A few observations on various kit from my recently concluded 2007 Moose and Brown Bear hunt in and around the Tsiu river swamp basin:

1) Cabelas Ankle fit bog buster hip waders: They were comfortable in the store, and lighter than other “rubber†hip boots. But, they weren’t up to the task of 11 consecutive days walking through thick swamp underbrush / standing water in pouring rain. When I returned to my tent at the end of each day, I was able to empty at least six ounces of water out of each side, and could wring another one or two out of my SmartWool socks. I believe this was because the brush was poking numerous holes in the neoprene at and above the ankle. I was only able to see and patch the largest ones with Aquaseal each night. And, that didn't stop the leaks. Once they were wet inside, it seemed they "slipped" around my ankles MUCH more easily, risking a sprain. That became an even larger concern once I'd loaded myself up to pack out meat / trophies. Found myself worried far more about an ankle or knee injury, than the cold or Brownies looking for an easy meal. In the interest of clarity, here is the link to the hip wader’s I’m referring to: http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link....buster+hip&noImage=0

Next time it will be something sturdier, even if it’s heavier and/or louder. Lacrosse is on my list of replacement candidates.


2) Elastic butt stock ammo holders: Mine did not succeed in retaining 375 H&H rounds while moving through thick swamp underbrush. Lost four rounds of ammo on the first day before I even noticed there was a problem. The other four were nearly dislodged as well. While this isn’t the specific model I used, here’s an example of what I’m talking about: http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/sta...cat601051&hasJS=true

3) Petzel headlamp: FANTASTIC. Lots of light. Went 10 days of heavy use on the same set of batteries. Probably one of the most important pieces of gear I had along right after my rifle.

4) My Kifaru Long Hunter and Crooked Horn Day pack both exceeded my expectations for comfort, durability, and carrying capacity. Was especially pleased with the former when it came time to pack out game.

5) Swazi Wapiti coat: Definitely quieter and more comfortable than other Goretex coats. However, it was not up to the task of staying dry when subjected to consecutive days of hard, driving rain. Sad, because it did breath well when activity got strenuous.

6) Helly Hansen Impertech Guide’s jacket: FANTASTIC. Kept me bone dry down to the knees under the ugliest rain / wet conditions. Would take this jacket as my outer layer on any similar future hunting trip to AK, and leave the Goretex coats behind.

7) Swazi undershirts and thermal layers: These worked really well. Kept me warm. Very comfortable. Dried well.

8) Boker Ceramic knives: Tried two on Moose and Bear. Ended up going back to my regular steel knives. Perhaps it was just personal preference, but I thought I was able to get and keep a better edge with a diamond steel hone than the ceramic which I couldn’t sharpen.

9) Microfiber lens cloths: They didn't measure up well versus chamois when operating in constant rain. Especially when they got wet.

10) Bipod versus shooting sticks: Took a Harris 26 inch bipod. Left it up there. Very few places where surrounding vegetation / standing water was low enough to accommodate a bipod, even on it’s highest “sitting†position. And, they catch on all sorts of things as you try to navigate through bushes and trees.

11) ACR AQUAFIX 406 GPS I/0 PLB ONBOARD GPS & GPS INTERFACE - Model#2797.4 – Even though I didn’t have to use it, I was happy to have it in the backpack at all times. Next time around, I’d probably take a satellite phone instead.

12) SmartWool socks. AWESOME. Kept my feet warm, even though they were quickly soaked through every day on account of my failing hip waders detailed above. Would suggest at least one pair of dry socks for each day, as wool didn’t dry anywhere near as quickly as my synthetic clothes.

13) Glacier Gloves Curved Slit - Finger / Fleece-lined: These were GREAT for walking around in cold rain all day, and still keeping your hands reasonably warm (although still wet). Climbed dozens of trees with them on, and they held together. Was able to shoot with them on using the finger/thumb slits.

14) Olympus 7.1 MP Stylus 770SW All-Weather Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom, Image Stabilization – Waterproof & Shockproof. Was impressed with this digital camera. It went fully submerged to at least two feet of water numerous times. Fell 80 feet out of a pine tree, and looked like it hit every branch on the way down. Still worked with no issues. Bought the 2G memory card, and wasn’t able to fill it up, even though I took nearly an hour worth of movies with it. This camera was nearly indestructible. I’m not a camera guy, but having broken a bunch of cheaper digital jobs, I was impressed I my typical treatment didn’t break it.

15) Muckboots – Light and very comfortable for in camp wear.

16) Ruger Alaskan in 44 Magnum - Wore this out into the field for the first five days as backup to my 375 H&H. After the 20th or so tree climb with the extra appendage, decided it was probably best suited for sleeping more restfully in the tent at night....and for some peace of mind during bush bowel movements. That said, the Buffalo Bore 340g +P+ loads made sufficient noise with a single shot into an adjacent tree to shoo a 5 foot black bear out of my camp kitchen at 2am (was a little surprised to see that fella in Brown Bear territory). He was probably just as surprised at the Crimson Grip laser dot chasing him into the bushes behind the camp after the warning shot.

17) Remington fleece neck/head balaclava. Excellent. Made a real difference under my Helly Hansen hood during cold rains, and in 40 degree mornings while trying to extract yourself from a warm sleeping bag. Along with my Glacier Gloves, this was the other unexpected positive clothing surprise. Any brand would probably do, as long as it's thick enough to provide insulation. Didn't realize how much heat I'd been losing through my neck.

18) Leica Geovid BRF 10x42. Worked as advertised. Provided me with entertainment ranging various things during long stays in the tree tops glassing. They need a stable rest to get longer ranges. Predictable given beam width. And, tough to accommodate that requirement while your tree is swaying back and forth in 40 kt winds. Only disappointment was the Geovid continues to have some trouble in very bright sunny days. Would like to have had that problem more often during this year's hunt. Definitely didn't need them at the ranges either of the two shots I took on the hunt. Leica's optics quality for finding those shot opportunities while they were peeking in and out of heavy cover in dim light was helpful.

19) Hunter Leather Belt holster for Ruger Alaskan 2.5" in 44 Magnum: Had two gripes here 1) The leather squeaked a fair bit when I walked. The noise it made as I tried to sneak around was another one of the reasons it got relegated to the tent & toilet. 2) It was difficult to do a one hand extraction of the revolver. Even with two hands, the extraction was sticky. Perhaps both items could be mitigated with some oil or saddle soap. Here's the link to the item I'm referring to: http://www.shootnhunt.com/catalog/JM/holsters/hunter/ca...t_belts/0629826.html

Thanks for the report. Well done trophy photos. Very nice animals. The picture of the bear and all that wet brush brings back memories. I've spent days hunting in that wet brush and no matter how hard you try, you are going to get wet.

Should have added to first post. The report on your equipment that you used, what worked and what didn't, is valuable information. I would like to see reports like this on equipment on all the forums. Thanks again.

Hey, I wanna go hunting with you!

Good info, nice pictures.

Where is Tsiu?

The Tsiu is ~100 miles south east of Cordova.

Thanks for the report and it looks like you did well on your trip. Who did you go with?

I concur on your gear assessments...especially the Smartwool and Helly Hansen. Another good rubber gear company is Grundens and XtraTuff.

I haven't tried the Swazi gear yet but have been thinking about it and thumbing their catalog. How would you rate their outerwear for regular wear around town and camp...worth the cost or not so much?

I also have looked at the ceramic knives but keep coming back to traditional steel.

I have the same waders and probably need to switch to a different brand myself. The LaCrosse is a popular model up here.

good job! nice bull!

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I also have looked at the ceramic knives

been thinking about a Boker for sometime myself. a curious blade.

quote:

I haven't tried the Swazi gear yet but have been thinking about it and thumbing their catalog. How would you rate their outerwear for regular wear around town and camp...worth the cost or not so much?

I'll likely use wear the Swazi Wapiti as my fall "civilian" Goretex jacket around town. It actually looks more like an every day outdoor jacket than hunting clothing. Probably a good thing given the general political bent of the average street populace in Austin.

As for Swazi's hooded outer fleece jackets, they're pretty good for around camp. Super warm and comfortable. Agree with you that they're EXPENSIVE. Especially after all the taxes, shipping, and other charges.

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Originally posted by yukon delta:
Thanks for the report and it looks like you did well on your trip. Who did you go with?

My hunting partner was Aaron Christensen. He's half Aleut, and knows Alaskan hunting inside out. Would like to see him open his own Kodiak concession. Believe he probably will at some point. Keep an eye out for him.

Great hunt report. Thanks for the report on the gear.

I have been thinking about getting the Swazi gear. From your report I will just stick to my Helly Hansen Imper-tech. The Helly was great for cutting the wind while glassing on the barren hill sides.

Congrats on a great hunt. Thanks for the gear info.....it is always good to hear what worked and didn't since we work our gear in ways other places never dream of, and can't afford the weight for lots of backups.

Cheers,

Dan

Great report +1!

Congratulations !

Nice pics ! ...and thank you for that report