Well with all the talk centering for the next couple weeks on Elk season, I'd though I'd drop a highlight reel of some of the gear RD and I will be rocking in the
Nat'l Forest this September (17 Days Away !!!!) Stay tuned for gear reviews, but most of this stuff
has already been tried and approved with the
dbo seal of approval so here we go...
Shelter
Big Agnes
Seedhouse SL1 - This will be one of my new additions to the gear list. During the indoor trial in the living room, it's setup should be pretty quick, although the loop system for the poles will make it impossible to do the rainy-day-special setup:
fastfly first then add the tent body clipped in underneath, the design requires the tent body to be setup first, getting wet in the process. Other than that, it'll be a little short on room for the 6'6" man but should be just enough to suffice. Very light (2lb6oz) I look forward to giving it a whirl.
Kelty Gunnison 2 - This is my standby backpacking tent that will
probably come along on loan to Ryan and Daryn for a close and c
udley two man shelter. It was cheap and everything about it is easy. It weighs in at a little heavy 5lb3oz (2lb9oz/ man). Although its 92x58
floor plan is roomy as far as most 2 person tents go. Tent setup is ultra quick and simple and the vestibule space is a pure luxury! Gets a little cozy with two big boys but
that's the way it works in the
backcountry. You gotta be willing to cuddle man!
Sleep System
Marmot Helium 15deg Long Sleeping Bag - This thing is a work of pure
genius for a long bag at 2.1lbs!!! Super light, Super Warm, User friendly. It can't be beat! Expensive but an easy way to let dollars save you pounds. It has yet to let me down.
Exped SynMat 7 Pump Deluxe - Super Big and comfortable. My ability to get a good nights sleep is one place I
don't care about dollars or weight, I'll take whatever it takes to let me sleep. Being a side sleeper is tough in the hills but this pad
allows me to do so comfortably. At almost 2.5 lbs it is heavy, but compared in comfort to a similar weight
thermarest, it blows them away with its 2.8" thickness. I tried the closed cell, tried the self inflating but nothing lets me sleep like I do at home like this thing.
Cooking and WaterJetboil PCS - If you know what it is you already
outta know it's the greatest and there is no other option for
Mountain House meals. Speaking of Mountain House, I eat these things when I run out of food at home. They are that good and I
usually end a meal in the
backcountry wondering why I don't eat these things everyday at home! They are delicious!
Potable Aqua w/taste
neutralizer -
Super lightweight, tastes great.
Nuff Said.
Other Neat StuffSea to Summit eVent Compression Dry Sack - Everyone with a down bag always wished there was a
truly lightweight way to store that bag in a waterproof sack to avoid compromising their precious down. Until now the dry bag option was like carrying a rubber sack that completely eliminated the weight advantage of the down sleep system. This stuff sack made of the
ultra lightweight (as well as waterproof and breathable)
eVent fabric cures those ales and really gives an extra sense of security knowing you can take on a monsoon and still
ahve a dry comfy down bag.
Sea to Summit Pocket Hand Wash - This is another great innovation from the Sea to Summit folks. Picture a
Listerine Breath Mint Strip for your hands. It is small dry leaves of soap much like the breath strips. Add water and they foam right up into a sudsy hand soap, that is also biodegradable and safe for the
backcountry. I don't know what I use to do without them. Not necessarily scent free for hunting but nothing a few pine needles can't counter act.
Sitka Gear - If you've tried it, I don't need to say anything. If you haven't, my last statement should say
enough. Worth it's price tag, and that says
alot because that's what the price tag says...
ALOT!
Danner Pronghorns - Been
alot of talk about these too but I have never had a boot 'just feel right' like these
Danners did. My first high dollar hunting boot and probably my last. I'm not saying nobody makes anything better or comparable, I'm just saying I'm so happy with these that I don't care.
Badlands 4500 - May very well be on it's maiden voyage with this 8-9 day hunt. Risky, I know, but hopefully it holds up to its reputation. I'm a little nervous heading to the woods with a pack I haven't had the chance to trial. Oh well.... It'll look good with 2 or 300 inches of bone
hangin out of it whether or not my back hurts! One first glimpse takeaway, no
waterbottle pockets, which means whatever you fit in the bladder is all you got... Something about drinking out of a hose that isn't as refreshing to me as pouring it out of a
nalgene all ov
er myself while trying to get a sip. Guess I better get used to it.
Nikon
Fieldscope 20-60x60 - Hasn't even shown up on my
doorstep yet. Hopefully it helps and falls into its price range in performance like I expect it to. More on this one later or post-hunt.
Steiner Predator C5 10x42
Binos - Very impressive in recreational use and out on coyote and pig hunts here in CA but yet to really be tested. Another on
ethat should have a good report post-hunt.
Havalon Piranta-Z Knife - The best $40 spent in hunting supplies. This is the folding knife that holds the
replaceable scalpel
blades. Comes with a
twelve pack of these things and truly designed for the task of cutting flesh where sharpness and precision could not be
more important. Makes amazing fast work of skinning and
caping. I like it, you'll like and SUPER light at 2
ozs. Shoot it only weight 3.15 is with 12 spare blades and a holster!!! That can't be beat!
Well
that's a "short" list to get the juices flowing, any questions on any of the gear let me know and I'll give you my opinion, for
what its worth. I'm not a professional but I know what works for me and hopefully that's enough for others and will help with their own gear selections.
Hopefully Dickey will finalize his gear list here in the next week and we'll be on a roll... AND BUY YOUR TAG ALREADY!!!
ture 2 zip pockets that vents down each side along where your ribs are. The shell is tightly woven and water resistant and the interior is fleece lined. The pants feature reinfor
ced construction at critical points: belt line, knees and cuffs. They have duel cargo pockets, as well as side front pockets. These are also fleece lined to help on those chilly days. There are zippers run the length of the calfs to aid in easy removal over boots. Both jacket and pants are in Realtree AP.
the buck. They feature waterproof construction, breathable removable sock liners, and a carbon outer sole. They have flexure grooves on the treads in all the right spots. What sold me on these was the fact that they are lightweight, offer ankle support, and felt like an athletic shoe. The tongues are also sewn into the rest of the boot to keep debris at bay.
a 60 yards range, 32 lumens and runs 5 hours on Xenon or 120 hours on LEDS. As you can see from the picture, it also has my crooked tailed cat's approval.
Well what does all that gear look and feel like on your back? Today was the "practice run" getting everything into the pack, figuring out the best arrangement for everything and making my last "cut list" on what will not be coming along. Here's the final product: One beautiful Badlands 4500 ready to rock and roll into Wapiti Country with nothing but "THWAAACK" on its mind. It will definetly be the heaviest pack I've ever lugged around but it's also the longest trip I've ever backpacked, and the first one that's required my hunting supplies to come along. My lanky frame makes the thing look small, but that is a standard issue door with a standard height door knob in the second picture. No camera tricks here either, it's that tall.
I bet it looks a whole lot better covered in blood and sweat after the second trip back to the truck transporting a downed majestic bull and kicking one tall guys ass who was hauling it out.
Big Agnes Seedhouse SL1 - This will be one of my new additions to the gear list. During the indoor trial in the living room, it's setup should be pretty quick, although the loop system for the poles will make it impossible to do the rainy-day-special setup: fastfly first then add the tent body clipped in underneath, the design requires the tent body to be setup first, getting wet in the process. Other than that, it'll be a little short on room for the 6'6" man but should be just enough to suffice. Very light (2lb6oz) I look forward to giving it a whirl.
Kelty Gunnison 2 - This is my standby backpacking tent that will probably come along on loan to Ryan and Daryn for a close and cudley two man shelter. It was cheap and everything about it is easy. It weighs in at a little heavy 5lb3oz (2lb9oz/ man). Although its 92x58 floor plan is roomy as far as most 2 person tents go. Tent setup is ultra quick and simple and the vestibule space is a pure luxury! Gets a little cozy with two big boys but that's the way it works in the backcountry. You gotta be willing to cuddle man!
just upstream of fallen trees, dead-fall and log jams adjacent to deep water (5-10ft) and drift bait under a float set approximately one foot off bottom. Most of the better holes tend to be hanging out over 7+ foot of water. The holes that are 5 foot deep seem to be borderline producers, and usually yield smaller sized channel cats. Be sure to probe not only the upstream edge, but the downstream edge as well. Also, let your bait drift out away from the tip of a log jam as channel cats will hold in all these areas to feed.
whether the artificial catfish baits worked as well as natural bait. So, I picked up some of Berkley's GULP chicken liver imitation for $5.99 and decided to give it a test. My buddy Daryn was using good ole natural chicken livers which run under $2 at most grocery stores. After watching my bobber drift across prime log jams numerous times without a nibble, I was growing skeptical very quickly. Daryn had already boated 3 or 4 nice catfish and I was in danger of getting skunked. So, all faith was lost in the GULP chicken livers and I switched to natural chicken liver. I'm glad I did, because we were approaching the most promising of all our honey holes, a pile of timber adjacent to 13 foot of water just above the Fitzgerald Park Dam. On Daryn's first drift across the timber, he hooked up with a nice 7-8 pounder. Not long after this, a good sized 6-7 pounder started chewing on my bait, and a few minutes later he was boated. We ended the day with seven nice sized cats boated, and a couple of bullheads, o
ne which was covered in leeches. Conclusion: GULP chicken livers do not work as good as natural chicken liver. This is evident when you take a whiff of the open bag of GULP. The aroma is not as pungent as that of a tub of chicken liver that has been festering in the sun for a couple hours, which you can smell a good 6 foot away.
heavy rain. It had rained for 3 days in a row, so when the weather broke on Sunday, I jumped at the chance to wet a line. A friend of mine, Daryn, called me up and wondered if I was interested in heading out on the Grand River in Grand Ledge, MI to do a little bit of cat fishing.
and swift. Daryn showed up shortly after I had arrived with his trusty Starcraft and we assessed the situation. We both agreed that although conditions were not exactly prime, we would FISH ON! So, Daryn hooked a snorkel up to his Colorado, put his waders on and we launched the boat. The gurgling from his exhaust, which was underwater, could only help "call in the fish" I thought. After some careful planning, we managed to bamboozle the boat in the water and we were off fishing.
s, blow downs, and bridge pilings----and drift some nasty, pungent chicken liver in their faces. Normally, this is achieved by setting a float 4-6 feet deep with some split shot about a foot above our bait. However, the current was too strong for our normal tactics, so we had to improvise. Instead, we added about anywhere from 1-2 ounces of weight above our hook, and fished on the bottom. We decided to hit up the ole train tressel bridge as our first target, and Daryn had something that was playing with his bait almost immediately, but the undecided fish would not commit. I had found some soup straining "socks" that I cut into squares to wrap around my chicken liver bait, because chicken liver doesn't like to stay on the hook very well. This wrapping did not seem to be a deterrent, because I had a solid hook up on this offering, however I tied my sinkers on mighty suspect and it came back to bite me, as the fish broke the line off at the sinkers in quick fashion. I could have kicked myself for that one, but hopefully redemption would be had. After these initial signs of a hot bite, things slowed down pretty quickly, so we decided to make a move upstream.
his skunking to the curb. I was starting to get nervous, because the last time I was fishing with Daryn, I ended up taking a skunking and was not eager for a repeat performance. After a while of not luck, we continued upstream in search of the next hot hole. Our next stop proved to be unproductive, so we kept moving upstream, stopping to probe various deeper pools, logjams, and slack water current seams. A few holes up the river, I finally connected with a true beast. It was all I could do to hold on as I was charged head on by a notoriously aggressive Bullhead. Under normal circumstances I would not embrace such an incidental catch, but hey it put an end to my skunking. As far as bullheads go, this one had character, scraped, bloodied and scared from his deep water tangle of a home. Later, we ended up tying off to a pile of dead-fall, and I threw my bait out along a seam in the current and into some calmer water. Moments later, my rod tip was dancing, drag was peeling and I had a legitimate fish on line. I battled the hefty fish back to the boat, and as Daryn was trying to snap an action shot boat side, the golden image of a carp surfaced from the murky water. As I reach down to land the spunky fellow, he decided to liberate himself from my line. After such a tough day on the water, both Daryn and I concurred that it would count for a catch. Our best estimation was that this carp was around 8-9 pounds, a decent fish on a slow day.
irst was at least a 30 footer, with all it's leaves and branches still intact, and would have been disastrous if it had passed inches closer to the boat. The second tree had been in or near the river for a while, only the main log was left and at twenty feet it was smaller but no less dangerous. While tied off to a pile of dead trees, a loud crash and splash alerted us. We both looked over to the opposite shore to see a sizable tree falling into the river. With the river being to high, I believe that the roots were not able to hold in the muddy, loose soil. Amongst other things, we saw the carcass of a dead deer drift by. It was almost black in color and had been ripening in or near the river for a
quite some time, as it's pleasant aroma seemed to indicate. On a more positive note, I was able to snap a photo of a doe hanging out in someone's backyard, which was surprising given the suburban nature of the area. Just before we were getting ready to call it a day, an old weather tattered life jacket came bobbing past, which we took as a sign from the fishing gods to pack it in and go get some dinner. Even with the unsavory fishing conditions, we managed to barely avoid getting skunked and had even connected with a good sized fish.
a series of deeper pools and shallow riffles. There are tons of rocks throughout the entire stretch, with many large boulders. While tying on a new lure, I wasn't paying attention downstream and slammed sideways into on of the Muskegon's massive boulders. The durability and stability of my kayak was tested and certified on this particular collision. Mike and Daryn were having good luck throwing small No. 1 & 2 spinners as well as jerk baits such as the Rapala X-rap. The hot color seemed to be a rainbow trout pattern as Daryn and Mike cleaned up using these. Most of the fish caught were rainbow trout with the occasional brook and brown trout thrown in the mix. Daryn also landed a couple nice smallmouth bass on his Hot Steel X-Rap, his go to lure. Mike had the most success throwing out a small rainbow trout spinner.
several trout surface or jump within feet of my kayak. They were definitely taunting me. Derek had found a small Panther Martin along the bank, and it was a brown trout colored pattern. Thinking it was an omen, I decided to tie it on and give it a whirl. During a rest stop along the river, Derek even found a Hellgrammite crawling around in his kayak. These little critters are like candy to trout, so I put a hook and split shot on to drift this magical live bait. Unfortunately, neither of these omens panned out for me. Looking back, I believe the problem was the line I was using. I have some Fireline Crystal that worked well for me last season, however the Muskegon is much clearer water than what I normally fish. My line looked like white sewing thread in the water and probably made the leery trout uneasy. I should have tied on a mono leader, which would have made my presentation more subtle.
Daryn's Float 'Toon 
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