Here is Part 2 continued from my Gear of the Year series!
For the past few years, I’ve been mainly a quilt guy. The ultralightweight and versatility of them just fit the mold for 90% of my trips. With that being said, there are a few downsides to them, which led me to want a mummy bag for colder hunts. For that I landed on the Lark UL 10 from Feathered Friends. Late last year a friend of mine was running a bag from Feathered Friends and I was blown away by the quality. So, I already knew what to expect with the Lark and it didn’t disappoint. From backpack hunting for spring bear in Arizona to September elk hunting in the cold mountains of Idaho the Lark was with me. Along with the quality of build, this bag is loaded with 950+ goose down, which is why it comes in at 31.3 oz for a 10 degree bag. The Lark also has a fantastic zipper that doesn’t seem to get caught up on the bag nearly as much as others I’ve used. At the end of the day, this just added to the efficiency of my backcountry hunting system and that is something I’m always interested in doing.
For a full review I did of the Lark UL 10 head on over to Gear Junkie!
I’ve always been a massive fan of the First Lite Corrugate Guide pants. They fit great, aid in mobility, and hold up very well to the spiny country I call home. Earlier this year First Lite released their Foundry line of pants and part of it was the Corrugate Foundry. It was as if First Lite heard my thoughts and made pant just for me. The Corrugate Foundry has everything that the original Corrugates do, but with removable knee pads and zippered heat vents on the side of the pant. These are two things that an avid bowhunter in Arizona greatly appreciate. Too often do I find myself crawling on my knees to get within bow range of critters. And aside from that, having the knee pads just for camp life is something I found beneficial. Turns out, I kneel down way more than I thought getting in and out of the tent, putting in stakes, etc. And the heat vents. Oh, the heat vents. Whether it’s long hikes to or from your glassing spot or making a beeline at a bull before last light, these vents have been incredible for me. It just feels nice and 100% mitigates sweat build up. The Corrugate Foundry is a keeper.
It wasn’t until a few years ago when GPS watches really jumped onto my radar. My first was a Garmin Fenix 5x Plus and I was sold from there. I ran that watch for a few years and then recently upgraded to the Garmin Fenix 6 Pro Solar. This is everything my last watch was and more. Of course it has all of the GPS functionality and fitness tracking features, but it also has solar capabilities. This watch will actually charge as you’re outside. With the previous version, I could get between 10-13 days out of it, depending on what features I used throughout that time. The new 6x Solar crushed that. I’ve gotten up to 18 days of battery life from it and it’s all thanks to the new solar technology. I’ve also really taken a liking to the stock watch face. It has pretty much all of the data I need to see right there. Things like temperature forecast, an altimeter, sunrise/sunset, the date, and how many days of battery life I’ve got left. This makes for a more efficient system, as I don’t have to go digging around for this data in other areas of the watch. And on top of all of that, just like the 5x plus, this watch will sync up with both my phone and Inreach device. Again, efficiency.
I spend a lot of time walking through the dark guided by the light of my headlamp. Because of that a good headlamp in an absolute must for me. Just this past fall I decided to try out the Vizz from Princeton Tec. Princeton Tec has flown under the radar the last handful of years, but they are definitely starting to make a comeback. Their Vizz did not disappoint in the least. This headlamp has 420 lumens, 1 Maxbright LED, 2 Red Ultrabright LEDs, and 2 White Ultrabright LEDs. And the real kicker for me? It was the battery life. Princeton Tec says this headlamp has a 90 hour burn time! My ears perked up when I read that. I used this headlamp for 10 straight days with long walks in the dark to and from camp and during general camp life in the dark. I didn’t have to changed the batteries once! That blew me away and is something I’ve never been able to do with other headlamps. The Vizz has a lot more trips in its future with me.
One of my all time favorite shelters ever is the Hornet 2p from Nemo Equipment. When I saw that Nemo and First Lite were coming out with their own version of that, I had to get my hands on it. It’s called the Tracker and I used it a ton this year. With this though, I wanted to go with the 1p to really try to cut down on weight. Having always slept in the 2p from Nemo, I had my concerns about space, but in the end, that wasn’t an issue at all. For a semi freestanding tent with an adequate amount of living space, this comes in under 2 lbs. To be fair, I did cut off the skirt of the rainfly. In short, it was super annoying when the wind blew. That weight includes a Tyvek ground sheet, which I’d highly recommend for ultralight shelters like this one, especially if you’re sleeping in rocky terrain. The Tracker is super easy to set up and has held up great for me in a variety of weather conditions. I think I’ve had it in everything but snow and it’s done great. For an ultralight little palace, check it out. I’ll have many more nights spent in the Tracker.
There ya have it! My top 12 favorite gear items that I used throughout the 2021 hunting season. While I love testing out new gear, all of this stuff will not be forgotten in future years to come. They’re on this list for a reason. The biggest one being trust. I am fortunate to spend a great amount of time in the field, and that demands quality gear that I can trust. So, when I find something that works well for me, it’s hard to leave it behind. If you’ve got any questions about this stuff please feel free to hit me up and I’ll do my best at answering them. Aside from that, 2021 is just about gone. It’s been another weird year, but hey, we made it. Best of luck to you in the new year. I hope you have some awesome adventures planned and I hope some of this stuff can help you along the way.
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