Living a life that is rich in health and fitness is becoming way more common practice in this day and age. More and more folks are caring about what they put into their bodies and the long term effects of neglecting their health. For me, this all boils down to fear. I am simply fearful of not being able to do the things that I love for as long as possible. As many of you know, that is bowhunting the backcountry. In light of that, I started watching what I ate as well as working out on a regular basis. Longevity is what we are striving for here. So, when I heard that someone was coming out with health conscious meals for the backcountry, I was thrilled. Meals that were made with real food from the real world. As someone who lives mostly off of wild game, this was extremely appealing to me. Heather’s Choice meals for adventuring had my attention and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a few to try out.
Here is a brief overview of the tent I have been running on my backcountry adventures over the past year. It is the Nemo Hornet 2P backpacking tent. Super cool tent. Lightweight, durable, packable, and has a simple design. You can check it out at www.nemoequipment.com. If you have any questions, lets have them!
My wife LOVES jigsaw puzzles. Oftentimes my whole coffee table is nothing but puzzle pieces for weeks at a time. Every time that she opens a new box and dumps out thousands of tiny pieces, I can’t help but admire her tenacity. Of course she doesn’t look at them as a whole, she looks at them in sections and breaks them down like that. Usually, she finds all of the end bits and organizes them. From there, she will proceed to actually connect them. After going through this arduous process, while all the while maintaining an intimidating level of patience, she finds success. What happens when she is finished? The puzzle gets broken back down into thousands of pieces and put back in it’s box. Done and done. Onto the next puzzle.
I am going to go ahead and say that “Backcountry Hunting” is the cool thing to do right now. Rightfully so! I think it is pretty cool myself! The ultimate, most hardcore hunt right? A truly wild experience, living out of nothing more than what is in your backpack. The promise of adventure coupled with the anxiety of the unknown. You see it all over social media about how more and more folks are getting into backpack hunting. I personally think it is great. Good on them for wanting to take on such a demanding endeavor. This desire is oftentimes paired with a sudden need to start hitting the gym. If you have ever backpack hunted, you know why. Again, I love hearing this. People bettering their lives and pushing their limits in the name of hunting. In a world where more and more folks are glued to the couch instead of outside, this is definitely a plus in my book.
Fall hunting seasons are just getting kicked off and it is an exciting time of year, to say the least. The very moments we have been dreaming about and training for all year are about to present themselves. Maybe, we will capitalize on them and maybe we won’t. Time will deliver us that truth when it sees fit. That time I spend away from home usually wears me down pretty good mentally. While I do enjoy the disconnect of TV, social media, cell phones, and just people, I can’t help but get struck with a bit of homesick. I think it is necessary to feel this though.
Earlier this year, I decided that I wanted to start looking at smaller, more lightweight options, in terms of backcountry gear. I feel like I say this to myself every time I set off for a new adventure. As the saying goes, “ounces equal pounds and pounds equal pain.” Right off of the bat, I thought of my cook set. Not necessarily for the weight(although less can’t hurt), but for the size. The one I have been using is rather bulky and takes up more room than I’d care for in my pack. So, my goal was to find something that was efficient, lightweight, and more compact. I looked at a ton of different options and finally landed on the Optimus Crux Lite stove.
The next area I am going to cover on backcountry hunting is water and water filtration. You cannot get through a backpack hunt without water, so this is not something to turn your nose up at.
When I was a kid, I remember longing to drink straight from a creek or other wild body of water. Like hunting for your own food, it was one of those things that captivated me. I loved adventure movies that took place in the mountains and watched folks more than once, reach down into a stream with cupped hands, bring that ice cold mountain water up to their mouths, and drink it in. Man, I wanted to do that! Eventually, my wild dreams would come true!
Food in the backcountry is one of those things that can both lift your spirit and your performance. Having a nice hot meal at the end of a long day just plain makes me feel better. When I might be feeling discouraged in the middle of the day, a cup of coffee just has a way of improving my overall mood. For that reason, I think it is important to not just throw a bunch of random stuff in a bag and call it good. You need to know how much food to bring, what food to bring, and you need to actually like what you are planning to eat. Backpack hunting is a strenuous game that demands refueling, so it is our job to do just that.
The 2017 Fall hunting season is dangling out ahead of us and is nearly in reach. Some of us, myself included, have already started doing the necessary homework to try and ensure our best chances of success. Burning holes with our eyes into our maps, working on our shooting, and buying new gear. For some of you, this might be your first season jumping into the world that is backcountry hunting. Let me say, I am excited for you! It’s a whole new look on things when you have camp on your back and bow in hand.
The discussion of boots is a fickle one, but one that every hunter needs to have with themselves. You might try on 10 pairs of boots before you find one that you like. Then when you do find that one, is it gonna be able to withstand the rigors of the mountains? Are they going to give you blisters after hiking 10 miles? Are they truly waterproof? Only time will tell that.
After trying a half dozen or so boots over the years and dealing with issues ranging from hot spots, faulty waterproofing, and literally walking the sole off of a boot, I was ready for a change. Taking care of our feet and having a good pair of boots is imperative and I was feeling that. The research began and I landed on the Salomon Quest 4D 2 GTX backpacking boot. I’ve put in about a year and a half of use on these and WELL over 300 miles of hiking. Now, that I’ve gotten to know this boot like I have, I think it’s time I give you all a review.
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