Gear In Review
In a previous post I gave a very brief overview of the gear list that I brought with me out to Idaho for this back country bow hunt. In this post I am going to do a deep dive into how the gear performed out in the field along with some tricks I learned either on this trip or trips from the past that I have tried to highlight in bold. Much of this gear would be applicable regardless of what recreational activity you choose to pursue on public land. Weather conditions are obviously a big driver in gear planning so for everyone's reference, I was dealing with an area that would see daytime highs around 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit, dipping down to 20-30 in the evening, and seeing a little bit of rainfall.
Overall, I was very happy with what I decided to bring with me and how the gear performed. I would say that I went into the forest a little heavier in the pack than I would have liked, but it was definitely manageable. Here's a link to a pdf of my packing list as a reminder. There was really only one item that I forgot - hand sanitizer. For those uninitiated in the ways of doing your business in the wilderness this was a bit of a stupid oversight on my part. Luckily, my hunt partner was all over it and brought some with that we were able to share. Would it have been an absolute crisis to go without? Not really. Would I have told you I never washed my hands after my daily hole digging and refilling activity? Negative to that one.
Now for the performance review of the gear. I have decided to split this up into the following categories and call out special praise to gear that performed above and beyond expectations.
The Survival Essentials
Water
The function that my gear needed to achieve with regards to water was to procure and hold the water while also treating it for any harmful organisms that may dwell in the water sources in the area. I wanted to carry enough water to last me at least a day for food (boiling water) and hydration.
I was hunting in a region that had plenty of water. Even when we got 1.5-2 miles away from the main creeks that flowed through the valleys there were still seeps of water that wound up coming together to form trickling streams in most ravines on North facing slopes. This bit of knowledge was acquired in my discussions with the area's biologist and proved very useful as there was little concern about finding water. The important bit about water acquisition in the wilderness is to make sure its first and foremost clear of any harmful bacteria or organisms that will cause health issues and secondly clear of any grit or other floating debris. I personally take a stance that the second part (grit and floaters) is more aesthetics than anything and that the most vital step with water is to purify it. When shopping for water treatment solutions it can many times be confusing with regards to purification vs. filtration. To make it simple, purification involves destroying the potential dangerous organisms in the water (the stuff you can't see) and filtration involves removing the grit (sand, dirt, debris) from the water. I drank water while in Idaho that definitely had floating bits to it, but I treated it with my UV stick and didn't have any issues that would have been indicated by getting extremely sick.
Purification can be done via a few methods; tablets (usually iodine), boiling or UV radiation. I have chosen UV radiation as my go-to in the past and for this trip, as it is a good method of purifying water without leaving any unpleasant taste behind (iodine) and it doesn't require precious fuel (boiling water). The downside of the UV radiation method is that if you're trying to get a large volume of water it becomes time consuming. It should also be noted that extended use of Iodine tablets is not going to be recommended, but that's a personal decision for each recreator. I use the SteriPEN for my UV purification. For 1 liter of water, which is one typical nalgene bottle, it takes about 1 minute to purify. One important recommendation is to replace your battery before each big trip, especially if you can't remember the last time this was done. I opted to have a fresh battery going into my back country adventure just so I had no questions about how many rounds the SteriPEN had in it.
For a one to two person group in the back country, the SteriPEN is an A+ option for purification and held up very well on this trip. I have owned mine for over four years at this point and it still performs great and leaves me with liters of clean, fresh tasting water.
For carrying water, I utilized two 1 liter nalgenes. My partner had a single nalgene along with a 3 liter camelback. Prior to leaving, my partner and I traded one of my single liter nalgenes for his 3 liter camelback, which doubled my water carrying capacity, and provided me much needed water for my time alone in the back country. For cooking and drinking needs, I would plan on using 3 liters per day based on where I was hunting.
Overall, it is vital that you have a plan for acquiring water as well as purifying the water as an absolute minimum. Gain knowledge about water acquisition by speaking with people who have been to that region before and scouring forums and maps. Have a plan in place and never move camp or stretch your range while in the field without finding a decently reliable source of water.
Shelter
The function that I wanted my shelter gear to provide was to keep me dry and out of the wind, while maximizing my body's heat retention during the evening slumber.
For the last five years, I have done nearly all of my backpacking with my REI Half Dome 2+ tent. The tent is great for its price, and watch for it to go on sale during REI's annual membership drive. It makes for a great investment, especially for beginner adventurers. The tent goes up quick, has a rainfly that has proven to work well and is moderate when it comes to weight. Even when I was alone, I did enjoy the room that the two person tent provided, as I could spread my items out inside the tent versus having it under the rainfly cover.
For a sleeping bag, I have had a Sierra Designs Zissou 23 (Long) for about the same amount of time as I have had the tent. The 23 is in reference to the temperature rating of the bag. Technically speaking, it's "warm" down to 23 degrees Fahrenheit ambient temperature. The Long is because I have amazingly long legs with a disproportionately average torso length which makes me taller than your average human being (6'4"). While the temperature class is a specification that can't be held at face value, it gives you a rough idea of if your bag will hold up during the trip. Recalling the conditions I was seeing at night, this bag worked wonderfully. I was never cold in my tent or bag. This bag is stuffed with down material. You have two options when it comes to sleeping bags - down or synthetic. Here is a great summary of the pros/cons. I selected down construction due to its superior heat retaining properties (and thereby weight reduction) combined with the fact that I am not camping often in ultra wet conditions. That being said, putting your bag in a waterproof stuff sack can mitigate the con of down in that it loses heat retaining properties when wet.
The final part of the shelter trifecta was my sleeping pad. Sleeping pads are multipurposed. Not only do they provide a layer of comfort between you and the (potentially) hard earth, but arguably more importantly they provide an insulation layer between your warm body and the massive heat sink that is the earth. I use an inflatable pad, the AirRail 1.5. Once again in a long due to that whole long legs, average torso conundrum. The inflatables pack a little better have better heat retention properties, but they're generally more expensive and more prone to damage over a foam pad. You need to be really careful not to set your inflated pad on a rock and then lay on top of it. A recommendation would be to carry along a small tube of sealant in case something should happen to your inflatable pad. The sealant also works to repair any seam damage to your tent. The AirRail 1.5 is seriously comfortable and it is noticeable that the air gap acts as an insulating layer between yourself and the cold earth.
The final item that serves many purposes that I will classify under the Shelter heading is a tarp. The tarp is extremely versatile. It can keep you dry at a glassing location on an exposed knob, it can act as a rainfly to make your campsite mobile and light and it will also serve as a place to set your meat to keep it out of the dirt as you butcher an animal in the field. If you're going to use your tarp as a rainfly, I would suggest purchasing one that will be at least two feet longer than your body length. An 8' long tarp would be an absolute minimum for even the shortest person. This will make it so that you have enough coverage overhead in the case of sleeping under the tarp during the rain storm. I planned on using my paracord to tie down the tarp should I have needed it.
Food
The function of this gear would seem pretty straightforward at the outset, but when trying to optimize for a back country hunt that is weight conscious, this becomes a very delicate balancing act between weight and proper energy replenishment. I wanted this gear to provide me the required nutrition to keep me operating at a high level during the hunt.
My philosophy for packing meals on this trip was that I wanted everything to only require boiled water to be added to it to be able to eat. Therefore, every day consisted of two packets of oatmeal, two instant coffees, Clif Bars for snacks, peanut butter & honey on tortilla wraps for lunch and a freeze dried meal for dinner in the evening. Personally, I was not a fan of the bars or tortillas at lunch, but see "Changes I Would Make" below for more detail.
I packed all of the food in a water tight Sea to Summit dry pack. I kept each meal separate meaning all breakfasts were in a ziploc together, all lunch items, and so on. I would then put the dry pack with all the food in a larger mesh bag that I would put other scented items in (lip balm, toothpaste, hand sanitizer, etc.) and then I hung everything in a tree, usually about ten feet up and a few hundred feet from camp to deter bears from coming in.
For boiling water, I use an MSR WhisperLite cookstove with liquid naphtha, often marketed as white gasoline, as fuel. My partner had a JetBoil which worked great, but the WhisperLite proved to be just as convenient, and for trips like this liquid fuel will be more reliable and last longer. Please do not buy into a stove that promotes itself as being "multi-fuel". Such a stove doesn't exist and will only cause you issues in the long run. Buy a stove and burner set that is engineered and designed for use with one type of fuel and stick with using that type of fuel every time you go out to the back country. It took about 2-3 minutes for me to boil 20-24 ounces of water for my meals with the WhisperLite.
To boil water I purchased a Stanley 24 oz Cook Set that included two inlaid cups that would fit my oatmeal and coffee in the mornings. Anytime you can do a Russian doll stacking trick with your gear to minimize volume is a win.
If you'll be making your meals in a similar fashion as I did I would strongly recommend purchasing a long handled spoon or spork for your trip. This will prevent you from getting messy knuckles while going deep for the last morsels of food in the freeze dried bags.
Gear That I Loved
This section of the post will be dedicated for the gear that I want to set aside as equipment that exceeded my expectations. Some of the gear was an investment, others were items where you got massive bang for your buck (in terms of cost, volume or weight).
First Lite Wool Layers - This is one area that I decided to invest in this year and it did not disappoint. First Lite sells incredible hunting clothing that flat out performs. I purchased the Minaret Aerowool crew t-shirt as well as the Chama 230g Merino Hoody. It was the most I have spent on clothing in my life (not saying a whole lot) but this investment was totally worth it. 75% of the time out in the field I was wet in some manner but I was kept warm by having wool as my base layer and midlayer. Each day I wore a skin tight layer (non-First Lite), then on my top I put on my Minaret Aerowool and then the Chama. When it got the coldest, or I was ambush hunting and lying still, I would throw a top layer on over the Chama. The biggest surprise with this gear was how warm the hoody was on the Chama. I feel that I pushed this gear pretty hard and it came through. One of the photos below shows how wet with sweat the Chama was following a late night pursuit of an elk, and even in that condition the Chama kept me warm when I put it on. If First Lite has a hype train anywhere I'm happy to climb aboard for the ride.
Vortex Optics Viper HD 10x42 Binoculars - This was my second big investment for this hunt/the rest of my life. Vortex makes absolutely top of the line gear at a fraction of the price compared to similarly spec'ed competitors binoculars. The Viper HD's rival competition that cost well over $1,000. Along with a quality product comes a life time, no questions asked warranty. The Vipers proved their worth in the field to me. I was able to stay later on glassing points, as precision and finish of the glass maximized light capture and transmission during low light hours, when animals are moving the most. I also purchased a chest carrying pouch for the Vipers to give me easy access to the binos as we hiked. These binos are even fun just to bring out to a park with any sort of wildlife. In an odd way they make you realize the beauty of viewing images up close. The Vipers are also extremely well designed in an ergonomic fashion that make hours of glassing with them comfortable. I had purchased a tripod with a binocular adapter, but the thick underbrush of the forest decided to pop the head mount off the tripod on day two of the trip. This meant I would have to glass by hand from that point forward. The ergonomic design of the Vipers was comfortable to allow me hours of glassing time as well as avoiding shaky images from shifting hand and fingers. I would recommend these to anyone going on a Western hunt.
Kuiu SFS Bow Cover - I got lucky with this purchase. It was the last piece of gear that I bought about two weeks before my trip. Without this bow string cover, my bow string would have been destroyed due to the thick underbrush which would have ultimately ruined the hunt. This bow cover allowed the hunt to happen without issue.
Gaia GPS App - For $20 I got the functionality of a $400 GPS. Follow the advice on this blog post for information on set up. Gaia allows you to easily set up waypoints, track your trail and it worked 100% of the time that I brought out my phone to use the app.
Cotton balls with Petroleum Jelly - Alright, I didn't actually use this gear while on my trip but its dual functionality just makes me happy. A cotton ball covered in petroleum jelly will burn for 4.5 minutes and it's waterproof. Additionally, this combo acts as an instant relief should any chaffing occur.
Waterproof Stuff Sacks - I have two of these and will generally place my food and my clothing in each one. At night, I will put whatever clothes I wanted to be warm for me in the morning into the stuff sack and then use that as a pillow during the night.
Changes I Would Make
Lunch and Clif bars - Having lunch being peanut butter and honey I realized after a few days that despite eating my food contents, I wasn't gaining an more volume from the peanut butter and honey jars. In the future, I would elect for meals that lose volume as you consume, such as cured meat and cheese. As for my Clif bar snacks, all I ever really got from them is gut rot and lock jaw. Plus, they required a significant amount of precious water to consume.
Wool on skin - In the future, any piece of clothing that I have that will touch my skin will be wool. I had synthetic boxers and mid-week they were the one piece of clothing that really smelled. Wool briefs are expensive, but only one or two pairs would be required for a week trip.
Lighten up - Despite packing, removing items and then repacking, I think I still could have dropped 5-10 pounds. The easiest way would have been by having a single person tent, but as I said before I did appreciate the extra room. I could have cut out any redundancies in clothing. I can't stress enough how little wool smells despite days of not changing. Finally, I would bring less food overall. I was way less hungry on this trip than I ever imagined.
Overall, I was very happy with the gear and how it handled itself out in the back country. This trip pushed everything to its limit, gear and persons, and the lesson that I took away was that spending money on things such as wool and important gear like binoculars will pay itself back a hundred times over on trips like this.
Kyle Zibrowski
