Ep. 71: Remi's 2020 Gear Roundup (and Gift Guide)

this week is going to be all about gear. I think if you get a bunch of hunters in a room together, uh, first, they're probably gonna talk about some of their hunting stories, share stories of hunts or recent hunts or other things that they've done, and then the conversation always tends to go toward gear. Gear that they like, gear that they don't like, gear that they want to try or want to buy. It's just, for some reason,

is in hunter's DNA to talk about gear. And I think it's because there's so much good gear and gear so integral to what we do. There's a lot of good gear out there that helps us be more successful, be more comfortable. Um, and there's a lot of gear out there that you know is really good, and there's a lot of gear out there that it's not so good and It's just something that we like to talk about. We like to see what everybody else is using. We like to talk about what we like, what we don't like,

and I am no different. So this year, I've decided to make a top gear of list. I'm gonna be running through all my favorites and all the things that I got to try, things that I like, and why I like them. Now I feel very, very fortunate because when it comes to gear, I get to try a lot of stuff. For some of the magazines that I write for, I get to sample gear for um just

various things. I work with a lot of companies very closely through partnerships and sponsorship type things, but also just get to try a lot of different product lines and other things to sample some stuff I really like, some stuff I don't like. But generally the stuff that I don't like, it's not even necessarily worth talking about for the most part. But for me personally, I've always been the type of person that when it comes to picking out gear, I have the philosophy that I'd rather buy

it once and use it forever. I really like high quality gear that I know is gonna last a long time, that's going to get the job done. And I also am very cognizant of the fact that my uses for gear might not be the same uses as other people. You know, I've professionally guided pretty much my entire adult life, and I'm using these things day in day out as part of my job. But also, you know, you're using

it every day, so I really demand some of the best. Um, I understand that maybe for a week long hunt or something that might not necessarily be necessary, but also I think that there is something to be said for how having gear that gets the job done. I'm a really big proponent of that. Now, good gear doesn't necessarily mean it's the most expensive, but it does mean that it's high quality, it does the job, it works really well.

Now for me, I get to try a lot of different stuff, and which is awesome because I work with a lot of companies. I always think it's good to just disclose, like, yes, I am sponsored by some companies, and I do get to try a lot of different things, so I can be very well versed in all things gear because I get to try so much different stuff, and I get to kind of report back and say, Okay, here's what I liked about this here's what I think

is really good at this price point. You know, I think that that's something to just kind of keep in mind. It's not like nobody's paying me to say these things.

These are just kind of my own opinions, and I just kind of like to lay it out there that, yes, I am sponsored by a lot of these companies, but also, you know, that's because I choose to work with them, because I seek out things that I already like and use and find as good quality gear, and then end up building these working relationships with these companies as well. So that's kind of my stance on it. You know, take it as you will. I just think it's always

good to disclose that kind of stuff. And then also, you know, it's really nice because I might be working with a certain company, but I also get to try a lot of their products within that company. And I say that whenever I do these gear things, because I

think it's good to know where I'm coming from. But on this gear list in particular, there's a lot of things UM companies that I work with, and then some of that's just completely random stuff for other stuff that I've tried, other stuff that I've sampled, UM I get sent sample things for the magazines and other things like I mentioned, So some of this stuff just also just who knows where it comes from, just cruising Amazon and being like, oh, this looks nice. There's a lot of

that in here as well. We might as well just jump in. I know that sometimes when I start talking gear, I could talk this could be a forty four hour podcast and then we'd just be barely scratching the surface. And I could probably and then we can move from the first one. But I figured if we do kind of like a best of that's going to be the best way to kind of showcase some of the things that piqued my interest this year, some things that I

was really excited about. And I think there's some cool stuff in here that you know, especially coming around that time holiday season, this might be a really good kind of gift guide. I always get these messages from people who, um, it might be like husband listens to it, and his wife and kids listen to it all the time. The wife and kids don't hunt, but they'll be like, hey, I listened to every one of your podcasts. Any suggestions on something from my husband? So this this is for

you as well. So This is for the hunter and the non hunter. This might be the perfect gift guide for those of you, uh, if you've got someone in your family that's really hard to buy for. It kind of has everything you might be able to glean some tips out of here. Let's start with the best of optics. I know optics for me personally, the way that I hunt, that's one of the categories that I would say is

really integral to success, something that's very important. I work with Vortex Optics, so I got to try a lot of stuff in their product lines. If we're gonna talk about binoculars for me, I think that this year the ones that really stood out would be the ten by forty two razor u h D s. Now, that's their top of the line, highest in binocular I know in the past, you guys you've probably heard me talk about

liking twelve by fifty binoculars. But these u h D s are super super, I don't know, just like really easy on the eyes, really clear, really crisp. They're a little bit heavier than the regular razors, so the weight savings, but I think that the quality over the weight is kind of worth it. They're similar shape and design, but just a little bit you know, I actually haven't read the specs on it, but they just feel a little bit heavier to me. It might just be of a

different glass in there or whatever. I originally went with the twelve by fourty two is just because they fit a little bit better in in my favorite by no Harness it. Then I just kind of like fell in love with them and can't part with them. So I've been rocking the ten by forty two u h D s and I think it's the best class of four Texas come out with so far. Um it is their highest then binocular. But for me, you know, using it day in and day out, I really really really like them.

One other thing that I did try though this year was the Diamondback fifty fifty six is now that's they're more mid price optic and I think it's really it's actually pretty smart choice on there. And but I used it pretty much all of a Springbury season because a lot of sitting glassing. They're a little bit lighter weight, but the clarity and quality of them was really surprising, like really decent, really good, especially for the price they

actually are. H D as well, I think it's fills a good niche between having those like higher power binoculars, but not wanting to spend that primary binocular price. So the binoculars you got every day around your neck. You know, when I'm thinking about higher power optics, I call them my bag bag knocks because They're going to be in my backpack and I'm gonna get up sit glass somewhere overlooking area and then put them away when I'm done, or maybe drive to a glass knob like a short

walk from there. So it's kind of a good price point where you can get into having that type of binocular where you can sit because it's so much easier on your eyes and better for glassing than staring through the spotting scope, which is more magnification. But for a lot of hunts man, I just almost prefer high powered binoculars. I can kind of verify what I'm looking at if I need that verification, as long as I'm not trying to like really nitpick the animals that I'm looking at.

Score wise, I just need okay it's legal or yeah, it's a mature representation. I can tell from here because having both eyes open and just scanning off a tripod with the high powered binoculars is is a nice way to do it, and I think sometimes for backcountry hunting, I've actually taken those, you know, just go with higher power binoculars and kind of forego the spotting scope. But um spotting scope still is extremely handy. And I did

also try out the Diamondback hd UH spotting scopes. I wouldn't say they're cheap, but I wouldn't say they're expensive as far as spotting scopes go, and it's really good like bang for your buck. They're around five that five range, still still not cheap, but um really high quality for the price. Because when you're talking about spotting scopes, I mean you can go up to the kind of the skies the limit when it comes to glass, and you know, as they say, well you normally get like the more

you pay, the better it is. But I think some optics there's kind of this happy medium where it's good enough and you don't really necessarily need to go that extra bit more or you know, it's not in the budget, but if you can afford this, then you're going to be very very very very happy with it. And not that it's not big purchase as well, but I think that. Um,

I'm really impressed with it. I've like, actually, I was like, okay, it's a little bit lighter than some of the more expensive stuff as well, so I kind of like that that little weight saving. So I think it's just something to look into if you're looking for optics. Those I was really happy with those. The one optical piece that knocked it out of the park for me the Razor LHT rifle Scope Light Hunter Tactical. Hands down the best rifle scope I've ever used. It has everything that I like.

I mean, it's kind of like they designed the scope particularly for me, and they may have I don't know, you know, every time I talked to him, like you guys design that scope from me, right, you know, because they know that I like the scope that I've liked before and just has the features now that I just wanted in a scope. I mean, it's really really good optical clarity. I really like the radical in it. Um

it's got also kind of a light up radical. It's super lightweight but has all the tactical features as well. So it's got one thing that I think is absolutely necessary for a hunting for Like, a feature that I really like is a locking turrets. UM. I like an m O A scope, So this one has got locking elevation, capped windage. It's perfect. It's everything that I've ever asked in a scope. It also has like easy to do

zero stop. It's easy to adjust because I'm actually like, when I go somewhere, I'll get out like let's say I'm going on a trip actually this week. I just shot my gun at the range yesterday. When I get there, it's gonna be different elevations everything. I like to set my ballistics for where I'm at and the temperature and everything like that. So I'll just actually recite that scope, pull that top cap off, reset my zero stop, and boom, I'm good to go there. And it takes me two seconds.

You know, it's like super easy. I love everything about the scope. It's if you were to ask me what's the best scope ever made right now, I would say Vortex rasor l h T. That's definitely got my name all over it. I guess since we're talking about scoti, might as well talk about guns. The best gun of best one that I used, I would say I really liked the Saco Carbon light. UM. I like a light gun.

I got it in six five and I if you've listened to me talk, you know that my favorite caliber is a three short mag and I would have got it. It's like, how many three short mags because a guy need um, I don't know, it's just like every everything to be three in a short. But they didn't make this one in three short, and I liked the features of it, so I went with the six five cream More. You know, I've shot six five cream More a lot. I don't think it's like the best caliber ever made,

but I don't think it's bad either. Um, it's great for for a lot of different things. And on a cariboo with it this year, uh dear cow elk, everything was one shot awesome. So the thing I really like about the gun just like the ergonomics adjustable trigger. It's just super comfortable, super lightweight, definitely definitely a really high

quality gun, super accurate. So I definitely liked that. And I guess let's go on to the best suppressor of the best suppressor of I'm gonna have to say, hands down, sure Fire Titanium. I got it in thirty cow that way, I put it on everything, so it's um, it's pretty sweet. It's a lightweight. I've got it currently on that Socco Carbon Light six five, but I got thirty cow so I can just put it on pretty much any rifle

that I own. You can put a break on your gun, and then it's got a quick thread adapter to go over your muzzle brake. I know some people think that those might not be as accurate because well, you don't know if it's seated same, but the brakes are indexed on there. It's got like this um so that you kind of put it on the same every time a little index thing on the break threatens on and just like essentially a full or half turn kind of thing seats it on there. I've had no problems with accuracy

with it. Actually kind of increased the accuracy on some of the other guns that I've put it on. And it's it's awesome. It it does a good job making you know, it takes the crack out of the rifle, protects your ears a little bit, and also takes a little bit of jump out of the rifle. It's really nice because you can squeeze off that round and you're

still on target. Even if on higher magnification. You can watch the impact, and it's really nice if you're hunting alone, um or even hunting with other people, it's nice to have that not blow your drums out like a regular break does. So that one, that one's been good. UM, I think I got it took me you know, everybody asks questions about the suppressors and other things. It didn't take me that long to get my tax stamp for it. I think it was kind of right around COVID and

I thought, man, is gonna take forever. This is a bummer, I think. I. Let's see. I sent in my paperwork in March and got it around September, so it wasn't actually too bad. Um. I don't know what the weight times are like now, but uh, if it's something you're thinking about, highly highly suggests getting one. Uh most states it's legal to hunt with. So that's kind of a that was like a fun purchase for myself this year

that um Man, I really really like that one. I actually got a couple of them because I was like, I tried a couple of different ones, but that one was hands down better than the other ones that I that I got, So I was really impressed with that. Since we're still talking about firearms here, and we'll get into some bow stuff here shortly. The best AMMA of

it's got to be Terminal Ascent, Federal Terminal Ascent. I've had really really good luck with it, and for me, bullet choice is huge because I'm looking for something with good BC, looking for something that I think I kind of talked about this earlier, but looking for something that also has good killing power, like you it needs if

it's used for hunting. So I started getting kind of disenfranchised of some ammo that's like it was more target ammunition that they're selling his hunting ammunition that didn't perform like hunting ammunition. There's a lot of manufacturers doing that, and it was just really irking me a little bit. And this is performing like target ammunition, but on game is definitely having that knockdown power that controlled expansion, like from a short range to a long range. So I'm

pretty stoked on that. Actually. Just I just cited my three short in with it um yesterday and uh man, it was like just a sub m away group two yards. I was less than in I would say less than an inch for sure, five shot group two with it. So I'm like, all right, that's awesome. And it was out of a gun that was a little bit finicky with some other AMMO. So that's nice because I spent a lot of I mean, I did a lot of

round testing and it likes it, so that's nice. Um. But then I've also hunted a lot with it this year. You know, out of my six five and everything, I've shot one shot drop like dead. That's what you want in hunting AMMO, and so it's been pretty good. We took it on a caribou hunt and I think three out of the four caribouer shot with that same Ammo, same rifle actually, and then a couple of wolves and deer and uh elk, cow elk and the cow it was. You know, it's just perfect four yards lined up shot,

drop dead kind of thing. And that's what you like, That's what you want your AMMO to do. That's what you want your shots to do. So very very happy with that this year. That definitely gets an award from me. Let's go into some bow stuff. I think the best bows. Let's do best bows of I mean, I'm a Prime shooter. I worked with Prime. I've been shooting Primes for a long time. Their new Nexus bow I like a lot

better than the Black. I think that there was some things that I didn't necessarily like about the Black as much, but have been like it wasn't a bad bow by any means. But this Nexus bow, I think is just a step up from it, And so I'm pretty stoked on that. I haven't got a lot of hunting time in with it, but what I've used it for so far, I'm pretty stoked on. I'm also kind of just one of those people that I get a bow that I

still really love the synergy. It's an old boat. I don't even they don't make them anymore, but damn did I love that do? I still love that bow. I'm just one of those people though, with bows, I get super sentimental. If I have like a great year with it, then um, it's hard for me to switch bows. I've always been and I'm like that with rifles as well. Like I like to name them, I like to spend time with them. You know, you carry something around for so long, and it's just one of those things like

I don't like to each guns all the time. I don't like to switch bows all the time. Um, I'm pretty sentimental when it comes to I don't even know if it's sentimental. It's just you get used to it. It's like you carry it through the mountains for a certain amount of time and you have a good season and you're just like, let's keep these good times rolling, man, you know, and you keep that. I don't know what it is. I'm sure there's a lot of people like that.

I'd probably still be shooting. I don't even know if they still like if you could keep a bow up forever, I probably just keep shooting the same bows that I've always shot. Um. But that I say that, and then I get a new one and I'm like, oh, there's things that I really really like about this new bow. So I definitely think that the nexus takes you know, I've shot I actually got to shoot quite a few bows this year, so UM, that one I really enjoyed. UM. But like I said, I haven't got like hunt time

with it yet. So as of right now, just shooting it out of the box, um, hands down, I'm pretty stoked on it. Uh, But I guess I don't know if I always like to just hunt with it and then come back and give another report. So I'm sure if I if I like it out of the box, it's gonna hunt well. I've never had one that I didn't like out of the box. Um not hunt well and pretty good about deciphering that. So pretty stoked on that. That's I mean, that's the one to look out for

for sure. Um. It's really there's a lot of things I really like about it so far. Like it's pretty quiet, Um, it's super dead in hand, things that I kind of look for in a bow, um, especially for like Western hunting, when you're in the mountains and everything's kind of already unstable bow, it's easy to just hold on that spot and then something that you know doesn't really have a lot of knock travel because you know you've got if

you're twisted at a weird angle or whatever. You just want every shot, no matter the angle you're shooting at or whatever, to just go right where you want it. Um. So that's been fun. Uh this year too, I kind of want to just get back to the basics a little bit. You know, it's been so long since I well, I wouldn't say it's so long. Every year I hunt with a trad bow, but I don't necessarily always film it. This year I just decided to go like old school,

bust out my Montana longboat. It's a bare long bow. I think I got it at cabela Is like quite a few years back, use like the Cabella's credit card points and got this thing is like maybe three D bucks or something like that. Had a lot of fun with that this year, you know, just kind of getting back to shooting the trad bow. Why I shoot him

a lot all the time. But um then a friend of mine came out this year with his He had a recurve a stalker stick bow, and that thing is just like an absolute work of art, handmade like beautiful wood. And so I'm like, okay, I need one of these. And I actually just got a stalker stickbow too. So if you're looking for something that's like absolutely the best, handmade,

just like beautiful piece of hunting art. I'm gonna hunt with the stick bow and allow Aska this week, and then I'm gonna come back and help my mule your tag with that Nexus Prime. So those are two hunts that I'm really really looking forward to here coming up and hopefully get first harvest with a couple of new bows. Nothing better than breaking in a new bow on a hunt. So much fun. Oh yeah, those will be my hunting partners for the next couple of years, hopefully. I like

how I talk about bows and guns like people. I'm just a special type. It's okay. You can continue to listen. Packs. Oh yeah. You can't talk about gear and not talk about packs. Packs, I would say, is probably the most talked about piece of gear. Because anything that's uncomfortable and somebody can make it comfortable, or a task that's hard and somebody makes it just a slightly a little bit easier, that's a good piece of gear. The pack, I mean, I used Stone Glacier. I work with them a lot.

This year I used the sky on the X curve frame. Really really solid pack. I mean there's many many packouts that I had. The heaviest pack out that I had in that pack this year was a hundred and sixty five pounds I think for I don't know, a really long ways. I mean we started I started walking, it was daylight and I ended up at three in the morning getting back. It was it was a slog for sure, but that pack really held together. I had stuff strapped

everywhere to that thing I had. When you talk about awkward weight. I had caribou rack over the top just trying to balance this thing velvet sluffing. I ended up just ripping all the velvet off because it was hit me in the face and stinking and just I didn't have enough room in the pack. That was the only trouble. So I think, um, not that the pack isn't huge, and that's not I mean, like, you don't need to put that much weight. I don't know why I like

to load my packs down so much. I just didn't want to have to go back for a second trip, but I ended up ferrying a lot of stuff anyways. Um, next sure I might actually try like a little bit, maybe go like the sixty nine or you know, because they shrink down too, But pretty dangn good for multi day trips and like carrying out lots of meats, So that that one gets my stamp of approval on that for sure. This is something that I hadn't uh used before and didn't even really know existed. But it's the

Gerber freescape saw. I like to do those boning cuts lately, and so I'm like, Okay, a little bit extra weight to carry a saw is fine, And I've been using like these Exo mood knife. So it's got a little saw in it as well. It's like a three you can they all kind of clipped together, but it's just more of like a skeletonized fixed blade knife. You know. For a long time I did the whole replaceable blade thing,

and I think those are really nice. But something about just having like a solid fixed blade knife that I just like, you know, I like to get in there and um, it's just nice to have like a solid blade. So I've been using solid knives a lot more recently. Um, And that Exo it does have a saw, but then this free Scape saws more of like a I hope they still make it. It folds like it's a wood saw,

but the blade folds into itself. So you know those old like white pack what are they called saws of wyoming or I can't remember what they were, but it's like this in this kit and you have the saw blade and you three pieces that you put together in a handle and you tighten the blade. This is like that style saw, but it folds out. It's pretty incredible. I wish I'd known about it sooner. That one. That

was like good surprise for this year. I liked that. See, oh we talked about packs, so we got to talk about boots. Um. I tried a lot of boots this year. Actually, I thought that was like one of my things. I was like, I kept I figured, Okay, I'm just gonna I had some boots that I hadn't broken in yet. I really beat my feet up on some of these hard soul boots. Man, the breaking period on some boots is horrible. But once they're past that breaking period, you're like, Okay,

now I'm riding nice. My two favorite pairs that I tried, I would say the snays bare tooths really really nice. This type of boot I like full leather boot um. The souls a little more flexible on those, so the breaking period was not very bad on that. And then the other one that I really liked that I'd never tried before was the crispy nevadas Um. Those ones are good too, and I'd heard a lot of good things about that. I have a lot of friends and stuff

that wear those boots. My brother wears those boots. Um, a lot of guys that I hunt with like those. I'm really glad I got to try those this year that those are really enjoyable to hunt in a little bit stiffer soul, but also like really good ankles support, really durable. I was pretty pumped on both those pairs of boots this year. Those are those both get awards I got kind of like a couple of different I just did three tents in here, because you know, you

gotta have your your packable backpacking tent. Um Stone Glacier, the Skyscraper two person. That's hands down the best tent I've ever owned. Um that's like just for everything. It's a two person tent, but I carry it solo most of the time. There's a lot of room in it. I've taken it on a lot of trips in like winter from winter camping. I would consider it a four

season tent for sure. It's really nice. But then this year I also did a lot of early season stuff and just like some kind of what i'd call like Bonzaye trips or just like BIV whacking and going. And I used their u l T like their ultra light tent. It sets up with your trekking polls. It was nice because I could keep a little bit of rain off. Not Um definitely not I wouldn't consider it like a four season tents, more early season tent. But it's so light,

it's like stuffed down to nothing. It's just essentially a nice little tarp tent style. But um man, that was nice. And then in Alaska this year a tent that I've used a lot, just if you've got a lot of people and you're flying in or horse packing in. Um pretty decent price and like pretty durable. The Cabella's outfit or six man that's like kind of a gold standard. I just wish it had two vegetables. Maybe they make them now. This one's old. I wanted it like a

Wild Sheep Foundation silent auction or something. Got it like a silent auction something like that. But it was really good. We had how many people really have the thing? Four people? It's a sixth man tent. If four is pretty damn snug, I would go more than that. Um but it worked out pretty solid. We had a little bit of inclement weather and it was good. Let's go into the best of electronics. One thing. I think this is actually the coolest thing that I got to test this year, and

I'm actually wearing it right now. I would never consider myself a watch guy many moons ago. I used to wear a sunto watch a lot um and that was way before smartphones and all these other things. And then, um, they stopped kind of making the battery for the one that I had, and it was an awesome watch at the time. It had altitude, a little bit of barametric pressure. Obviously it's told time. And then I just kind of

stopped wearing a watch. And then I recently got the Garment Delta Tactics watch and I was like, I'm not really a watch person. I haven't taken the thing off since I've got it. Absolutely love it. It's the Tactics Delta Solar. I wear it every day now and it's one of those things I'm like, I didn't know I needed it, and now I have one. I hope I don't have to give this back. I've tested it for a long time now. It's pretty damn awesome and I would definitely buy it if I do have to give

it back. I've just like enjoyed the heck out of it. A couple of the features on it. Every time. Every time it's like like, sit down, I have to tell someone about my watch and how cool it is. But it's got a by ballistics curves in it, so I can just put in my ballistic data right there, my dope chart just on my watch. I've got my drop compensation all that. It also has full GPS capability. It's got a little bit of solar charging. The battery lasts for a long time. Um. I actually lost the charger

and ordered a couple more off Amazon recently. I think it was like thirty days ago that I lost the charger, so I still got eleven days left. Um. It's got the altimeter shows your steps every day, which is nice. One. The feature that I used probably more than anything the sunrise sunset table on there. That's pretty rad man. And then just like not having to waste the batteries in your in your phone for a backcountry alarm. So this thing has just been money. I think it's a pretty solid.

Like if you're looking for a really good upper end gift for somebody that kind of has everything, this one's hard to beat. I'm pretty stoked. On another couple of pieces of electronics. Uh oh, the in Reach many that thing's awesome. I upgraded this year from the used to be in Reach, but it was delarm and it was old. I think they've sold well they I know they've sold to Garmin and now the Inn reach you just satellite

message through your phone. Pretty awesome, and it's a lot smaller than the ones of the past, so that one's been pretty pretty awesome. Let's go best headlamp of my I had a black diamond head lamp that took a crap this year, just like stopped working. And then I just decided I've had a lot of really expensive headlamps that didn't work, and I have a backup headlamp that

I've used. I always kind of have to headlamp two flashlights with me of some kind at all times, especially when I'm like even when I'm by myself, but if I'm guiding, because it's like somebody whatever, something happens. I've had this like Energizer one that I've had forever, and so I just thought, instead of buying a really expensive headlamp, I went to Costco and I saw a pack of

Energizer head lamp flashlights. It's like a four pack or maybe a two pack, and it wasn't very expensive, and that, hands down gets the best head Lamp of the Year award because the thing is pretty dang bright. It costs hardly anything. You get a couple of them, and so far the one that I've had is outlasted both Petzel and Black Diamonds, So I'll probably have these two for from now until the end of time. We'll see. But man, it's bright at everything I want in to head lamp um.

Obviously it locks, so as long as you got the lock feature. It's bright and works when I want it to work. I'm pretty stoked on it alright. Best new stuff on the market that I got to try this year, there's some meat processing stuff that this company kind of just started up and um, meet your maker. They've got a chamber of back seealer, so they just go do

everything like direct to consumer. If you aren't familiar with a chain vac sealer and you process your own meat, man vacuum ceiling is the worst, I think one of the worst. Well, there's the worst part of processing yourself is if you've got a crappy grinder. So They're grinder definitely makes the cut as well. It's like the I use just the half horse grinder, but the one and a half horse is just it pretty much sucks. The animals off the hill and grinds them for you. It's

pretty fast. Um, the half horse is good, the one and a half horse is better, but both work really well. Now, the chamber of Actealer, it's like you can actually vacuum seal water in there, so you could put your marinades in there. You can vacuum seal, but you also don't have to do anything. You just put it in the machine, you close the lid, and it vacuum seals it. It's

really fun to watch as well. It like sucks all the year out creates a vacuum chamber makes sense, but um, it's kind of cool because like when it sucks, the artist I call it said, it just drops the hammer. It's like pump pump, pump, pump, pump, and then boom and everything vacuum sealed inside there. It's pretty crazy how it works. I was watching it, I'm like, how does this even work? I don't even get it. So I had to watch like videos on the science behind chamber

vacuum steelers. That's actually quite interesting. We did talk about some bow stuff, but I might as well talk about some other accessories on the bow sites this year's winner. I mean It's kind of the one that I've decided every year, And to be honest, though, I really like the site that I've got. The spot Hog fast Eddy Xcel is the one that I've been using a lot. I get a lot of questions on both sites too, so that's the one I've been using. I just haven't

found one that I like better than it yet. I never thought I'd be a single pin guy. This has kind of got two pins and a slider site. Um, but I really like it. The Xcel is essentially just a bar that you can push out. I used to shoot with my bar further out, but um now I've been shooting with it further in, so I think maybe from now on I'll just get the fast Eddie. Um. The Excel is nice to because I travel a lot,

so I put in a bowcasing. I just pull that rail out and then slide it back in when I get wherever I'm going without having to take the screws of the whole site housing off. So that's nice. Um. One thing I also did try this year, just because I was out of curiosity and was pleasantly surprised, was that Garmin zero site. I know there's a lot of some people like, oh, it's too much electronics or whatever,

but if you're using a range finder anyways. I haven't actually got to hunt with it yet though, because all the places I had my tags this year it wasn't actually legal, but it's almost It's legal in a lot of places, just um, not in Montana and Idaho, um and Alaska. Not during the archery only season, but it

is during rifle season you can use it. But I thought it would be fun to try, especially for like some stuff when I'm hunting in New Zealand, which I you know, obviously didn't get to go there this year or whatever, but um, I definitely thought that that was that would be kind of cool. Um And I was just really really curious about it as well. And actually it works better than I thought it would and it's at least as advertised and better, so that was pretty sweet.

I would like to go hunt, access to hear or something with it, because there's those times, especially when I'm filming myself, and I need that there's like that too many steps process where I sneak in, I set up the camera. I like it's something that's super cag maybe like a jumpy access deer. Then I focused the camera, then I ranged the deer, and then I set my pin and then I draw back and then the animal walks away. So it would just take out a lot

of steps. Would be like set up camera, sheet the thing, um, and that would be nice. So that's kind of my thinking behind that, and I definitely think there's some places that would be pretty pretty solid work pretty well. Best arrows of this year. I did some switching up because you know, I had with the whole quarantine thing, I gotta play with my bows a little bit more. Instead of being on the road so much, I had some

downtime to just mess with a bunch of things. And the more I messed with things, the better I get, which is generally a good thing. This year, I just thought, hey, you know, let me I want to try a bunch of different stuff, try different arrows. I switched to Day six arrows. They had a lot of things that I like going on. They're a little bit heavier, they're extremely durable, and they're extremely accurate. Um. Just by switching those arrows,

I tightened up my groups quite a bit. They're a smaller diameter than I was used to shooting at first I was kind of like, how do I want arrows with these outskirts? And now I'm like, okay, I wouldn't see myself shooting another arrow right now. I've been so happy with it. And then another thing that I just started doing Brian when the owners of the owner of Day six, he suggested doing four fletch on my traded arrows,

and that has been actually surprisingly much more accurate. I like the arrow flights I've been getting with it, and I never thought I would go four fletch on my like on my compound bow, but I think that's going

to be the next step for me. And I've just kind of shied away from it because I have a weird anchor point that I've always used, like with three fletch, and it involves the way the fletching sits a little bit, so I thought, I don't want to mess at the four fletch, but I think I'm gonna I think I'm gonna go for a fletch from now on. We'll see um,

but definitely on my feathered arrows on my trad bow. Um. That's been really nice and I just really liked their arrows this year and going to continue to shoot him. Oh u arrow rests still, I can't get away from them. Hamski Hunter Pro. That one's like it's got some microadjust it's a limb driven but I don't know. I really like that rest. It's like bomb proof, bulletproof. It seems like it's got everything I need and I like that micro tuning ability. I know Tim Burnett, a friend of mine.

He does the Solo Hunter stuff too. He's kind of set up his own little bow shop over there, and so I've been going over there and just like shooting bear shafts and just tuning my rests and really getting everything dialed. And that's been a lot of fun this year. So um release, I haven't had a new release and I don't know, probably fifteen years. Um just a Scott. I think it's like a Scott little mongoose. Not even sure they make those anymore, but UM, I like it.

It's got the kind of parachord thing so I can tuck it. It's like on a webbing, so I can tuck it underneath and wear the release I don't really like to use. I mean, I I shoot all kinds of releases just in the backyard for fun. When I'm target shooting. Um, I've got a back tension, I've got a thumb release, I've got I even bought this release

this year. You press the trigger and then it's like and then you release it, and you release the trigger and it's like kind of it's a pure surprise release, but it's like risk style and so it just like slowly opens on a hydraulic and then let's the aero fly. So you just gotta focus, focus, focus, focus, focused on the boat just goes off whenever it once. I thought I'd try that and just see it's like, okay, um, it's just kind of fun, you know, try something different.

It's not something you would hunt with, but I thought it was kind of cool. Um, just for target shooting and switching between my releases and just making sure like okay, checking my form and you can really pay attention to a lot of stuff, just more as a training tool than um an actual hunting device. But I won't remember the name of it. I'll have to go find it and then report back later. Best archery target Oh I

got this, uh the backyard Mini Rheinhardt Elk. Things pretty awesome and it's a good price to the big Elk targets are way too expensive, I think so. Um, that was pretty solid. Uh, just kind of fun planking with the old bow, getting to shoot at something that looks like an elk. That was good. Best broadhead this year, I have to say, is I mean as you know, I've talked about it before. I'm a big fan of the mom text and then they got the M three's this year, so it's unvented solid Um. That's in a

really good broadhead for me. Best field tips I cruised the Amazon for a lot, a lot because I was shooting a lot and I got sick of having to, Like, my arrows were just so hard to pull out of my target. So I was looking on Amazon. Found these Trophy Taker easy outfield tips. Maybe everybody else in the world knows about these, but it essentially when it hits the foam, it creates a little bit of a gap, so it's easier to pull your arrow out. I don't

know why I didn't use those before. It's probably one of the best things I've ever bought. Best gun cleaning rod. My father in law gave me a would dow with some stuff on the end, and that has been probably the best gun cleaning rod I've ever owned. So next

time you're at home, depot, get some wood dowels. The best hunting tool, I think, probably the best hunting tool ever now as far as technological hunting people has to be on x hunt app and it's it's crazy how much scouting I did this year, um just from home while quarantined. I spent a lot of time on that half This year Best Gators year and Year out goes to Outdoor Research O our Gators. I don't think you can get a better set of gators right now, but

I did learn something new this year. So I've always gone with the size Gators fitted for my boot, but I have size twelve boots and fairly small calves I mean very strong caps. Okay, don't worry, but um, I don't need like like this giant tops that they're always a little sloppy. So this year, because I needed a new set of gators, I walked in in my hunting boots and then tried on the size down and found out that they still fit the boot that they aren't

sized for and they fit my leg better. So if you also have that struggle with the gators, maybe try sizing down. The best thing I didn't know I needed. This year, I got a caribou gear Hunters tart. I didn't even know I need it. I think it's like, um, it's this super lightweight foldable tarp. It's saved my caribou meat and I've been carrying it around ever since. It's awesome. It comes with some steaks and you can use it as tarp, as a shelter, as a whatever. It's not

real big. I've slept on it many nights, and I've also like used it to cover up meat when it's raining and other things. Pretty solid little piece of year. Let's go best snacks for me because Nature's Bakery fig bars those are pretty good. They stay pretty soft even when it's cold out and even when it's hot out, very stable snack um taste pretty good too. It's like a giant fig Newton. And then I read the back of the package and they're made in Reno, Nevada, where

I grew up. So hey, little hometown I didn't even know. And it turns out I liked them before that, so hey, um, I think you can get them everywhere that anything is sold. But they're pretty good. Best drink mix, I would say, if you ask me in the summer, I would say the Wilderness Athlete watermelon because I had this. Um, I thought I was gonna be sheep hunting all of August, so I really wanted to stay in shape and I was just running a lot and then I would run.

I'll run a lot, drink the watermelon, and then jump in the river. And that was my twice a day little thing that I did. And I think I drank way too much watermelon because it was so good. And then I think I burnt myself out on it, but it's still good. Um. So then now I'm gonna have to either say strawberry pomegranate or KEEPI pineapple. And then if I want a little caffeine, I go Tropical Fusion and the best dehydrated meals of the year. Uh that

goes Peak Refuel. They've really they just kind of came out of nowhere stepped it up. Well. I think they've always been good, but there I think way better than Mountain House. Now. I've been talking a lot about them because of the I'm like, yes, uses less water taste a lot better. Um, I feel better when I eat it, and they're best to meal. I think this year, they did like a Chad Mendez thing. It was like a partner was a bison bacon ranch mashers. I was addicted

to those. I don't know how many I ate this year, but it was a lot. I don't know if they're gonna keep making those ones or not, but they should. I will say though, there's certain things that I do like about the Mountain House. So I'm going to give Mountain House best breakfast because their biscuits and gravy is really good. Oh but all dehydrated meals were beat by a wild trout that I caught, and they didn't have any seasoning, so I used barbecue chips the seasonings. That's

that's good. And then let's close it out here. It's Christmas coming up. Um. You know, there's a lot of really good gear out there, but you know, don't have to It doesn't all have to be expensive. So here's five things for under thirty dollars that I think every hunter might might enjoy, or at least I enjoy, and if they listen to this podcast, I think if you get them some of these things, these are things that I would like to get um and do regularly get

for myself. Or as a gift. But the first thing I would say on the list is probably on x hunt app you can get a single state around that thirty dollar mark if you If they don't have that, that's it's just so handy, especially too if they're if somebody you know is going to be like planning and out of state hunt. That's kind of a cool thing. I I guess you could just get the whole yearly all fifty states thing as well, but um, that's pretty handy. This next one, number two rapid rope, So it's this

uh cordage that comes out of this. Can I keep them in my truck and then it's awesome to just have. Shortly after I talked about it on the podcast, they were on Shark Tank as well and they got a deal, so that was kind of cool. Um that's always like a really solid Christmas gift for someone. Number three on the list, Husky forty two gallon contractor bags. Probably the most useful tool in a hunter's backpack. I use these things for everything. It's the most underrated piece of gear

on the planet. And when I see that yellow box, I'm like, yes, now if they're if you're a hunter or you're planning on getting a hunter or something, write down all the uses of these contractor bay because I mean I've used them as waiters primarily. Is what I started using for is to line my pack so they don't get bloody, but me use them as a tarp of melted snow in them to make water. I've actually filled I forgot my sleeping pad one time, so I just filled them with pine boughs and then slept on

top of them. It was like kept me warm. That was nice. It's a poncho. I mean, it's a million different things. They worked pretty awesome. I always have a box in my truck or like in the garage that are specifically for hunting, not for yard work, just reserved for hunting. In that same line of kind of like a random thing, but it's like really nice. Uh. Micro Flex diamond grip gloves. They are like Latex style gloves, you know, like disposable gloves that you'd use, say you're

like cleaning an animal. You don't want to get anything, and it's probably not a bad idea to use gloves if you can, just because there's you don't want to catch a disease or starts you know, get an infection of some kind or whatever. So, um, my dad's actually a painting contractor and he uses these a lot, so I get them from him. Man, they're way better than all the other gloves out there, and they come in

like a pretty solid box. I don't know, I don't really want to mention it too much and then have fifty thou people go out and buy them all and then never be able to get them again. But microflex diamond grip gloves, that's the pro tip right there. And then the last thing every hunter can use alan key sets. You gotta have both kinds. You gotta have the kind that's on the little flipout deal that they're all together and you never lose them, and then the kind that

you can pull out and lose. You gotta have both, probably mostly s E. But today I was looking. I was like, I've got all as E ones and a standard English size and needed a two point five millimeter

to lighten up my trigger and couldn't find it. And then, of course you know what, I looked in a random spot and there it was right there, and I'm like, yes, thank God, I over by Alan keys because I feel like every piece of hunting gear uses them like from bows, two rifles to it just doesn't matter you need them. You can't have too many of those. So that's a great, great,

great gift. So I hope that helps. I know it kind of got a little long winded, the gear stuff generally does, especially when I do big lists of it. But I hope you at least maybe enjoyed hearing about some of the gear that I got to try out and some of the stuff some of some of my thoughts on that stuff. So coming up, we're gonna be doing a Christmas special. I'm really looking forward to that. So it's such a great time of year. Uh there's

some hunting seasons, some great stories. Hopefully you'll get to spend it with some close family. I know this year is gonna be maybe be a little bit different. Maybe it's gonna be long distance than people won't be traveling or whatever, and which is fine. And then we got some cool stuff coming up for the new year, talking about some planning things and some other stuff. So I hope that this helps. I hope that maybe you glean some ideas for either your yourself or something you want

to look into to add to your kit. Next year, and if you guys, as always, you know, I like to make these two way conversations, so reach out via social media. If you try something you really like this year, let me know, because you know, the best way for me to find out some cool stuff or some good stuff is to hear what other people have tried and got to use, and then I generally look into it

and then I'm like, Okay, I gotta try that. I haven't tried that, so uh, keep me posted on things, some of the things that you guys really enjoyed this year, and hopefully yeah, hopefully you have a good holiday season and we will talk to you later.