need help with choosing the right gear

[mrshananagans]

I am just starting to get all my hunting gear ready for this years season. I need to buy clothing (pants jacket etc) and a good pair of binoculars. I have heard that wool is the way to go, but whats a good brand of clothing to buy. Im willing to spend the extra money if in the long run its worth it. What power binocs should I get, any advise you can give me is greatly appreciated.

[Mountain Man]

The brand of wool I own and use and thing is simply amazing is,
Filsons wool from top to bottom, I also have Swandri and believe these are one of the best two brands.
Downfall = pricey, no camo pattern.

Another popular brand is Columbia Wool that comes in a camo pattern and is much more affordable.

If its raining and snowing and I want a water proof layer,
Sitka, pricey.
Rivers West, more affordable.

Optics, buy the best that you can afford. Power 10x42 seems to be the most common.

Best bang for your buck, Nikon, and Bushnell.

Best in the world,
Swarovski, Leica, Ziess.

[pg83]

Your gear set up totally depends on what, where, and when you are hunting. It also depends on the style of hunting you will be doing. Driving up and down FSR's you can hunt in a t-shirt and shorts with no binos and potentially be successful. Hiking up and down mountains after a flight in to some remote lake and you are going to want the best of everything that you can afford. Hunting on the island or coastal BC is very different from hunting the Peace, Rockies, Okanagan etc.

Generally speaking you should be buying the best equipment that you can afford. This is certainly more important for some articles of gear over others. I personally have spent a lot of money on my optics because I am going to get long term use out of them. I find that clothing wears out after a few years whether it is top quality or not so I feel more comfortable being a little cheap with some of it.

If you can tell us what you are looking at hunting, when and where you plan on hunting we can all help you out much more.

[mrshananagans]

Honestly I am not even sure where I will be hunting, its my first year out there so I am gonna go out and get a taste of everything.

[onpoint]

Check out Kuiu gear (Google it). The guy who started the company was one of the co-founders of Sitka (awesome but pricey) and left when Gore bought out Sitka. He makes his stuff specifically for mountain hunting and is a big-time sheep hunter and hunts in BC, Alaska and the Territories a lot. He makes his gear to be the best for the worst conditions imaginable. Best part is the price is VERY reasonable since he only sells online/direct to consumer. AND its made in Vancouver!

[pg83]

Honestly I am not even sure where I will be hunting, its my first year out there so I am gonna go out and get a taste of everything.


Make sure you are dressed for whatever weather you think you will be encountering, buy a pair of bino's you can afford, and bring a sharp knife. :D

Have fun!

[slowkey]

Whatever you do get a good pair of boots!!! I like the elk stalkers myself. From experience nothing sucks more than sitting a cut block with cold wet feet

[vip_ruger]

I agree KUIU gear is the s--t

[nature girl]

You should spend your money also on a good pair of hunting boots. You can have the best of clothing and your walking lots and your feet hurt that would suck.

[troutseeker]

I've hunted lot's in jeans and an old wool jackets, still do every so often too. You boots will be the most important piece of gear you own, hiking when your feet hurt sucks and makes you go home too early. Most folks already have warm clothing they can use in the bush, a pair of them insulated jeans works well when it's cold out.

8X bino's are pretty popular, wide field of view and not too subject to "the shakes".

[akyne]

The name brand clothing is pretty nice, but if you're on a budget, worry about comfort first and "looking the part" second. While I have a fair bit of camo for earlier season, as soon as daytime highs start dropping into the single digits, I start layering on the wool. You'll never believe how cold you can get when you're sitting on stand all day long, even when the temps are above zero. Add a bit of wind and some drizzle and you'll realize in a hurry how poorly cotton insulates, even with a good base layer on. I like my flannel shirts and Wranglers as much as the next guy, but they aren't worth a damn when you're putting in a solid 10 -12 hour day of stand hunting or glassing from some windy outcropping in lousy weather.

I can vouch for most Cabela's brand clothing as being excellent bang for your buck, especially any of their wool stuff. While I don't personally use any of the Columbia wool, having hunted with a buddy who wears it all season long, I can attest that it keeps him plenty warm and is as durable as it comes. I like any of the Stanfields stuff for base-layers - they sell it everywhere, it's a heck of a lot cheaper than some of the imported merino stuff (Icebreaker etc) and it works. If wool isn't your thing, fleece is a decent substitute, also in layers.

As for optics, this is definitely a personal decision that you'll have to make for yourself. Some guys can hunt their entire lives with cheap "entry-level" optics, swear to be able to count the rings of Jupiter, and don't see the merit in spending a cent more. Other guys seem to not be able to leave the house with about $5000 in European glass dangling around the necks. I started off with some dirt cheap Bushnell's that rapidly got reassigned to paper-weight duties. I have since upgraded to a pair of Leupold Mojave's in 10x42 that were about $500. I'm happy with these and they didn't break the bank.

What I will say, though, is that if you're going cheap on bino's, stick with a lower powered set (7 or 8 power) and the deficiencies in glass won't be as readily apparent.

[Dmytro]

a good pair of binoculars... What power binocs should I get

The best are top of the line Swarovski and Zeiss. I only own Zeiss binos and rangefinding binos, but I believe the latest Swarovski binos will outresolve Zeiss. Not by much though.

If you go beyond 8x power for handholding you will actually be giving up resolving capability as your brain will be busy chasing the image shaking all over your retina. So stick with 8x. 7x is good if you want wider angle of view.

The bigger the objective diameter the better you will be able to resolve detail and also it will work better in low light situations. At 40mm you are good. At 50mm you really have all that you will ever need. For size/weight reasons all my binos are less than 50mm.

So if you want the best look at the top of the line in those two brands- 8x40 or 7x40 or 8x50. When I say "top of the line" I mean stuff that has list price of over $2k.

Leica is supposed to be good but I could not see it when I tested it- the optical quality was noticeably behind Swarovski and Zeiss.

If you look at used binos don't buy Swarovski because their warranty applies only to the original owner. Zeiss warranty is good for used gear as far as I know.

Also, high quality glass is much more important in binos than in scopes as you spend much more time looking through binos. If you have to spread your optical expenses get the best binos now and hunt for a year with iron sights. Then again my iron sight costs more than many scopes...

[tash]

Stanfields are fantastic. Mine is 10 years old and is used for work too and is still holding up.

Make sure to get some good long underwear too (wool or polypro, but be aware that polypro can retain odours like nobody's business).
And good socks too, don't skimp on those. They last a long time and your feet will thank you.

I actually bought my wool pants (not camo) at an army surplus store. Same with wool liner gloves. Does the job and doesn't break the bank.

I am always cold when I am sitting still, so I will wear a ridiculous amount of layers, including down when it's below -10.

[nature girl]

Get yourself a good jacket and pants with lots of pockets. And make sure your pants arent to long. Your walking and your pants get wet and you have stuff hanging of your belt your pants will come loose then youll be tripping on your pants. Ask me how I know I went out for archery i forgot to hem my pants my pants got wet and I had my camera and knife on my belt and my pants kept falling down a bit and i was tripping on my pants. Its better for your pants to be a bit shorter then longer in my opinion.
I use a hunting vest instead of a pack those vests have lots of pockets then you can have stuff in each different pocket then no digging around in a backpack.

[mrshananagans]

Thanks for all the tips, is there a store I should go look at or do I have to buy the stuff online? I am leaving for alberta nov 11-13 so I still have alot of time to shop around. For binoculars I think im gonna spend around 500 cause I already broke the bank when I bought my sako gun and zeisis scope.:mrgreen:

[cameron0518]

I hunt in many different circumstances but you have to remember that at some point you will sweat and it usually isn't just a little bit of a sweat. You need to invest in gear that is breathable but warm. Browning has some great stuff for layering and so does Cabela's. Look for breathability and moisture wicking. STAY away from cotton. Under armour or their knock off competitors are a great first layer for moisture wicking. Do not cheap out on your gear or you will regret it. A must is to have waterproof outershell preferably something with a membrane or you always run the risk of moisture getting through even when they say it is waterproof. As some others have said, do not chince out on your footwear. If you get cheapies, your hunt will be a wreck with either wet or sore and blistered feet. Danner and Irish Setters are instant comfort compares to most others. Pick your amount of insulation accordingly. 400- 600 grams thinsulate is a good average. Once again, stick with something that has a membrane for waterproofing. Binoculars, 10x42. Mid range ones will do until you are real serious. Bushnell excursion work pretty good and are a lot cheaper than my bushnell elite 2's. I would totally stay away from wool as it retains moisture except for when it comes to your feet, there is an exception but Do Not use the old style grey wool socks, find the socks that have merino wool. Mark's work warehouse has plenty and one of my best investments. Feel free to PM me for any questions. I hunt everything from deer to moose to elk to bison.

[mrshananagans]

The one thing I do have is boots, i have rocky mountain boots that are 800 gram, they were 200 bucks, is that considered cheap? I should also mention I live in Langley, other than wholesale sports is there any other place to go in the lower mainland for hunting clothing? Is it worth going down to the states?

[mrshananagans]

Also should i get pants or bibs? Whats the pros and cons of both? My uncle said that we will be driving around in the truck most of the day and that bibs are good to have but when I come back to BC and when Im bush waking will they still be appropriate

[cameron0518]

just think about when you have to use the bathroom, how fun bibs would be. even my wife wanted bibs and now regrets it. go with pants all the way. they also can be a pain just in all around camp work or when you get hot and taking off layers. too much obstruction. your boots should be good. 200 is not a cheap pair. those are more mid range. i know some rocky boots are comfortable. break them in if you need to. Cabelas is fantastic just past seattle or if you are confident in your sizing, online you can find some amazing deals.

[nature girl]

Check out a army surplus store for some army pants. I recently got a pair for $10 they werent going to carry ladies anymore. Definately go with pants over bibs. Like someone says think when you have to go to the bathroom to many damn layers to take off.