Items or products you don't hunt without.

BSK said:
In the old days, I remember being so deep into hypothermia that I stopped shivering (a very bad sign). I would lose the ability to speak clearly and lose enough muscle control that climbing down from my stand was extremely dangerous.
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Back in the day I stayed frozen all the time. If I wasnt so young and motivated I could have never sat through that. Today is night and day as far as warmth. That's why in the cold months my pack is mostly full of things to keep me warm. It was from all those years of suffering. And these days if I was shivering cold I would leave immediately. So it also keeps me in the woods longer.
 
Trapper John said:
This thread was worth it just to discover electronic hardwarmers are a thing. Had no idea. And now I've got four being delivered soon.
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They are the bomb Trapper. Just make sure to get some that have a battery rated at 10,000Mah or more. With that kind of charge, they will last all day. And be careful with the highest settings. They can get HOT!

And the cool thing is, they will also recharge your phone or other electronic device. You can charge to them and from them.
 
Bobyote said:
My buddy heater and big boy cushion. Coffee lol- when I was young I'd freeze and sit and suffer but now I view deer hunting shouldn't be a suffering contest lol. 😂 I'm gonna be comfortable
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I'm with you.we enjoy our comfort. We call our ground blind the condo 6 panel extra large and nice comfortable chairs. Buddy heater is a must.
 
Bobyote said:
My buddy heater and big boy cushion. Coffee lol- when I was young I'd freeze and sit and suffer but now I view deer hunting shouldn't be a suffering contest lol. 😂 I'm gonna be comfortable
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Great way to put it Bobyote. I used to think the suffering was part of the experience. Now I realize I was being an idiot! I want hunting to be fun, and to be fun, I have to be somewhat comfortable.
 
Double-D-Team said:
Speaking of Bino's. How many of you use a bino harness. Does it get in the way while shooting a bow?
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I have a love / hate relationship with my Bino's…when I don't have them I feel like I love them and kick myself in the butt for leaving them. When I bring them I hate them lol. I use a marsupial Bino harness and it's very compact and wears well. When I'm hunting with my compound bow they never get in the way of the shot. However when I'm hunting with my stick bows they do impede my shot process. They seem to get in my way consistently when hanging my climbing sticks but I'm a short stocky guy which doesn't help with that situation.

I do think Bino's help to keep me focused when it's slow in the woods which is a big plus. With that said they haven't really helped me during a hunt. For me they have been key in scouting early season and I love them for that.

My rangefinder is my most critical piece of gear bar none next to my bow…
 
tree_ghost said:
I have a love / hate relationship with my Bino's…when I don't have them I feel like I love them and kick myself in the butt for leaving them. When I bring them I hate them lol. I use a marsupial Bino harness and it's very compact and wears well. When I'm hunting with my compound bow they never get in the way of the shot. However when I'm hunting with my stick bows they do impede my shot process. They seem to get in my way consistently when hanging my climbing sticks but I'm a short stocky guy which doesn't help with that situation.

I do think Bino's help to keep me focused when it's slow in the woods which is a big plus. With that said they haven't really helped me during a hunt. For me they have been key in scouting early season and I love them for that.

My rangefinder is my most critical piece of gear bar none next to my bow…
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Thank you. Yes the rangefinder is a must.
 
A big part of finding out what I can't do without has been figuring out what I don't need. That's allowed me to cut down on dead weight.

I don't carry binoculars anymore. I'm mainly a ridge and hollow hunter, and by the time I see em with the naked eye, I'm reaching for my weapon if I want to kill it.

Same with calls and rattling antlers. They are negatives for me in the woods I hunt anymore, unlike years ago.

Any gadgets in my packs that add dead weight. If I can wean myself off the addiction of a cell phone, I'll leave it behind too. While it is entertaining, it's a major distraction.

Discarding the gadgets and trinkets has made room for the stuff I really need. Extra clothing, knives and rope, ammo, food and drink, TP, and most importantly, a good first aid kit.
 
Lost Lake said:
A big part of finding out what I can't do without has been figuring out what I don't need. That's allowed me to cut down on dead weight.

I don't carry binoculars anymore. I'm mainly a ridge and hollow hunter, and by the time I see em with the naked eye, I'm reaching for my weapon if I want to kill it.

Same with calls and rattling antlers. They are negatives for me in the woods I hunt anymore, unlike years ago.

Any gadgets in my packs that add dead weight. If I can wean myself off the addiction of a cell phone, I'll leave it behind too. While it is entertaining, it's a major distraction.

Discarding the gadgets and trinkets has made room for the stuff I really need. Extra clothing, knives and rope, ammo, food and drink, TP, and most importantly, a good first aid kit.
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Yes sir, that's what I'm doing with my pack. Dead weight has to go. I carried stuff I never even used last season. Thanks
 
Lost Lake said:
A big part of finding out what I can't do without has been figuring out what I don't need. That's allowed me to cut down on dead weight.

I don't carry binoculars anymore. I'm mainly a ridge and hollow hunter, and by the time I see em with the naked eye, I'm reaching for my weapon if I want to kill it.

Same with calls and rattling antlers. They are negatives for me in the woods I hunt anymore, unlike years ago.

Any gadgets in my packs that add dead weight. If I can wean myself off the addiction of a cell phone, I'll leave it behind too. While it is entertaining, it's a major distraction.

Discarding the gadgets and trinkets has made room for the stuff I really need. Extra clothing, knives and rope, ammo, food and drink, TP, and most importantly, a good first aid kit.
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Probably my biggest hunting problem. Honestly, I rarely completely empty out my pack. But when I do, I find all sorts of things I didn't need in there, some of them heavy. Last time I emptied it I found THREE big, heavy Leatherman's tools. And FOUR mini-Mag lights (all with dead batteries of course). Multiple screw-in hooks for hanging my bag in the tree. Half a box of rifle ammo. Several MZ speed loaders. Several headlamps. Several knives. Just tons of crap I don't need to carry.

I'm telling you, climbing steep hills with a pack and gun that together probably weigh almost 50 lbs (at least it seems like it) is not the way to go!
 
Doing some more thinking along the lines of what I can't live without, it would be a small survival kit that'll fit in my pack without taking up too much room.

When I hunt larger areas like CNF, or LBL, I'm usually way off the roads, and usually stay all day on hunts like that without much communication other than small radios.

My kit usually has a space blanket (folded to about the size of a wallet) that doesn't take up much room, 40 feet of paracord, two ways to start a fire with a small pre-prepared tinder pouch, and a compass. I need to add a whistle.

I need to look at a small tarp that'd fit in there without taking up too much room too. One of my fears is becoming injured and somewhat immobilized during rain. Keeping as dry as possible might help stay alive.

Those might be the items that I really CAN'T live without.
 
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