Pac8541

Not sure if anyone needs one of these as there are a lot of other options with a higher CDI factor but, this thing has been lightly used, never abused, and is still pretty awesome to shoot. Excellent condition. Elevation and windage adjustable. Tritium powered so no batteries to replace and its always on. Perfect glass. Holographic amber chevron aim point. Twin thumbscrew mount for a pic rail. Super rugged. $350 OBO. Will trade straight across for Kifaru Supertarp or Carter Like Mike release plus cash.

I'm looking at maybe going floorless, the ultra light tarp systems have me intrigued. Anyone have experience using a shelter like this here in AZ? Is this a bad idea for our environment? What I'm mainly concerned with is critters. Throwing one of these up in the high mountains is one thing but scorpions and snakes looking for warmth are entirely another. Last thing anyone needs is to get bitten or stung by something 5 miles from the car. Shaking things out before climbing in is a given, I do that anyway with just about everything but it still concerns me. And it would seem that unlike a self supporting tent, staking a tarp to the ground appears critical. If a stake pulls in the middle of the night wouldn't the whole thing kinda collapse? Last Nov I weathered a heck of a storm through the whole night. The rocky, shallow ground wasn't the greatest at keeping my tent staked down and I was forced to hold one corner down with my hand from inside until the wind subsided enough for me to risk going out and re-staking it. While it might seem I'm answering my own questions, I'm humble enough to admit that perhaps I should've just staked more carefully or chosen a better site. What's your guy's experience with these?

I've got a decent 3+ season tent; its a little tight for 2 but has proven itself more than a few times. Only reason I'd like to replace that is for something a little easier to set up. The internal pole design leaves just a bit to be desired. I'm looking at Kuiu's Mountainstar in that respect. I'm gonna buy the Kifaru Supertarp and give it a go this season. I think it'll be ideal for the backpack fishing trips I take. The next one's in late Sept and at the elevations I find myself at over and over again, bugs aren't an issue. I will likely add a stove before my Nov hunt. It doesn't actually get that cold in the unit I've been fortunate enough to draw the last 2 years but that also makes it an ideal time to shake the system out before using it in something more extreme. I'm willing to risk initial problems with a floorless system if for no other reason, the education and experience. The versatility seems totally worth it.

Anyone in the Phx area have a spine tester I can play with? I'm interested in knowing how much static spine changes as a shaft is cut down

Will do that tonight, had no idea. Thanks!

Drop to $300.

This is what I'm talking about. Good God... The tent that's on my radar is Kuiu's Mountain Star: dig the dual vestibules and exterior poles. But, I already have a pretty decent 3 season tent that has served me very well so I'd like to try the floorless option if for no other reason than experience. I'm looking hard at the Kifaru Supertarp with a stove. It got down to 18* in the canyons I hunted last Nov and prior to that a late Sept fishing trip at 10K in CO found me with snow on the ground when I woke up. That stove seems like it'd be a Godsend. Anyone try or use any of the Outdoor Research bivvies?

Interested in one of the dehydrators. I can meet to pick up.

Have not worn any of it in typical AZ country, only that found in CO between 7000-10K. Flora is quite a bit different there so I can't speak with any credibility about durability down here. However, the Chinook pant I used last season has an outer shell very similar but a little heavier I believe, to that found on the Kenai. It held up very well in the oak brush and manzanita I was neck deep in, and minor encounters with catclaw. That stuff is evil; its like a bush made of barbed wire. I avoid it whenever I can regardless of what I'm wearing and thankfully, the unit I was in last year and will be again this year, isn't overgrown with the stuff. The photo in my first post shows the Kenai stuffed into a size med. OR mesh sack. These are stretchy so it doesn't really show how small it'll get. I've since stuffed into smaller sacks that don't have stretch and it'll get smaller. I'm sure it'll easily fit into a small side pouch on my pack as well, probably with a little room to spare. Having said all of the above though, I'm still looking at picking up a warmer puffy with good wind resistance (Kifaru Lost Park or FL Uncompahgre). While I can easily imagine taking only the Kenai and leaving fleece at home (it's THAT versatile) I think having a super protective and warm option is a wise move.

On the heels of my thread discussing clothing prejudice and at the risk of sounding like a fanboy, I replaced a bunch of Kuiu clothing in the last couple weeks and it all came in this morning. Last year I ran Chinook pants (which I loved), this year its the Alpine Pant. Last year I used a Patagonia Down Sweater for a puffy, this year it'll be the Kenai. I picked up a Tiburon 1/4 zip this year and it'll no doubt get used a ton this summer behind a fly rod. The Kenai was my big deal. Last Nov I distinctly remember needing some extra warmth but with the ventilation to do some hiking and stalking. I regretted not picking this up then so it was high on my list this year. Online it looks like heavier fabric than it actually is. I was very surprised at how light the jacket felt in the hand and when worn. Its super soft and quiet. I was also concerned about how much it would compress down. This is the Kenai stuffed into a med sized OR mesh ditty sack. The binos are Swaro 10x42s for scale. So, not only is it lightweight, quiet, and have great breathability and ventilation, but it stuffs down pretty small. Pretty happy with what showed up. Confirms to a degree, that my brain was pointed in the right direction.

Little update on the Kenai puffy in case some of you are still on the fence: I just returned from 4 weeks in the CO high country. We camped at over 10K feet about half of it, the rest at around 7500. Temps ranged from low 80's to about 40 at night and we experienced a week straight of constant rain. At the higher elevations I literally slept in my clothes inside a pop up tent trailer. Maybe it was the moisture in the air but it felt quite a bit colder than the thermometer suggested. Sleeping like this included the Kenai jacket under a typical "at home" style comforter blanket. Sounds pretty warm, right? Maybe a bit much and I'd wake up sweating or stripping clothing off? Nope. Not a single time did that happen. From my perspective, this was not due to it actually being that cold but seems to reinforce the claims that the Kenai breathes incredibly well. I used this jacket more than any other insulation piece in my arsenal, including the 240 Peloton hoody that I fell in love with last year. The Kenai's comfort range is incredible. Its not going to block the wind like the Kifaru or FL puffys but it does a damned good job in just about every other condition. And its super light and quiet. Winner.

Anyone have software they're using that has Easton's Deep Six FMJ 280 shaft in the database? OT2 doesn't seem to have it and I'm curious. For what I'm planning I need a bit stiffer spine than 330. A 300 would be about perfect...

So I picked up a used Kuiu harness with the idea of ghetto fabbing it to address the one major issue I have with this specific harness: having the pouch slip down my chest after removing the binos from it. In the past, I've had to support the underside of the pouch to reinsert the binos which didn't make a lot of sense given that's one of the main purposes of the harness. We'll see how it holds up but this took me less then $10 and a half hour. I left the original design alone so the top straps coming off the back of the harness still attach directly to the binos. I added webbing to the wide part of those straps, ran them through another set of side release buckles, and attached the female end to the back side of the pouch. This allows me to adjust the length of those straps through the male side of the SR buckles and support the pouch separately from the binos. I looks a little strappy but its essentially the same design as what's found on the AGC unit but without the machine sewing. Or the extra storage space. That last fact alone may cause me to abandon this project.

What's the best one you guys have used? I need to replace a Kuiu one I just sold and although it worked well for me, there were certainly things it could have done better. Been looking at the Alaskan Guide Creations one, or whatever its called. That looks like it may be a winner.

Well... the "last pack I'll ever need" (Nomad) turned into the last pack I've sold. It was great and super versatile but I found out it just isn't my style. There are definitely advantages to a pack design like that but the more I used it day to day, the more I found myself wanting something simpler. Maybe I'm getting lazy but dealing with all those straps and having to think so much as to what needs to go where in order for it to work efficiently became too much of a mental exercise. So here's the next, last pack I'll ever need. It's frickin' huge. My wife got in it and it literally extends up to the top of her hips standing straight up. I put all my hunting clothing and a sleeping bag in it to fill it out a bit for photos. I ordered both large and small belt pouches, a mini belt pouch, and a grab it along with it. I was gonna run the large pouch on the lid to try and avoid ordering a guide lid but although there are webbing tabs up there, they're oriented wrong for the belt pouch to fit well. And the spacing is wrong for the tri-glides to fit through. It attaches but not right. The whole package is pretty dang light. I don't have a suitable scale to put it on but there's no doubt its lighter than my nomad was. Pretty cool. Can't wait to get blood on it.

Is there a minimum velocity for shots at ranges over 60yds? I totally understand trajectory and a projectile bleeding speed at a non-linear rate as distance increases but at what point, at a given arrow velocity, does it become ineffective? Since momentum and Ke both depend on speed to a degree, there has to be a point where it becomes unacceptable. I ask because I'm shooting an E35 at 27.5" DL and 71lbs. The arrows I shoot are upwards of 475gr and as high as 540. My velocities are pretty slow, relatively speaking, and if its impractical to shoot past 60yds then I won't bother buying a sliding sight. I'm playing with arrows in the 420 range but don't expect those to be the norm. I much prefer the solid shot feel and quiet nature of my bow with heavier sticks. Anyone shooting slow and heavy; what's your max range?

Good info, I agree completely. This is the reason I want to shoot longer range and not because I intend to shoot meat as soon as he comes out of the trees. I'm getting it dialed in slowly: I have 2 arrows I've settled on, one at 460 and the other at just over 600. Both fly well and are quiet. I need to fletch the rest up and start tuning them.

That was actually with the previous Nomad. Great pack and very versatile, I absolutely loved it as a day hunting pack. But again, I needed something a little simpler with less "strapiness." I love the way the Argali's compression straps are configured. The fact that they sewed the short end to the outside front of the pack makes all the difference in terms of strap management. The adjustment or compression end is on the side of the pack, near the frame. And there are now captured velcro strap managers included on each one. That Yellowstone photo was using the Nomad's max capacity of 7000ci, without my boots inside. Waders take up a ton of space...

Nice man, hope you got some good stuff! I was VERY tempted to buy one of those micro pan heads but in the end, I figured I've got a little time on my hands before I really need to do that. I haven't loaded her up and done any humping yet. Maybe 20lbs so far but honestly, I'm a little cautious at the moment to really go for it. I head out of state for 4 weeks middle of the month and will be taking this along. Not because I'm doing man sh!t with it then but to see how it compresses down as a day pack. I may also make a run up to the Kifaru shop to poke around and buy accessories in person. I've got an idea or 2 I'd like to discuss with them face to face.

Been crunching numbers on AA and OT2 for several years now, I am thankfully way past that point now. Those programs are great but they cause me to become overly obsessed with some of the details. Time of flight is something I hadn't considered, thanks for bringing that up. That is important to keep in mind, even if I don't realistically expect to be shooting at something beyond maybe 50yds. The area I was in last Nov, which is the same area I'll be in this year, didn't give me much beyond 40. My shoulder is just now allowing me to start shooting again. Once I get a little more stability out of it I'll just experiment at my local park. I've probably built 6 different arrows to test and swap points between.

I've watched some of his videos and they're pretty good. The guy can shoot, no doubt. But he's also shooting 80lb limbs, or higher. My shoulders don't care for that too much. In fact, before I bought the 70lb model I test drew an 80lb E35 and it was certainly doable but I didn't want to take the chance. I'm not all geeked out about this, just something I've been thinking about. I'd really like a Tommy Hogg but figured if my lower pin sits below my grip for anything over 50yds, why waste the money. Chris: I'm referring to one of those dial sights with the geared track that would allow me to dial in a longer range than what fixed pins allow. I'm probably using the wrong term but you get the idea.

Horizontal grip action ball head with QR2 quick release plate. Adjustable friction, locking feature on QR lever. Cleaned up but some remnants of tan spray paint in nooks and crannies. Good smooth action. $115 shipped PP friends/family or add 3%.

I'd like to shoot out to at least 80 and with a 500gr arrow the bow is producing 248fps. I need to buy a chrono. These are being built for elk but I'm also building a faster set alongside them. Faster for me means 420-440 range. Ive actually come to realize the maybe this is just a stupid question. If I can shoot out to 80 with an arrow set that I build to 540 then I guess I just don't shoot that far with those arrows. If I'm anticipating longer shots then I just don't use those arrows. I'm sorry. It was late. I'd been drinking. My logic thought it could outsmart common sense.

Great link man, thanks for sharing that. I can tell you already they will be getting business from me in one form or another.

Totally understand your hesitation. I wanted the exact same design: a Markhor with the attachment tabs all the way up the sides, and for the same reasons. I got a hold of Frank and Aron at Kifaru and asked them the same questions about the attachment tabs. Aron told me to just request a custom mod to the Argali and they'd do it. Then Frank told me they weren't doing custom mods for the foreseeable future because they basically didn't have the time. I imagine that has something to do with the debut of their 2 new packs. Aron said the Argali is more versatile with its ability to fold the top down and buckle it shut with the vertical compression straps. The Markhor can't do this. He also said it compresses better than the Markhor. But the biggest reason I chose the larger Argali was my 4 day fly fishing trip to the Yellowstone last Aug. It was a 5 mile hike from the trailhead into the river and I was carrying everything for the camp out plus 2 rods, a net, and a full set of waders and boots. That takes up a lot of space in a pack. On the hike out they were still wet too so they got considerably heavier. I had the entire camp bag on the Nomad stuffed then strapped my waders and boots to the top of the lid to dry on the way. The Nomad has the ability to expand to 7000ci but with a bunch of pockets on both wings plus the camp bag. This seemed like a much simpler and cleaner way to do it, and be lighter overall. So that prospect on top of the fact that I WILL BE PACKING OUT MEAT THIS NOV sealed the deal for me. I've got a local sewer who's well equipped and skilled at modifying cordura and I'm gonna have him add the tabs up the sides at some point. The large belt pouch attaches will all 4 sliders, so do the small and mini belt pouches on the belt. My waist fluctuates between 31 and 33 inches. Trying it on this afternoon wearing nothing but shorts and a t-shirt fit well with room to expand. The front ends of the padding hit at the front corners of my hips.