I just got back from the Western Hunting Expo in Salt Lake City, Utah! Man, we saw some awesome products, made new friends, and overall had a blast. Through that time, I had the pleasure of interviewing a few companies that I personally work with. They go through what they have available and even some insight into what 2020 has in store. Argali was top of mind as far as 2020 goes, so that’s what you’ll find below. You can also check out reviews that I’ve done on both the Argali Carbon Knife and the Argali High Country Bags. I’ve been using both of those pieces all Fall and have really enjoyed it! Here’s a short video of owner Brad Brooks going through what 2020 looks like for Argali. Enjoy!
This story starts a few years back. I never really had the urge to hunt mule deer above timberline. Elk were always the animal that grabbed my attention, and the reason I went on my first out of state hunt to begin with. That hunt brought me to Colorado. A 10 day backpack hunt that was filled with some potent memories. Some of them were pretty hard to swallow. During that hunt we saw multiple big velvet mule deer and I think that’s when they caught my attention. On top of having to backpack for these high country bucks to get above timberline, there was something magical about seeing those velvet antlers float across a bed of wildflowers. It was entrancing and screamed adventure hunting. After a few years drooling over watching others success, I decided 2019 was the year of high country mule deer.
Smart homes, smart TV’s, smartphones, oh my! Yeah, the day and age we are living in is riddled with new technology at every turn. This smart technology that was once something many of us only dreamed about, is now a part of our every day life. It’s our new normal. And while I think there needs to be a balance that we hold between this technology and the real world, I can’t deny that some of this stuff is pretty cool. Each day that goes by there are more and more smart(fill in the blank). One of those items are watches. These smartwatches are showing up on more wrists each turn of the clock. It’s for good reason, as they are super handy. They do all sorts of cool stuff. Track your fitness, send and receive texts/emails, have GPS features, play music, tell time(duh), and much much more. Surely, these are too delicate for the hunting woods though right? I’d say that most of them are. That’s where the Garmin Fenix 5x Plus comes in though. A watch that can handle backcountry hunting and assist in it along the way with it’s mapping/GPS technology. I’ve been putting it through the paces for the past 6 months or so and have some thoughts.
As far as game bags go, there was nothing of the sort in my pack if I turn the clock back a few rounds. Not official ones at least. There were a couple of pillow cases that took up residence in my pack, but never needed a bath in the least bit. From there, I graduated to the cheap cheesecloth game bags. After a few seasons of running those though, I quickly became interested in higher quality game bags. The more hunting I did, the more game bags I was having to buy. In the long run, it just made sense to invest a little more for quality game bags. Since then, I have been a huge proponent of carrying them and haven’t really looked back at all. There are a few marks that they need to hit in my opinion though. They need to be lightweight, breathable, functional, and durable. The Argali High Country Game Bags fit the bill, and that’s what we’re going to chat about today.
Argali is a conservation minded company that thrives on making your life in the backcountry easier. On top of their game bags and Carbon Knife, which you can see a review I did of HERE, they also sell a multitude of other gear items through their website from boots and backpacks to shelters and stoves, they cover the gamut in backcountry gear. With those offerings as well, they also have helpful articles on their site where you might learn a thing or two. I recently did an article for them on Bowhunting Coues Deer. Check it out if that peaks your interest!
OK, before we get into the nitty gritty of the Argali’s High Country Game Bags, let’s talk for a second about why a hunter might want to really consider using such a thing. I mentioned in the past that I used to carry a pillow case in my pack. Pillow cases absolutely will get your meat from the field to the cooler, but they really lack in breathability. That cotton soaks up moisture and it stays there, instead of evaporating. This is where a good game bag is going to excel. Of course there is also the option of not using anything right? Sure, you could definitely just load meat up without any bags at all. This poses a potential problem though and that comes in the form of a fly. If flies are continuously allowed to land directly on the meat for a long period of time, they are going to lay eggs. From the eggs we get those scrumptious little critters we all love and adore, the maggot. All joking aside, I don’t think any of us want maggots on our meat. Best to just avoid that entirely with the use of a game bag.
Now, let’s dive into the High Country Game Bags that Argali offers. These are an ultralight set of bags, made with the backcountry hunter in mind. Coming in at 9 ounces, they won’t be slowing you down on the trail at all. This is also a pretty small package and can easily be stuffed anywhere in your backpack. The bags are made from a nylon blend material that is both breathable and durable. They are also reusable, meaning that when you’re done bringing home the bacon, just throw them in the washing machine and you’re ready for another hunt. Within the included stuff sack, you’ll get 5 game bags in total. These are made to fit either an entire boned out bull elk, or a bone in deer, antelope, or other similar sized game. I really dig that about these. They aren’t strictly a boned out meat bag. Versatility is always nice. You’ll notice that with the orange 220 paracord as a drawstring, that there also little orange tabs on the corners of the bag. These are there to help when it comes time to hang up the meat. You can easily use a strap or even more paracord to run through these tabs and hang your meat much easier. And once you do hang them up, you’ll be able to find them easily in the dark due to the reflective Argali logo on the bag. That all sounds good and dandy, but how would they hold up in the field?
When I first received these in the mail, I was pretty excited. I loved that they came with a small stuff sack that fit more than just the bags. I keep my Carbon Knife in there along with gloves, a small sharpener, and flagging tape. Keep in mind though that I don’t usually bring all of the bags with me. Out of 5, I’ll usually have 2 with me for deer and bear. Elk though? I’ll have all 5. Right off of the bat, I could tell that these were very well made and I appreciated the little things that they added in. Such as the reflective name, nylon webbing tabs, and strong paracord as the drawstring. These will also ride well on a backpack without falling out the sides, which is what would happen if they were too wide. With a early fall hunts planned, I couldn’t wait to get these dirty!
Over the past few months, I’ve been fortunate to test these bags out on a number of critters. 2 black bears, a mule deer, and a coues deer have taken a ride in the Argali High Country Game Bags. For the bears, we did bone in quarters, which worked out perfectly. These were also packed out of some of the most brushy and snaggy country you could get yourself into. The bags held up great considering the environment. The mule deer was taken on a backpack hunt in Colorado and kept the meat in great shape for the pack out and the 8 hour drive home. My brother and I each took half of the deer in one game bag each. We also did bone in quarters for the mule deer and they fit great. And the coues was taken right here in Arizona. Of course, that was also a bone in pack out. We did hang some of these bags in trees, but in all honesty, we didn’t use the little orange tabs. The paracord drawstring worked just fine for us. After these hunts were all said and done, in no way did I feel the need to toss these bags out the window. From backpack hunts to posh truck camps, they’ve been with me and will continue to be.
Pros
Cons
The employees at the archery pro shop I frequent are always joking around with me, cause I’m hard on my gear. I’m always going in and getting my bow retuned and checked for anything funky going on after a hunt. What I’m getting at here is, as an avid backcountry hunter, great gear is very important to me. I depend on this stuff to do what it’s suppose to do without fail and don’t take flaws or failures lightly. If it’s in my pack, you can bet it works. These game bags are no different and I look forward to each time I get the opportunity to turn them red. To learn more about the Argali High Country Game Bags and other Argali products, visit www.argalioutdoors.com.
When it comes to backcountry hunting, and just hunting in general really, there are a few pieces of gear that I believe are absolutely key. The first is your boots, for they are your tires of the backcountry. Bad boots can, not just make a hunt miserable, but can also end it. The next is your clothing. Having a solid layering system will go a long way and provide you with the comfort and protection you need from the elements. And finally, the next piece of gear that I think needs to be on the top of our list as backcountry hunters, is our backpacks. It is our mobile apartment and carries everything we need to survive in the dirt. The very vessel that gets our hard earned game meat from the field to the cooler. In light of that, we are diving into the, new for 2019, Exo Mountain Gear 4800 K3 backpack. A more than worthy contender in the backpack world of hunting.
I was so fortunate to have, not one, but two high country archery mule deer tags this year. This is a hunt that I’ve dreamed about doing for years and finally pulled the trigger on. The first took place in Utah and the second was in Colorado. Both of these hunts were backpack style hunts and both of them tested my limits. We were packed into the Utah backcountry for 6 days and also 6 days in Colorado. My brother and I made some incredible memories on these adventure hunts and I cannot wait to do it again. There is just something about being above treeline and glassing up big high country mule deer.
The end of the month is finally here! I can’t believe this 6 month dieting journey is over. It has been a long time coming and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate everyone that reached out with tips along the way. Whether that was in the form of recipes or just letting me know about your overall experience, thank you. The Paleo Diet is over and I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t excited about it. Not because of the diet itself. That has been great. But because of the dieting experience as a whole this last 6 months. Not a regret exists though on my end. So, let’s talk Paleo Diet. What did I like? What did I not like? How was backpack hunting on the paleo diet? Here we go!
Let’s start off with what I liked about Paleo. Right when I started down the path of Paleo, I wasn’t too worried at all. It sounded like a slightly more restricted version of clean eating, which I did great on, and remains my favorite out of the diets that I tried. So, in that regard, I thought the Paleo Diet was great just from a livability standpoint. This stuff isn’t that hard at all to incorporate into your daily life, which is huge for me. Sometimes, we are on the go and need something quick. With some forethought, Paleo does the trick just fine. Quick snacks and or meals that I would resort to were Banana Chia Pudding for breakfast, smoothies, and maybe an apple with almond butter. Dinner was super easy as well and fit well along with what my wife would happen to be eating that night. For instance, if she was eating spaghetti, I’d make zoodles and venison meatballs. The translation was fairly smooth.
I didn’t experience a ton of weight loss during the Paleo Diet, but I also lost quite a bit from eating clean. There wasn’t a whole lot for me to drop at that point. I lost a few pounds on Paleo, but nothing to go crazy about. Something that was great though was how I felt. It was fairly identical to how I felt eating clean. Great energy levels, no stomach issues, and zero constipation. Keto left me constipated.
Another thing that has really been consistent throughout this whole experience was how these diets made me get out of my comfort zone of food. They required me to try new foods and new recipes which was both fun and eye opening. The Paleo diet was no exception here. My favorite dish that came out of it was Venison stir fry with cauliflower rice and broccoli. MY GOODNESS. This will remain in constant rotation in my house, except I will likely use brown rice instead of cauliflower rice.
This section won’t be super long at all, because I was quite pleased with Paleo. There were some minor things that stuck out to me. The first was the inconsistency of information within the Paleo community. Some people consider certain things Paleo, while others don’t. That was frustrating when trying to figure out what to eat. Sweet potatoes were one of those items that some ate, and some didn’t. I chose to eat them, because it just worked better for me. Not a ton was incorporated, but I did use them in some recipes throughout the month. There is a such thing as “modified paleo.” I don’t entirely understand how that is. From what I gathered it was basically clean eating. So, why call it paleo? Call it what it is.
Of course another thing that was a pain, which has been consistent with all of these diets, was family events. When we would attend these, I would have to eat beforehand and not enjoy any of the food that our families prepared. That was a bummer. We ate out here and there, but it could only be at certain places. One of our favorites is Chipotle. Here, I would get a salad with double meat, fajitas, mild salsa, and guacamole. Not bad, but definitely not the same.
I was fortunate enough to take the paleo diet into the field with me a few times. One of those times was a backcountry mule deer hunt to Utah. For the most part, I wasn’t too worried about this. Many of the foods that I already bring with my on hunts are actually paleo diet friendly. Stuff like almond butters, RX Bars, Epic Bars, etc. Breakfast and snacks throughout the day were a snap. It was dinner that left me super unsatisfied. I opted to go with Wild Zora for both breakfast and dinner. Breakfast was great. No complaints there. The Cliffside Coconut Berry is awesome for breakfast. Dinner though? Not the greatest. They were filling, yes, but incredibly bland in my opinion. Of course you could absolutely pack in some seasoning or something to alleviate this. The better option though is to just make your own dinners at home and dehydrate them. That way you know you are getting a nice home cooked meal that is something to look forward to. Backpack hunting is hard enough as it is. Having a nice and satisfying meal at the end of a long day is super important to me.
Another thing that was crucial for my backcountry experience was Wilderness Athlete Hydrate and Recover Paleo(ish). Just in general, hydrate and recover from Wilderness Athlete is something that I bring into the field with me on all of my trips. These hunts are physically demanding and recovery is huge back there. Being able to get up day after day and grind over and over again is the name of the game. We beat ourselves up on these trips, so taking care of our bodies needs to be on our radar. My brother didn’t take this stuff on this particular trip and he was in pain. Muscles were locking up and he was left hobbling around. This isn’t what you want to shoot for. I just pack a serving each day for the end of the day and have it with dinner. Ready to rock.
I did it! Like I said, I can’t believe this 6 month journey is at a close. What I got out of it is something I’ll take with me into my every day life. Just knowing more about what is going into your body is eye opening enough. How one’s body reacts to certain foods is also interesting. I really didn’t think I’d have an issue with Keto, but I did. Now, I know that it isn’t for me. Unless one tries this stuff out though, you’ll never know. What my wife and I have decided to do from this point forward is to eat clean, for the most part. The stuff that we buy from the grocery store will likely be 90% clean options. However, if the weekend comes and I want to take here out on a nice date for ice cream? Yeah, we’re getting ice cream. After all, we are human and I don’t think it is a bad thing to indulge here and there. I feel like if we eat good 80-90% of the time, it isn’t a big deal to have some cake or pizza here and there. The great Joe Rogan said it best. “Kale Shakes and Cupcakes.” Do you have a diet that you’ve been wondering about? Maybe it’s time that you took the leap? I say go for it. You don’t know if you don’t go.
Man, what a whirlwind this past few weeks have been. Let me first apologize for the delay in Paleo Diet posts. I’ve just been so busy out in the field hunting. I’ve just gotten back from 2 hunts. The first was in the Utah backcountry for archery mule deer. The second was here in my home state for Arizona Black Bear. Utah was a bust because of my bow getting knocked around pretty good. Ended up dang near emptying my quiver at a buck. I later found out that there was a slew of things “off” on my bow. Bummer, but that’s how it goes sometimes. Just need to be more careful. Arizona was very successful and you can be on the lookout for a full write up of that hunt in the future! We are here to talk about the Paleo Diet though right? Let’s get into how that has been.
Boom! Week 1 of the Paleo Diet is in the books. Another diet in full effect. This journey has been awesome so far and really enlightening. Thanks for following along on my 6 month diet craze and for the tips along the way. This is going to be the last diet in my experiment. For the month of August, I will be eating paleo and that includes on my hunts. I’ve got 12 days of hunting on the horizon where paleo will be on the menu. Bear season opens August 9th here and then I’ll be heading out to Utah in mid August, followed by another bear season here in AZ for late August. All of my meals are bought and I’m ready to start pounding the miles with my bow! With that being said though, you are probably wondering how paleo has been thus far?
Season is about to get going here in a few days! Time has really flown by and I feel like only a few months ago I was elk hunting in September. I’m sure there are more than a few of you that feel the same as I do! Before season starts is gear season if you ask me. One of the new gear items I got for my hunts is the new Exo Mountain Gear 4800 Backpack. Exo packs have never disappointed me in the past and I’m sure that this one will deliver as well. There has been a ton of anticipation for this new pack and I thought it might be cool to do, not a review, but a quick overview and first impression type piece. For this I thought a video format would do the best so that’s the route I went. It’s just way easier to show you this kind of stuff, rather than type it out. So, here it is! Exo Mountain Gear 4800: First Impressions. Enjoy!
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