used before and has packed some heavy elk loads out.

Nitto Trail Grappler MT tires. They've been great for work and saved my butt in mud, snow, dirt...everything. Would highly recommend.

Darn Tough mountain socks. You're welcome.

[Alchase]

Body wash wipes (like what the hospitals use) you can get them at CVS, Riteaid, Walgreens, etc... they are great for taking sponge baths every night.

Preparation H Wipes singles, keeps the Monkey Butt away.

[h20hunter]

We could have an entire thread solely dedicated to "under the hood" field care.

[lewy]

-Swarovski
-kifaru
-kenetrek
-kuiu esp there rain gear

[fowl smacker]

Mystery Ranch Metcalf pack
Sitka Timberline pants
Prana Zion pants
Lowa Tibet gtx boots
******Body Glide******possibly the best product ever made!

[baker5150]

KUIU Attack pants

I have a Rivers West rain coat from the mid to late 90's that still looks and functions like new.
It's gotta have over a thousands days in the blind and on the river under it's belt. 

[fishngamereaper]

Im might be spending some money I hadn't planned on yet. Some cool stuff I never really looked at.

I wanted to add one thing to my list....

Basemap app...hands down the best app Ive used. A game changer for back country navigation. Heck my map and compass skills are getting a little rusty now. 

[vandeman17]

My crispi boots, once broken in, have been awesome

Both my timberline and mtn pants. Love them

[WapitiTalk1]

Good thread 

Lowrance IFinder Hunt-C GPS. It’s gotta be 15? years old and still works fine.
Russell Outdoors rain gear, top/bottom. It’s been great stuff for 10 or more years.

I’m sure I have more but these 2 are most noteworthy.

[7mmfan]

I think the piece of gear that I abuse the most that keeps on ticking, are my KUIU quarter bags. They've hauled out 10+ game animals in 4 years. Been hung in trees, tied around branches, stacked on rock piles, rolled down hills while loaded, washed in rivers, rinse dry repeat. Not a stitch loose or pin hole to be found. Heck the first year I used them I didn't realize my Dad was sawing knees off quarters until it was to late so they had sharp bone edge in them and still no issues. Definitely the best bang for my buck gear item I've purchased.

The KUIU Yukon and Chugach rain gear has been phenomenal as well. Two years ago I spent an agonizingly long day in the pouring rain on the high hunt. I covered 10ish miles that day, most of it in knee to waist high blue berry bushes, crashing through dog hair stunted fir thickets, and crawling on hands and knees up avalanche chutes. I was wet, but it was from sweat, and all I had to do was open the zippers in the few dry protected areas I encountered, for 10 minutes or so and I dried right up. Totally sold on that rain gear.

[vandeman17]

I will add another. I shot a Benelli Nova pump for years and it was good but had issues here and there. I upgraded a few years ago to a winchester SX3 and love it. It has been dropped in ponds, mud, used to break ice etc and still shoots/cycles like a champ. Not saying it hits everything I shoot at but at least it sends a shoot down the chamber each time I ask it to

[Ironhead]

First Lite Furnace Long Johns... If you are hunting in cold weather these are the warmest most comfortable LJ's I have ever warn.
I have a ton of bad arse gear and these come to mind 1st.

[Stein]

Darn Tough socks.  I get about 300 miles out of a pair then send them back and get a new pair for free.

[300rum]

Funny this came up, I just placed a Cabela's order yesterday and found a place on my login where my Cabela's purchases go back 10 years (not sure whey they don't go back longer?)  I looked at some of the purchases, boots, clothes, lawn chairs, etc.  I was pleased with every single purchase, many of the items I still have and are serviceable 7, 8, 9, 10 years latter. 

[pawpaw1934]

My Bravo wall tent, and cook shack. 30 yrs old on tent, 25 on cook shack. Stove jack wore out last year on tent. Zipper on cook shack failed at year 24. Damn good quality. Buy the best once, cry once. Buy cheap, cry many times.

[rainshadow1]

Rocky Cornstalkers.

Best mid-season boots I've ever had. I have a good relationship with gravity, and need quality. (I destroyed a pair of walmart lightweight hikers in ONE day of scouting in Montana, once upon a time.) I couldn't believe the life I got out of the Cornstalkers.

Upgraded recently when I happened to find the next generation of the same boot at a thrift store, but the old pair are still going strong. (Must be 12 or 15 seasons.) Not a thing wrong with them.

Fun to find a mid price range boot that gives you your money back several times over.

[buglebrush]

Surprised to see Kuiu Chugach on here.  I loved mine, but they're totally shredded after three years. 

- OR gaitors.
- EXO K2 3500
- First Lite Aerowool
- Springfield XD
- Jet Boil
- Marmot Sawtooth
-Black Diamond headlamp
- Gaia GPS app
-Slick Trick Broadheads
These are items I've used extremely hard for years.  They're irreplaceable, and have withstood the constant abuse of hunting thick country.  The real test of great gear is would you buy the same thing if you lost it, and these are an emphatic yes. 

[Shawn Ryan]

End-to-End alcohol stove
Go-Lite SL4 tent
Kifaru small box stove
Ti-Goat Omni Raven bivy
EE quilt
Kifaru paratarp
Swaro binos
Backcountry Navigator app
Go-Lite puffy

[huntnnw]

Kuiu rain gear best I have ever owned

[lewy]

I’ll throw out another one. Like many of you probably are, I am a bit of a gear junkie, always trying to find the perfect piece of equipment for the task a hand. Recently I picked up MR 18 pop up pack, mainly for my shed hunting hikes but also for day hunts or scout trips. I’ve been pretty impressed with the shed hauling ability of the pack, it does bulky loads of elk sheds very comfortably.

[Cylvertip]

The original Danner Jackels.  They were 9"s  tall vs the short ones they have now.  Guessing I bought them in 2008 or 2009 for wearing in late spring through midfall for outdoor activities including part of my early archery elk gear. Some hiking, lots of exploring and lots of to and from trapping activities. If I was not wearing them they were in the rig for just in case, again during the warmer 6-7 months of the year.  The Gortex finally failed this spring.  Boots are still in pretty darn good shape.  I will keep them around for warm weather yard work.  Replaced.with some Danner military boots for warm weather, but again with Gortex. I was surprised that they did need some breaking in. We will see how they stand the test of time.

  The Bates Mountain Combat Hikers have been great too.  They handle the same  duty during the colder months of the year. Afordable, comfortable, and tough.  I did have some glue "balls" from the collar fall down into the heel/Achilles area on these.  It was between the leather and the gortex. Guessing the glue was not hot enough when applied and it balled up and some fell out. I was able to cut the seem between the gortex and the padded collar to gain access to the area and clear the lumps and bumps out.  Glued the seem back up, and all is has been good since. 

   Glock 17 .  My daily carry gun for almost 26 years.  Everything from boating to snowmobiling to two weeks soaking wet in my hunting  pack,  trapping, and countless other adventures and activities,  undeterred. It is on me/ with me "when allowed", pretty much without exception. It has been infoullable. 

   One more - Fiskar brush hook.  I have a modified one that I cut the "hook" off of and wrapped the handle in para chord. I also made a custom kydex sheath for it.  It goes in whatever rig I am in and on all outdoor adventures.  It is an invaluable tool, especially on the trap line. I also keep it readily available on my elk pack for clearing trail when needed.  I will add some picks.  I had shared info about it years ago, but probably easier to take new pics.  It just got a paint touch up, so it is relatively pretty again.
 
There are more, but these have been really exceptional. 

[Cylvertip]

The pick in the pic's is a must have for beaver trapping. It also goes on any of my day hikes type adventures.  It is a 36" V&B Handy Mattock Tiller with hickory handle.  I added the para chord to the handle for a little nicer grip. 

[CackleBird98]

Franchi affinity.  Bought it 3 or 4 years ago, been my work horse ever since, rides in the back of the truck with no case most days, gets cleaned once a year, literally rowed the boat with it a couple times, got stuck in a mud flat once shooting ducks, litterally crawled out on my hands and knees throwing the gun up ahead of me.  Been completely submerged more times than I can count, and yet has never failed me, from the lightest trap loads, to the heaviest 3 inch magnums, it cycles em all, and hits where I point it.  Best gun I've ever had. 

[deerhunter_98520]

Kuiu Yukon rain gear. Hands down the beat ive ever used. Have yet to get wet with them. Hell i wore the gaiters and my danner pronghorns clam diggin and stayed perfectly dry until I got hit with a wave I didnt see comin 

[huntnnw]

Kuiu Yukon rain gear. Hands down the beat ive ever used. Have yet to get wet with them. Hell i wore the gaiters and my danner pronghorns clam diggin and stayed perfectly dry until I got hit with a wave I didnt see comin 

  best piece of apparel I have bought

[gee_unit360]

Sitka Cloudburst. Never been wet in them, not crashing brush, walking hours in downpours, not anywhere. Rock solid gear..