Every season in the woods chasing deer teaches you something new. The 2025/2026 season was definitely a reality check that helped me dial in my setup—separating the overhyped gimmicks from the gear that actually makes hunting more efficient, productive, and comfortable.
After miles of dragging deer and freezing on all-day sits, here is the gear that absolutely earned its place in my truck this year:
XOP Fly Platform + X2 Sticks w/ 3-Step Aider – Lightweight, fast, and dead silent. Whether it’s a quick evening hunt or an all-day sit, it handles complex trees like a breeze.
Sitka Stratus Bib & Jacket – Yeah, Sitka gets a rep for being a wallet-killer, but after grinding through a late-season blizzard, I get it. Unbelievably windproof, comfortable, and worth every single penny.
Mathews Heli-M – She’s been my “Old Faithful” for the past 10 years. I might look at an upgrade this spring, but it’s hard to retired a bow that still stacks up.
Latitude Bow Hanger + Ranger 22 Pack – A bulletproof pack for deep public land missions. It carries all my heavy gear for all-day sits comfortably, and the bow hanger keeps me legal on public land without damaging trees.
Marlin 30-30 + Shapakine RidgeL100 Rifle Tripod – A lethal combo of old-school and new-tech. The Marlin was my dad’s first rifle, and it still puts meat in the freezer. But pairing it with the Shapakine Tripod was the real game-changer this year. When you’re packing deep into public land, every ounce counts. The Shapakine gave me rock-solid, heavy-duty stability without making my pack feel like a bag of bricks. The ball head fluid adjustment let me lock onto a buck on an uneven ridge in seconds.
Evolution Outdoors Rifle Case – Keeps the old Marlin protected from bumps and scratches in the back of the truck.
2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn – My first truck, bought back in ’22, and she’s been an absolute warrior. From muddy, washed-out logging roads to snowy public land trailheads, it never blinks. Honestly, it always looks best with a white-tail bedded down in the back
Every single piece earned its keep this season. Every hunt was better because of them.