2015 KUIU Icon Pro Pack Updates and new 3200 release video

Check out the 2015 KUIU ICON Pro Pack Updates and Icon Pro 3200 Release Video.  There have been some nice changes and additions that you will see in the video.

Gear Review: Havalon Knives

Gear Review: Havalon Knives keep getting better
Posted by Janis Putelis     
I was beyond pleased with the characteristics and capabilities of the Havalon Piranta and the Havalon Torch.  Lightweight, always sharp, with a great fit for efficient work.  Now the Havalon Bolt is out and with its bigger handle and bright hard to lose colors is an improvement on an already exceptional product.  It also accepts the new 60A blade which is 20% thicker (thus tougher) than the 60XT.  Most complaints I've heard about Havalons involved blades snapping.  I've snapped a few myself but it was always from too much wrenching on my part.  I've yet to snap a 60A blade.  Both of the elk I killed this year were gutted, skinned, and quartered using ONE blade a piece.  Usually I'm a stickler about replacing the blade halfway through to keep my pace and stay safe, but using the Bolt with 60A blades, I was hanging full game bags before I stopped to think that I hadn't changed a blade.
I would go so far as to say that the Havalon knives are the best new product added to my hunting gear in the last decade.  I just shake my head when I watch other hunters struggle with a standard fixed blade and then swap it out for their back up knife, whose blade is often duller than the first.  If you don't use a Havalon yet, you are truly missing out.

I put a fresh blade on for de-boning the quarters. 

 This makes for...

very quick work!

Easy Elk Transport

Use a sled and friends for easy elk retrieval!

Posted by: Janis Putelis

The two best things to have on hand when you need to get an elk out of a non-motorized area are friends with backpacks and an Otter sled (though not necessary, a little snow helps).  The elk was 3 miles in as the crow flies.  Luckily we had an old snow covered road for 80% of the pack job.  We only "packed" meat on our backs for about 15 minutes; the rest was all downhill in the sled.

On top of elk steaks, my friends were rewarded with magnificent views for helping me retrieve my bull.

 As always, the Outdoorsman's Pack carried a load of meat and antlers without flaw.  One of my favorite features is how the internal sack flips out for an easy cleaning after a bloody pack job.

We use the Otter Sport sled in the small size.  At 6 lbs. it's a breeze to get uphill.  We've added a few holes and enlarged a couple others for our contact points.

Here we are only packing 3 quarters and the antlers, but I think the sled would have tracked better if we had loaded the 4th quarter as well.  Four quarters would also fill more space, snugging up the load for less shifting.  We did not lash the load, but I will have a strap dedicated for that next time.  

 It is important to have a rope connected to the rear; on the way down the brake-man is working harder than the lead.

 We eventually ran out of snow, but the Otter sled still slid along nicely on the grass, leaves, and dirt, but started to lose glide on the gravel.

 Thanks again boys!

KUIU Super Down Jacket

Janis has already weighed in on the Super Down Gear from KUIU but I thought I would throw in my two cents as well.  I have been wearing the KUIU Super Down Jacket since just before the January 2013 Coues deer hunts in Sonora, Mexico.  This jacket has amazed me over the last 12 months.  It has an incredible warmth to weight ratio and is one of my most reliable pieces of gear.  I have worn this jacket on turkey, coues, sheep, elk and mule deer hunts and even gone fly fishing with me on some of the colder mornings.  This incredible little jacket only weighs 10 ounces!  It goes in my backpack virtually every time I go into the hills.  It is not made to be worn as an outer layer but I do it all of the time.  I usually wear it while glassing once I have cooled down from the hike up to my point.

 This handy little jacket has a hood which I use a lot and has a left chest pocket that is great for a camera, gps or radio.  The chest pocket actually turns into a stuff sack and it turns into the size of a softball.  I have gotten a ton of use out of this jacket in many applications over the last year.

This jacket has 2.5 ounces of 850+ Toray Quix Down.  The Toray Stunner®Stretch fabric is treated at the individual fiber level with Toray’s Industry Leading Kudos DWR treatment.  I love this jacket so much I will be quickly be adding the Super Down Vest and Super Down Zip T to my KUIU arsenal for those extremely cold quad rides while hunting deer in this winter.  I also have to make a disclaimer:  Being a desert rat I have often been known to wear an extra layer when the temps get below 60!  I can't recommend the Super Down Jacket from KUIU enough.

Gear Review: KUIU's Super Down Jacket and Pants

This really can't be called a gear review as much as a "Gear Praise."  After stuffing the hooded Super Down jacket in and out of packs since April and just about living in the  Super Down pants while spending time in camp this fall I can't think of a single bad thing to say about this set up.  It's certainly not the most durable outer fabric out there (I patched my pants twice in the butt) but it's not supposed to be.  It's supposed to be light, water resistant, and most importantly, warm.  Even if I have to baby these two pieces a bit, it is well worth the never ending cozy feeling I get when, as darkness settles in and the first shiver crosses my mind, I'm slipping in to my Super Down.  It's akin to putting on a warm hoody just plucked from a hot dryer.

   I first wore the jacket on a POW island black bear hunt.  It performed as expected under my shell; a great insulating mid layer.  But I decided to see what this waterproof down was all about.  So on a drizzly 30 minute run out to some fishing grounds, I left the Super Down jacket uncovered.  Almost amazing: the DWR kept the water droplets rolling off the entire run, but eventually from messing around in the boat and rubbing against wet stuff, the fabric on my forearms soaked through and the jacket looked a bit sad.  So no, you can't wear it alone in a driving rain storm and stay dry.  But what happened next shows how this gear and the ingredients in it really shine.  I put my rain shell back on, rode out the storm and when the sun poked out, took off my rain shell to discover that my forearms were darn near dry and puffy again.  The Quix down and the outer fabric had nearly dried just from the heat inside my own rain shell.  With the sun now beaming, it was just ten minutes and my DOWN jacket was completely dry and puffy again.  I was sold.

The jacket being so light and so small when compressed, it should never be left behind on any outing.  It sure came in handy on my turkey hunt in Nebraska this past spring as we chased gobblers through 6 inches of fresh snow.  As a last minute thought I stuffed my Super Down jacket into the cargo pocket of my Guide pants.  At sun up, the temperature was 6 deg.  Not ideal for hunting toms, but hunting none the less.  Adding the Super Down between two layers of wool and my Guide jacket kept me in the game, and I followed a trail of three-toed tracks right to a nice two year old gobbler.   

The real testing of the whole Super Down jacket/pant combo came when I traveled to interior British Columbia for work with the MeatEater crew.  Over a span of 14 days, wet conditions were guaranteed.  We spent a total of 9 days in the alpine, two on the river and the rest at the main camp.  Of 9 alpine days, two were complete tent days due to weather, two others should have been, but the will to hunt forced us out into the crap.  We did enjoy a couple magnificent blue bird days and the rest were tweeners. 

Overall, it was wet and my Super Down kit was dry.  Enough said.  Daily, both my jacket and pants were donned first thing, right out of the sleeping bag.  Taken off for the mornings ascent, back on again for any glassing session over an hour (usually on some windy, rocky ledge).  Off for more hiking and back on for the evening ritual of Jetboil stoves and Mountain House.  Oh, and they make a great pillow stuffed inside one of KUIU's wool base layers.  The ease with which the pants are put on and removed (without removing your boots) is one of their greatest features, making for quick transitions from stationary hunting/glassing to mobile hunting/hiking.

Once cloaked in the hood of the Super Down jacket, one can glass comfortably in all kinds of wind and cold.

Couple the Super Down jacket and pants with KUIU's Chugach rain gear and merino base layers, and you've got the finest, lightest backcountry hunting gear in the world.  I've at least tested it across a little bit of North America.

Rifle Cleaning

I've gotten a few inquiries lately on how I clean my rifle so I thought I would share my procedure here.  By no means am I an expert on this subject but I have been lucky to have had good mentors.  I don't do anything super special or tricky, just follow the directions on the bottles and do everything thoroughly.  I also believe it's better to clean my rifles too often than not enough.  Certainly every time prior to long term storage and most often after every trip to the range.  During a hunt, I do pack along an oiled cloth to wipe the weapon down if there was any contact with moisture.  Here is a quick breakdown of the tools and products I use to get the job done.

1. MTM Case Gard gun vise/cradle.  This one piece of equipment makes this chore twice as easy.  By securing the rifle, I'm able to focus on the task at hand.
2. Dewey Cleaning Rod.  The coated rod protects the barrel.
3. Nylon Brush and Brass Jag
4. Bore Guide  Essential for keeping the rod true, and again, protecting the barrel.
5. Patches
6. Gun Scrubber,  Hoppe's 9 or similar product
7. Sweet's 7.62 Bore Cleaning Solvent
8. Rem Oil or similar product

If I buy the smaller containers of the products above, they all fit neatly into the MTM portable gun maintenance center.  This makes for a very portable kit.  Next are the basic steps I take to clean my rifle.

1. Alternate between a few solvent saturated brush strokes and patches soaked in your chosen powder solvent.  Always follow with a dry patch.  Once dry patch comes through clean, go to step two.
2. Use Sweet's solvent to get the copper fouling out.  This step usually takes me the longest.  About an hour.  I just follow the directions.
3. Run one lightly lubed patch down the barrel.  Use Rem Oil here.  At this point the barrel is done.
4. Spray the bolt with the aerosol Gun Scrubber.  A toothbrush works great to loosen crud that is really caked on.
5. Once a year, usually following the hunting seasons, I take apart the stock from the action so I can clean the underside of the barrel as well as other nooks and crannies.  I oil those areas prior to putting the stock back on.

I believe even basic cleaning such as this helps my rifle shoot better and will keep it in better overall condition.

KUIU Super Down Hooded Jacket Review

I have to say that when I first heard of the KUIU Super down line it got me excited.  I have been looking for a lightweight jacket to give me a little more warmth while glassing for trophy animals during the colder months here in Arizona and Northern Mexico.  I picked up the KUIU Super Down Hooded jacket right after Christmas, just in time to leave for Sonora, Mexico for 20 days of Coues deer hunting.  I wore the jacket virtually everyday while searching for the elusive grey ghosts.  At only 10 ounces the weight to warmth ratio was very impressive.  I really like the hood and it came in handy because we had unusual winds this year and colder temperatures than I can remember.  The jacket can be worn alone or under the Guide jacket.  Most of the time I would have it in my pack while hiking then upon arrival to my point I would just slip it on and start glassing.  This piece of gear will be in the starting lineup for many hunts to come.  Hats off to KUIU for continuing to push the bar for ultra lightweight hunting gear.  Photos by Janis Putelis

Gear Review: TAG Bags

I finally got a chance to try out the T.A.G. bags.  No more cotton bags for me.  Lighter, stronger, more breathable.  It all makes for better care of your precious wild game.  T.A.G. Bags impressed!  I feel like having breathable bags helps build the crust on the meat which protects it as well as prevents soggy areas in the bag during the hanging period.  The bags were easily hung by the drawstring which withstood the strain of  these 75+ lb. hams.  Most impressive was how clean the bags came out after one wash and the 15 minute hang-drying time.  T.A.G. Bags are a no-brainer for the meat hunter.

These 24"x44" bags could easily handle two quarters for the ultralight guy.

Colorado 4th Season Rifle Elk Hunt With Janis and Martins Putelis

Not the weather we were expecting in the Colorado high country in mid November!  I hope it starts snowing soon, we can all use it.  Despite the conditions, my brother and I found a few elk and hung a few quarters.  I ended up eating my cow tag, but that's what I get for passing on calf elk and hunting big bulls.  We'll be missing that cow come June.  Thanks to all those that helped haul meat, your name is on a few frozen white packages.  A super big thanks to everyone that has been or is involved in perpetuating our sport and way of life.  We are blessed to have these opportunities.

I searched high for two days, looking for a mature six point bull.  Not turning one up and with only three days left to fill a cow tag and an either sex tag, I started meat hunting.  The Mrs. does not like an empty freezer!

My brother with his second elk.  He made a 150 yd. shot off of one knee to put her down.  He was using his new Zastava M70, chambered in 30-06.  We have been impressed with this rifle, especially at a price around $400.  

I had a shot at a calf seconds later, but passed, hoping for more meat.  The saying holds true, even when meat hunting: "Don't pass on anything the first day, you'd like to have on the last day."

Using the Otter sled for packing meat was awesome.  This thing is bomber and should last quite a few hunting seasons.  It was important to have a brake man steering the rear.

As he lay.

The first thing I heard that morning was antlers clashing.  A sound seldom heard in CO, it took my brain ten minutes to recognize it.  Even this late in the year, the bulls are working their pecking order.

Yes, everything in this picture was packed into or on the KUIU Icon 6000

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Loaded and ready to roll.  The afternoon sun had warmed the snow to create treacherous load hauling conditions.  I will not attempt these pack-outs without my Leki Hiking Poles.

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Hauling meat with the Otter Sled.

I Phone Digi Scope Adapter

By Darrr Colburn

I was down at the Outdoorsmans yesterday and picked up a great new gadget if you have an I Phone 4/4S.  Kowa is making an I Phone adapter that comes with rings that fit my Swarowski Spotting Scope and Swarovski 15X binoculars.  They are also coming out with a ring that will fit on the Kowa Big Eye 32X binoculars.  The Outdoorsmans has these adapters in stock and they are $82.99.  I will post some pics and video over the next few weeks as I get the setup out in the field.  Thank you to the Outdoorsmans for staying on top of the latest and greatest gear and providing amazing customer service.

Hunting Gear Review: Leki Micro Sticks

     I took my new trekking poles out for a hike recently and took a minute to share with you how the new Leki Micro Sticks work.  I'm looking forward to having these in my pack at all times, ready to aid my descent off a mountain with a heavy pack.  Thanks to Ptarmigan Sports in Edwards, CO for setting me up with the latest and greatest in backcountry adventure gear.

Swarovski Optik 10X42 EL Range Binocular Video

I tried to shoot a little video to show how good the new Swarovski 10X42 EL Range Binocular measures distances.  The aiming dot/circle is in the right eye and the distance is read in the left eye.  The video is being shot through the left barrel so that you could see how quick the distance is measured,  So far I find the EL Range easy to use.  I am impressed with the weight at only 32.1 ounces.  Another nice feature that I like is the LED readout can be adjusted to five different levels of brightness.  On this day the furthest distance I was able to capture was 1702 yards.  I will try to capture another video showing the angle compensation and how it is displayed.  So far I am thinking that the Swarovski 10X42 EL Range will replace my Swarovski 10X42 EL's for my all the time around the neck binoculars when I am guiding and hunting this fall. 
  

The new Outdoorsmans Binocular Extended Post works great with the EL Range as well

Hunting Boot Care and Maintenance 2012

Posted by Janis Putelis

      No time like now to get our equipment dialed for hunting season.  One of the most important, yet often most neglected pieces of gear are our hunting boots.  Dry, brittle, maybe even cracked leather boots are our worst enemy.  The performance of our boots is a direct result of how well we take care of them.  Last fall I took it upon myself to care for my boots properly in an attempt to never come home with wet feet knowing it was my fault.  By season's end, my boot care routine had become ritual.

          When the water no longer "beads" off of my boots, I know it's time to do some maintenance.  The typical hiking/hunting boot has a membrane that allows moisture to move away from your feet to the outside of the boot, keeping the inside dry.  Once the leather is saturated with water it renders the waterproof/breathable membrane inside your boot useless.  I've hiked back to the truck, wearing $300 boots, with socks so wet you could wring an 8oz. glass of water from them.   At the time, I cussed my expensive boots.  Now I know I should have been cussing myself.

Top end boots like Lowa's Tibets and Sheep Hunters require timely
maintenance to perform in wet and dry hunting conditions.

     If my boots are looking dry and crusty, I know I'm asking for it.  When the leather in our boots dries out to the point of being hard, having lost its supple feel, it's starving for moisture.  So when you go walking through a meadow of tall grass covered in dew, the leather is literally sucking the moisture in versus repelling it.  The leather has to be conditioned with a wax-cream type product and then waterproofed with a separate product.  I think of it this way, the conditioner maintains the leather, keeps it happy, while the waterproofing agent keeps the water rolling off.  In my opinion, conditioning the leather is equally important as waterproofing it.  The experts all agree to use the conditioner judiciously, as too much could over-soften the leather causing loss of support.

           This is similar to taking a brand new rain jacket out into a downpour and watching the beads of water roll off the garment. The Gore-Tex in the jacket is not what makes the water roll off the jacket, it's the Durable Water Repellent or DWR that is applied to the outer nylon.  So having your leather properly treated is the DWR for your boots.

      The one tip that has helped me the most in keeping my boots in tip top shape is this: apply the conditioner or water proofing product when the leather is thoroughly soaked!  When the leather is wet, its pores are open and can better accept the product.  If you are applying any product to dry leather, the result is superficial.  Once I began following this simple rule I noticed that my boots would make it through multiple wet hunts without soaking through at all. 

     When I have boots that are starting to show wet leather, as in the picture below(notice the wet spots around the lower lace hooks), I give them a quick rinse with the hose and maybe a few swipes with a  brush to loosen any mud and dirt.  Then, in my mud room, after hanging wet outer wear, I take two minutes to apply the leather conditioner or waterproofing while the leather is still wet.  I leave the boots overnight and by morning they are ready to go.  Remember never to dry your boots next to a direct heat source!  During the hunting season, almost weekly, I'll make an extra couple steps, and pull my shoelaces from the boots, clean the boots especially well with a brush and apply both a conditioner and waterproofing wax.

     My Lowa Sheep Hunter boots during a very wet snow storm last fall. Notice how the areas around the lower lace hooks and the toe box are getting wet but the rest of the boot is still beading water. These are areas that see the most moisture, thus getting wet and drying repeatedly causing the leather to lose its oils and dry out sooner than the rest of the boot. I tend to care for these areas more than the upper parts of the boots. After this particular hunt, I came home and applied wax only to the areas that were holding moisture. This only took a minute, and I was ready for the morning hunt. I typically use products from Nikwax, but I hear good things about Granger’s.

     It takes a few rounds to fall into the boot care rhythm, but your boots will repay you with happy, dry feet and longer life. Check out the following links for more information on boot care and performance:


                              Lowa's Leather Care Page and REI's "Expert Advice on Boot Care"

Caribou Adventure

Posted by Janis Putelis

I'm spending the summer in Alaska.  My wife Jennifer took a job in Fairbanks.  In our spare time we are trying to do as many adventures as possible.  I was invited along on a Dalton Hwy spring Caribou hunt.  Here is the basic rundown.  200 miles north of the Arctic circle, 9 hr drive from Fairbanks, North side of the Brooks range.  Hunters must be 5 miles off of Dalton Hwy before shooting.  No motorized vehicles allowed.

We left Fairbanks Friday morning and headed north on the Dalton Highway aka the Haul road.  We crossed  the mighty, yet still frozen Yukon River, passed the Arctic circle, through the town of Coldfoot, and over Atigun pass around dinner time.  Beating the darkness was done easily since it won't get fully dark again until sometime in late August.  

The following morning we packed our gear, strapped on our Cross Country skis, and headed due West to an imaginary line at 5 miles that would allow us to hunt.   

Atigun Pass

Brooks Range

Caribou tracks

Almost immediately we started seeing Caribou tracks and soon the Caribou themselves.  After setting camp and melting lots of snow for water, we took off to a high point to get a look around and plan a hunt for the morning.  That first day we saw close to 1,000 Caribou and were able to pick out the two main travel routes in the vicinity of our camp.  It was amazing to see such a migration.

Mountains as far as the eye could see.

Well worn.

The second morning, after a breakfast mixed with aerobics to get warm, we posted ourselves on a ridge that  

most of the Caribou seemed to be coming to.  We spotted our first group quickly and two hours later the group of eight were feeding right to us.  My cohorts, Andy and Dash, made three shots at 100 yards and we had three Caribou down.  As a non-resident, shooting a Caribou would've cost $400.  I decided to pass on pulling the trigger and just enjoyed the adventure.  It was Andy and Dash's first ever big game hunt and it was exciting to experience their process of becoming hunters.  I was glad to introduce two more to the sport.  

Looking north across the foothills to the coastal plains.  That is where the Caribou are heading to calve and spend the summer.

Last day of April and still frozen solid.

We took our time skinning, quartering and processing the meat for transport. To shave weight and save space we deboned the shoulders and ribs.  The Caribou were getting ready to shed their winter coats which made for a hairy mess.  We had to be super careful to keep the meat clean.  After a long day we decided it would be best to stay in the field one more night, get some rest and head out in the morning.

We were greeted by four inches of fresh our last morning in the field.

Lows around 0 deg and highs in the low 20's.  I lived in two layers of KUIU merino wool and my KUIU Spindrift jacket the whole trip. I added layers of the KUIU Guide jacket, Chugach jacket, and my Mountain Hardware down jacket accordingly, sometimes wearing all of it at once.  It was cold!

Packing up camp after three days of fun.

Packed up and ready for three miles out.  The Pulk sleds hauled our gear and Caribou meat very well.  In the foreground is my KUIU Icon 6000 pack loaded to gills.  At 60lbs. with extra gear strapped all over the outside, the Icon pack was still very comfortable and allowed me plenty of movement to kick and glide myself home.

Smooth sailing!  

The whole adventure was accomplished via a Honda Civic hatchback topped with a Yakima skybox.  By getting almost 40mpg, we did the trip for $100./ person.  

The highlight of the trip was our Wolverine encounters.  We spotted him the first day loping along the ridge the Caribou were favoring.  After closer inspection with our optics, we could see he was carrying the whole head of a Caribou.  Another hunter had been successful prior to our arrival and the Wolverine was doing clean up!  The evening after we killed, he came cruising along the frozen lake edge near our camp.  He would stop at every mound or spot where the snow had melted and mark his territory.  Every time he did this, he would eyeball the three visitors and then continue.  He definitely was not afraid of us.  To top it off, on our way out, two miles from our campsite, I look to the flank of the mountains and see a small black dot loping up a slope steep enough I would be scared to ski.  With my binoculars I confirm another Wolverine sighting and can't help to wonder where and what he's going to get himself into.