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High-tech hunting: It might be time to upgrade
If you've got to carry it, you want the right stuff
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"I think the right socks are perhaps the most important item a person can choose," Hodson said. "You need a synthetic sock that wicks moisture off the feet and provides enough padding to keep the feet comfortable. You should also choose the weight of the sock in anticipation of the weather to be encountered."
When choosing a sock, both Hodson and I agree that SmartWool socks are as good as it gets. Just remember to wash a high-tech sock inside-out, which will help keep the inner "fluff" from prematurely flattening out.
When your feet take a beating you need a repair kit. The Spenco Blister Kit includes an adhesive patch that's stuck over a second skin and works great. Also good is SpyroFlex, which can stay on a blister for up to a week without damaging tissue. No first aid kit should be without one of these.
THIS 'N' THAT
You get the picture. Today's mountain hunter has a new world of superb high-tech clothing that will greatly enhance the ability to safely and efficiently navigate the state's rugged mountains. Be forewarned that high-tech clothing is expensive. The best will last you for many years, and if you're serious about hunting, you'll find the investment worth every penny.
Modern-day accessory items have gone high-tech too. Examples? How about Outdoor Research's Hydroseal stuff sacks, which are completely waterproof. Petzl's new MYO headlamps are literally light years ahead of those offered just five years ago. WhisperLite's new butane stoves are awesome; there's even a minilantern that screws onto a butane canister that will light up the night and really warm up the tent at the same time.
Backpacks have also come a long way in the past decade. I just traded in a 15-year old Barney's Frontier Gear pack frame for the latest model, and it is incredible how much lighter it is and how much more efficiently it packs a heavy load. If it takes the beating my old pack took, it will last until I can't climb anymore. Tents of all shapes and sizes are incredible these days. Check out the new Hilleberg line of Swedish tents, which Hodson called the "find of the year in terms of new equipment." The list goes on and on.
Perhaps Leopold was right after all. I guess I really am a gadgeteer at heart. All I know is that today's high-tech clothing and hunting accessories will help make any serious Alaska hunter a more efficient and safe woodsman.
(Free-lance writer and hunter Bob Robb lives in Chugiak.)
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