Use old gear?
Contributors to this thread:Equipment
From: cnelk
21-Jan-17
New gear is cool.
New gear is kinda expensive.
Old gear is cool too.
What kind of 'old gear' do you still use?
Got a favorite piece of gear that goes with you each year?
From: elkmtngear
21-Jan-17
My "Lucky Hat" is 25 years old.
From: Jaquomo
21-Jan-17
I have one old piece of junk that's almost 63 years old and still works great!
From: wyobullshooter
21-Jan-17
Jaq, I have some junk that's already 63 and still works great...ok, most the time...er, well, some of the time...never mind. ;-)
As far as huntin' stuff goes, I still carry the same grunt tube I hauled into the woods to bowhunt elk for the first time 33yrs ago. The other oldie but goodie I still carry is my old Wyoming Knife that's 35-40 yrs old.
From: Scooby-doo
22-Jan-17
I have a union suit that I wear on most cold weather hunts that is 30 plus years old. I also have an old Buck 110 that my dad gave me when I was 10 and that is 42 years ago. Scooby
From: t-roy
22-Jan-17
Scooby X2 on the Buck 110 knife. Bought it in 1974 or so, with some trapping money. It's been on every hunting trip I've ever taken.
From: PECO
22-Jan-17
I use some old recurves, but they are new to me. I use a 2008 Daimond Black Ice compound, I got it new, but it is ancient by industry standards. My Dad bought me a single shot 16ga Stevens shotgun around 1975, I still have it, have not shot it for decades until a few years ago. Shot some clays, and took it for a stroll in the rabbit woods. That thing is a shooter.
From: LKH
22-Jan-17
I have a few things I still use, but my ability to walk off and leave things behind is phenomenal. Guiding in WY one year I lost 3 pair of glasses. Actually lost two of them twice before not finding them again.
Mostly my old predator camo pants shirts and t-shirts my wife made seem to keep going.
From: hawkeye in PA
22-Jan-17
At least half of my stuff says "Made in the USA" and you didn't have to look at the tag back then. Carry my Granddads original Marbles knife, approx. 90 years old, a > 50 year old whistle. And on the rare occasion I carry a rifle it was also Granddad's Trapdoor Springfield 45/70 made in the late 1880's.
From: BULELK1
22-Jan-17
I still have a Wayne Carlton bugle and tube.
I just use different reeds now.......
+1 on the almost 63 years old piece of reliable 'Gear', it is going snowshoeing this wintery Rocky Mountain morning.
Good luck, Robb
From: Booner
22-Jan-17
My first year bowhunting is coming up. I've been playing with bows in one form or another since I was a kid but picked up a garage sale find American Eagle compound built around 1990. Its heavy as sin but while trout fishing I started paying attention to a deer herd that ran through the woods and so I know where they water and feed. Thought I'd try to get the lead buck with it. The bow is old and slow, but I think I can get very close, crank up the poundage and bury a heavy arrow deep. That's my plan anyway.
From: Lost Man
22-Jan-17
Went back to my first Cabelas Alaskan frame pack after selling my Sitka bivy and Mystery Ranch this year.
From: Drummer Boy
22-Jan-17
It would be faster to name what was new,10x42 binoculars that I had to have to shoot a mule deer last year.My 8x30 Swarovski that I have had for 25 years were not up for the task LOL.I still use my Alaskan back frame,that I bought for my first bowhunt for elk in 86.My switchback is 11 or 12 all my recurves are at least 20,even my land was bought over 25 years ago.Then there is the main motor at 62 that I sure wish I could replace,well the old body still works most of the time.
From: kellyharris
22-Jan-17
I have 2 pair of bibs and jacket of predator camo that's over 25 years old.
I use them every season
From: OkieJ
22-Jan-17
All of my bows are at least 20 years old, some old camo and some Coleman camping gear.
From: oldgoat
22-Jan-17
Define old, my favorite Boonie hat with attached face net is about ten years old. In the spring turkey season and September elk season I wear the net down covering my face, during winter deer season, I wear it with the netting up inside the crown and it really helps keep my bald head warm!
From: pav
22-Jan-17
I still carry the same tow rope wrapped around a notched piece of plywood that I made and have been using on deer hunts since a teenager (some 40 years ago). Once left it at the base of a tree in Iowa after pulling a stand...a good mile from the truck. Hunting partner thought I was crazy for hiking back to retrieve it. In my mind...I had no choice!
From: White Falcon
22-Jan-17
Bought new almost 50 yrs ago. Take every year.
From: Buskill
22-Jan-17
I often wear my dads old orange hat he grouse hunted in all the time . I'd say 40 years old or so . I also still wear some old wool gloves that are about the same age .
From: Medicinemann
22-Jan-17
My wool clothing is over 20 years old. Have hunted everywhere with it (except the arctic). Still keeps me warm.....bought it in an Army/Navy surplus for about $20 per item.
From: Medicinemann
22-Jan-17
My wool clothing is over 20 years old. Have hunted everywhere with it (except the arctic). Still keeps me warm.....bought it in an Army/Navy surplus for about $20 per item.
From: ELKMAN
22-Jan-17
My truck is an 03. But that might be changing...
From: lawdy
22-Jan-17
My hunting bow is a 25 year old longbow. My other longbow is 35 years old. My Bean boots are 30 years old. Been resoled several times.
From: drycreek
22-Jan-17
I have this old woman who hangs around waiting for me to bring home the venison. She has always supported my habit, and has even gone with me on several trips. Before our son was big enough to hunt, she even brought home her own venison. I've had her since '82, and she still warms me up at night. BTW, she has tenure, and is beyond replacement !
From: walks with a gimp
22-Jan-17
I've never bought and used a commercial portable treestand in my soon to be 46 years of bow hunting deer. I still have my first that was made in my first year of bow hunting when I was 16 but it's heavy and clunky and favor my more recent 25 year old design that I still use and love to put up.
From: Scooby-doo
22-Jan-17
I also have an old Red Wing hunter that is from 1967 so 50 years old this year. Killed a doe with it this year and have taken probably 10-12 deer with it over the years. Scooby
From: Ole Coyote
22-Jan-17
ihave a 71 year old butt , lol, it follows me on every hunt still works great thankfully!!
From: jstephens61
22-Jan-17
A Buck Lite folding knife that I bought about 30 years ago. Always with me, even in Africa. Son will have it one day.
From: sfiremedic
22-Jan-17
My buddy gave me a really cool leather bow hook when I started bowhunting in 1988... It goes with me every time I hunt. :)
From: WV Mountaineer
22-Jan-17
I use a military stainless steel canteen cup and mess kit for hammock camp hunting. I use a couple pairs of WWII wool infantry pants from time to time. I've had them for 25 years. I use WWII wool infantry socks a lot. I rifle hunt almost exclusively with a 1963 Remington model 700, 30/06 my granddad gave me 30 years ago. First year Remington made the model 700. He bought it and carried it all over the Western Rockies, prairies, and in WV hunting. It's killed everything in N. America but a Grizzly, caribou, the sheep species, and a Moose. I don't care about changing the sheep status but, I'd love to introduce a Moose, some caribou, and a Grizzly to it one day. When I'm not carrying that gun, it's almost always a 1957 Marlin, Model 336 35 Remington.
I own a lot of new gear. Some high tech stuff. Some new rifles. I'm still looking for some used military wool sweaters. Mainy because this old stuff just flat works fellas. Really well. So, I'm going to continue to use it a LOT. God Bless
From: White Falcon
23-Jan-17
Some of my old bows. I still hunt with them!
From: Scar Finga
23-Jan-17
My dads old Coleman lantern, he bought it new in 1967, love that thing. A hand made beaver hat. it was made for my brother in law 30 years ago- He passed from a brain tumor. I wear it hunting when the weather is cold, but not wet.
Not hunting related, but I have 2 horse hair shop brushes, one from the late 1800's and one from 1920's my dads and granddads. Great granddads straight razor from Germany,mid 1800's
God Bless,
Scar.
From: sticksender
23-Jan-17
Probably the oldest gear that I still use are Loc-On tree stands. My wife bought me the first one as a gift in the '80's. And I picked up a few more used ones along the way. Replaced some of the fabric seats, but otherwise the stands are still in good shape. Killed a good buck from one this past fall.Still sometimes use my original Cabelas Alaskan Frame pack that was purchased new in 1990. Those packs are just about bomb-proof under normal use. If they had a better waist belt design, I might use one as my full time mountain pack.
From: APauls
23-Jan-17
but if my gear was old there's no way I could put it in front of my animal for the trophy pic and then there's no way I'd get sponsorships and be able to trump up my "sponsors" 24/7 so that they might give me 10% off direct orders"
From: cnelk
23-Jan-17
Not seeing much for old camo being used?
From: griz
23-Jan-17
I occasionally use a 1930's vintage Woolrich coat and pants when it gets truly cold. Black and red plaid and the pants have lace-up lower legs to get them in the high boots of the day. My Dad found the set, in my size, at a garage sale around 1985 and paid $10. I usually break out his Remington 141 in .35 that he bought on discharge from the Navy in 1945 when I wear it.
From: willliamtell
23-Jan-17
most prominent 'old' stuff is a Doolittle knife that I've sharpened about 1/2" off the length over the years, and a LLBean fannypack that I've worn through or broke off a couple things, but none that matter. Gotta say that just about everything else I've truly worn out or broken, and had to replace. Lightweight stuff takes a beating. Still have a pair of euro mil surplus cotton pants that are never going to wear out, although the repairs are gaining in area every year.
From: lawdy
23-Jan-17
My oldest gear that has killed countless hare, partridges, and several deer is a circa 1727 Tulle de Chasse I bought in a barn sale. Rebarreled it and put on a new lock. Smoothbore with a 42 inch barrel and .62 cal. With a roundball, it will drop anything that roams this continent within 50 yards. Beyond that, not very accurate.
From: lawdy
23-Jan-17
I traded a Ruger Model 1 with a Leopold scope with the guy having the barn sale for it. The lock is an L+R, but I saved the original lock and barrel. The stock was nasty but in nice shape. A dozen coats of handrubbed linseed oil worked. My other flinter is a David Price kit that I am working on. A 45 cal New England rifle.
From: lawdy
23-Jan-17
From: r-man
23-Jan-17
My Buck knifes and my Summit are the only things that have made it through the test of time. 20yrs plus, retired a lot of gear in the last 2 yrs ,
From: Ken Taylor
23-Jan-17
As far as I'm concerned LOL, all my stuff is "like new"... and I don't have a clue as to why my friends always ask me silly questions like "how long have you had that?" or "where did you get that?" or "was that your Dad's?"
From: redheadlvr
27-Jan-17
Use my dad's Korea era flashlight,some first year Mossy Oak camo,1995 Browning Mirage FPS,plus 1960s recurves.
From: BOHUNTER09
27-Jan-17
I have an original pair of Treebark camo coveralls. Seems they have gotten smaller over the years.
From: Bake
27-Jan-17
I've been wracking my brain, trying to think if I hunt with anything "old". Kinda hard when you started in 1993 :)
I have a few things that will get old, because I like them a lot. But they aren't quite "old" yet. My Bark River drop point knife will get old, but I've only had it since 2012
My Swaro binos will get old, but only because I can't afford to buy new ones :)
The oldest thing I use hunting is my leather belt, which I wear almost every day, and have, since 1999 :)
From: Scar Finga
27-Jan-17
LAWDY WINS!
From: Coyote 65
27-Jan-17
Binoculars are from the 80's, camo is from the 90's, was supposed to turn it in when I retired, but kept one of each chocolate chip and forest. Bow is from the 90's, if it could kill an elk back then it can still kill one. Knife is from the 80's but I do sharpen it now with a keepsharp. Rangefinder is from the 90's whenever Bushnell came out with their electronic one. My split image cost me a really nice NM bull. My 4wd is an 87 Samurai. Air Conditioning doesn't work but the heater does.
I did trade in my old wife for a newer, got a '53 model when the '46 began making too much noise.
Terry
From: buckfevered
27-Jan-17
Buck hunting knife in my pack every whitetail outing is the same one my dad gave me somewhere over 38-39 years ago. Pull rope is the same on I started bowhunting with 30+ years ago. Other stuff is a little newer, but still use the same stand I made the year before I got married 28 years age (I double check it each year before setting it).
From: elkmtngear
27-Jan-17
"I have a 71 year old butt , lol, it follows me on every hunt still works great thankfully"!!
Dang, that's impressive! Mine has a big crack in it :/
From: APauls
27-Jan-17
I'm with Bake, I'm just too young to be old at this point ;)
From: Paddyj
27-Jan-17
Just bought a Mathews Switchback XT yesterday, 10 years old now, but I shot a friends SBXT and loved it, shot it better and more comfortably than my 2 year old Elite.
From: yooper89
27-Jan-17
hawkeye - love to hear Marbles knives still being used. My deer camp was maybe 10 miles from the shop growing up. Loved their work. Still carry mine with me everywhere I go!
From: cnelk
27-Jan-17
This pic was taken about 15 years ago.
I still use the camo shirt and pants, the quiver is on my current bow, still shoot the bow occasionally, still use the fanny pack, and the hat still goes hunting with me every year....arrows are long gone :)
From: TD
27-Jan-17
Racking my brain, but honestly I wear stuff out petty fast. And much of my hunting involves flying or a boat, always on the lookout for better, lighter, more compact, gear. Most the the new gear blows away the old stuff in that way. Clothing I just flat wear most of it out. Still have couple pieces of the original Sitka stuff in asat, is that old?
I do have my dads OLD goose "down" sleeping bag probably older than I am. It lived in the fuselage of his planes, the piper, the 180, then the 185. As survival gear, just in case. It's a big ol heavy thing with a flannel liner and a canvas outer, it must go 12 lbs. I use it 3 or 4 times a year when we go up the mountain to the cabin, I can just throw it in the back of the Scout with the dogs. I backpack and travel with a WM badger, but that old bag is real comfy.
Oh.... the Scout I guess is "old", 1976, my huntin' rig (daily driver too...) . My very first brand new car was a 75 scout..... I've come up in the world....
From: White Falcon
27-Jan-17
Does underwear count? :) :) I target shoot this old Bear once in a while!
From: Barron114
27-Jan-17
Old stuff is a matter of tradition at my house.
My dad, who is about to be 69, received from his dad on his 16th birthday a Winchester Pre 64 Model 94, 30-30. He killed his first deer with it, my brother and I killed our first with it , and all 4 of my kids killed their first deer with it. My hope is that some day my future grandchildren will do the same.
From: greenmountain
28-Jan-17
I had a special drag rope. My mentor gave it to me in 1980. I had shot a small buck and he put it down for keeps. He told me that the deer would have been dead within a minute even if he had not shot. He gave me the rope and I tagged the deer. I have had that rope on a lot of deer since. I lost my rope in the best way a few years ago. A son of one of my hunting partners got his first deer with me close by. I gave him the rope and told him the history. I hope he drags a lot more deer with it.
From: Franzen
28-Jan-17
'99 or so vintage Wolverines. Relegated to mostly training nowadays.
'99 or so vintage Wolverines. Relegated to mostly training nowadays.
'96 era Rattler Brand button-down, in (original) Realtree. I bought this shirt the first year I hunted and have been wearing it ever since.
'96 era Rattler Brand button-down, in (original) Realtree. I bought this shirt the first year I hunted and have been wearing it ever since.
The Chevy isn't that old, but well-worn and has 195k.
The Chevy isn't that old, but well-worn and has 195k.
Here are some "old" pieces. Old is obviously a relative term due to the age of the person using them.
From: Bowfreak
28-Jan-17
I use the same buck knife I have been carrying since 1988. The knife is really not that great but at this point it is somewhat of a sentimental piece to me.
Other than that....I try to keep newer gear but still have plenty of camo that is many years old.
From: killinstuff
28-Jan-17
I keep waiting on Kotaman's reply. He has to have some piece of gear more than 3 years old.
From: ahunter55
28-Jan-17
My Rocky Mountain Broadhead cap I've had since I lived in this house (20 years). My Stabilizer is over 40 years old & I have some 2117 Aluminums I use out of my Longbow sometimes that are at least 25 years old. My 2216s I use out of my compound are over 20 years old..
From: Rickm
28-Jan-17
I still use a Bushnell rang finder that has to be 15 years old. That's pretty old for electronics. My compound is 10 years old. Use some clothes that are 20 years old.
Unfortunately due to a break in at our camp, I lost the hand made knife my grandfather bought for me over 40 years ago. If I live long enough some of my stuff will get old.
From: jjs
28-Jan-17
Still use my Bob Fratski Winona Camo, getting tater just like me but still is very effective, the camo that is.
From: Backpack Hunter
28-Jan-17
I have an old 16ga single shot shotgun that goes out with me once or twice a year. It has been passed down a couple of generations now.
From: IAHUNTER
29-Jan-17
Have several of my dad's guns from the 50's and 60's. Shot a few roosters with his and grandpa's gun in Iowa this fall. Have shot several elk, deer and hogs with the 30-06 760 pump he gave me, including my best mule deer this fall. Lot of sentimental value with this gun, plus it shoots pretty nice due to putting a Timney trigger in it, topped it with a Vari-x 3 4-14 power and with fine tuned hand loads it shoots 3 inch groups at 300 yards. Then, still have the camo he shot a buck with in the 70's, his hunting knife, which I still use each year. Lots of hand me downs, paired with some new stuff gear. Makes a great combo and for lots of stories. Love this post!
From: ThisDarrinAdventure
02-Feb-17
I found my dad's buck knife from when he was a kid in the attic. I carried it and used it for all my skinning this last season. It holds a great edge and it is one of the rare things i have of my dad's.
From: cnelk
16-Apr-18
TTT - everything is another year older :)
From: grubby
17-Apr-18
Is that an alpine sof loc? I replaced mine with a tight spot last year since it is now on Jrs bow........ I want it back
