Nemo Spike Tent Review | The Lightest Tent Ever

Nemo Spike Tent Review | The Lightest Tent Ever

I’ve already talked about my new favorite tent on here (the Nemo Tracker), but I also had the chance to try out their super-minimalist, ultralight shelter…the Spike. The Nemo Spike is a single walled, one person, trekking pole supported tent. Coming in at 1lb. 13oz., this is one of the lightest fully enclosed shelters available today. The Tracker came out a couple years ago and got some pretty bad press for major condensation issues (a common complaint in a single-wall tent), but they redesigned some features to try and mitigate that problem. But…did it work?

First Lite Camo | How to Build a Layering System

First Lite Camo | How to Build a Layering System

Merino wool has been around for a while, and if you pay attention to hunting gear (which you probably do since you’ve found yourself on this site), you know that people are singing its praises. First Lite in particular has built quite a name for themselves as the finest merino in the business. But, is it really worth the cost? Should a hunter really head into the field with camouflage that costs more than the rest of their every day wardrobe? Is this sort of high-tech hunting gear truly necessary to find success in the field?

Nemo Tracker Tent Review | 2P Ultralight Shelter

Nemo Tracker Tent Review | 2P Ultralight Shelter

The Nemo Tracker 2 Person tent is an ultralight (right at 3 pounds) 2-wall tent designed for the serious backcountry hunter or backpacker. It comes from the collaboration between Nemo and First Lite in their Field Collection, which has produced some seriously amazing backcountry gear. The Tracker also comes in a 1P option, shaving seven ounces off the total weight, but still providing plenty of room to keep even a larger hunter comfortable out there. Dual entry with two generous vestibules make it actually possible to use it as a two-person tent without wanting to kill each other by the end of the trip, though if you use it as a one-person shelter you’ll have more room than you know what to do with.

Lock Laces | How Hunting Boots Should Fit

Lock Laces | How Hunting Boots Should Fit

I’m a guy who always seems to have problems getting my hunting or hiking boots to fit properly. I have a long, narrow, low-volume foot, so finding the right size is already enough of a challenge. Once I’ve found something close, the process is only just beginning…then it becomes about adding the right insoles, making sure I’m wearing the right hunting socks, and even experimenting with different boot lacing techniques to try and get them to fit right. Even with all of that, hot spots and occasional blisters still seemed to haunt me. Then I discovered Lock Laces…

Bowhunting Redemption on a Private Land Desert Mule Deer

Bowhunting Redemption on a Private Land Desert Mule Deer

I watched the sun dip below the horizon, and admired the does and fawns some 3-400 yards away from me leisurely feeding out in the field without a care in the world. I looked at the pins on my sight and decided I had five minutes left before the glow would be gone and it would be too dark to shoot. Mere moments after that thought, I heard breathing directly behind the brush I was sitting in front of. I sat up straight, hooked-in my release, and watched…

Water in the Backcountry | Bladders vs. Bottles

Water in the Backcountry | Bladders vs. Bottles

I remember being a Boy Scout and seeing my first hydration-compatible backpack…I was blown away at the technology. You mean I could have a constant source of water accessible by simply grabbing the end of a straw on my shoulder strap and putting it in my mouth??? The future is now! I wasn’t able to purchase one at the time (you know, being 11 and all), but when I bought my first pack as an adult, you can bet that “hydration compatible” was on my must-have list. That was about 10 years ago now, and I’ve been rocking a water bladder as my primary method of hydration since then. But, is that still the best way to stay hydrated in the backcountry?

Arrow Setup | What is the Best Hunting Arrow FOR YOU???

Arrow Setup | What is the Best Hunting Arrow FOR YOU???

For the average bowhunter, what do you really need to know about bow tuning? I mean, some of us are geeks that just like knowing the minutiae of a subject just for the fun of it (absolutely guilty), but for the most part a bowhunter simply needs to know what works for me? The problem is that because of the encyclopedia of scientific mumbo-jumbo in the archery world, and the fact that everyone’s archery setup is at least a little bit different (often A LOT different) from the next guy, it can be nearly impossible to get a straight answer that will accurately answer your question.

Cheek Weld Riser | Custom Fit Your Rifle for Cheap

Cheek Weld Riser | Custom Fit Your Rifle for Cheap

One key (but often overlooked) component of proper shooting technique is the cheek weld. The idea is that you stabilize the front of your rifle on a pack (or a bipod if you’re fancy), get the butt of the rifle stabilized and nestled firmly in your shoulder, then bring your cheek down to rest on the stock giving you a perfect line of sight through your scope. Piece of cake, right? Well…not always. If you’re one of the vast majority of hunters out there shooting a standard production rifle with a molded stock (like I am), then the odds that your stock, the scope height, scope diameter, necessary eye-relief, AND the shape of your face are all going to line up perfectly out of the box…well, if it does, you should probably stop and buy a lottery ticket on your way home from the range, ‘cause you’re a lucky dude.

Best Backpacking Gear | 4 Items You Should Upgrade First

Best Backpacking Gear | 4 Items You Should Upgrade First

We’ve talked about it before on this site, and it’s no secret to anyone who’s ever investigated backcountry hunting: backpacking can be expensive! That being said, it doesn’t have to be. I’ve always encouraged guys to scrape together whatever cheap and/or used backpacking gear they can get their hands on, and just get out there and get started. You can get a lot accomplished with a hand-me-down pack, a used sleeping bag with some life left in it, and a cheap (but not necessarily ultralight) tent. I spent years hunting the backcountry with just that setup (I was using the same mummy bag I bought in Boy Scouts, for crying out loud). I’ve boiled water over an open fire (and on a $10 Walmart camping stove), and I’ve put plenty of miles on cheap, slightly ill-fitting Cabela’s brand boots. It can be done. That being said, nice gear is always…well…nice. So, if you find yourself with several pieces of gear you’d like to upgrade but only so much money to go around (which is pretty much all of us), here are the items I would recommend upgrading first while letting your other stuff ride for another year…

Hunting Calendar | How to Juggle ALL the Hunts this Fall

Hunting Calendar | How to Juggle ALL the Hunts this Fall

So many hunts…so little time. As Fall approaches, I get more excited for hunting season every day. Fall bear kicks off in late August, then there’s the glory of September archery elk hunting, and of course the rifle deer seasons come soon after that, not to mention what has become one of my favorite little windows of opportunity…the Hail-Mary December archery deer hunt. If I didn’t have work and family responsibilities, I could easily be in the field for close to four straight months in the Fall. But of course, I don’t live that life…and odds are, neither do you.