The Current Gear List: Part 1

This blog will simply be all of the pieces of equipment that make it into the back country with me and the pieces that I intend to buy in the near future.  Some has been well tested and some has not.  There will also be a section what has been used in the past.

It will truthfully take several writing sessions to get all of the equipment that ends up in the pack for a trip to the back-country.  So bear with me as I add pieces and pictures.

I would also love to hear what pieces of equipment are worth trying.  If there any questions on any particular item feel free to ask.

Current Pack:
Kifaru Longhunter Guide on an EMR frame.
Mystery Ranch Daypack Lid
Kifaru Cargo Panel
Kifaru E&E
2 Medium pods
Molle Express will serve as day pack when necessary.

Past:
Badlands 2800-Used for 2 seasons and broke it twice.
Black's Creek Mossback Bounty Hunter-Wasn't tall enough for me but was capable of carrying plenty of weight. 135lbs was the heaviest I ever did.

Future:
Kifaru Duplex Timberline 3 bag

Footwear:
Cabela's Meindl Perfekt 400 gram insulation-For the cold hunts.
Cabela's Meindl Alaska Hunter uninsulated-For the not so cold hunts and summer backpacking trips.

Past:
Danner Pronghorn 1000 gram- Loved these boots, but love can't repair leather.

Future:
Hanwags, Kenetrek

Shelter:
Titanium Goat Vertex 5

Past:
Ledge Recluse-Shelter that served me well, especially in the summer.  Cold weather required an upgrade.

I have also used just about every other brand of relatively cheap tent out there.

Future:
Seek Outside Back Country Shelter(Ended up with a SO 6)

Running Review: Cabela's Meindl Perfekt Boots

Last season, it finally happened, the faithful Danner Pronghorns of many years gave up the ghost.  They helped me conquer many trails, and probably some that were a little rougher than I could handle.  I bought the first pair in 2005, and replaced them once.

I have never had a pair of boots fit as well as this pair has, and it was going to take some work to find something that fit the bill.  

In the years since this model of boot was first purchased some changes had been made even though the Pronghorn classic is still around.  I didn't feel like the changes that had been made to the boot were what was going to do the trick anymore.  When fitting them the heel cup wasn't comfortable, and the width just wasn't what I was looking for.

To be 100% honest the largest constraint on which boots I would buy was what my budget would allow.  Under $300.00 was my starting point and I soon discovered that the chosen dollar figure would provide a limited but solid choice for the money.

A friend of mine had been using Meindl boots from Cabelas for a while and the recommend was positive.  The Perfekt model ended up in the shopping cart and on the way to my door.

Whenever new gear arrives on the front porch my behavior tends to change and its very similar to a small child at Christmas.  This piece of gear was no different and they were soon out of the box under thorough examination.

Please bear in mind as you read that the pictures of the boots are now from a season of use.  If you are wanting an indicator of how well the boots held up, this is your thread.  These boots likely saw close to 100 miles this past hunting seasons in terrain from rock-slides to open fields and everything in between.

First impressions were good, and the initial walk around the neighborhood was also a strong indicator that a replacement had been found.  The comfort level I desired was there, as well as a proper fit.

One thing that must be noted is that I am a size 13 in boots, and at this size the particular model I purchased comes with a different sole and rand.  My model actually has a 1 inch rubber rand to protect the sides of the boot.  For reference the boots are probably very similar to what Meindl Canada models look like.  Personally I felt like it was an improvement as it would protect the toe and heel areas from my clutsy nature. I tend to trip over my own feet on a fairly regular basis.

Next, up was the waterproofing process. Olbenauf's was shown in the video on the Cabelas website and had made its way home from the local work wear store.  Per the prescription from the website the wax was applied and it aided in the break in process.  The wax and boots performed very well in wet to very wet conditions.  On their first outing rain poured for the last 2.5 hours of the trip and the boots never leaked.  When I woke that first morning the water that had been on the outside of the toes had frozen, but the interior was still dry other than normal foot sweat.

There are two complaints that can be made in my mind for the first piece of a running review: the lace loops and not enough give in a couple of spots on the foot-bed.

First the loops.  My buddy bought Kenetrek boots this year and a very cool feature is their flip up style lace loops.  This style allows wax to get underneath and all around the areas on the leather that has been punctured essentially breathing life into them for a longer period of time.  Meindl does not employ this type of system but would be wise to do so.  If enough wax does not make around this area on the leather, eventually I could be pulling my laces tight and the leather could break.   Keep in mind that it would require a lot of hard use, and very little conditioning for this to happen.

You can see from the picture that I have purposely rubbed plenty of wax around the loops to make sure that  the necessary oils make it into the proper areas.

The Perfekt foot-beds are often bragged about, but my experience with them held a little to be desired.  I am going to upgrade before this fall to some Lathrop and Sons custom foot-beds to up the the comfort level.  The Perfekt's beds weren't bad by any stretch, but with the way God designed me there tends to be a hard spot on the balls of feet.

After one full season in these boots and number two well on it's way expect more updates.  Hope you enjoyed the read.

Striking the Balance

I recently spent a couple weeks in Africa and honestly loved just about every minute of it.  I wasn't there for hunting as what this blog has been purposed for, but I was there to spend time with Orphans.    Some of my hunting gear came along, in fact it was a testing ground for much of the new stuff that had been acquired.

The Molle Express from Kifaru was my carry on of choice and it served that purpose well.  We met our Visiting Orphans team in DC after a flight out from Salt Lake City before making the 14 hour flight the next day Addis Abeba, Ethiopia.  Our luggage had been checked all of the way to Rwanda and wouldn't do us much good at the airport.  So the Mollex was loaded up with my computer, clothes for 2 days, all the pertinent paperwork, and books as well as toiletries and legal first aid.

 

It must also be mentioned that to fit all of this in a Mollex it was necessary to attach an E&E and Claymore pouch.  Inside for organization purposes the clothing material was stuffed in a medium pod.   This proved to be more than enough space and to make the bag fit the necessary requirements for carry on cinching down was not a problem.

The flights and lay overs all went smoothly, and the gear performed exactly as planned.  First Aid as well as all of the stuff that was necessary to come along to all of the places we were spending time with Orphans made in intact.  With Nite Ize clips my bag stayed in relative security from pick pockets and truthfully I don't know if it every was challenged in that regard.

The plan is for this piece of gear to serve as an Every Day Carry for computer and such, and also function as my carry on for future trips.   I went a little more expensive because I knew Kifaru could handle the abuse and if it didn't they would do their best to fix it as soon as i got it to them.

The balance that this blog is about is, "How do I find that balance of where I would like to spend my money and where it can go to make a difference in the lives of those who can't speak for themselves?"  The book of James has challenged me on many occasions with these principles and I am finding that honestly I am going to have to do some extra work to support my habits as well as areas that I have been challenged to minister in.

My future bride and I have also talked about the possibility of adoption.  We don't know if it will be foreign adoption or here in the United States but regardless expensive.  There are ways of fundraising for these things and it is very likely that they will be employed when its time.  Regardless of that fact we live in relative certainty that we may have to give up some creature comforts to be a part of these children's lives.  For me this may mean some new gear will be foregone.

A young man at an Orphanage called Noel in Gisenyi Rwanda particularly challenged me.  He has dreams far beyond what society seems to have dealt him as an orphan and a desire to move beyond that title.  He recently talked to me on Facebook asking if I could possibly send him some automotive manuals.  His desire is to someday be a mechanic and has been given the opportunity to study that trade.

A simple sacrifice in my life of a little extra time spent working could make the difference in one person's life for the entirety of their career.  I currently have been given some PDF journals that could be on their way to him in May detailing auto mechanics but if that won't work I will need to spend $50.00 or so to send him some books.  Fifty dollars is what it would cost me roughly to fund a couple of small pieces of gear for new Kifaru stuff.

A little sacrifice on my part and I will be able to make a difference in the lives of people who will not be able to help themselves.  Sometimes my gear is going to have to wait, or take a little bit more saving before it can come home.  

The reality is though, the lives of people matter.  No matter what I refuse to miss the sanctity of life and will do my best to find a balance between needs, wants, and sacrifices I can make for voices that cannot be heard.

2011 Mulie: Part 3

Easter season in the life of a youth minister often comes with the cost of much time spent in preparation for services and events surround The Lord's Day.  Now I have several weeks before my next major event and hope to finally get this story finished.

Sleep that night came surprisingly easy for a night that normally doesn't allow for much.  The pad was more comfortable than normal and the sleeping bag warm enough to help sleep come when a 5 mile hike and 3000 feet of elevation have been climbed.

The alarm went off as was planned but there was noise above our tent from a group of hunters who had camped about a 1000 feet below us and decided the trek up the side of the hill was worth it in the dark.  We quickly continued finished getting ready and hurried out of the door hoping that the deer we had found the night before hadn't been spotted by the other hunters.

In an attempt to keep our shapes from being spotted on the horizon we stayed behind a group of trees and quickly got our spotting scopes set up.  We found several deer quickly but disappointment quickly set in when we didn't find the buck from the night before.  It only got worse as we heard shots come from the direction the other hunters had gone and it was easily conceivable that the buck we had found had found their crosshairs.

After several minutes sitting in the cold and hoping our buck wasn't the one they had killed the grey ghost I had found the night before stepped out from the trees.  He met the standards I had set earlier in the summer and a stalk wasn't even necessary because he was under 300 yards and standing broadside.

My desire now is to make up some story and say that I hit him with the first shot but I didn't, it was a miss.  At which point he took off and left me scratching my head on what I did wrong.  We decided our best bet was to head down and make sure it was a clean miss and slowly head the same direction that he went.

There was no blood as we had expected and pursuit was tough on the frozen ground after the rain the day before.  Tracks were tough to discern but soon we spotted him and his partner working their way up the next drainage about 250 yards away.  I also wish I could say this shot was clean as well, but with his quartering angle I hit him a further back than I would have preferred.  He headed down the hill and settled beneath a large pine, but far enough away that I couldn't finish him.

We worked our way closer and I finished the job that should have been done with the first shot.  To date he is my best mule deer and I hope to continue to improve and get better with every season.  This hunt will be tough to top, but in the three days we stayed in mountains after my kill 3 deer that were much larger were located.  There is hope for next season.......