pack with straps and shock cords that attach an all-important bivy (or mountain tent). Complete with sleeping bag; ground pad, sometimes pack shovel, tomahawk or hatchet, always rain parka, vest, jacket and other garments. The design calls for both backpack and a fannypack.
The Day Pack Mine is the Blackhawk Backtrail
— for a reason. It’s large enough for my requirements and it is narrow, which is important because this pack does not restrict rifle going into play; a wide pack may. Capacity: 765 cubic inches. Dimensions: 3.5x8.5x19".
The Fannypack Mine is the Badlands Monster
Fanny Pack. It holds all the gear I require for safety in out-of-the- way places and it rides with zero restriction of hiking or shooting. Capacity: 1,100 cubic inches. Di- mensions: 8x12x19" (including five well-thought-out pockets).
The Tie-Ons Daypack and fannypack shock
cords along with straps provide for attaching vest and rain parka, as well as the three pieces of equipment that make the kit a lifesaver: bivy, ground pad and sleeping bag. Cabela’s Hunter Bivouac Seclusion Outfitter bivy pro- vides shelter from wind, rain and snow — I know from experience it works. The Seclusion goes up in minutes. It’s a one-person affair just as welcome on a star-studded calm night with a gur- gling creek nearby as in defying nasty weather. It goes only 2.6 lbs and is a portable 5.5x16" carry size. Cabela’s XPG Ultralight 20x72"
ground pad fits the bivy with room to spare. The ground pad is for com- fort. But I consider it a necessity. It folds into a neat bundle providing 1.5" of insulation plus reprieve from rocks and other sleep-robbing grem- lins. It’s a safety factor because an outdoors person robbed of sleep isn’t as sharp as a rested person. The Coleman Exponent Cloud-
croft Goose Down FP 800 mummy bag weighs 3.4 lbs. It runs a full 31x84" open for total body coverage. It packs as a 8.5x16" bundle. I always have enough room in my daypack to stuff in a medium-weight sweat suit, good watch cap, extra cotton gloves and a thick pair of socks. Remove hiking clothes — get into the sweat suit/cap/ gloves/socks and laugh at -20 degrees Fahrenheit in this sleeping bag.
The Big Four Clothing is part of the kit because
WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 37
Coming back to car or truck only to find nothing other than the shelter of the vehicle can be avoided with a “car kit” such as this one by ASAP — added by the author were candle and lighter — the lighter can come in handy for ignit- ing the lifeboat matches that come with the kit.
it is the first line of defense in the out- doors. Layering has become a cliché. Everybody knows about layering. The modular kit is perfect for layer- ing because a jacket that is just right at daylight may be too warm by 10. Slip it off and attach to daypack or fannypack until needed later. Hat, boots, pants and shirt are area and weather specific. I insist on a real hat in the outdoors, not a baseball cap. My boots have medium soles. Super hard soles last a long time. But they don’t do much as a cushion over hard ground. Pants with cargo pockets and shirt with button-down pockets are the ticket. Outdoor clothing is not only for
comfort and safety, but also part of the kit for carrying important small- er items. A little food in cargo pants
pockets is handy — munch as you go on dried fruit, nuts, energy bar —whatever. The trouser belt is for handgun and multi-tool, the latter a Leatherman for me. In bear country, my handgun will be a Smith & Wes- son Scandium .44 Magnum loaded with Garrett Defenders 310-gr Su- perHardCast bullet. For the trail, a .22 pistol is perfect. I just added an Austrian M22 to my kit because it is light, flat-sided and small. Where I usually go, grouse, partridge and rabbits are legal campfire fare with .22 pistol — gourmet dining for the cost of a few Long Rifle rounds. I wear a Bushnell Back~Track GPS around my neck with the petite Gar- min Geko 301 in a pocket. I find the modern hand-held radio invaluable when going with a partner.
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