There were a lot of things I learned along the way on this trip.
First- the area we hunted was recommended to me by a friend who lives in the area. He doesnt hunt it as he guides for an outfitter in a different area of the same unit, but had heard through some of his friends it was a good area.
When we arrived I didnt expect the amount of grazing going on in that area. LESSON- when choosing an area of National Forest/Wilderness Area, contact the local forest service office for info on grazing- heavy grazing can negatively influence elk movements. Ditto for recreational use such as horseback tours,hikers etc. Any wilderness will probably have some of this, but this area seemed to be a particular hotspot.
Heres a tip that worked great for us. Our boots got soaked hunting the real rainy day. even though they are "waterproof", water wicking in around the tops and walking through wet grass all day had them squishing water out of every pore. To dry them, I packed them with newspaper for a couple hours, then before we went to bed I filled them with white rice. By morning, they were barely damp inside, and perfectly wearable.
A 5# bag of rice worked great for one pr of boots.
we took a lot of odds and ends gear along we never used. Keep it very very simple and basic.
We use GFA quivers. While I usually wear it with the feathered end of my arrows up, water getting into the hood caused my Woodsmans to rust a little, which dulled them. Make sure to have the means to touch your broadheads up, and check them often. I like the Woodsman heads, but they sure sseem to dull easily.
String wax- snagging on branches and flowers beats your string up. If you forget string wax, chapstick makes a fair substitute. Keep 'em waxed!
With the amount of time we were out there, I was expecting we would beat our feet up pretty bad. Neither of us had so much as a single hot spot or blister. Good insoles, and good boots are worth their weight in gold. We used Asolo hiker boots,very comfortable boots. Highly recommend them. Along with good boots, good socks! We used Vermont Darn tough wool socks in Med weight. Well worth the cost.
We did not wear any cotton clothing, other than around base camp at night. Im sold on Merino wool base layers. Absolutely the best I've ever worn.
We used Big Agnes Air core inflatable sleeping pads. They are comfy and easy to use. The only problem we had was those, with a nylon sleeping bag was like a slippy=slide. It was tough staying on the pad while sleeping. Need to come up with something to correct that.
As far as our gear, everything performed as expected, with no problems. The only disaapointemnt was the Kifaru Paratipi. Its a quality tent for sure, but its just too small for 2 men, 2 backpacks, bows and quivers. For one person it would be perfect. I'll probably upgrade it to either a sawtooth, or the 6 man tipi. As far as weight, the paratipi is light and easy to pack, but I wouldnt use it for 2 again.
I would also make sure I have topo maps for the surrounding areas. I had a couple, but learning of other areass nearby, I could have used a couple more maps. Im a firm believer in carrying topo maps. The maps on the GPS are helpful, but the screen is too small to use them for more advanced scouting/planning.
Topic: Colorado with my son......what a ride. (Read 1005 times)
