For 4 years, I put piles of hunting gear to the test. Here are my all-time favorites that made it to the top of that pile and stayed there.
Being GearJunkie’s first long-term Hunt & Fish Editor was an honor, a privilege, and just a bit of a gear overload. The cardboard boxes started coming back in the summer of 2018, and — Smash Mouth-style — they never stopped coming. I got things I asked for, things I’d never ask for, and things I never even knew I should ask for.
God bless the mail folk who put up with the deluge, for they are the holiest among us.
That said, more than a few pieces of gear stood out. My kit is, for lack of a better word, insane. And as a kid from working-class America who bought most of my nice things secondhand, I’m often flummoxed as to how I ended up with some of the best hunting and fishing gear on the planet.
It would be a disservice to keep this information to myself. And, of course, I’ve shared thoughts on a lot of these pieces in the past. But I think a Best of the Best is necessary.
So, I picked my favorites of the faves. For this iteration, I’ll focus on my favorite hunting gear. Below, in no particular order, is the gear that I am forever bound to as an outdoorswoman and as a bonafide GearJunkie.
Editor’s Picks: My Ultimate 4-Year Hunting Gear List
NEMO Stargaze Chair
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Likely my most-used camping item in the past few years, NEMO’s Stargaze Chair ($250) rules the roost when it comes to sitting comfortably on the go. The swinging, reclining camp chair is a constant topic of conversation as soon as I begin setting it up, and it’s fought over among anyone in its vicinity.
After a few years of regular use, it still retains the same comfort and durability it had upon arrival. It’s fun, it’s comfortable, and I wish I had a few more of these so that I’d never have to give mine up to another booty ever again.
Check Price at REICheck Price at Backcountry
27 Nosler with Leupold’s FireDot Duplex Riflescope
Shooting the 27 Nosler is an experience. The thing’s a lightweight cannon. But it’s a cannon that delivers. Combined with Leupold’s exceptional Firedot Duplex Riflescope, the thing shoots out to my personal maximum ethical shooting distance of 400 yards like a razor-sharp knife slices through butter.
I killed my 2021 pronghorn at 307 yards without a blip of inaccuracy, and the only downside was that I lost meat from the sizeable hole it punched in the smaller doe. This rifle not only extended my confident shooting range but it also notched my street-cred tag with how badass it is. It’s easy to hike with, trustworthy, and a serious firearm for serious hunters.
Do I recommend this rifle/scope combo for an all-around western mountain hunter? I do. Every day of the week.
Check 27’s Price at NoslerCheck Firedot’s Price at Scheels
HOKA Stinson Shoes — Women’s & Men’s
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Exped Duramat Sleeping Mat
Patagonia Nano Puff Hoody — Women’s & Men’s
DECKED Drawer System
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Mystery Ranch Pop Up 38 Backpack
Swiftwick Pursuit 6 Socks
YETI — All of It
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Filson 3-Layer Field Jacket
Check Price at AmazonFirst Lite Kiln Base Layers
onX Hunt
Check Price at onX MapsBenchmade Altitude Knife
Check Price at AmazonGarmin in the Field and on My Wrist: Mini 2 & Venu 2
Stone Glacier Chilkoot Sleeping Bags — 15-Degree & 0-Degree
Sitka Gear Timberline Pant — Women’s & Men’s
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