My first time snowshoeing this year taught me the importance of using trekking poles. I will use them on my sheep hunts as well. Naturally I looked for lightweight poles but my size means they have to hold up when I loose my footing and catch my self with a pole. That meant finding a stouter/longer pole. They are still quite light. Since I'll use them for both hunting and flying in the winter I will need to store them in way I can easily locate and recognize them so they don't get left behind. I've got some ideas on how to do that but it is still a work in progress.

My friends I could use your advice.

Sunglasses for hunting.

It's been decades since I had 20/20 vision but I've got it again now and have no idea what a good/great pair of sunglasses for hunting might be?

For some reason I saved my best fishing sunglasses from all those years ago, Action Optics, so have fishing covered, but no idea for hunting.

I don’t use anything special for hunting. I like Oakley’s for thrashing around. They used to test to z87.whatever which is the same as safety glasses.
For my expensive ones I wear Costa. Glass lens fancy polarization and they are a pretty big supporters of outdoorsmen. Seem to be holding up extremely well.

Good question! I can't recall a single hunt where I've worn sunglasses. Even early season moose (mid-August here) I don't think I've ever wished for more eye protection than a ball cap.

On a sheep hunt in the alpine I can see the need. I used to love my Julbo glacier sunglasses a lifetime ago when I spent a lot of time in the alpine. Instant climber cred when in town too. The only downside to the Julbo is they wrap around the ear which doesn't lend itself to lots of off and on while glassing.

2X on the Julbo Glacier glasses. Great for flying and fishing or hunting. The leather side shields work well keeping the hay dust out while mowing hay, especially if you have allergies. The flat flexible sides don't allow much ambient sound to leak into your headset, and they look good.
Ive had the same pair for 20 years, but I believe you can still get them through LLBean.

Thanks for your thoughts.

albravo your comment about not wearing sunglasses while hunting was interesting. I wore transition prescription glasses for the last ten years from the moment I got up till I went to bed so I was always already wearing sunglasses. Coincidentally that's about the time of my last hunt. I looked through my hunting pictures and sure enough I never wore sunglasses either. Guess just having worn glasses for that long that's immediately where my mind went. Probably didn't help that the sun has been shining everyday and we've still got snow it is very bright outside.

Barnstormer wrote:Thanks for your thoughts.

albravo your comment about not wearing sunglasses while hunting was interesting. I wore transition prescription glasses for the last ten years from the moment I got up till I went to bed so I was always already wearing sunglasses. Coincidentally that's about the time of my last hunt. I looked through my hunting pictures and sure enough I never wore sunglasses either. Guess just having worn glasses for that long that's immediately where my mind went. Probably didn't help that the sun has been shining everyday and we've still got snow it is very bright outside.

If the sun is shining, I have to b wearing sunglasses. My eyes are sensitive to the light, maybe even more so after my lasik. I wear my Maui Jim's for fishing, hunting, flying, well for everything. Not super expensive but decent quality and work great for what I've used them for.

Just surfed the Maui Jims website. Most of their sunglasses cost more than my prescription photogreys.

I had a pair of Maui Jims and liked them, but they didn't work real well with headsets. They also have quite a different shape than my regular glasses, so there was an adjustment period whenever I switched. I like my Ray Ban sunglass frames with my prescription. I also have transition (photogray) lenses, but found out the hard way they have limitations, especially when hunting. They darken up so much on a bright but overcast day that it looks like dusk - had a lot of trouble picking out caribou bulls in broken, brushy ground.

7GC wrote:I had a pair of Maui Jims and liked them, but they didn't work real well with headsets. They also have quite a different shape than my regular glasses, so there was an adjustment period whenever I switched. I like my Ray Ban sunglass frames with my prescription. I also have transition (photogray) lenses, but found out the hard way they have limitations, especially when hunting. They darken up so much on a bright but overcast day that it looks like dusk - had a lot of trouble picking out caribou bulls in broken, brushy ground.

Interesting. Did you find the ray bans better with headsets? I found the arms going back very similar on the 2, I just dont like how far down the RBs go on my cheek.

Yes, the Ray Bans are better for me with the headset, the bows don't force out the ear cup seals as much. I just had my Zulu 2s redone at the factory and I need to see if the new seals are even better at sealing with the Ray Ban frames. Regarding Ray Ban lenses, I have what I would call a moderate size, which doesn't put the bottom of the lens on the cheek.

I don't have an opinion on sunglasses for hunting, but when I go to the optometrist I get told "Wow...just wow. You've lived your life behind really good sunglasses, haven't you?"

Good sunglasses DO make a huge difference in the long term health of your eyes.

.

hotrod180 wrote:When I was a kid, my favorite aunt & uncle (where I spent a couple summers)
had a small herd of burros that they used for packing into the Olympics.

The few seconds it took for this flatlander to recognize that as a mountain range, and not an every four years sporting event, presented some fairly entertaining imaginations of what it would look like to show up for the summer games with a team of burros instead of a minivan of luggage.

For me I find when hunting coyotes from the air or ground that it is much harder to spot the buggers if I am wearing sun glasses. Something about the monochrome nature of what I am seeing. The other consideration is that it is another lens to fog up a just the wrong time. And dont forget it is another surface for the sun to reflect off of and alert the critters to your presence.

rw2 wrote: The few seconds it took for this flatlander to recognize that as a mountain range, and not an every four years sporting event, presented some fairly entertaining imaginations of what it would look like to show up for the summer games with a team of burros instead of a minivan of luggage.

Coming over Marmot Pass in the Olympics during an early fall snow storm, circa 1966.




**photo is right side up in album, but went haywire on "image url" mode. Who can fix it for me?**

Speaking of lightweight rifles...this one is not. 13lb 12oz. Just got home from the Cerakote guy on WA. Might have to get another Cessna to haul it though.

Details on rifle and caliber please.

Of course it's time to have another discussion about the survival gear we carry. Looking through mine I realized I was carrying as much camping gear as survival gear, and that my first aid kit would make an Army Field Hospital proud.

So I decided to come up with just a survival kit that I could move between planes as well as throw in a backpack for hunting and fishing. Here is what I came upon with, left to right, top to bottom:

Book, Moby-Dick. Okay this is the single heaviest item in my survival kit and I must have thought I'd be surviving for a month cause this thing is nearly 900 pages long. I need to replace it with something equally interesting and quarter of its length. Suggestions?

Two SOL Emergency Bivy's.

Two mosquito head nets.

Day Hiker First Aid Kit.

Water bag so I'd have something to drink away from a water source. On top of it sits my survival bracelet which I wear on my right wrist. It includes:

Paracord
Compass
Fire Starter
P-51 can opener (also used with the fire starter)
Fishing hook
Fishing wire leader
Snare wire

Gerber Survival Kit

Miniature Multi-tool

Needle Nose Pliers
Wire Cutters
Fine Edge Knife
Phillips Screwdriver
Small Flat Driver
Medium Flat Driver
Lanyard Ring
Bottle Opener
Tweezers
Waterproof Bag
Miniature Light
Hand Saw
Signaling Mirror
Survival Blanket
Fire Starter
Waterproof matches
Cotton Ball - Fire Tinder
Snare Wire
Emergency Cord
Waxed Thread
Fishing Kit
Sewing kit
Lanyard Whistle
Lightweight, ripstop nylon bag with waterproof zipper
Land to air rescue instructions
Priorities of Survival - Pocket guide

Life Straw (these are cool and ultra-light)

And a Super Light KIUI zippered bag to carry it all in. All this weighs under 2 lbs.

The only thing I'm lacking is survival food. I used to carry nuclear fallout rations but they were heavy, terrible flavor, and expired. Then I carried Cliff Bars but they have also expired.

Anything better then Cliff Bars that are light weight and high calorie?

hotrod180 wrote:Details on rifle and caliber please.

Just one of my winter projects. Donor Rem 700 action from Alaska’s List, Wilson barrel and M50 stock from Stocky’s. 30-338 Win Mag. Sig Sauer Tango 4 scope. I have a more man - portable project on deck. [emoji1]