RedOak
Member
The following posts are going to be in depth reviews of the gear that I have found to be extremely effective for me in the area and style which I hunt. Before I detail the gear, I feel it’s a good idea to give everyone some background on myself.
I am a 32 year old male from upstate NY. I currently hunt around 10 different properties consisting of ag fields/woodlots, swamps, suburban/wildland interface. All properties are either public or free permission. I do not have exclusive access or control of any of the properties and the pressure on most of them and the surrounding land is substantial. At this point in my career, I am targeting mature bucks only (4.5 years old and older).
I have been bow hunting since 2011 and have logged a substantial amount of time in the woods due to my work schedule. I am currently a professional firefighter and prior to that, Marine infantry with two combat tours. I believe in hard use, multipurpose, minimalist gear. I have no brand loyalties and will use whatever product/camo pattern I believe works best for me.
I am 5’8” tall and 160lbs. I work out regularly and would say I have a muscular build for my height. My Levis jeans are sized 32x30 and I wear a medium or large T-shirt depending on cut for reference.
Ill break my gear down by season and layering in the following posts and will try to provide pictures too at some point.
Early season (October 1st-31st):
-Sitka gear core lightweight hoodie- This shirt keeps me cool during those early October evenings and the zippered front allows me to vent heat on my walk in. The hood is a nice feature if it’s still buggy out that time of year. I don’t use the facemask portion of the shirt as I don’t feel I need it given the height and amount of leaves still on the trees.
-Carhartt Forces Extreme Cargo Pant- Not camo, nothing sexy about these. They are just well fitting, quick drying, durable and abrasion resistant pants that have just the right amount of pocket space. They are light enough to remain cool opening week and solid enough to carry me through mid October without having to add a merino wool base layer. They are fitted enough that they will not snag on my gears of my bike if I’m riding in and they dry quickly if I’m kayaking to my location and they water from paddling gets on me. The tapered ankle tucks in well inside my boots as well. I have had many fancier and more expensive pants from Kuiu and Sitka that I didn’t think were as durable or comfortable as these. My Kuiu attack pants were not abrasion resistant and were quite tore up after only a season. I am not bushwhacking in these things and was not thrilled with their performance. I do still own a pair of Kuiu Tiburon pants which I wear kayak fishing but feel they are not substantial enough for bow hunting season after season.
-Sitka Stratus Jacket- This is my do all piece. If you can only buy one jacket for all your hunting needs, this would be it. I have owned (and sold), just about every jacket Kuiu and Sitka make and this thing is the cats ass. The windstopper is an absolute must have for me. It’s warm without being bulky, its quiet, and it has a pretty minimalist approach. This jacket, when layered properly, can take me through the entire season here in upstate NY. In early October this jacket stays in my pack until I need it once the temp drops in the evening. I add this over my core hoodie and warm and comfortable until mid-late October.
-Xtratuf 15” Legacy Boot- These boots are incredibly lightweight on your feet and comfortable. With a normal sock they are excellent early season and when the temp drops I simply add merino wool socks and they will take me into late October. The tread pattern isn’t very aggressive but they are more than adequate for all my bow hunting needs. If anything, the lack of an over the top aggressive tread doesn’t allow them to collect large amounts of mud and weigh down while walking in.
-Kuiu Icon cap- This hat just happens to fit me great and is made of an awesome material that manages to keep my head cool and the sun out of my eyes. It dries quickly and that’s about all I can ask for.
-Hill People Gear Umlindi Backpack- If you guys aren’t familiar with these guys you need to check them out. Their forum is loaded with good backcountry information rooted in real world experience. They don’t just talk about, they are about it. I own several of their products and cannot say enough good things about them. FirstSpear does all their sewing and they are a top notch tactical gear producer. In fact, the micro adjusters on the new Mantis look almost identical to some of the adjustment pieces on their packs. This particular pack is very minimalist in nature. There are really only 4 pockets. Two outside bottle pockets I use to carry my piss bottle and hold my 3 arrow Tight Spot quiver on the other side. The main pocket is where I store a small Nalgene (mostly for a tickly throat to keep me from coughing), a small incidentals bag which I’ll detail later, any layers I don’t want to wear walking in, or rain gear, and me linemans belt and tree tether. There is a small pouch near the top of the main compartment where I put my keys in and eventually a grunt call later in the season.
-5.11 TDU 1.5” belt- This belt is nice and low profile for wear under a saddle or rock climbing harness. I may try the Hill People Gear “Under Pack Belt” at some point. Its closure system eliminates the standard buckle and may prove even more comfortable under a saddle.
-Sitka bino harness- I prefer the less is more approach Sitka has taken with this harness. I’ve had several others that were either too much elastic and bounced around or too much work to get the binos out. I bring the cap for the eyepieces and leave it in my pack unless it starts raining at which point I’ll put it on.
-Vortex Viper 10x42 binos- These things are awesome and I have no idea how guys can hunt without binos. Just because I might not be able to shoot a deer doesn’t mean I don’t want to know who he is, where he’s going, and any other actionable intel I may be able to gather with a good pair of binos. They are absolutely mission critical to me. They let me scout an area without ever having to step foot in it. They are especially important for my early season observation sits. They allow me to pinpoint locations I can use to later ambush a particular buck based off of his entrance into a field. They are also great for shed hunting and summer scouting from the Truck. These things can take a beating and I think Vortex no fault policy warranty is unmatched.
-Vortex Ranger 1000- I like the size and the belt clip on these. They can stay in a pocket or clipped to my saddle. Also small enough to stick in my breast pocket on the Stratus jacket. These serve dual purpose for long range rifle shooting as well.
I am a 32 year old male from upstate NY. I currently hunt around 10 different properties consisting of ag fields/woodlots, swamps, suburban/wildland interface. All properties are either public or free permission. I do not have exclusive access or control of any of the properties and the pressure on most of them and the surrounding land is substantial. At this point in my career, I am targeting mature bucks only (4.5 years old and older).
I have been bow hunting since 2011 and have logged a substantial amount of time in the woods due to my work schedule. I am currently a professional firefighter and prior to that, Marine infantry with two combat tours. I believe in hard use, multipurpose, minimalist gear. I have no brand loyalties and will use whatever product/camo pattern I believe works best for me.
I am 5’8” tall and 160lbs. I work out regularly and would say I have a muscular build for my height. My Levis jeans are sized 32x30 and I wear a medium or large T-shirt depending on cut for reference.
Ill break my gear down by season and layering in the following posts and will try to provide pictures too at some point.
Early season (October 1st-31st):
-Sitka gear core lightweight hoodie- This shirt keeps me cool during those early October evenings and the zippered front allows me to vent heat on my walk in. The hood is a nice feature if it’s still buggy out that time of year. I don’t use the facemask portion of the shirt as I don’t feel I need it given the height and amount of leaves still on the trees.
-Carhartt Forces Extreme Cargo Pant- Not camo, nothing sexy about these. They are just well fitting, quick drying, durable and abrasion resistant pants that have just the right amount of pocket space. They are light enough to remain cool opening week and solid enough to carry me through mid October without having to add a merino wool base layer. They are fitted enough that they will not snag on my gears of my bike if I’m riding in and they dry quickly if I’m kayaking to my location and they water from paddling gets on me. The tapered ankle tucks in well inside my boots as well. I have had many fancier and more expensive pants from Kuiu and Sitka that I didn’t think were as durable or comfortable as these. My Kuiu attack pants were not abrasion resistant and were quite tore up after only a season. I am not bushwhacking in these things and was not thrilled with their performance. I do still own a pair of Kuiu Tiburon pants which I wear kayak fishing but feel they are not substantial enough for bow hunting season after season.
-Sitka Stratus Jacket- This is my do all piece. If you can only buy one jacket for all your hunting needs, this would be it. I have owned (and sold), just about every jacket Kuiu and Sitka make and this thing is the cats ass. The windstopper is an absolute must have for me. It’s warm without being bulky, its quiet, and it has a pretty minimalist approach. This jacket, when layered properly, can take me through the entire season here in upstate NY. In early October this jacket stays in my pack until I need it once the temp drops in the evening. I add this over my core hoodie and warm and comfortable until mid-late October.
-Xtratuf 15” Legacy Boot- These boots are incredibly lightweight on your feet and comfortable. With a normal sock they are excellent early season and when the temp drops I simply add merino wool socks and they will take me into late October. The tread pattern isn’t very aggressive but they are more than adequate for all my bow hunting needs. If anything, the lack of an over the top aggressive tread doesn’t allow them to collect large amounts of mud and weigh down while walking in.
-Kuiu Icon cap- This hat just happens to fit me great and is made of an awesome material that manages to keep my head cool and the sun out of my eyes. It dries quickly and that’s about all I can ask for.
-Hill People Gear Umlindi Backpack- If you guys aren’t familiar with these guys you need to check them out. Their forum is loaded with good backcountry information rooted in real world experience. They don’t just talk about, they are about it. I own several of their products and cannot say enough good things about them. FirstSpear does all their sewing and they are a top notch tactical gear producer. In fact, the micro adjusters on the new Mantis look almost identical to some of the adjustment pieces on their packs. This particular pack is very minimalist in nature. There are really only 4 pockets. Two outside bottle pockets I use to carry my piss bottle and hold my 3 arrow Tight Spot quiver on the other side. The main pocket is where I store a small Nalgene (mostly for a tickly throat to keep me from coughing), a small incidentals bag which I’ll detail later, any layers I don’t want to wear walking in, or rain gear, and me linemans belt and tree tether. There is a small pouch near the top of the main compartment where I put my keys in and eventually a grunt call later in the season.
-5.11 TDU 1.5” belt- This belt is nice and low profile for wear under a saddle or rock climbing harness. I may try the Hill People Gear “Under Pack Belt” at some point. Its closure system eliminates the standard buckle and may prove even more comfortable under a saddle.
-Sitka bino harness- I prefer the less is more approach Sitka has taken with this harness. I’ve had several others that were either too much elastic and bounced around or too much work to get the binos out. I bring the cap for the eyepieces and leave it in my pack unless it starts raining at which point I’ll put it on.
-Vortex Viper 10x42 binos- These things are awesome and I have no idea how guys can hunt without binos. Just because I might not be able to shoot a deer doesn’t mean I don’t want to know who he is, where he’s going, and any other actionable intel I may be able to gather with a good pair of binos. They are absolutely mission critical to me. They let me scout an area without ever having to step foot in it. They are especially important for my early season observation sits. They allow me to pinpoint locations I can use to later ambush a particular buck based off of his entrance into a field. They are also great for shed hunting and summer scouting from the Truck. These things can take a beating and I think Vortex no fault policy warranty is unmatched.
-Vortex Ranger 1000- I like the size and the belt clip on these. They can stay in a pocket or clipped to my saddle. Also small enough to stick in my breast pocket on the Stratus jacket. These serve dual purpose for long range rifle shooting as well.
