Exo Mountain Gear is no stranger to big miles and heavy poundage. They’ve been producing backpacks for backcountry hunting since 2014 and have become a fan favorite among dedicated backpack hunters like myself. Exo was started by dedicated backcountry hunters with the goal to produce the best backcountry hunting packs on the market, and they’ve been focused on that goal since the beginning. Their new K4 Backpack is a shining example of that.
Rangefinders have changed the game in hunting. They take our accuracy and lethality in the field to a new level and have really become a standard for most hunters. Earlier this year Vortex Optics released a new line of rangefinders to their already fantastic lineup. They are the Crossfire HD 1400, Diamondback HD 2000, and Viper HD 3000. I was fortunate enough to get my hands on the new Vortex Diamondback HD 2000 Rangefinder and have been putting it through the ringer this year.
A quality headlamp is 100% non-negotiable for me. When the lights go out in the backcountry, the lights go out. I don’t know about you, but last I checked, my night vision was far from that of a cat’s. Late last Fall I got my hands on the Vizz from Princeton Tec. I’ve used the same headlamp for quite a few years, but there were a few things about the Vizz that caught my attention. With big shoes to fill, time would tell if the Vizz would stay in my backpack or get left at home.
Backcountry shelters are one of those things that I try and constantly pay attention to in terms of what’s available year after year. It’s one of the main items we carry on hunts and one of the biggest/heaviest in our packs. So, if I can find something that gives me a slight edge without compromising performance, I’m all ears. The new Rincon 2p tent from Argali had my attention since the day I found out about it and after a few hunts under my belt with it, I’m happy to say my assumptions were correct.
New year, new bow! I just recently picked up the brand new for 2022 PSE EVO XF 33 and man, it’s a shooter. Each year that goes by, I am always curious how companies progress and how they can make what’s better even more better. Last year I shot the PSE Xpedite NXT and said more than once that it was my favorite bow. After spending the last few weeks with the new XF though, that statement might change to “one of my favorite bows.”
Another year has flown by. It’s crazy how fast the months end up in the rearview mirror sooner than later. You know what they say though. Time flies when you’re having fun, and I’ve had a boat load of it this year. From chasing Arizona coues in January to Idaho elk in September, this year has been jam packed with adventure. Throughout that time, I’ve been fortunate to bring along some remarkable gear. Stuff that has made life easier and some that I just flat out am psyched about. So, in light of that I’m going to run through my top 12 favorite gear items I’ve used throughout 2021. I figure, it’s December, so why not 12 items to reflect the month? Keep in mind most of these did not come out in 2021, but I did in fact use them in 2021. This is going to be a 2 PART series, so stay tuned!
I was probably about 12 years old or so. My Dad and I were getting ready to go on a deer hunt here in Arizona and were sitting in the parking lot of the rifle range until it opened. Not too long before that he bought me my first rifle. A 30-30 lever action. On top was a rifle scope I can’t even recall. That was ok though, because we were going hunting. I just had to get this thing sighted in. What I thought would be a quick process ended up not being quick at all and I even got “scoped” in the process. It was that damn scope. Hard to look through, hard to find the right eye relief, and wasn’t “easy on the eye.” Fast forward 20+ years and things are different. Much different. The new Vortex Razor LHT 4.5-22×50 is on another planet when compared to that first nameless scope. I had a chance to test this beast of a scope recently and have some thoughts. Let’s take a closer look at this new Razor LHT from Vortex.
We are smack dab in the middle of spring bear season right now! I’ve been out a ton having a blast chasing these shadow walkers around some pretty breathtaking country. While I love spring hunting seasons, the time between now and August is essentially our planning and prepping time for fall hunting seasons. So, having all of our ducks in a row in terms of gear is high on the list of importance. A key kit in everyone’s backpack is a good kill kit. The bag of tricks that’s going to allow one to process their harvest right out in the field and get to back to the vehicle. Here, I’m going to show you what I’m carrying in my kill kit for the 2021 hunting season.
Water filters! There are a ton of them on the market and I’ve used all different styles of them. From pumps and UV pens to gravity fed, they’ve been in my backpack for various hunts across the west. I’ve found that picking the best one more comes down to the individual trip itself. Here in Arizona, I prefer to use a pump, just because sometimes I’ve got to filter water out of pretty small seeps and other filters would fall short here.
On a recent Idaho spring bear hunt, I didn’t know what the water situation was going to be like, so I opted to bring my trusty Katadyn Hiker Pro. It’s a pump filter that I’ve really come to love over the years. The Hiker Pro is super easy to use, reliable, and packs away small for future use. On top of that though, there are some attachments that come with the filter that make life so much easier! In the video down below, I go through what those are and how to use them. These things make all the difference in the world and allow one to not have to juggle holding the hose, bottle/bladder, and making sure nothing spills.
Thanks so much for watching! The simple attachments talked about above have truly made things go by much more smoothly for me on my hunts. I’ve been the guy doing the juggling in the field and having to ask someone else to help with filtering. With this system, there’s no help needed. If you’ve got any questions on this filter or anything else backcountry hunting related, feel free to send me an email. I love chatting with likeminded folks.
Also, please be sure to subscribe to the Youtube and blog to stay up to date with all future posts and videos! I’ve got quite a bit of hunting content coming down the pipe later this year, so keep your eyes out for that! Until then though, best of luck in the field, and stay safe out there.
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