cheap equipment

[bnsafe]

last year i was swamped with buying equipment for an elk hunt after whitetails for years. so what do yall do for cheap equipment or do you go with the top notch stuff for everything. where can you skimp and where do you spend the money no matter what. i have some ideas but will post what i did as a flatlander last year later.

[WapitiTalk1]

Good boots are important as well as moisture wicking socks and clothes. The rest IMO is dependent on what a guy wants or has at their disposal to spend. I have a Eberlestock BW pack which seems to work fine (thanks Dotman for the deal), an Alpine bow, a Big Agnes tent, a Marmot sleeping bag, none of which by many standards are the uber light, top of the line gear variety but they work just fine for this crusty old pup. A good backcountry stove is important but those aren't that expensive. Funny thing is that when you are in the elk fight (packing in, hunting, camping, packing your elk out) medium priced, quality gear seems to do just fine Boots and moisture wicking socks and clothes, that's my meager offering and, you don't have to have the top name brands of these in your hunting locker to be happy with what you've chosen. RJ

[Indian Summer]

That's a lengthy subject but I'll take a crack at it. But it would be a little easier to tell you the things I wouldn't cut corners with.

Boots. If you don't have good boots either your boots, your feet... or both will fall apart. They take a serious beating and without them your hunt is over.

Binoculars. Since cost varies greatly the best advice I can give people is buy the best you can afford. Decide if you plan to buy a better pair later or if you'd like to get a pair that will last you a lifetime and maybe spend a few dollars extra. Just make sure they are waterPROOF.

Sleeping bag. The reasons are obvious. It is a survival tool not just a luxury item. Realize that temp ratings aren't exactly accurate. I'm pretty sure we wouldn't be sleeping outside in a 30 below bag is 30 below! Again, buy the best you can afford. While on that subject: Usually lots of different products will do the job but you'll pay more for ones that weigh less and ones that have really good unconditional lifetime warranties. I definitely prefer to buy stuff with warranties like that because I use and abuse my stuff & nothing beats a free replacement if something gets destroyed.

Bacpack. Again the lighter the pricier. For me a day pack has to be capable of packing one elk quarter. That costs a few bucks. But for a large capacity pack that's used for getting to camp I skip the camo hunters pack and will use and external frame cheapie.

I know hunters that use the cheap Energizer headlamps but I invest a few bucks on a Petzl or Princeton. Maily because I like to quality of light from the LEDs as well as the longer battery life.

Cheap knives are fine. Cheap polyester clothes might not be as comfortable as Sitka Gear but will do the job and dry quickly. I do NOT buy cheap scopes for guns. Leupold only. Cheap bow sites are fine as long as they are solid enough to take a few bangs. No need to go overboard on arrows either but like anything else I wouldn't suggest buying the cheapest you can find. Mid range is always a better plan. Cheap cookstoves work they just weigh more.

One thing I will say is that alot of times you can save money by getting things made for every day hikers instead of specifically for hunters. Do you have any questions about specific items?

[otcWill]

Been using the same Dana Designs pack for 6 years and have packed aobut 15 elk in it and who knows how many camp trips.
You can go cheap on camo/clothing. Dark clothing will suffice for elk camo, but the pricey stuff is more comfy to hunt and camp in.
I wouldn't pay $150 for a quiver, lol, and wouldn't pay much more than $250 for a rangefinder. You can also get by with cheaper sights on your bow but I must admit I always want the newest/best.

[bnsafe]

nope, no specifics. i was just trying to see what the real elk guys do for gear. i know the more expensive stuff is better for the most part, but if your a flatlander its hard to make the initial investment for elk gear. and if you look at older pics you see guys in blue jeans and a brown shirt with a compound bow with round wheel cams standing over a dead elk. i love buying the best of the best, i really do. but i have to gaurd myself on spending to much money so i contiunally ask myself, is it really needed or will brand x work ok and i can save some money. and if i am going to drop some money is there a way i can do it cheaper.
for example, i just bought a pair of assolo sassalong boots that had been worn 3 times supposedly, i believe it as they looked brand new, for 75 bucks of of another site. not that im saying you should buy used boots, its the first time ive ever done it and wouldnt do it often unless its a great deal, but i saved a bunch of money. same thing with alot of other equipment i have purchased.
so basically i was wanting thoughts for other flatlanders on what is good enuf and what is essential.

[aron]

I have been in that same situation this year. I've always day hunted buy now am getting into the backpack spike camp hunting. Middle of the road seemed to be the direction I took. You pay a lot to drop weight in this game so you need to find the balance there. Quality gear is important when it comes to your sleep system and shelter but do you need a 850+ down fill bag when a 700 down fill is half the price and same quality? Deals can also be had if you have patience and watch classified adds to get some of the better gear at a more reasonable price.

I agree with Indian Summer about getting good boots and optics. You don't need the top of the line bow, arrows, quiver. Find good gear you can trust and have confidence in and get to know it. You can find good deals on clothing through camo fire a lot and couple of the backpacking stores have 20% coupons here and there with free shipping so just be patient and deals can be had too.

[cnelk]

You can save a bunch of money by going to the local dollar store and getting disposable items like rope, canned food, and stuff like that.

[>>>---WW---->]

Never-ever pass up a good yard sale or garage sale.

[sreekers]

Never-ever pass up a good yard sale or garage sale.

It is amazing some of the gear you can find.

[bnsafe]

all good advice guys

[mtnmutt]

REI garage sales at each location about every 2 months on a Saturday. Sale is returned items that are slightly used. I think you have to be member. Sign up for that stores emails for monthly events.

I do not go because you need to get there there at 7 am and I do not like crowds.

2nd option is to hit the store on Sunday the day after the garage sale to see the leftover items are displayed.

All stores will have a returned items slightly used shelf. Ask bass pro and gander Mtn if they have such a shelf.

[sreekers]

Some of the equipment needs are more about a mentality than anything else. It's VERY easy to believe that you need the best equipment to be the best hunter out there. Well, I believe that most of the equipment we spend our money on isn't absolutely necessary to kill a big bull/buck. It's nice to have great gear, but it can't make you hit the target.

All that said, it's about deciding what is the right priority as far as gear goes. If you can find a cheaper way to do it, nothing wrong with that.

[GetemDuck]

Always buy the best you can afford, now that is going to be different for everyone. I don't believe anyone should starve themselves or their family just to buy a pair of fancy boots or a sleeping bag with a built in foot massager. Look at scopes, they make a price point scope for everyone, you just have to figure out which price point you are in and then find out which scope in that range is for you, not everyone can afford to put a night force on their gun. Speaking of that, i watched a guy buy a nightforce for a .22 rim fire.....yup he had more money then sense, you really need that 1000.00 scope on a .22lr

[dotman]

High end gear just makes life better in the backcountry but it doesn't really improve your hunting skills. Plenty of people get it done with cheap gear.

[Lefty]

Wow lots of opinions
But I spend my money on optics.
At one time I bought the best of what I could afford mostly top end stuff, and would still like to but can’t or won’t. Now on a tighter budget my choices are a bit different. One thing I do is purchase only on sales.
What one person finds important may not be true for another. One type of hunt will have different needs than another. I sleep in a new $49 tent, A brand new $80 sleeping bag, $90 boots, I buy a lot of better name brand gear and clothes, generally on clearance or proto type stuff.
But the regular price sleeping pad was $169 8 years ago, on top of another pad I paid $60 for 20 years back. And I have good optics, Nikon , Leopold

It is what you want it to be.
Can you get by cheap and not be wearing Swiss army surplus?,.. you bet. I bought a number of fleese outerwear at Cabelas, $5.00 ,.. but was only available in my size2x,tall. Bought some hot weather high -tech pants, same material you would pay $90 plus
Silver mirino wool socks that were only made in one size cheaper than other wool socks

i watched a guy buy a nightforce for a .22 rim fire.....yup he had more money then sense, you really need that 1000.00 scope on a .22lr

I may have been the only 13 year old kid with a $225 rifle scope on my 10/22 in 1971,( copper was $1.03 a lb) nobody killed as many squrrils as I did around our town

Current data is only available till 2012. In 2012, the relative worth of $225.00 from 1971 is:
$1,280.00 using the Consumer Price Index

While I do have problems with my feet from frostbite, my ankles are strong,.. maybe from playing hockey
Ive found boots that fit me welland seem to be good value ,.. my brother never put on a pair of boots in the past 20 years that cost less than $200
But less cost can still make a great hunt

I hunt with goose decoys that cost over $1000 a dozen,, and shoot shotgun shells that cost $5.30 three years ago and a goose call with twenty five cent guts
Go figure

[Huntography]

Over the years I have learned that you get what you pay for.

Cheaply made gear is cheap for a reason.

I remember as a young teen, I found this amazing magazine in the mail, Sportsmans Guide. I bought my first "PAC" boots there.

They were cheaply made and for sale at a cheap price. They barely lasted a season as the outer layer cracked in the freezing cold. Lesson learned.

But, that does not mean you can't find high quality gear at decent prices.

Whether on sale online or at local shops, there are good deals out there.

I love great gear but I'm very frugal.

Rudy

[eriks.]

If you can manage credit cards, they can be a big benefit in getting stuff cheap or even free. Bass Pro and Cabela's have cards that give you money to spend at their stores or online. The key is to only spend as much as you can pay for at the end of the billing cycle. Cabela's even gives you bonus points for signing up other people.

Free money! Just for using their card. Always pay off completely each month and it's absolutely free money for gear.

Not for everyone but nice if you can handle it.

By the way, I'm not advertising for either of the aforementioned stores. Just an idea for cheap equipment.

[Camo]

What brand boots do you guys buy, both for hiking comfort but also to keep your feet warm and dry? How much do they cost and here do you get them?

[dotman]

What brand boots do you guys buy, both for hiking comfort but also to keep your feet warm and dry? How much do they cost and here do you get them?

That is a loaded question, just say everyone's feet are different but a good start is to stay with european boot mfg. I really like Asolo and you can get great deals on great boots online at places like seirra trading post. They have Asolo, Lowas, Hanwag etc, they usually are discontinued or a few year old models but still great boots at great prices.

[sreekers]

I use Asolo sasslongs and Meindl Perfekts in 400 gram. Fit is most important though.

[Lefty]

What brand boots do you guys buy, both for hiking comfort but also to keep your feet warm and dry? How much do they cost and here do you get them?

I have Cabela Arizona Hikers for early season
Lacross 2000 gram high tops for late season,
Browning 1600 gram fore most October type hunts

[bnsafe]

i bought some asolo sassalongs used 3 times for 75 bucks. they are awesome. i currently wanting to buy the cabelas pro guide model boot with 1200 gm thin on sale for late season. they are 80 bucks off right now.

[pointysticks]

i think it is much cheaper to buy "once".

get something good, the best you can afford. then use it till it dies. much cheaper than buying a bunch of crap repeatedly..

i refuse to tally up my history of binocular purchases..or sleeping bag money. spend smart. trust me on this one.

[Mikeha33]

On the topic of cheap footwear, has anybody used the Under Armour Super Speed Freek boots? I tried on a pair in Cabelas a few weeks ago, and they were outrageously comfy, but b/c they are a new product, and I hadnt heard a lot about them, I passed, and they were on sale for $129. The soles on the UA boot were aggressive, but were very lightweight. I question their ability to support me and 90-100lbs on my back, and keep my feet warm enough when I'm not moving a lot. Just curious if anybody has any experience with them

[bnsafe]

my hunting partner bought them last year for an elk hunt and he did fine in them. with that said ive heard alot of good and bad.

[Swede]

If you have adequate hiking and camping equipment and just want to get into elk hunting. Probably your cheapest option would be to buy a good used 30-06 and one box 180 gr. ammo. The 30-06 should have a reliable scope in good condition. Since the gun is used, probably it has been sighted in. You could ask before you buy, but check it out before the hunt.
Note: If you want to hunt cheap, stay out of archery. That is a money pit.

[kjv1959]

This is an excellent topic with good advice as well. Many things already go with so now my questions are can anyone recommend a good boot for say $100 or less, my 2nd question is an economical video camera nothing fancy just gets the job done?

[kevin_t]

I have found some very serviceable gear at the local thrift store.

I don't spend much on boots. I prefer trail runners that I use all year. Budget $100 unless you have odd sized feet.
A used 30-06 is a good inexpensive setup that will probably give the most bang for the buck.
The Kelty Cache hauler is a good inexpensive pack for $100.00. Pair it with a dry sack and it will work as long as you are within normal sizes that it adjust to.
Stoves, alchy stoves are cheap, light and work. You can make your own or buy one for about $15.00.
Food, it depends on what you need. I take a mix of nuts , dried fruit and Jerky most of the time. You can also make bars you like as well.
Tent, personal preference but I prefer a wood heated shelter after the end of Sept. You can spend 100 or 1000 depending on what you like, but you can find a reasonable quality tent for $300.
Sleeping bag, personal preference, but a quilt can be pretty effective into the teens. The Enlightened quilts are nice and don't really cost any more than a moderate quality sleeping bag. We sell the Draft Dodger which is a modified Enlightened Quilt for under $250.00 They are a big "Value" buy when it comes to warmth and weight. I would make sure you get quality though. Cheap sleeping bags don't perform to rated temps.
Sleep pad, a walmart pad coupled with a torso length prolite is not to expensive and provides some comfort and reliability. Approx $60.00. Of course you can get a standard zrest pad for $20.00 or spend close to 200 for a lightweight inflatable.
Clothes, I prefer wool and really like the First Lite stuff, but you can get other wool or use your standard hiking pants maybe with wool long johns. The first lite pants are pricey as is wool in general. A fleece jacket and lightweight puffy will go a long ways, but I have some other cheaper options I've used which I purchased at a thrift store for about $20.00 and sometimes I prefer taking them hunting since they didn't cost a lot.
Rain gear, you can spend a fair amount but a soft shell is normally sufficient for Oct -Dec , although soft shells are not as light as a fleece and rain jacket or puffy and rain jacket. You could spend $200 here, or as little as $50 on a fleece and lightweight poncho or cheap rain jacket.
Binos, I mostly use Minox. Nice quality, but not breaking the bank. My scope on my rifle though is a bit pricey, but worth it IMO.


Really with shopping Ebay, Thrift stores and Sierra Trading Post you could spend a minimal amount. Just pick and choose the places you want quality. It's better to buy quality the first time around with some things (like a sleeping system or tent) while others like sleeping pads or stoves and even rain gear you can get for very little money and they will work. In fact I used my $12 dollar stove a lot more than my $100 stove and I usually use my cheap pads more than my expensive UL Down mat. I also am all over the board on rain gear. I have a nice rain jacket, but sometimes take a cheap poncho because if my pack is not waterproof , the poncho is effectively a cover. A nice pack is a good thing as well, but the Kelty with a dry bag will work. A lot of animals have been hauled out with cache haulers. It's just not as light or as functional over all as more expensive packs. The great thing is, everyone practically needs to have an external load hauler around anyway for friends or whatever to use so getting a basic external will likely be re-used a lot.

[bnsafe]

i picked up a pair of assolo sassalongs that had been used 3 times for 75 bucks. there are always boots on sale on either rokslide or here. also check out sierratradingpost. depending on what time of year your gonna be hunting depends on how this gets answered. last year i used the boots i used for whitetail hunting and they did just fine. if your hunting late season cabelas has there pro guide 1200 gm thinsulate boots on sale for 129. as for the camera are you looking for something to shoot movies with, zoom lense, or just somethin like a playsport that shoots movies but no zoom.

[kjv1959]

zoom would be nice. I want to try and get one of the boys on film getting an elk if we are so lucky.

[Swede]

I have got some great buys at Mal-Wart around mid January when they put their archery stuff on clearance. I just remembered this as I was reviewing the Hoochie Moma thread.

[bnsafe]

i havnt researched cameras in years but good luck.