@Mort Hill you are spot on. I know if I am going to be doing a lot of walking or hiking, I bring compression shorts. They are a game changer. I found it really cuts down on the chaffing.

I'll have to remember this, as I'm a big guy and chaffing would present an issue for me as well.
 
Great list and oh yeah, I don't get on an airplane without the Bose NCs. I rip all of my CDs and load my favorites on a small MP3 player and plug it in to the headset. Leatherman? Yep, for my purposes, does away with a knife. Sim card for my phone to use in RSA. I buy my minutes and data package from Onesimcard.com, way cheaper than the U.S. carriers. I have a little clip on red/white light for the bill of my cap and a Cyclops setup for night hunting. Also bring my Harris bipod which extends to 25" for whacking springbok while in a sitting position. I bring gaiters too for those stickers that have a way of finding their way down your socks. Ear protection is a must for what little hearing I have left. Other than that, one's list depends on the area being hunted.
 
Just saw Rick this afternoon at TTHA in Ft. Worth.. Listened to the pitch, watched the demonstration, and remembered you making a couple of posts about how much you like his harness... so I picked up 3 of them (1 black, 1 orange, and one olive drab).. Im trusting you Philip! :D
Hey I won't lead you astray! I was just watching a couple hunting shows on Sunday afternoon and they all have those bino straps that get all twisted up. I guess they have to use the sponsors equipment but I wonder if they ALL know how dumb they look from behind with those straps all twisted up!
Rick Young's bino harness is the only way to go! Lightweight, convenient, versatile and just a good design.
Regards,
Philip
 
good pair of sunglasses, scentless sun screen & chap stick
James
Very good point. I take the chap stick with sunscreen in it and Avon Skin So Soft lotion that has superior bug repellent and SPF.
Philip
 
They are great on my Nikon Monarch 7 in 8x30, but suck on my Swarovski 10x42. Just too heavy a bino.
If the binos are too heavy to wear comfortably on your chest you can wear them on your side. Just as convenient.
I have some of the big swaro's with the rangefinder in them. I do wish they were lighter and I am thinking of getting the Leica's. They seem to be lighter but the stats say they are not. Who knows! Just have to buy both and compare$$$$
Philip
 
Great list and oh yeah, I don't get on an airplane without the Bose NCs. I rip all of my CDs and load my favorites on a small MP3 player and plug it in to the headset. Leatherman? Yep, for my purposes, does away with a knife. Sim card for my phone to use in RSA. I buy my minutes and data package from Onesimcard.com, way cheaper than the U.S. carriers. I have a little clip on red/white light for the bill of my cap and a Cyclops setup for night hunting. Also bring my Harris bipod which extends to 25" for whacking springbok while in a sitting position. I bring gaiters too for those stickers that have a way of finding their way down your socks. Ear protection is a must for what little hearing I have left. Other than that, one's list depends on the area being hunted.
Good comments. Gaiters are a must in Africa when wearing shorts!
 
Just a few items I take in my carry on backpack. I pack more than a few of the antiseptic stuff for flights.
P1060255.jpg
 
I suppose that maybe a pack is implied on most hunting trips but I can't travel without my backpack. I have a COVRT18 from 5.11 Tactical that goes on every trip with me.

http://www.511tactical.com/covrt-18-backpack.html

It acts as my carry on without making me look like a commando. Then as my daypack while in the field. I don't wear it while out so much as use it to keep everything together. Every day I put three three things on the cruiser in the morning and I take the same off in the evenings. Me, my pack, and of course my gun.

Bobby D

Screen Shot 2017-08-14 at 12.33.53 PM.png
 
I've found that most "hunting" packs are too big for my needs..

I think I finally found what I've been looking for this year (after about 20 years of searching) in the Tenzing TC1260.. Its big enough to fit all of the essentials.. but small/light enough not to be a bother (just 1285 cubic inches).. and has tons of pockets, compartments, etc to keep everything organized and easy to find..

Got a great deal on it at the Gander Mountain going out of business/clearance sale in Frisco.. The pack retails for about $160 online most places.. I picked up the last 2 GM had on the shelves (one for me and one for the wife) for $68 each...


upload_2017-8-14_12-45-25.png
 
I too like the 5.11 packs. I bought the Rush 24 for my travel backpack. This is the one I take on the plane with all the essentials in case by bag gets lost. It has an awesome layout of pockets and can even have a hydration bladder in it. But I hate carrying a full size back pack every day on safari. I really just need a few things like ammo, binos, sunscreen, spotlight, etc so I bought the Moab 6 and that was a great choice and worked perfectly for me. I just put it in the vehicle each day and I had all I needed and then my backpack didnt get stomped into the dirt!
Philip
 
A follow up post on the Rick Young harness...

My wife and I used them this past weekend on an aoudad hunt.. I mounted mine on a set of 8x30 leupolds.. my wife has a bigger set of binos (10x42) that she mounted hers to..

Both sets worked perfectly..

We dont have a whole lot of experience with these harnesses yet.. but so far, so good..

We've been really happy with them so far... light weight, easy to use, and affordable... and I LOVE the rangefinder attachment
 
View attachment 196150

I thought I would pass along my thoughts on my favorite gear from my four safaris in the last two years. I am not going to discuss what didn't work or what I don't personally like but just hit the high points and hope that it will benefit some folks as they head out on their adventures.

1. Pelican Gun Case & Pelican 1170 ammo case: Many of you know that I love all things Pelican so this is where I'll logically start. The Pelican 2 Gun case has worked well for me for something like 8 international trips. I pack all my hunting stuff in there plus a few gift items to reduce the weight of my suitcase and usually just one gun. The small 1170 ammo box I really like because it will snugly hold four boxes of big bore ammo with just the top foam. I've had good luck with the Masterlock TSA lock with the cable pictured here. The other standard TSA locks always get broken but not these.

2. Bose QC Noise Cancelling Headphones: If you fly internationally these are a must. These top quality headphones actually make travel less tiring because it removes the "air noise" from the plane. I won't travel without them. Now I do have Bose noise cancelling earbuds now and I am apt to use those on domestic flights.

3. Chargers and Adaptors: Spending lots of time by myself in airports around the world I like to shop (although I rarely buy anything) the electronics stores and yes luggage stores etc just to see what they have. Sometimes it pays off like this SkyRoss universal adapter with 2 USB ports I found a while back in JNB. In a few places you still need the big ugly "Africa" plug so have one of those as well. I have the Goal Zero solar panel and battery for charging all my devices and it has come in handy in the many places I've been with no electricity.

4. Swarovski CL 10x30 Binos with Rick Young Bino Harness: These handy little binos have served me very well with their great glass and light weight. I would not use another bino harness except Rick Young Outdoors because it is so versatile and light weight. They are so inexpensive everyone should try one out! He always has a booth at DSC.

5. Iridium Extreme: Having a satellite phone is not always warranted but I must admit it makes you feel like James Bond! Seriously both in Zimbabwe and Kyrgyzstan this satellite phone was a lifesaver (nearly literally!). Being able to place a call anywhere is really amazing technology. They can be rented as well as purchased so anyone can feel like 007!

6. Kuiu Belt Pouch: Being a minimalist I am always looking for a better way to carry just a few things without weighing myself down. My hunting pants have lots of pockets but too much stuff weighs me down and I don't like having my pants loaded with too much gear. This little Kuiu belt pouch was on sale and has really fit the bill for me.

7. Surefire or Streamlight Flashlight: What ever brand you like always have a powerful light or two while on Safari. NO ONE in African has a good flashlight! Your PH will not have a good flashlight in my experience and plus they can't easily get the batteries for these anyway.

8. Murray Leather 6 Round Carrier: I have two of these and on DG hunts I have softs on my right and solids on my left. These are easy to use and I've never lost a shell accidentally out of them. I can not say enough about Murray Leather and invite you to meet them at the shows.

9. Leatherman: I have the Wingman but any multitool that you like is invaluable on safari. You never know when you will need more than just a pocket knife. Tools are hard to come by in Africa and my leatherman has done lots of work there. I even keep a Micra Leatherman in with my toiletries because it has a great set of tweezers for getting out African thorns!

10. Princeton Tec BYTE Headlamp: This is absolutely one of my favorite things on safari. This little headlamp is extremely lightweight and has red, low beam white, and high beam white light settings that work extremely well for me. It uses 2 AAA batteries and if you use Energizer Lithium you will not have to change them for a hunt or two. The red setting is great to tend to natures call at night and also in a blind if you need to see something but do not want to risk turning a light on. I am not sure where I got mine but REI has them for sale. Again I have shopped what is available in most stores and I've not found a better one. If I do ill let you know!

11. FoxPro Fire Eye Spotlight: This revolutionary spotlight is unlike any other. It has white, red, green, and amber light settings. You can adjust the beam down to a small rectangle and thus not shine light on anything unintended. It is more expensive than any light I know of however.

12. FLIR Scout III: Thermal is a great tool when hunting at night. This FLIR is one of the best in its price range and I have enjoyed using it. It is small and holds a charge for a long time. The legality of using this in some countries is questionable so always find out where it can be used.

Some of you experienced guys may want to chime in on some of this gear or mention something that you particularly like and has worked well for you. These are just a few of my go to items.

Regards,
Philip Glass

Great List!
 
@Philip Glass so this thread is 4 years old. Do you have some updates for us?
Good idea! I’ll do so before or after my next safari in July. I leave the 24th for a 10 day hunt at Frontier.
 
I have been using the Rick Young harness for a couple of years now after trying many others over the decades in Louisiana and Texas and I love them. They are going to Africa with me in about a month!
 
I have been using the Rick Young harness for a couple of years now after trying many others over the decades in Louisiana and Texas and I love them. They are going to Africa with me in about a month!
They are the best!
Hope you have a great trip.
Philip
 
Hey I won't lead you astray! I was just watching a couple hunting shows on Sunday afternoon and they all have those bino straps that get all twisted up. I guess they have to use the sponsors equipment but I wonder if they ALL know how dumb they look from behind with those straps all twisted up!
Rick Young's bino harness is the only way to go! Lightweight, convenient, versatile and just a good design.
Regards,
Philip
I'm actually not that worried about looking dumb :D and I'm sure I will be looking like that with or without twisted up bino straps :E Rofl:

I have and will be using these, look very similar to the Ricky Young's, just with wider straps:

1618310287300.png


1618310335304.png


(not me by the way) :D
 

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