Gear you liked/disliked 2022

[five]

Preach. I have an OG kestrel that AH sewed to the same specs as the original Flex, minus the actual flex pleating. They upgraded the bridge, all the stitching and configuration too, it was a unicorn until I told some ppl and AH did the same for them lol. Sike, they probably just told me that to make me feel cool. I think their newer saddles are less for-me these days. Their CuServ is top notch though.

You will probably be sad when you read through this thread:

What's going on at AeroHunter?

Looks like their saddles sales have been shut down. I'm interested in what the inside scoop is. The links to the Shrike and Revolution are no longer active. I have owned all their offerings with the exception of the Revolution and I figured I would give it a try at some point.

saddlehunter.com

 

[GeoFish]

Guys you are supposed to sell your dislikes in the classifieds before you post!

 

[bigmike23]

I’ve got a pair of Swarovski binos I’ve used for 10 years, so I’ve always been kind of hesitant to use them without a bino pack. However I’ll admit they definitely are in the way most of the time saddle hunting.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have the swaro els and theyre chucked right in my pack along with tiny rocks, sticks, and debris mixed in too. They're made to be hunted with not coddled

 

[lungpuncher1]

I have the swaro els and theyre chucked right in my pack along with tiny rocks, sticks, and debris mixed in too. They're made to be hunted with not coddled

Good for you, a pair of Swarovski’s with a huge scratch in the lens because what you are describing sounds dumb and avoidable to me.

 

[enkriss]

A $2k pair of binos?… I would baby the hell out of those things….lol

 

[bigmike23]

I send them back to swaro every two years for cleaning and general maintenance. They never charged me and get them little scratches out too. Probably don't baby them cause I got them for 600 bucks lol

 

[lungpuncher1]

I send them back to swaro every two years for cleaning and general maintenance. They never charged me and get them little scratches out too. Probably don't baby them cause I got them for 600 bucks lol

They laugh at you and say tough **** if you scratch them bad enough

 

[bigmike23]

I will play…

Going into this season I planned on deciding if I wanted to saddle hunt or treestand hunt. Stick with one or the other. I have spent about 60% of my sits in a treestand.

My conclusion? I think both belong in the stable. Ease of setup goes to the saddle for me. Hanging a treestand just takes more work no if ands or buts about it. For hunts that will be around 3 to 4 hours I would probably grab the saddle. However, I have been really concentrating on keeping still this year. I find it much harder and it takes active thought to stay still in a saddle. I find myself swaying subconsciously in a saddle. The treestand I find more comfortable especially for longer sits. I can be statue still without any thought. I also find it easier to get shots off and prefer the open view. But, grabbing my one sticking stick and my saddle is just so much less bulk. I also find myself hunting higher in the saddle to try and mitigate my movement being noticed as much as possible. I have been one sticking till I run out of tree.

Products I liked:

1) Lone Wolf Custom Gear fix platform. I criticized it early before trying it cuz I hated the ambush. But the fix is the most solid platform on the market by a good margin. No other platform I have tried feels welded to the tree like that. I could not get the platform to kickout in my testing. Even with lots of side pressure. That’s being said there is a little bit of a learning curve to get it to set properly. But once you figured it out. It’s awesome!

2) Lone Wolf Custom Gear .75 treestand. Another item I wasn’t going to purchase but they screwed up the price and I had a 10% off code so I ordered it. Glad I did. Amazing treestand. They corrected the issue they had with sharp edges. The whole stand is exceptionally smooth it looks CNC no waterjet marks. IMO it’s just perfect.

3) Dare I say this…. Tethrd ONE sticks Gen3 - 1lb, doublestep sticks haven’t had a single issue. Love them.

4) Wild Line Rope Lineman belt. The 5mm rope is scary at first… but it’s so compact and the WLR hitch is simply amazing. 1 handed operation. Works flawlessly…

5) Kuiu guide pants and jacket comfortable just awesome. Bought another set for everyday wear in ash.

6) Kuiu attack pants bought a pair then bought 2 more. Love them…

Products most disappointed in:

1) Topping the list is the Beast stand. I tried to love this stand because the weight/size ratio. But I bent 3 of them. 1 the front middle of the platform and 2 seat leveling brackets. As crappy as that was I figured I would just be really careful with it. No more toe camming whatever. But tried hanging it in some crooked thin trees in the swamp and it would not set. It wanted to align with the tree I needed it to offset and it just wouldn’t do it. Also I found the platform very squeaky with some boots. Deemed this sucker a Turd finally and I am done with it.

2) Tactacam Reveal cell cameras. Back when it was just Gen1 cams the picture quality was excellent. Those cameras had a narrow trigger window though. Then the revealx came out and they went down the crapper. Now regular pics it sends are so pixelated you cant even tell it’s a deer half the time. Then they scam you to pay extra for HD pics. I hate them. Pieces of crap.

3) Out On A Limb Big Bob. When this thing was delivered I was excited to try it. I pulled it out of the box and it was the poorest craftsmanship I have every seen on any product I received from them. It looked hacked together. Poor looking welds etc…. I put in on the tree and cammed the top over and it ovalized the mounting holes for the top. Obviously a design defect they fixed after this. But they charged me shipping both directions for a defective TURD. Probably the last item I purchase from them.

4) Lone Wolf Custom Gear double step sticks. Yep I tried to like them again. Yep they still suck just as bad.

Just got that wild line lineman's belt in the mail. That little sucker is slick! Can't believe how well it works. Only time will tell if the rope is too supple for me. I hated 8mm and went back to 11 real fast it was too supple

 

[Buc Nasty68]

Likes:


SPYPOINT camera, customer service sucks! The cameras aren’t reliable. My cheap Muddy’s have never failed me.

they legit charged a canceled credit card for over a year with no use whatsoever and refused to work with me

they also know they have problems with their double a battery units and do nothing about it.
gray or black colored plastic Is the indicator

couldnt agree with you more

 

[PancreasBroke]

Like: Kuiu Attack pants. Bought a pair this year and holy crap they are the best all around pant.

Dislike: grunt tubes and rattle antlers, too bulky and grunt tubes swaying or tangled on my binos, and just more stuff to lug around. I cant rattle in jack and i can grunt without a tube Im learning.

 

[enkriss]

Like: Kuiu Attack pants. Bought a pair this year and holy crap they are the best all around pant.

Dislike: grunt tubes and rattle antlers, too bulky and grunt tubes swaying or tangled on my binos, and just more stuff to lug around. I cant rattle in jack and i can grunt without a tube Im learning.

I bought some Kuiu attack pants absolutely amazing. Then…Bought 2 more same size different color. They suck… both fit completely different and not in a good way

 

[Maverick1]

I purchased a LWCG .75 stand this year. It was nice. Then I added some footrests from Novix and it was even nicer. So, both of those turned out well.

Sitka Stratus bibs and jacket were new purchases and worked well. We had unusually warm weather this year, so it got used more than I thought. Nice clothing. Wish it would have been cooler so I could try different layers underneath but never got around to it.

Day One camo insulated bibs and jacket worked really well when it did get cold. Very nice. Warm and very quiet. Less bulk than my Cabelas bibs and jacket. A nice off-season purchase from the end of last year. Only got to use a couple of times.

OG true talker grunt tube. Used it to call in a nice buck on my out of state deer hunt. One grunt turned him on a dime from 100 yards away and he marched in. That was a thing of beauty. Arrow found its mark at 19 yards.

Similar to the poster above, I tried a bino holder this year for the first time. Didn’t like it. Bridge rubbed on case, it wasn’t silent. interfered with weak side shots. Kind of like strapping a mini fridge to my chest. Not preferred. Back to the old chest strap system that I’ve used for the last 20 years.

 

[roosterstraw]

Just got that wild line lineman's belt in the mail. That little sucker is slick! Can't believe how well it works. Only time will tell if the rope is too supple for me. I hated 8mm and went back to 11 real fast it was too supple

Is that hitch rated for a fall? I know it’s not used as a tether but if you're climbing up the tree and take a fall?

 

[enkriss]

Is that hitch rated for a fall? I know it’s not used as a tether but if you're climbing up the tree and take a fall?

He sells them on tethers also. Larger diameter rope. So…. I would assume so…

 

[CavePainter]

Agreed as long as you're not hunting swamp. I wish I could get rid of my muck boots and use my hikers.

I hunted with muck boots until they had holes. I replaced them last year with Lowa Z-11s-GTX boots. They are sooo much better. Incredible support, full leather and goretex, fit wide feet well. And I can walk through swamp with dry feet. Hard to find, seems like only 2 european stores have them. First shoe I have had where I am buying a second pair because these are amazing.

Lowa Z-11S GTX

A proper hunting and hiking boot from Lowa. The waterproof membrane keeps your feet from getting wet and the tall shaft keeps nature out.

www.varusteleka.com

 

[AttackMode]

View attachment 76553View attachment 76554View attachment 76555

So I added an xpac sherman and can now carry my bow too. Really loving this setup. It's not too strappy, very organized and streamlined with all my gear inside the bag. When I get to the tree it all comes out in sequential order (platform, mid layers, outer layers, saddle and rope). Climb up set camera arm and gear. Bag would be empty at that point and very low profile in the tree.

 

[Patriot]

Liked
1. $28 tasco cams from Walmart - the things just work

2. Mathew’s V3 27 inch in olive green, it’s gorgeous but who cares about looks. I’m short at 5’7” and this bow fits me so well and it still shoots a heavy arrow plenty fast. It is so maneuverable in the timber and in trees bc of its size. Also it’s so small I have come to full draw and then needed to hold the draw a long time so I just pointed the bow down while at full draw, maybe you can do that with bigger bows but I’m guessing I would have hit my pack or a branch.

3. Huntworth heavyweight w heat boost. Pants are awesome. Jacket is a little loud but I got the waterproof model so maybe that’s why.

4. anything merino wool - truly a “game changer”

5. x2. I own many packs and I just keep coming back to the x2

6. Apple Watch - I can check my remaining legal light without checking my phone. Non hunting reasons - I never wore watches but I love it. I’m into running cycling weightlifting and swimming and can’t imagine my life before I had my watch as a training gadget


dislike
1. Roll pouch. Just not for me

2. X2 bow bucket, just doesn’t seem to hold my bow tight

3. hawk sticks - seem to kick out too much (i

 

[kyler1945]

Liked JX3 sticks*

* disclaimer I hate sticks. All of em. Including JX3 sticks. But they have no moving parts, hang very fast even by feel alone, and the top stick is now my go to platform. They’re going to be the only sticks I keep around(none before), and will use on close sets or those with tree pre selected and I can’t use bolts.

Liked JX3 versa pack system. I have to be honest, I got it last season and only used the back pack. I don’t like bino harnesses generally. Well, I gave the bino harness a shot this season, and I’m not looking back. I use the mesh bag for gathering mushrooms or stashing all my crap at end of hunt. Bolts go in rear zipper compartment of bino harness. Two small pouches hold kill kit, ropes tags all other manner of crap. I used the backpack on a single hunt this year. All the rest I used bino harness and one small pouch. This system paired with hybrid, pacseat, and Exo K3 frame is absolutely perfect for me. Perfect enough to sell the popup28 which was previously perfect.

Liked Hickory creek mini. First season I wasn’t screwing with it getting it how I liked it. I’m all instinct with a compound because of the years and shots fired. But the mini is automatic. I took one doe with it. And I likely have my biggest buck to date if I had the mini with me instead of compound when I met him. It has quirks, but it’s awesome.

Dislike Doyle’s hoist. I didn’t use it a single time this season. Because it’s stashed in Colorado by accident. I didn’t miss it one bit. That’s a pound I don’t have to carry anymore. And I’ve been a proponent of it for a few years now. Solves a problem I don’t really have.

 

[Spartan]

Liked:

Cruzr XC Saddle - Didn't do any all day hunts, but it was perfectly comfortable during my typical 4-5 hour hunts. Very easy to get on and off, and also comfortable wearing it in and out of the woods. Big step up in saddle from the previous season. Will defintely be using it next year as well. Can't see any reason to change as of right now, but I do like to experiment.

Sterling HTP Ropes - Yup, just simple ropes are on the like list. And they're not the sexy, overpriced, hard to find, must-have, flavor-of-the-month ropes. Used both 9mm and 10mm for lineman's and static tethers (not rappelling, I use dynamic rope for that). HTP is among the cheapest and most available climbing rope available, and I actually found myself leaving all of the sexy ropes in the bin and just using the HTP. Very durable and high quality. Will very likely be using HTP exclusively going forward for my static rope needs, and largely ignoring the glamorous ropes.

TX5 pouches - Had a couple of these laying around for awhile but they didn't see any use until the middle of this season simply because I had no idea they would be better than the Tethrd pouches I have been using. I figured a pouch was a pouch. The HUGE difference between the two: The TX5 pouches actually stay open when you want them to so you can shove your ropes and gear into them with one hand, whereas the Tethrd pouches have that really thin fabric at the top and no support band so the top just flops over when you try to shove stuff in there and you end up needing two hands and having to awkwardly reach around your body to hold the pouch open half the time. Didn't realize what I was missing with the TX5s!

Ropeman 1's - Been using these for two seasons now both on lineman's and my tether when using a static rig. I've obsessively tried to find better methods over these two seasons and have yet to do so. I keep going back to the ropemans. I'll take the hint now after two years and just accept that these are my kit of choice for lineman's, and tether when using a static rope and not rappelling.


Disliked:

There was really nothing that needed to end up in the trash can, so I'll leave it at that.

 

[metty]

Liked:

This water bottle pouch for rappel rope https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KN66QO...olid=1IYWH581SIDG0&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

it has a bottom pouch, i found that after i cut out the partition between it and the main pouch it made it very easy to insert 40' of 9mm rope because you could open the bottom and pull the rope in instead of just trying to cram it in the top. i had a dump pouch for rope storage previously and i really like this.

also, the side pouch is a perfect size to store a carabiner and a grigri for descending

Disliked:

the rope belt on my Latitude Classic 2. it just doesnt seem to stay in place unless you really cinch it down which sucks because then you have a small diameter rope digging into you and bearing the weight of whatever is on the MOLLE loops. I would much prefer a wider webbing belt. i know they say they did it because a metal buckle can be loud but i think the rope belt is a fail. i might sew some loops on and take the cobra belt off my sit drag