3 pieces of gear you won’t want to skimp on when heading deep into the backcountry.

When gearing up for a hunt deep into the backcountry the required gear list can be extremely lengthy and could easily constitute a small fortune. For those of us who are not a direct relative of Warren Buffet here is a list of the three areas you won’t want to economize on in your hunting arsenal.

Boots- This is definitely not the place to pinch your pennies. Hunting with sore, wet feet can be the worst experience of your life and could even cost you the hunt in the end. My personal picks are: Schnee’s Hunter II’s (13-inch version) for hunting in the snow and mud, Schnee’s Sheep Hunter GTX for rugged steep country, and the Danner 453 GTX for early season in moderate terrain. All are available at www.schnees.com.

Optics- Hunting out west with poor optics can be like hunting with a hang-over. Trying to hunt hard every day with a headache will certainly take away from your outdoor experience. My glasses of choice are of course the Swarovski 10X42 ELs ($1,800) or 10X42 SLCs ($1,300). If you just cannot muster up the green for the heavy price tag on a set of these Austrian binocs then try a pair of the Minox HG 10X43s. These particular binoculars have outstanding glass with a price tag that is under $800. If that is still going to break the bank then check out the Vortex Viper in the 10X42. This is a new company with some great products and super glass for the money. A set of these will only set you back somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 bones. The Steiner Merlin’s in 10X42 are also a good option in that $500 price range. Contact Jeff or Kipp at Janssens Adventure Outfitters (888-935-HUNT) for help choosing the best pair of binoculars for your particular price range.

Backpack- Choosing the proper pack to transport all of your critical gear and the spoils of your successes afield is critical. There are a multitude of options out there for the prospective pack buyer to choose from. It is very important that you select a pack that not only fulfills your packing needs but one that also fits you properly. At over 6’-3” I have a tough time finding a pack that adjusts enough to fit me. The Badlands 2200 and 4500 both do a great job for day hunting and a five plus day trek into the backcountry. The Janssens, Ultimate Hard Core Hunt Pack is a great in between model with a 3,500 cubic inch carrying capacity. This pack also transforms into a super meat hauling, heavy load pack for the real work.

I realize these are just brief “quick hitters” but if will be attending my seminar at the 2007 ISE show I will be going into more detail on each of these areas. I will also be available for questions at the show. If you cannot attend you can e-mail be your questions at: guy@eastmans.com.

Good Hunting and we’ll see you this winter at the show!

N. Guy Eastman
Publisher
Eastmans’ Hunting Journals

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