Essential Gear

[Stuart C.]

Hi folks,
I want to get ready for the upcoming season and really wanted to ask what others here have found to be both Essential and Non-essential gear and gadgets.  With the wealth of experience here, we could all probably save a bundle by only buying what others have found to be 'must haves', and NOT buying what others have found to be useless gadgets.  Before I start spending my little (very little) hobby slush fund, I'd really like to hear some opinions on gear. 

For example, things I'm considering buying are:

Pop-up ground blind: (good investment, or waste of money, just build your own natural ground blind like people have done for ages?)
Knife: (I only have some small locking folding pocket knives; should I invest in a nice knife and what makes a GOOD hunting knife good. Size, brand, fixed or folder?)
Fanny or backpack:  (what do you use, like and why)
Flashlight or headlamp: (what do you use, like and why)
Miscellaneous: Seats, Camo head masks, doe bleat, scents, etc.

What's your 2 cents on these, and what might you spend your dollars on in preparation for this fall.

Thanks!

[Land_Owner]

What's your 2 cents...

THE BASICS
All Purpose Paper (wrap in sealable plastic baggie) - for doing what bears do in the woods
Back pack - small day pack (holds all)
Binoculars - 10X50
Cell Phone
Compass
Haul rope - parachute cord (for stands)
Head lamp - from duck hunting to keep hands free
License, Permission to access, and Doe Tags (paper)
Jaw bone diagrams (paper) for aging deer
MRE meal (includes matches in sealed plastic)
Pee Bottle - 24 oz. Gatoraid
Property Map (paper)
Rain gear (for all sorts of wet/dry uses)
Rear view mirror - for sneaky deer
Seat cushion - the bigger the better (IMO)
Sheathed knife - steel (takes an edge better) vs. stainless
Water or Gatoraid

[buck460XVR]

THE BASICS
All Purpose Paper (wrap in sealable plastic baggie) - for doing what bears do in the woods
Back pack - small day pack (holds all)
Binoculars - 10X50
Cell Phone
Compass
Haul rope - parachute cord (for stands)
Head lamp - from duck hunting to keep hands free
License, Permission to access, and Doe Tags (paper)
Jaw bone diagrams (paper) for aging deer
MRE meal (includes matches in sealed plastic)
Pee Bottle - 24 oz. Gatoraid
Property Map (paper)
Rain gear (for all sorts of wet/dry uses)
Rear view mirror - for sneaky deer
Seat cushion - the bigger the better (IMO)
Sheathed knife - steel (takes an edge better) vs. stainless
Water or Gatoraid

pretty good list......I always take along a folding pruning saw. That along with the matches will get a good fire started if needed. It also cuts a stout 30'' length of a 1 1/2-2'' limb for making a handle on the drag rope. Can also be used to cut splints in case of emergencies, making natural blinds and cutting the occasional walking stick when I get tired. I generally always have a pair of good rubber gloves along for field dressing. Not the cheap disposable ones that folk leave lay in the woods, but better quality ones that can be rinsed off in a nearby stream or snowbank and used again next time. I prefer a small pocket knife for field dressing everything up to deer, they tend to carry better, stay sharper and work better for things other than just gutting. They work better for cutting around the anus before removal in the field also. I also include a pack of pre-moistened anti-bacterial wet wipes for cleanin' my hands after doing the messy things that one does in the woods.

Part of the fun of hunting is figuring out what works for you and adapting. Good luck and hunt safe.

[Dave in WV]

I use a small back pack because I carry more than a fanny pack will hold. I carry a head lamp with LEDs instead of a bulb as they are more dependable. I also carry a minimag light. I use a Buck folding knife but it's not the best. A knife that won't slip won't of your hand or allow your hand to slip forward is best. A drop point design is a better one over the clip point for field dressing a deer. I have a bino harness for my 7x42 binocular. I use natural blinds or go in early and make one. I'm usually fa milliar with where I'm hunting so a compass is not normally carried. I carry one in unfamiliar territory. A cell phone (if you get coverage) is a sound choice to carry. You can call for help and with the GPS feature law enforcement can use it to find you in an emergency (if it's on). A drag rope, plenty of water, extra ammo, and warm/dry clothing are things I carry. If I have to walk a ways to where I'm hunting I dress lighter and put more clothes on after I get to the stand.  If you will be dragging a deer a long way carry lots of water. You'll need it!

[beemanbeme]

I seldom carry rain gear but instead carry several "job site" garbage bags. They can be made into a rain poncho, snow leggings, a shelter, etc.  I do carry one of the super light weight wind shells.  I prefer having a thin camo over shirt with a warm jacket under it.  In that way, I can cut a small slit in the bottom of one of the garbage bags and at each corner and pull it over my head and then put the camo shirt over it. Then all that gets wet is the over shirt. I use a day pack instead of a fanny pack.  I carry one small folding knife on my belt and a couple of larger knives in the day pack.  I carry a double zip locked emergency pack with matches, a  candle, note pad, pencil, neosporin, and several sheets of paper towels in it. A zip locked bag of paper towels for everyday use.

[GRIMJIM]

I also use a small backpack as a fanny pack doesn't cut it for me.

In it I put:
A couple of bottles of water
A zip lok bag with toilet paper
A zip lok bag of paper shop rags
A zip lok bag for tags and other important papers
A couple of extra zip lok bags for liver and just in case
Food for the day (a couple of sandwiches and some snacks as I usually go out all day)
Compass always (I've gotten turned around in familiar territory in a severe storm once, ONCE)
Harness type deer drag (way more leverage using your upper body in addition to your arms)
Orange trail marking tape (in case I have to track a deer any distance)
Flashlight (I don't like the hat brim lights, too much glare for me)
Small first aid kit (bandaids, neosporin, aspirin, antacids)
Small survival kit (space blanket, matches)
A 50' length of clothes line (you never know)
A light rain poncho (I will wear rain gear if I know it's going to rain)
A 3" folding knife w/ a rubber handle (bigger knifes are too cumbersome for me inside a deer)
A folding saw (for sternum and small branches if neccessary)
A gerber rib spreader (I tried a friends' and went right out and bought one)
A pair of ratcheting garden shears (for clearing shooting lanes and small vines and such)
Extra ammo
Grunt call and bleat can
Small binoculars
A bottle of estrus doe urine (I prefer the spray bottle)
A film canister with cotton balls soaked in doe urine

It sounds like a ot but really doesn't take that much room up.

After I put on my back pack I put on my seat:
I attached two shotgun slings to a camo folding chair with a back on it. When I get out in the woods I unfold my chair and set my back pack down next to it and I'm all set.......................................ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

[GRIMJIM]

I seldom carry rain gear but instead carry several "job site" garbage bags. They can be made into a rain poncho, snow leggings, a shelter, etc.  I do carry one of the super light weight wind shells.  I prefer having a thin camo over shirt with a warm jacket under it.  In that way, I can cut a small slit in the bottom of one of the garbage bags and at each corner and pull it over my head and then put the camo shirt over it. Then all that gets wet is the over shirt.

I do like the bag and shirt idea.

[Land_Owner]

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

LOL.  I get plenty of that too!  It's tough sitting and watching all day.  At day's end, I'm TIRED.

[woodchukhntr]

Essentials:
A box of ammo,
Hunting license/tags in a zip-lock with a pen and some string,
4" fixed-blade knife in sheath (make sure that it has a fairly big handle, I used a Schrade sharp finger with a small, square sectioned grip once!),
Bottle of water,
Food for the day,
Space blanket,
Toilet paper and hand wipes in zip-lock bag,
large zip-lock for liver (put a couple of shop towels in the bag too),
Pin-on compass,
Harness-type drag,
Ora

[GRIMJIM]

ORA?

[woodchukhntr]

There was a loose nut behind the keyboard.  Somehow I cut the post off when I was typing "orange tape".  The rest of the equipment was about what the others use.

I have a daypack that has a built-in drop-down seat that is removable when not needed, very handy.  I strap a poncho to the pack when I might need it.  The attached support belt has a couple of pockets and room for more.  I like the shoulder strap system because one has a buckle just under the shoulder contact pads which allows that side to be opened so the pack is easier to put on/take off.  The downside of a pack with adequately padded shoulder straps is that they add bulk when you shoulder your long gun.  I have a .45-70 Handi Rifle with a short stock just because of that.  I had picked up a large fanny pack that I will try this year with suspenders to cut down on the bulk.  If I don't like it, the daypack goes back into use.

[bilmac]

I have both a fanny pack for when I'm gonna just make a 2or 3 hour swing, and a day pack for all day. In the fanny is a GPS, a tiny little saw that Gerber makes that opens the ribcage and pelvis, a folding knife with 3 or 4" blade, license, 10 bullets in one of the plastic holders thet Federal puts in their boxes, drag rope with a wide strap for over the shoulder, matches, hard candy, survival blanket, and TP.

This goes in the daypack when I go for an all day walk.

[huntswithdogs]

I think what you carry should be designed around where you're hunting. For my hunting locally, my fanny or back pack will have water, an apple or 2, a pack or 2 of poptarts or fruit bars, peanut butter crackers, a ziplock that contains a butane lighter, TP, paper towels and disposable gloves, scents, a stocking hat, rope and maybe a small hand saw. My knife will be on my belt. I carry either a 3.5'' fixed blade or a 3.5'' folder. Both are made by Kershaw and hold one heck of an edge. If I'm hunting from a tree stand, my safety harness is on me before leaving the truck. I never forget to stick a paperback in the cargo pocket of my pants. Reading helps me sit still for longer periods. Speaking of sitting still...a good foam pad works wonders. Not only is it more comfortable, it'll insulate your butt from the cold hard ground or seat.


HWD

[lester]

Let me start by saying that I don't sit much when I hunt and I hunt northeastern VT.  I start by wearing wool blend or light polypro long underwear, depending on the weather.  For the outer layer I wear only wool for a couple of reasons.  First, come rifle season here it's usually pretty cold and if we get precip, it's usually snow.  If it does rain wool will still keep you warm once it gets wet.  Like this there's no need to carry rain gear.  Besides the clip and one in the chamber I carry one spare 4 round clip and 4 extra rounds of ammo (13 total).  In my front pockets I carry my GPS in one, compass in the other, each on it's own lanyard around my belt so as not to lose either.  A Buck 110 folding knife is on my belt on one hip (never needed anything bigger for deer) and on the other hip is a 15' length of 7mm cord for dragging.  Around my neck is a grunt call and a snort call.  In my butt pack is a space blanket, headlamp, lighter, matches, scent, rifle sling (never on the rifle in the woods, it just catches on everything), spare batteries for GPS/radio, spare compass and food/water for the day.  In my jacket top pockets is a Motorola radio and a topo map of the area and some TP in a ziplock.  Besides wool jacket and pants I wear a light wool shirt, wool Jones style hat, wool 3/4 finger gloves with the rubber dots on the palms for grip, and Lacrosse 18" alpha burly uninsulated rubber boots.  For the rare moments when I sit I carry a bright colored plasic shopping bag in my cargo pocket.  I break off a bunch of small softwood boughs, hemlock is preferred 'cause it's flat, put 'em on a log or rock, then lay the bag out over them to keep my but dry. 

Dressed like this I'm rarely uncomfortable or under equiped for an entire day in the woods.

Hope that helps,

Lester

[Bigbuck]

My "essential" list generally includes:

Small back pack with water bladder
Lunch / snack
Compass / map
Head lamp
Small powerful flashlight
Bino's (8X32)
Shooting sticks
Small survival / first aid kit
Cover scent / attractant
Grunt tube
Sheath knife (I've been using Gerber the last couple of years)
Field dress kit (I make up several at the beginning of the season...they consist of a Zip-loc baggie with 2 pairs of rubber gloves, 3 single use hand wipes and 4 folded paper towels)
Toilet paper
Radio (Two way communication devise....not a music player)
Rain gear / extra clothing (Depending on weather)
Range finder (When bow hunting)
GPS (More to mark "interesting" things that I may want to explore later and / or mark on a topo)

[Freezer]

    I hunt N cal in steep rough terrain with steep ravines.  A fanny pack just doesn't cut it.
2 quarts of water in a water bag
lots of trail mix
lunch foods
two space blankets and lite ponchos
wind proof water proof matches in an orange emergency whistle.
military heat tabs (fire starter)
small first aid kit
small block and tackle for steep drags and hanging the game
100 yards of parashoot cord
One gallon zip lock bags
a few shop rags
TP in a zip lock with a cat shovel
extra pistol ammo
cover scent (home made)
grunt call and squirrel call (cover sound and partner locater)
warlike talkie
8x20 binoculars on shoulder holster
cammo stick
scent kill spray
two large carabiners (very handi)
Two mini mag flash lights with extra bulbs
at least six extra batteries  walkie talkie and flash lights use AAA
lite cammo net (good for ground blind)
spare jacket

[30-30man]

All I've carried for years:

A decent rifle with a dent scope/No need for binos..Just another thing to carry
A Mountain Dew/can be used as a pee bottle when emptied
A good pair of cut-offs, sneakers/flip-flips, and my favorite hat
A good flashlight
A piece of rope is always tied to every stand I own so no need for that.

Travel light and avoid all the junk.  I admit I often get amused and down right tickled at all the junk out there to take a sportsman's money.  The cough muffler or the wind detector that was a nose spray bottle full of talcum powder was about the funniest thing I've seen.  Now if they had a fart muffler, I might have to give it a try..I always have to let one rip everytime I get in the stand Dunno Why.......

[kevthebassman]

A lot of what you carry sort of depends on where you're hunting.  Your kit for walking down to the back 40 to hunt is going to look a lot different from what you would pack to trek across thousands of acres of rugged public wilderness area miles away from the nearest outpost.

Since most of what I do is the former, I'll cover that.  I don't travel quite as light as 30-30man, but I travel pretty light. 

On my belt, I wear:
Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 mag when legal to carry (Taurus 9mm IWB when it ain't legal)
Leatherman tool
Cell phone
Surefire xenon light, very bright

My fanny pack contains:
1 LED mini maglight
1 set of extra batteries for both flashlights
50' Paracord
orange marking tape
small snack + bottle of water
travel size pack of wipees (beats TP any day)
paperback book for passing the time

[Chilachuck]

My normal, pocket carry stuff, rifle, ammo, flashlight, water bottle, maybe a raincoat, some rope, and a small back pack. Maybe I'll try some other stuff now and then, maybe add a couple of knives besides what I normally carry. Maybe a lunch.

Whatever you carry, add the largest notebook that will fit in your shirt pocket. List everything you carry in, list what you use while using it, add notes about how well it worked, and write up what did not work or what you wish you had instead. Pay attention to what you wrote last time. My memory will play tricks and I end up making the same mistakes if I don't.

[james25889]

gun,ammo,flashlight,cellphone     i leave other things like toilet paper and a knife in the truck   i dont like to carry alot of stuff and i usually never hunt for more than a couple of hours at a time

[kevthebassman]

gun,ammo,flashlight,cellphone     i leave other things like toilet paper and a knife in the truck   i dont like to carry alot of stuff and i usually never hunt for more than a couple of hours at a time

I couldn't leave the TP in the truck.  When ya gotta go, ya gotta GO!

[Freezer]

    Am I the only hunter with a cat shovel?  When nature calls I always dig a hole to attempt to eliminate the odor.  I'm not sure it works as well as I'd like butt   I also know where the larger evergreens are, the ground is always softer and the stirred needle help with cover scent.

[beemanbeme]

I never take TP. The paper towels do double duty as TP and the paper towels and a candle are my fire starter.
  One thing I forgot to add. I always have in the back pack a couple of pair of the plastic gloves to use whilst I'm gutting the animal.  When you strip them off they turn wrong side out so you can put them back in the pack to use again or take them home (or back into camp) and put them on right side out and wash your hands while they're on and dry them and put a little talc inside and they're ready to go again. 
It's much nicer eating your PB&J sammich with clean hands.  

I don't like to carry a sporting goods store with me, but when I go, even for a half-day hunt, I let someone know where to start looking for the corpse and I take the minimum "stuff" I would need if I broke a leg or such and had to spend the night in the woods.  And FWIW, I would stick myself in the eye with a sharp stick before I'd carry a cell phone in the woods.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, I know. It's for "emergencies only". It's amazing how many "emergencies" crop up when the "hunters" have them along. Like wifey calling to ask should little Tommie wear his red blazer or the blue one. Or the need to call a buddy to let him know you are "so hunting". And too, there are so many hunters, outdoor folks in general, that take to the woods each year that are totally unprepared in knowledge and equipment but they know they have their trusty cell phones to call someone to bail them out when they get over their heads.  Obviously, I do not feel strongly about this.  

[Dave in WV]

Do you get  cell phone coverage where you hunt? When I hunt in Lewis county I don't have service so I don't carry mine. Here at home I do carry mine with it turned off. I figure if I can't turn it on to get help it's too late any way.

[bilmac]

I worked on a Wildlife Refuge in Nebraska, and each year we were getting more phone calls by hunters asking us to come pull them out. We liked to be freindly and helpful, but why do they think to take a cell phone and not a shovel and jack. We decided finally to start giving them the phone number for the local wreaker. A towing bill learned them quickly to "be prepaired".

[Smokem]

I hunt in Maine. I have a pack vest from Cabelas better than any day pack or fanny pack.

Deer drag
Rope
2 lighters
Candles
small first aid kit
TP
Skinning knife
field dressing gloves
orange trail tape
AAA-mini mag light
2 large trash bags
deer scents
deer call
rattle bag
ammo (pistol and rifle)
snacks...I get hungry
water

[Freezer]

    Wait one minute, I am the only one with a shovel!  Please don't tell me you just make a deposit on the ground   No wounder harvest limits are so low on public lands!

[alsatian]

Stuart C:  I have many knives.  I have used a Gerber folding Gator Knife and a Buck 110 folding knife.  I find that I prefer the Buck 110 filding knife.  I think a good non-folding knife with a blade about 3" to 4" long would also be good.

I use a light day pack that I bought at Wal-Mart, but any backpack that a kid uses for school books would suffice.  I carry water, snacks, flourescent tape for marking trails (find at hardware store -- it is not sticky tape, just like a 3/4" wide ribbon) and other purposes, a headlamp, extra cartridges.

I like to use a headnet to help conceal my face and prevent "flash" as I turn my head in the woods.  I also like to wear gloves for a similar purpose.  I find there is no trouble operating my rifle trigger while wearing gloves.

I don't see the need for a pop-up blind and think that is unnecessary.  I myself hunt exclusively from improvised ground blinds.  I decide on a set-up the morning/afternoon of a hunt, go to that chosen location, and find some place to conceal myself.  I try to locate myself in a shadow, with clutter behind me to break up my outline and clutter in front of me to about the height of my waist to conceal my feet and knees.  For example, I may be sitting on a log behind some bushes with other bushes behind me.  I'm in the shadows.  If I'm overlooking a point that is about 100 yards away where I have reason to believe a deer is going to show up, that deer is going to have a hard time seeing me before I see him and shoot him under these conditions -- unless I make a bunch of noise or am moving around.  I try to be silent and be motionless most of the time.  When I do move, I move slowly.  If you are bow hunting you have to be very close to your quarry, and maybe other approaches (pop-up blind or tree stand) increase in importance.  Additionally, given my approach, I don't find that camoflage clothing is essential.  People used to successfully take deer without camo clothing.  Additionally, I have been successful just wearing green wool army surplus M-51 trousers and red-checked wool shirt.  I have camo clothes, I just prefer now to wear the wool, especially as I find I still take deer wearing the wool instead of the camo.  I do have a camo insulated parka that I wear when it is cool.

I like to have some hand-held pruning shears that I use to clip and trim brush in my line-of-sight where I establish my set-up.  This is a "nice to have" not a "have to have" item, however.

I definitely like the headlamp.  I have found this is very handy when gutting a deer at last light when you want both hands free for doing business.

Having some light rope is also useful.  Once, when having to get my deer out by going up a steep hill, I used rope to tie the legs of the deer together so my buddy and I could lift the deer up on a pole -- like what you see in the movies sometimes -- and that was much handier than having to drag that deer up the hill.  Other things can also be done with some rope when out hunting that can make your life easier.  I'm talking that cheap "sash cord" stuff you can buy at any hardware store.  20' of that in your pack is probably enough.  One thing I have seen in a book but not actually practiced myself is tieing the right front leg to the right rear leg and the left front leg to the left rear leg.  This allows the hunter to use the legs of the deer like straps of a backpack and carry the deer on their back.  Again, depending on circumstances, this might be easier than dragging a deer out of the woods single handedly, up hill, over creeks or other obstacles.  Of course, if the field dressed weight of your deer is 220 LBS, this may be impracticable.  Where I hunt, often my field dressed deer may only weigh 80 LBS or 90 LBS, and this is a load that can be carried on the back over a limited distance anyway.

[K.K]

Here is a list of things that I carry in my day/fanny pack
1.  Schrade Sharpfinger knife
2.  At least 10 rounds of spare ammo
3. Butane lighter and tinder
4. reflective tape for blood trailing
5. headlamp with red/white light
6. grunt tube/doe bleat can/rattle bag
7. scents and wicks
8. plastic bags
9. small first-aid kit
10. a few granola bars/jerky

[Terry1]

1. proper clothing
2. good knife
3. 2 compasses
4. fire starter and tinder
5. extra ammo
6. water
7. strong rope
8. tp
9. orange flagging
10. light
11. small first aid and survival kit
12. folding saw
I carry all this in a medium sized fanny pack.