Gear & Optics

Elk Mountain Tents have created a traditional style wall tent with some very innovative features while solving some of the issues that plague traditional canvas tents.

I had the opportunity to try out some First Lite gear this fall and couldn’t wait to put it through its paces. Until this year, I had only owned one piece of their clothing and had about loved it to death so I was anxious to see what the folks at First Lite had been working on. With several deer, antelope and elk hunts planned for the fall across Montana, I was confident I could put it through the wringer and see how the different pieces performed.

Bushnell has been all over the map in recent years, in terms of levels of products. They have spent a lot of time solidifying their place at the table on high-end products, like the XRS and HDMR, both contenders in military circles. Then they will turn around and introduce sub $200 scopes, such as the Engage series. It can get a bit, well, confusing. So I am very happy with what seems to be a recent change to the product lines.

Hunting boots can be a topic of great debate. For warm weather boots, I’ve found a brand that has been impeccable—and made from exotic leather no less.

Staying comfortable while waiting on deer has the fantastic side effect of, well, being able to stick around and wait for deer. Fortunately for me, sitting against trees was cool this year despite my admittedly bad back and it was all thanks to the latest pack from ALPS OutdoorZ: the Enforcer Predator Pack.

Turkey season has arrived which means we are packing up our gear in preparation to hit the field. In addition to our tried and true turkey essentials, it’s not too late to make a few additions of some great new products, just in time for turkey season.

We were a very talkative group at dinner the night before and during coffee that morning. But when the 15 of us walked into the covered shooting line and saw the steel targets ranging before us–the last row at 1,000 yards—it all went silent. Oh, man, I imagined my fellow students thinking, that’s what 1,000 yards actually looks like? Never going to happen!

Review of the Wilderness Wood Camping Stove for wall tents.

There is nothing worse than cold and wet feet when out in the field on a hunt. Okay, missing the shot of a lifetime at a Boone and Crockett level buck might actually be worse. But if your feet are warm and dry you will have one less thing to complain about while recounting the tale of the one-that-got-away back at camp. The Original Muck Boot Company makes some great footwear for keeping your feet warm and dry in the field.