It is my belief that Merino wool is the ultimate base layer, not only for hunters, but for outdoorsman all of types. I base this on merino’s ability to wick moisture, dry quickly, insulate when wet, and fight odors. While merino wool may cost more than its polypropylene counterparts, and require more care when laundering, its long term benefits outweigh the cost. Polypropylene has its place, but for pursuits of a wilder nature, when base layers are worn many days in
This is Part 3 in the “Elk Hunt Alaska” series. Part 1 provided an overview of Elk in Alaska, Part 2 captured our adventure, and in this post I discuss the gear used on this hunt and how it performed. We established a base camp and hunted from the base camp. This was not a backpack hunt and Seahawk Air’s Beaver is basically an F250 on wings, so weight is not really an issue. Elk Range in Alaska
Continuing my train of thought from yesterday’s post (Kitting up with First Lite) I am going to use the same hunt scenario (Mid October Elk & Black Tail hunt on Raspberry Island) to build this KUIU kit. As mentioned we are flying in via a Beaver and operating out of a base camp so I can take more gear than I typically do. As in my earlier post I’ll need a good base layer, solid pants, insulation, and of course
I was having a conversation with a few guys and decided to turn that into a blog entry as it seemed to be an interesting topic. My kit (kit = backcountry clothing system) is a mixture of several brands and is a combination of colors and camouflage patterns. The conversation focused on what your setup would be if you could only run ONE brand. This is actually a bit harder than we thought because even though guys may, or may
I started this journey out of a desire to better understand rain gear and its performance in the field; vs. the hyperbole of marketing and internet biases. This journey has been huge, its exposed to me a behind the scenes peek at the technologies, thought, and processes that it takes to make a high quality, high performing set of rain gear. In reality rain gear performance is both complicated and simple, and the key is to use the gear as
May was an unique month here in Alaska. The unseasonably warm weather triggered the highest pollen counts in Anchorage’s recent history (both for Alaska and the world) and created a tinderbox forest that ignited in several places across the state. As such my plans for filling a registration brown bear tag were thrown into a turmoil. I never could get the 3-4 days I needed to at least have a decent shot of punching that tag. As May 31st approached
