I only recommend products I believe in and use myself. If you purchase something using a link to an item on a post, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Read More
Sharpening a knife is an art that takes time to master and time to practice. Unfortunately, with 3 kids, I seldom have time to devote to practicing that art…I just need an edge back on my knife and quick.
#1 – Benchmade Drop Point Field Knife
There are two Benchmade knives that rotate between my hunting pack: the Benchmade Steep Country and the Benchmade Saddle Mountain Skinner.
Steep Country
The Steep Country in blaze orange is a fixture in my Eberlestock X2. Its light and comfortable in my hand for most jobs in the field. I prefer the drop point over a clip point as I can easily gut the animal without the worry of perforating any of the guts and tainting the meat.
The only drawback of the Steep Country is the handle material tends to get a little slick when it gets bloody so you just need to be careful making any forceful cuts that you don’t slide your hand up the blade.
Saddle Mountain Skinner
The Saddle Mountain Skinner is my favorite knife from Benchmade. The wood handle is comfortable in my hand and doesn’t get slick like the Steep Country.
Its a bigger knife so I prefer to use it on bigger game, think a big board and the blade holds its edge well.
#2 – Worksharp Guided Field Sharpener
A newer addition to the pack, the Workshapr Guided Field Sharpener has everything you need for maintaining an edge in the field. It has built in guides, coarse and fine diamond stones, a rotating ceramic hone and a leather strope…it even has a fish hook sharpener.
It’s a great tool to have in the field to keep a razor edge on your Benchmade.
#3 – Leatherman Wave+ Multi-tool
My Leatherman Wave+ is slowly replacing my Spyderco Endura as my everyday carry so its no surprise it also makes it into my pack.
It has plain edge and serrated edge blades so you don’t need to worry about using your field knife for cutting tasks. It also has a saw blade that is perfect for cutting through a pelvic bone when gutting a hog.
Another commonly used accessory is the bottle opener for popping open a cold Topo Chico in the early season heat.
#4 – Hooyman 5ft Extendable Pole Saw
I picked up my Hooyman Pole Saw after struggling to clear a shooting lane when hunting Hagerman WMA last season. Rather than duct taping a saw to a stick, the Hooyman packs away compact and at 5ft, reaches most limbs that get in the way of my arrow path.
#5 – Corona ProCut Hand Pruners
Hand pruners are my preferred tool for clearing branches. They are quick and they are quiet..always opt for the pruners over the pole saw.
#6 – Leki Micro Vario Carbon Trekking Pole
Another addition after scouting Hagerman…I started carrying a Trekking Pole because of all the snakes around the creeks that were cleverly disguised in the brush. If noise isnt a factor, I’m constantly probing the ground in front of me softly when stepping over logs and in knee high brush.
The trekking pole also proved helpful when climbing up and down the steep creek banks. The Leki Micro Vario poles are light and pack down small for stowing away.
#7 – Milkweed
The milkweed is free in the fields during the fall and there is no better wind indicator.
I keep some clipped to my bag in an old Qalo ring bag with a small slit in the side.
#8 – T-Post Step
The T-Post step only makes its way into the bag when I’m hunting public land, but is invaluable for crossing a fence on public land that shows up at an inopportune time.
#9 – Water Bladder and Quick Fill Attachment
I’ve always had a water bladder but didn’t learn about the quick fill attachment until recently. Its a great tool for filling your bladder from a standard water bottle without opening your bag and potentially getting everything wet.
#10 – Vortex Ranger 1300
A few seasons ago I replaced my Halo Rangefinder (after the ranging button fell off) with a Vortex Ranger 1300. I shouldn’t have waited so long…its clearer, ranges better at low light and you can’t beat the Vortex warranty.
#11 – Vortex 10×42 Binoculars and Chest Harness
Similar to my rangefinder, I replaced my Nikon binoculars with a set of Vortex Binos. Again, the clarity is awesome and I take comfort in knowing I can run them over with my truck and still get a new pair.
#12 – Streamlight Trident Headlamp
I’ve gone through a lot of headlamps over the years, but the current headlamp of choice is the Streamlight Trident. Its bright and has a green setting for going into and out of the stand.
Which Pack to Choose?
My two packs of choice are the Eberlestock X2 and the Eberlestock Bandit, depending on the type of hunt. I’ve documented my thoughts in detail on previous posts:
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.