The appeal that once lay behind having lots of everyday-quality camouflage is steadily moving toward owning a single set of top-shelf gear. It is equipment we involve in the vast majority of our hunting activity, gear we depend upon to keep us warm, dry and comfortable. It is reasonably expected to work every time we bring it out, and it does its job.
When it comes to keeping a user warm and dry, thoughts generally turn to duck hunting, and no company does duck hunting gear like the relatively new kid on the block: Chene Gear, founded in 2021 in Memphis by hunting friends Jeff Jones, Field Norris, Jeff Farmer and John Strange. They build their products, not with an eye toward cost and margins, but on simple durability and reliability.
Waders, their signature product, came to be after they found themselves dissatisfied with all options. Even companies that stood behind the warranty on their waders took a long time to fix them and get them back, so they built a wader that offered unmatched durability and paired it with an in-house warranty department geared to fix and return damaged waders in 7 to 10 days.
From there, product lines grew to include boots, then wader insulation pants, a base layer shirt and then jackets, all made with the same quality and backed by the same guarantee. The result is a series of products that do come with a healthy number on the price tag, but that also come with met expectations all the rest of the way.
Tune it up
Anyone looking to liven up camp with their favorite tunes has likely gone through a gross pile of cheap speakers and cobbled-together speaker combinations. Turtle Box Audio produces one standard product, roughly the size of a four-slice toaster, and a low-profile option about the size of a medium insulated coffee container, that is tremendously durable, waterproof, rechargeable and reliable.
Like the Chene gear, Turtle Boxes carry a surprising price, but they work so well, you only need one.
Say, can you see?
Other gift options span the spectrum and cross the globe in search of hunting happiness. The semi-disposable headlamp flashlights that use double- or triple-A batteries and are mounted on elastic straps are always handy. As with many categories of outdoor gear, these are available in both cheap and expensive models. I favor the cheap versions for this tool because of how easy they are to lose. Expensive versions are nice, but they’re just as easy to lose as the cheap-os. I’d rather have three cheap ones than one nice model for that reason.
Swing away
Now based in Asheville, N.C., Eagles Nest Outfitters has been making and selling hang-anywhere, go-anywhere hammocks since their genesis as a family startup in 1999. The light-weight, extremely-packable hammocks are available in several varieties, are typically rated to hold up to 400 pounds and make an ideal alternative to tents for camping in pleasant weather. The hammocks are priced in the $60 to $90 range.
Of a feather
Gear from Drake Waterfowl Systems, a company based in Olive Branch, has become ubiquitous in the waterfowl community and made significant inroads with practitioners of the outdoor lifestyle at large. Their clothing, both in camouflage and solid colors, is well-recognized for quality and, no matter what its intended application, would definitely be a welcome sight on Christmas morning under any tree.
Cutting edge
The original Outdoor Edge SwingBlade is a sheath knife that offers both a skinning blade and a gutting hook. The two edges are at opposite ends of one piece of steel. The end not in use locks inside the knife’s handle and, when needed, is unlocked with the push of a button and rotated into place. The company now offers the same set of tools in a traditional folding pocket knife format. The former sells for about $60, the latter for around $90.
Say what?
Disposable ear plugs, which sell for $1 or less per pair or far cheaper by the bushel, are an ideal investment for the future of any shooter’s hearing. A bottle of 100 pairs should run $12 to $20, and they’re good for lots of things. Keep a few for yourself for when the hunting and fishing yarns start rolling in.
A cut above
One of the best tools relatively new on the market and continually proven effective at its job is the Bubba Blade line of filet knives. Bubba Blade knives all feature a unique gripping system that make them easy and safe to use in a way other filet knives just don’t. They feature flexible blades made of excellent steel that holds an edge nicely, and they come in a wide variety of sizes. While the 12-inch standard filet knife has made itself known throughout the fish-cleaning world, the company’s offerings have begun to extend to more high-volume production tools like their new electric filet knife, available in either lithium-ion rechargeable or AC-powered models.
In the bag
For pursuits that require a number of smaller parts and pieces in the field, like waterfowl hunting or any outdoor adventure involving kids, blind bags from Banded are a great item. Invented years ago for hauling boxed and loose shotgun shells, calls, spare chokes and assorted other small gear from the truck to the duck blind and back, these all-terrain accessory bags have come a long way, and the latest offerings from Banded are an ideal fit for price and function.
The gift of safety
For anyone hunting from an elevated platform, a handy safety harness has always been a must-have rather than an afterthought, but manufacturers of these harnesses continue to improve their gear for both fit and function. Offerings from companies like Hunter Safety System include features that make the harnesses easier to use and more effective in their moments of truth.
Today, hunters have the option to use garments that are made with the harness gear integrated. A wide selection of vests and pants that come with the straps sewn in place eliminate the primary objection to the gear’s use: that of sorting out a tangle of straps before every climb.
Furthermore, companies like Hunter Safety System offer a static line that is attached above the stand and anchored at the bottom of the tree prior to a stand’s use. A hunter wearing an appropriate harness or harness garment clips his life line into the static line system and is thereby secured before his feet ever leave the ground.
Water handy to drink
For any hunter, hiker, camper whose pursuits involve a good bit of walking, a backpack with a hydration bladder can be a real game changer. CamelBak is the best-known brand in this space and their gear is outstanding, but there are a number of similar providers as well.
This is not a backpack with a hard water bottle that tucks into a pocket, this is a backpack with a good-sized bladder inside, with an attached hose that runs out the top of the pack then through loops along one strap, then culminates in a straw-type fitting for direct drinking. It’s a great way to make sure the user has water easy to drink. Whether they’re sitting in a treestand or hiking through the woods, this is something that’ll keep them well watered since they can have a sip whenever they want along the way.
Because it fits into their pack, it doesn’t create empty bottles to crackle and drop. The user doesn’t have to stop and dig in their pack to get their water out or put it back in, so the handiness of it keeps them from ever getting thirsty and miserable.
A way with mosquitoes
When it comes to bug-repelling, the Thermacell is better than any sort of spray-on, wipe-on, rub-on repellent ever invented. Anyone who hunts, fishes or does much of anything outdoors, especially in the spring and fall, would love a Thermacell, or love another one, or a box of refills, or all three. The Thermacell uses a little bottle of butane and a tiny ember of flame to heat a pad treated with mosquito repellent. The pads last a few hours, the bottles of fuel last several dozen hours and the device itself lasts until it’s lost it or backed over it with the truck. The whole thing is a self-contained unit that can be carried around or strap into a holster, even when it’s running, and it really does work.
Sock it to them
For those covering significant ground in their quests, real hiking socks make a world of difference. Not the $6-per-gross athletic tube socks, real hiking socks are designed for real hiking and are a game-changer on any hunt or other excursion that involves more than the minimal amount of walking. Built to keep feet cool, dry and blister-free, real hiking socks are a treat and well worth an investment.
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 35 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
