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Eighteen months ago I purchased the Julbo Dirt sunglasses with a photochromic and polarized Zebra lens. This was my second pair, with the first pair being unfortunately lost after a few years of use. Based on product specs and photos, I see no material differences between the original Dirt and current Dirt 2.0. I’m hard on sunglasses.…
Prior to this hunting season I purchased the WFS Upland Hunting Field Vest at my local Jax Outdoor Gear for $20. It’s available on Amazon for less than $30. I knew that it would likely not be a winner when I purchased it. It was only available in size Large, and I’m generally a small…
Prior to the big game hunting season I purchased the blaze orange Yukon Gear Field Vest for less than $30 from Amazon. I was drawn to its price and simple design. After closer first-hand inspection, however, I decided to return it due to concerns over its abrasion-resistance and long-term durability. Fit The vest fits true to…
Colorado’s third rifle season for elk and deer starts on Saturday morning, and so over the next few days I’ll be finishing my preparations for our backpack hunt. Tonight, the task at hand was food. I thought I would share some tips and a list of what I’m packing. How much? We are inclined to pack…
Most of my complaints about upright, remote, and integrated canister stoves like the Kovea Supalite, MSR Windpro, and Jetboil Flash relate to the fuel canisters, not to the stoves, which are generally excellent: powerful, user-friendly, durable, lightweight, etc. In particular, the canisters are: Heavy, in consideration of the amount of fuel they contain; Expensive, relative to other…
While preparing for a backpacking trip in the Colorado Rockies this coming weekend (early-November), I had to consider the appropriateness of my ultralight alcohol stove and my powerful remote canister stove systems. I concluded that both would be functional, but that with an extra $50 purchase I could have a perfectly optimized kit. Intended applications This “Fast & Light” setup is suitable for solo backpackers and…
In a recent series I shared my backpack hunting gear lists for big game like elk and deer. Each post contains a detailed list and an in-depth discussion of my selections: Introduction Before the Shot The Shot After the Shot For reader convenience, I have made these lists available for download as a set of PDF’s and…
Backpack Hunt Gear List: After the shot For good reason, hunters often comment that, “The real work begins after pulling the trigger.” I can’t understate the effort involved in field dressing an animal and then packing out the meat (150-200 pounds for an elk), in addition to gear. Hunt with a friend — you’ll be glad…
Backpack Hunt Gear List: The shot After finding game and getting within range, it’s time to take the shot. My equipment: Long gun When shopping for my rifle I set a few parameters. It had to be: Suitable for elk and deer; Light, but still practical for target shooting and the shooting range; Reasonably priced;…
Backpack Hunt Gear List: Before the shot With the exception of a lucky outing, finding the game often constitutes the bulk of most hunts. In fact, about 75 percent of hunting trips in Colorado end without having taken a shot or packed out meat. If it were that easy, it’d be called shooting, not hunting. Optics and safety clothing…