Useless hunting stuff we own...........

[JBen]

Sitka or other expensive "designer" hunting clothing. I know these will make you "look good" to your buddies LOL, but will they make you a better hunter? The people wearing them think they do LOL.

I fell for that tripod chair as well - what a bad purchase (now in a landfill). Cant imagine anyone comfortable sitting on one - "nut cruncher" indeed!!

Sitka.
Quite the opposite.
Like most I've spent a ton on "outdoor" clothing. I was an early Sitka adopter. Have more than I likely should, however all of it is now years old, years. Most at least 8 years old, a few pieces 9-11 years and still going strong. Haven't spent 1 penny on anything else since. I could care less about how it looks. It works. In fact I wore the "waterfowl" heavy parka today. Goretex kills the wind and the down fill, I'm snug as a bug with just a light shirt underneath. Also own the same parka/bibs in the green/white ( whitetail pattern). I've spent hours in tree stands in that set up when it was -15, -20 and -30, blizzards, freezing rain...... As someone else mentioned. Good boots, good clothing. Is the stuff that allows us to be out when others go home early or stay home and their expensive bows, rangefinders, scopes, and useless gadgets are in the closet/safe as well. All that said, the stuff is stupid expensive.

4100
Photography.
lol, definitely a less is more thing.

[fishfood]

I am the same way with the fishing gear mostly tackle lol. Buy alot of things on sale say I will maybe try it and never do.

I know it's not hunting related but its the same issue . Buy it cheap and and never use it lol.

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[wknwrur]

Been there, done that ! Only about a tenth of my outdoors purchases are really used. Like 410001661, I have the same Magellan SporTrakColor Gps, bought decades ago on sale for around $350. My friends thought it was the cat's meow ! Great for finding my fishing hotspot, but gets me lost in southern Ontario. It shows Hwy35/115 around Oshawa as Hwy 38, that's in Kingston. Never found a way to update it.
The items I don't leave home without are: GoPro, Rangefinder, Thermacell and LED flashlight. The rest gather dust ...

[LowbanksArcher]

Sitka.
Quite the opposite.
Like most I've spent a ton on "outdoor" clothing. I was an early Sitka adopter. Have more than I likely should, however all of it is now years old, years. Most at least 8 years old, a few pieces 9-11 years and still going strong. Haven't spent 1 penny on anything else since. I could care less about how it looks. It works. In fact I wore the "waterfowl" heavy parka today. Goretex kills the wind and the down fill, I'm snug as a bug with just a light shirt underneath. Also own the same parka/bibs in the green/white ( whitetail pattern). I've spent hours in tree stands in that set up when it was -15, -20 and -30, blizzards, freezing rain...... .

I was one of those guys that questioned the expense of Sitka and poked fun at my buddies who owned it. Then I got a deal on a barely used Sitka Incinerator set. First time wearing it I did a morning hang & hunt in minus temps and was so comfortable I ended up sitting all day til dark. Didn't even bring gloves. 30 minutes in I remember thinking... "ok, I get it now"

[JBen]

I got on board, I think around 2006-2008. And because I was doing a lot of work for magazines, was an "ambassador". If not for that, I wouldn't own as much as I do, and I now have a collection. The incerator bibs/parka and the same parka in waterfowl. Multiple Pants, shirts, a hoodie, and my first suit light pants/jacket in what they called mothwing. And its all, every single piece still going strong. Zipper for cargo pockets on the most heavily worn pants now gone. But the pants themselves despite hundreds, if not thousands of hours of abuse ( I wear stuff fishing, working in the yard, clearing snow). The only stuff that hangs most of the year is the whitetail incinerator. Want this to last 20+ years This is the same "incinerator" waterfowl parka I am wearing today with just a light shirt underneath. I think that year I brought both sets because when it's - 30 and showers are once every fw days.... Image is from 2013. Likely around -10 to -20. I have other pictures where I'm covered in ice/sleet after hours in the stand. Do I care how I look? lol, not in the slightest

Is it "worth it"?
Not for me to answer. I am though a huge believer in getting the best boots/clothes we can. The world most expensive bow, tricked out and gadgets aren't doing anything if your going home early or staying indoors because its nasty out.

[410001661]

Sitka.
Quite the opposite.
Like most I've spent a ton on "outdoor" clothing. I was an early Sitka adopter. Have more than I likely should, however all of it is now years old, years. Most at least 8 years old, a few pieces 9-11 years and still going strong. Haven't spent 1 penny on anything else since. I could care less about how it looks. It works. In fact I wore the "waterfowl" heavy parka today. Goretex kills the wind and the down fill, I'm snug as a bug with just a light shirt underneath. Also own the same parka/bibs in the green/white ( whitetail pattern). I've spent hours in tree stands in that set up when it was -15, -20 and -30, blizzards, freezing rain...... As someone else mentioned. Good boots, good clothing. Is the stuff that allows us to be out when others go home early or stay home and their expensive bows, rangefinders, scopes, and useless gadgets are in the closet/safe as well. All that said, the stuff is stupid expensive.

4100
Photography.
lol, definitely a less is more thing.

I agree.......buy the best quality clothes/boots you can afford. Nothing is worse than guys on a sit freezing their can off with their $2,500 shotgun on their lap.

Things got worse when I moved from 35mm to medium format. Cameras got bigger and heavier and more expensive. Ended up shooting 4-6 weddings a year to finance the equipment (fricken bridezilla's) - LOL. But I cannot tell you how many time I have taken my camera, tripod, backs, lenses, filters and light meter on a walk and never even took a shot. I called that taking my equipment for a walk. Some of my best images were with my Rolliflex or my C330f, light meter, and tripod - it all fit in my Domke shoulder bag and I used the tripod as a walking stick. Quick and easy to set up and you only had the one lens so deal with it! When I eventually migrated to a DSLR I could not believe the difference in weight and bulk.

[JBen]

Lol I hear ya. Back in the day, before C and age wore out my back, I would lug hunting gear and 20-50 pounds of camera gear into the bush, up into a tree stand, tacking bears through bush. Did a shoot for the mag way way back at Rondeua for ducks. Had to hump about 2 klicks into the blind. By the time we got there, I was soaked in sweat. Cold morning, just above freezing I stripped to my skivvies to quickly get rid of the sweat. This was before Sitka and moisture wicking...

This was a bear hunt for them. Some evenings it was close to 30 degree's in the stand. stuff soaks up sweat like almost nothing else I've owned. For the record, this outfit I wear for everyhting. Fishing, working in the yard, you name it. Still as good as new except the zipper on the cargo pocket. Bought it around 2009-2010. Pic from 2012


I have more photography crap and doo dads, than I do hunting and that says something. Actually considering selling some stuff this year. Either collecting dust, or I just cant lug it around the way I used to when in my 40s and early 50s.

[oaknut]

When it comes to useless gear, I don't have much. I don't have much in the way of hunting gear either way. I have a warm camo suit but in warmer weather I never wear camo aside from waterfowl and bear hunting.

Useless.... I don't know why but I bought this scent dripper thing years ago that only dripped when the sun was up. That was my biggest derp moment. I have a lot of useless flashlights that looked good at the time but just don't work. Bloodsport flashlight was the worst, the only time it will make blood glow is when its on snow.....

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[SongDog]

The older I get, The less stuff I carry with me.

Not because its too much to pack, Its just I don't NEED it.

I coyote hunt with a guy that has to bring his entire arsenal of calls/gimmicks everytime we go.

He has squeakers taped on the stock of his rifle, binos on a chest pack, about 15 calls around his neck, backpack full of stuff, big heavy bipod on his rifle, Gillie suit he can hardly walk in, camo cloth hanging every which way off his rifle.

I show up just carrying my rifle and slip on my snowcamo over my old coveralls and go.

Seen him ram that camo cloth Inside the bolt before and jam his gun, bipod catch on branches and not able to shoot, miss because he's trying to range the coyote and coyote sees him and takes off. Fiddling with his heated gloves and not even get a shot off.

He was so mad one time as he never even got a shot off and I killed both coyotes, He just looks at me like WTF how do you shoot so fast.

I just say because I just have to take the safety off and shoot, Skip the 50 steps YOU take to get it done. Haha


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[Ahuntr300]

Hey sorry to offend the Sitka fans, but I tried them and IMHO they were no better than my high quality browning gore tex hunting clothes. I am just as warm and dry and comfortable with those except at much lower cost. But that sitka symbol is nice though!!