Pack and Stands

Black Gorge Pack
Like vehicles, boats, and hunting dogs, backpacks are often a compromise. Pack frames do a great job of hauling large bulky loads such as capes, racks and meat back to camp, but they are usually clunky, loud and too large to wear while hunting. Daypacks with their light weight, multitude of small organizational pockets and slim design are ideal for all-day wear, but don't offer much room for meat once you get a big-game animal on the ground--necessitating an extra trip back to camp to get a pack frame.

Blackhawk, a company better known for tactical products than hunting gear has now entered the woods and brought some innovative thinking along. The Black Gorge pack is just one example. At first blush it looks like any other hunting daypack--it is constructed of quiet camo material, and features an integrated hydration bladder and organizational pockets. Pretty ho-hum…except for one extra zipper--by undoing it, the pack expands from a trim 1,470 cubic inches to a massive 3,515 cubic inches. Now once the trigger is pulled this "daypack" can be opened up to carry the first load of meat back to camp…a pretty slick idea.

Before taking this pack on a 10-day hunt into the Bob Marshall, I decided to test it. In its collapsed form I was able to easily store all my required items such as GPS, knives, first aid kit, flashlights, even ammo, binocular, spotting scope and tripod. I then expanded it and loaded it with about 60 pounds of gear to see how it would hold up. Once the straps were tighted down I shouldered the pack and found it up to the task. The wide shoulder straps combined with the aluminum internal stays kept the load upright while the padded waist belt kept most of the load on my hips.

In addition to this truly functional design, and overall great construction Blackhawk added some cool touches to this pack such as non-slip Hawktex shoulder straps for slinging a rifle, an integrated whistle in the chest buckle and the best hydration bladder bite valve I have ever used.  www.blackhawk.com

Summit Raptor Stands
As any serious whitetail hunter knows, having a stand in the right location is half the battle of tagging a good buck. For this reason, I spend a considerable amount of time (and money) hanging several stands around any property I intend to hunt. My stand of choice is a hang-on. They are relatively quiet, generally very stable and for the most part comfortable enough for a long day sit, but regardless of how many stands I hang before the season, invariably on opening day, I spot a different tree by a deer path I hadn't noticed before and I convince myself I need to be there. Relocating with most stands is seldom easy or noise free. Which is why I was excited to see the new Raptor series of treestand from Summit. Available in four different models (rsHawk, rsFalcon, rsEagle, rsOsprey) all are made in the USA and feature padded seats, lightweight construction and a leveling platform. While at first they look like a simple, hang-on stand, there's a twist--instead of hanging directly from the tree, they utilize a hanger system called the Talon bracket. This makes setting them up a breeze. Simply ascend the tree with pegs or climbing sticks, secure the Talon bracket to the tree, hoist up the stand and hang it from the bracket. After it is hung, you then secure it with a second strap around the base of the stand.

I recently took a Raptor rsHawk to a tract of public land near my home. This area has been known to produce some great bucks over the years, but like many public areas stands are required to come down each day, which makes traditional stands somewhat troublesome. For practice before season, I put on my harness, climbed my sticks and hauled up a stand. In less than five minutes, I had it secured to the tree and was ready to hunt. Best of all the operation was essentially silent. Crafted from all aluminum the rsHawk only weighs 12 pounds so carrying this stand into a remote area is a breeze. Now with several brackets pre-hung, I can grab my stand and head afield, making a final decision where to sit once I arrive. Summit's Raptor stands keep you flexible and bucks guessing. www.summitstands.com