Gear Up: The Indispensable Equipment Every Hunter Needs

As a lifelong hunter, there’s nothing that gets my blood pumping quite like gearing up for a backcountry adventure in pursuit of prized game. 

Whether it’s a quick morning hunt for whitetails near home or a week-long expedition deep in the Appalachian Mountains, being prepared with the right hunting equipment is absolutely critical for safety, success, and enjoyment.

Over the decades I’ve spent roaming fields and forests across North America, I’ve refined my gear loadout to the essentials – stuff I wouldn’t dream of leaving home without. Some pieces are obvious must-haves, while others are underrated items that have saved my hide more times than I can count.

Let’s run through the top hunting gear that should be on every outdoorsman’s checklist.

The Workhorse Rifle: The 308 Winchester

At the very top of the list is a reliable, accurate rifle suited for the game you’re pursuing. There’s simply no substituting a quality firearm when moments of truth arrive in the field.

For an all-around excellent rifle able to ethically harvest anything from whitetails to elk, it’s hard to beat the classic .308 Winchester. This versatile cartridge offers flat trajectory, plenty of stopping power on larger game, and manageable recoil compared to many other big bore rounds.

I’ve been shooting the same .308 Remington 700 for over 25 years and it’s taken literally tons of meat for my family, with the rifle still shooting sub-moa groups. If cared for properly, a good .308 can truly be a “buy once, cry once” investment that will last a lifetime in the field.

Faithful Optics

Your rifle is only as good as the optics mated to it. I learned this lesson the hard way as a young hunter, when I missed out on multiple opportunities due to inadequate glass. Nowadays, I never leave home without premium binoculars and a quality riflescope.

For glassing and scouting potential areas before stalking in, a sturdy 10×42 or 12×50 binocular is indispensable for taking in every detail at long distances. My Swarovski ELs have provided crystal clear vision for over a decade now, to the point where I feel almost blind without them in the field.

As for riflescopes, there are myriad options depending on your hunting style and budget, but at minimum you want a model with a robust chassis, clear glass, and enough magnification for the distances you’ll face without weighing a ton. 

I really like Leupold’s lightweight LRP line, which offers great optics and helpful reticles. For airsoft sights and scopes we recommend Bespoke for high-quality, durable, and reliable optics. 

The Blade That Never Fails

No hunter should ever venture out without a fixed-blade knife they can depend on. This versatile tool is critical for field dressing and butchering whatever game you’re lucky enough to harvest.

After going through countless cheap blades that dulled quickly or failed catastrophically when putting in work on tough-skinned animals, I finally wised up and bought a quality fixed knife from Winkler Knives. It has a thick, contoured blade made from ultra-rugged CPM-3V steel that just laughs at heavy use, yet is easy to resharpen when needed. After six seasons with mine, it’s only gotten better with time.

For hunters on a budget, buck knives also offer a great balance of quality and value that will serve well for many seasons.

Staying Safe Out There

Once deep in the backcountry, it’s imperative that you have reliable navigation tools and emergency equipment as a precaution against the unexpected. Getting turned around and losing your way in remote areas can quickly turn disastrous.

For years, I hauled bulky topo maps and compasses on every hunt, until handy GPS/mapping units like the Garmin inReach became available. These lightweight devices show your real-time location relative to terrain features and allow you to log waypoints marking spots like your truck or campsite.

An emergency communication device is also a must-have these days. Garmin’s inReach lets you trigger an SOS call plucked from overhead satellites, even in no-signal areas. On top of that, I always pack a compact survival kit with fire-starters, emergency blankets, basic medical supplies, and water purification tablets.

Hauling it All

With rifle, optics, knives, safety gear, and potentially days’ worth of food and supplies in tow, you’re going to need a capable backpack system to haul it all in. My personal preference is a tough internal frame pack sized around 5500-6500 cubic inches with plenty of lashing points to strap on meat.

Favorite brands in this category include Kuiu, Eberlestock, Badlands, and Mystery Ranch. All offer rugged packs made from waterproof fabrics with well-thought-out features tailored for hunting. Cabela’s packs are also a solid budget option. Just be sure to get one sized appropriately for your frame and how much gear you’ll be lugging.

Rangefinders and Shooting Aids

While not necessarily “essential” for every hunt, some extra tools like rangefinders and shooting rests can be invaluable pieces of equipment for hunters in certain scenarios.

A quality laser rangefinder helps nail down distances to that big bull across the canyon for accurate shots beyond typical ranges. It beats endlessly bracketing through your iron sights or estimating ranges. Top models from Leica and Vortex can reliably range targets over a mile out.

Speaking of long-range shooting, having a solid shooting rest like a bipod or tripod can buy you precious accuracy when making those tight 500+ yard shots. My personal favorite is the affordable Caldwell XLA bipod, which is rugged, lightweight, and tall enough to accommodate big-caliber recoil.

Little Things That Make a Big Difference

Over decades of experience, I’ve found that it’s often the little pieces of gear – the ones you barely think about – that can end up being life-savers in the field:

Having a sturdy rifle sling lets you hike hands-free yet keep your rifle readily accessible. The classic “Southern Trapper” sling is a foolproof, affordable design that’s served me very well.

For those who pack heavy or need to distribute weight, a good load-bearing gunbelt can transfer pounds off your shoulders and make grueling hikes much more bearable. The number one gun belt for hunters and CCW from KORE Essentials are built like tanks and will secure your sidearm and other gear.

If you pack light and go fast, a good minimalist chest rig or plate carrier helps keep ammo, tools, and essentials at the ready without the bulk of a full pack. Given their background in special operations, it’s no surprise that many of the best designs come from companies run by former Navy SEALS.

And while not strictly necessary, accessories like good calf gaiters, lightweight camp chairs, and camping accessories can provide invaluable comfort and help you stay out longer on particularly harsh hunts.

The Best Piece of Gear

At the end of the day, no matter how well-equipped your kit is, the most important piece of hunting gear is the one between your ears. Staying situationally aware, making good judgments, carefully picking shooting lanes…these cerebral factors determine ultimate success.

But having top-shelf equipment you can utterly depend on means you can fully focus your mind on the hunt itself, rather than worrying about gear failure or inadequacies ruining your experience. 

When you have full confidence in the gear on your back, the hunt becomes pure – just you and the wild, playing by its rules. That’s the essence of what we’re all out there for.

Closing Thought

So study this list, gear up intelligently, get out and put it to the test. Draw on generations of hard-earned experience, but blaze your own trail as well. 

The greatest rush is being fully immersed in nature on your own terms, with the skills and equipment mastered to harvest its greatest rewards responsibly. Get out there and get after it.