Tuf's 2019 CO 2cd rifle season gear... what worked... what sucked

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Tufrthnails
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Tuf's 2019 CO 2cd rifle season gear... what worked... what sucked

Unread postby Tufrthnails » Thu Oct 31, 2019 3:25 pm

Old school deer skin wool mitts -----A+ /They were super warm used them a lot

Black Ovis Merino liner glove---- A- /They worked ,but didn't warm the hands back up once cold. They are good and grippy.

Black ovis Merino Beanie------ A+ / Of the 6 days we were in the woods only one day did it come off for more then a few minutes and that includes sleeping. I used it as a baselayer with my orange beanie or ball cap depending on level of cold and snow

Volcano Mini Burner-----B+ /It worked but could be a lot more stable when cooking on it.

Volcano backpacking pot kit---A /decent lightweight pot kit.

First Lite Uncompahgre Puffy jacket and pants---- A / I'm torn here It was super warm and made it very comfortable to hunt in single digit temps with snow everywhere, but I tore a small L in the side of one knee. I have to contact First lite to see if they have a patch kit of suggestion for repairing. Compared to my REI Puffy jacket it was a very noticable difference in the level of warmth.

Crispi Summit GTX boots---B/ They did the job and are comfortable to hike in, but the water proofing only lasted 3 days and were a bear to get dried back out.

SOF Sole insert---- A+/ Once broke in the worked really really well for me.

Gortex soft shell jacket and pants---A+ / I have one set from my military days and one set my brother gave me he got off Amazon that didn't fit him, both sets worked great as a mid/ outer layer depending on if i had the puffy on.

RedHead 82% Merino socks----B-/ Big bulky not as much warmth as I would have liked. They did okay, but I really missed my Smartwool socks I let a buddy borrow for his Alaska trip.

Redfield Rebel 10x42 binos---B / A bit heavy, but plenty up to the task for day to day glassing especially on a pod. For the price they are great bang for your buck.

Vortex Diamondback 8x32----C / I bought these hoping I could shed weight on the longer hikes and still be able to effectively scan in front of us. They are very hard to get to show a full picture. You must have them perfectly lined up definitely not conducive to throuwing up for a quick view. I ended up hiking with my Redfields.

Nikon Prostaff 3 16x48x60 Spotting scope----D / I bought to be able to glass and key in on dark spots and such. At high resolution they are very grainy. The tripod leaves a ton to be desired in stability. I only brought with us on one hike, before ditching the anchor.

Cabelas merino baselayer top and bottom/ Cloudwell merino baselayer top and bottom---- A-/ They did good I swapped back and forth between them to dry them out. Neither are very rugged and I have worn spots at elbows and knees on both sets over 2 seasons, but they will still get a couple more seasons out of them.

Mystery Ranch Selway 62----B+/ For day to day packing it holds enough to get you by. It is very tight for a spike camp. It has no internal pockets for organizing. The Zippers are much noisier then I would like them to be.

Kifaru Universal Gun bearer----A+/ man did I love not having my rifle sliding around all the time. It worked awesome.

Little Buddy Heater---- B / Worked to knock the chill out of the tent in the mornings and evenings, but didn't have enough up to really heat it up to comfortable level Although a lot of that is to blamed on my brothers tent.

Colman 4 man dome tent-----F / this was my brothers doing. When we went back into town I bought a 8 man colman tent that did nothing to help with warming, but being able to stand up to get dressed, having enough room to bring the popup table into the tent and camp chairs to eat and yak is massive on a long hunt.

Sleeping bags ---- C / I can't remember brand but we ran 2 bags each this was another of my brothers items he provided. I was wishing I had sent my 3 part military bag system. They did an okay job with 2 bags since I was able to get down to my baselayer at night and sleep without having to pile the clothing on, but quality backpacking bag is way up on my list.

Amazon Treking poles---A /Very light and extremely useful on hikes. saved my but a couple times when it got nasty. Also doubled as shooting sticks if needed.

Platypus 3 liter bladder---A- /Worked great well except when the line started freezing. Insulated hose would help some. I ended up rerouting to eliminate the prob ans much as possible but it's a pain to open pack every time I want a sip.

Sawyer Squeeze water filter--- A /Didn't need to use it as much as I thought I might, but the couple times I did it worked great. I will give it a really good workout throughout the rest of the season.


I can't think of much else, but if I do I'll add to this thread. If anyone has questions feel free to ask and I'll answer anything I can.


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camelcluch
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Re: Tuf's 2019 CO 2cd rifle season gear... what worked... what sucked

Unread postby camelcluch » Fri Nov 01, 2019 5:30 pm

Good info. Glass is super import out west. Buy once cry once is usually a good view. Tents are tricky but my kodiak canvas tent is roomy and heats well with the buddy heater. Sleeping bags and pads are like rocket science. There is a real difference in bags and it sucks to learn the hard way. Pads also make a huge difference in the warmth. Overall looks like most of your gear did well.
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Re: Tuf's 2019 CO 2cd rifle season gear... what worked... what sucked

Unread postby Tufrthnails » Fri Nov 01, 2019 8:37 pm

camelcluch wrote:Good info. Glass is super import out west. Buy once cry once is usually a good view. Tents are tricky but my kodiak canvas tent is roomy and heats well with the buddy heater. Sleeping bags and pads are like rocket science. There is a real difference in bags and it sucks to learn the hard way. Pads also make a huge difference in the warmth. Overall looks like most of your gear did well.


That's one piece I forgot
Self inflating sleeping pads....B+ / I forget the brand I'll have to call my brother and get it from him I left them with him. Dinged it for not inflating very well. Still had to blow it up quite a bit and at 10K'+ that isn't any fun. It did a good job insulating and held air really well. Seems to be very well made and durable.
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Re: Tuf's 2019 CO 2cd rifle season gear... what worked... what sucked

Unread postby camelcluch » Mon Nov 04, 2019 4:13 am

I have tried a few but really like the Exped pad. They come with different insulation and r values but the pump bag is awesome. I try to lighten up my gear but will pay the weight penalties for my sleep system. Super important to get good comfortable sleep.
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Re: Tuf's 2019 CO 2cd rifle season gear... what worked... what sucked

Unread postby Edcyclopedia » Mon Nov 04, 2019 7:03 am

Note to self...
Leave brother home :lol:
Expect the Unexpected when you least Expect it...
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Tufrthnails
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Re: Tuf's 2019 CO 2cd rifle season gear... what worked... what sucked

Unread postby Tufrthnails » Mon Nov 04, 2019 7:07 am

Edcyclopedia wrote:Note to self...
Leave brother home :lol:


Hahaha! To borrow a saying from Aron Snyder my brother is tougher then woodpecker lips when it comes to cold weather.
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Re: Tuf's 2019 CO 2cd rifle season gear... what worked... what sucked

Unread postby stash59 » Mon Nov 04, 2019 7:10 am

Edcyclopedia wrote:Note to self...
Leave brother home :lol:


Or just don't let him chose gear/pack!!! :lol:
Happiness is a large gutpile!!!!!!!
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Tufrthnails
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Re: Tuf's 2019 CO 2cd rifle season gear... what worked... what sucked

Unread postby Tufrthnails » Mon Nov 04, 2019 7:45 am

stash59 wrote:
Edcyclopedia wrote:Note to self...
Leave brother home :lol:


Or just don't let him chose gear/pack!!! :lol:

That’s for sure!
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Re: Tuf's 2019 CO 2cd rifle season gear... what worked... what sucked

Unread postby Rich M » Fri Nov 08, 2019 5:09 am

Great list. I'll do something similar once I get back into the swing here.
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Re: Tuf's 2019 CO 2cd rifle season gear... what worked... what sucked

Unread postby greenhorndave » Fri Nov 08, 2019 5:23 am

Great info. Super helpful to understand the context and how it all worked together. :clap:
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Sometimes when things get tough, weird or both, you just need to remember this...
https://youtu.be/d4tSE2w53ts


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