Hunting Annual Gear Guide Editor's Choice: Essential Gear

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The Petersen's Hunting 2025 annual gear guide is jam-packed with essential gear. It was no easy task to narrow down our favorites, but the following were our Editor's Choice picks!

Camping:

Montana Canvas Bridger Tent

The result of 4+ years of R&D, the Bridger is a 14-x14-foot tent with 5-foot sidewalls and a 10.5-foot peak provides roomy backcountry living quarters with a sidewall pole/center pole design for easy setup no wall tent can match. Made with polyurethane-coated, seam-taped Relite 250-denier polyester with a Relite HD 300-denier polyester sewn-in floor and zippered stove opening. Other features include three zippered side windows, stove jack and screened vents. Tent, poles and stakes fit in an oversized duffel. Total weight: 83 pounds. $1,500 | montanacanvas.com

Pack:

Exo Mtn Gear K4 5000

Engineered and manufactured at the front door to Idaho’s backcountry, the K4 5000 from Exo Mtn Gear is made for hunters by hunters. The K4 5000 provides serious hunters with an ultra-reliable pack capable of packing their gear into unforgiving real estate and their hard-earned trophies back out without breaking their back. Every inch of this pack and frame design was well thought out and features include efficient and easy-to-access pocket design, quick and simple detachment of the bag from the frame, integrated compression straps, water bladder compartment and a useful lid system. $699 | exomtngear.com

Knife:

Benchmade TaggedOut Carbon Fiber

Whether you are looking for a lightweight alternative for backcountry butchering or a slim EDC, Benchmade’s new TaggedOut Carbon Fiber knife has you covered. The blade itself features CPM-MagnaCut steel which fuses the toughness of tool steel with the corrosion-resistant properties of a high-quality stainless marine blade. The result is an ultra-sharp edge engineered to outlast whatever adventure you take it on. For weight savings, the handle scales consist of carbon fiber resulting in an overall weight of only 2.44 ounces. $375 | benchmade.com

Essential Piece of Kit:

Spartan Precision Springbok Bipod

Spartan Precision’s Springbok Bipod deploys a simple yet efficient design specifically engineered to steady your shot from the kneeling or sitting shooting positions. The Springbok enables quick position changes with its silicone body and easy leg-height adjustments from 19.5-38.5 inches. It is also easy to carry around with an overall weight of only 10.6 ounces. Like most other Spartan Precision products, the Springbok utilizes their versatile Magnaswitch Attachment System. $250 | javelinbipod.com

Boot:

LaCrosse Women’s Trailbreaker GTX

Designed to be a versatile multi-tool in your footwear arsenal, these 7-inch Trailbreakers provide all-day comfort and reliability, no matter the activity, terrain or conditions. Multi-directional, non-loading outsole lugs flex across uneven variable terrain for reliable traction. Suede leather construction with lightweight abrasion-resistant polyester upper and rubber mud guard for durability. Gore-Tex lining provides waterproof, breathable protection. Thick EVA midsole provides cushioning and shock absorption. Available uninsulated or with 1,000-gram Thinsulate Ultra insulation. $200-220 | lacrossefootwear.com

Clothing:

Kuiu Super Down Haven Hooded Jacket and Bib

Kuiu solved the issue of noisy fabrics in down-insulated apparel by combining ultra-quiet knit fleece with a down-proof SynthaCell closed-cell foam liner and Quixdown insulation to produce windproof outerwear for hunting in frigid conditions. Jacket features removable hood, layered safety harness port and zippered hand pockets with pass-through access to bib pockets. Bibs feature 3DeFX+ synthetic insulation in lower legs for streamlined fit, removable suspenders, adjustable waist cinch and full side zippers. $429-$499 | kuiu.com

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