Reviews – Backpacking

Meet my Suunto Core All Black that I've owned for 8 years. It's definitely been to the school of hard knocks! The Suunto Core watch has been around for a LONG time. So long that some might wonder - why a review now? And what about all of the Android & Apple watches? They have a GPS, maps, compass, etc... Aren't they they "leaders" in watches? To be honest, I think not. I've owned a couple Android watches and while some of the features are pretty cool their batteries still need to be charged EVERY DAY! This is a non-starter…

Alcohol stoves, why do backpackers love these things? There are several benefits: they're super light weight (1 ounce or less), they're inexpensive, efficiency of the fuel and readily available fuel. Stoves If you've ever considered making anything to use in the outdoors, this is it! Save your next Red Bull or Coke can and make a stove yourself! They're super easy to make. Here are some instructions on how to make an alcohol stove from The Soda Can Stove. If making a stove is not your thing then $16 + shipping will get you a Fancee Feest Alcohol Stove. It's…

These knives should be in your hunting pack. Bold statement, I know. If you are looking for lightweight, durable, easy to carry hunting knives, these are what you've been looking for. The Buck PakLite Elite offers a boning and caping knife in one compact sheath.  Let's look at some pros and cons and we'll unpack each one a little more in depth. Pros: lightweight, s30v steel, sheath, durable The combined weight is 5.6oz making this a perfect setup for the backcountry. If you hunt the backcountry you know how precious lightweight gear is. Every ounce counts. I purchased these knives…

As a kid, I loved watching MacGyver. Every week he would find himself in a new predicament and out would come his trusty little red handled knife. I remember one episode though, out came this nifty new tool! That was my first experience with Leatherman. Since that time many years ago, Leatherman’s have gotten bigger, beefier, lighter, and smaller as their product line has grown. This year is no exception. This year Leatherman has come out with a few new additions to their product line including the Surge and the Charge XTi.Leatherman SurgeThe Surge is one of the newest in Leatherman’s…

Sometimes there is more than one way to approach lightening your gear. When it comes to cooking, you can go with the lightest stove, the lightest pot, etc… Or, you can go with an efficient system which allows you to save weight in other ways, such as using fuel much more efficiently. If you’re using canister type stoves, carrying less fuel canisters not only means less weight, it also means less room is taken up in your pack. If you’re looking to replace your backpacking stove, this is worthy of consideration. The Jetboil Personal Cooking System (PCS) is a combination…

Have you been on the side of mountain shortly before dark and run into a herd of elk? Or what about this, you’ve finally figured out where the elk are and it’s too dark to shoot? You say to yourself, “if I could only be here at sun up”, but camp is 4 miles to the south. In the terrain I hunt in, 4 miles could take several hours to cover. 4 miles back to camp to only get up extra early to be in the same herd before sun up. Wouldn’t it be nice to back off the herd a…

While in Air Force survival school, we were given iodine tablets for our water treatment. We drank water from just about every conceivable source you can think of (maybe even some you wouldn’t think of) and none of it tasted good. While iodine is effective, it isn’t tasty at all. After one week in the woods, we had finally become accustomed to the taste. Fortunately there are other options available today besides iodine. Mechanical water filter are one choice and liquid water treatment is another. While water filters are effective, they are extremely bulky. MCNETT Aquamira Water Purifier addresses the…

It doesn’t matter how expensive your boots are, you can always use more arch support and Superfeet have been providing that support for over thirty years.Over the years, Superfeet’s product line has continued to grow and expand. Now they not only have insoles for hiking boots, but and have them for ski boots, and even insoles for your everyday work shoes. Whether that is a work boot or a dress shoe Superfeet make an insole for you.The guys here at Backcountry Bowhunting have been wearing Superfeet for years in all our shoes, but for today we will be focusing on…

LaSportiva is not a name heard often in the hunting world, but we here at Backcountry Bowhunting are always trying to bring you the very best gear for your hard earned money, and LaSportiva fell in that grouping. LaSportiva has been making mountaineering boots, climbing shoes and backpacking boots for over 80 years in Italy. Nowadays LaSportiva has a North American division which is head quartered here in our own Boulder Colorado. Way cool! I called LaSportiva and told them that we were looking for a boot that was sturdy, but also flexible and quiet. I also was looking for…

Before we start, I’d like to share something. I take my job as the Gear Guy very seriously. I’m very interested in providing our readers with what I know works. I’d like to tell how I came to review the Badlands 4500 pack – I went after Badlands and requested the pack. You see, I’ve been using one of their Monster fanny packs for several years now and LOVE it. I’ve since added Water Straps (an add on hydration system to the Monster). First Impression of the Badlands 4500 When I opened the box, I thought there was a mistake.…