Field-tested gear we actually use

Every pick has been carried, shot, packed, or worn by us or by readers we trust. We favor the value option that holds up.

OpticsValue pick

10x42 value binoculars

Clear enough to grade a blacktail at 400 yards, cheap enough to live in the truck. The step-up flagship isn't worth 3x the price.

~$260Issue #8

Big GameField-tested

Value frame pack

Hauled a boned-out buck 4 miles without a squeak. Load shelf, real hip belt, no gimmicks.

~$220Issue #12

UplandWe trust it

Dove & upland vest

Big shell pockets, a blood-proof game bag, mesh back for the September heat. Buy once for a decade of openers.

~$70Issue #13

WaterfowlSet out early

Spinning-wing dove decoy

Doves finish 20 yards closer — the difference between a limit and a box of excuses.

~$45Issue #10

Big GameZero it now

Non-lead hunting loads

California requires non-lead for all take. Get zeroed before your opener, not the night before.

~$55/boxIssue #9

Camp & KitchenPays for itself

Chamber vacuum sealer

No more freezer-burned backstrap in February. Buy the chamber style, skip the suction bags.

~$180Issue #7

MarshBuy the boring pair

Unlined knee boots

Rice ditches and refuge mud. Unlined so they dry, tall enough that a step-in does not end the morning.

~$80Issue #10

CampIn every kit

Headlamp with a red mode

Walk in without lighting the whole marsh. Red for the pit, white for the blood trail, and a battery you replaced this year.

~$35Issue #11

Camp & KitchenOne pair, sharp

Game shears

Birds in the field and the garage. A dedicated pair that never sees cardboard.

~$25Issue #7

CampDownload the tiles

Offline hunt map

The ridge does not have service. A map you saved at home is the one that still works at the saddle.

Free–$30/yrIssue #8