Hunter’s Equipment: List of Necessary Items

Hundreds of thousands of our compatriots are fond of hunting. This truly masculine hobby tempers the character, allows you to feel close to nature, and get a portion of adrenaline. It is always associated with discomfort – you need to walk a lot, or even run, endure mosquito bites and other blows of fate. But still, danger awaits hunters – the proximity of firearms, wild animals and just unusual circumstances can cause serious injuries. Therefore, the hunter’s equipment should be chosen especially carefully.
This topic has been the subject of heated debates for several years. Some believe that the best hunting clothing is forest camouflage. They are right – comfortable, durable, inexpensive clothing perfectly hides the silhouette of the hunter, allowing you to get close to the prey within shooting distance. Others believe that the ability to hide a person is an important disadvantage. They are sure that when hunting, you need to wear bright hunting clothes, clearly visible even at dusk. They are also right – there is always the possibility of getting injured by a shot by another hunter who shot in violation of all the rules for sound, who did not see a friend because of camouflage.
What can we say in the end? Still, most hunters prefer to use camouflage hunting pants and trousers. Overall, it’s a good choice. But when driving or with the participation of a large number of other shooters, it will not be superfluous to wear some bright element of clothing, for example, an orange vest, which road workers wear.
Military hunting camouflage, on the other hand, has not yet been surpassed. It has many pockets, which allows you to carry a large number of useful little things, indispensable in certain situations. It is much cheaper than hunting suits sold in special stores. Those who have the opportunity to purchase European equipment – Austrian, German, English – will be lucky. It is sold in many stores today. Suits decommissioned from warehouses remain very durable, durable and comfortable. This choice will definitely not disappoint. In addition, such hunter’s equipment looks very brutal in the photo.
Do not forget about the headgear. On a hot day, when hunting in an open area, a camouflage hat is suitable – it will protect the ears, forehead, and neck from burns. The rest of the time, it is better to give preference to a bandana. It adheres well to the head, protects it from scratches and sunlight, and in an extreme situation can be used in a variety of ways. Panama, alas, is not so multifunctional.
Which hunting shoes should I choose?
In the hunter’s equipment, high-quality hunting shoes are, perhaps, even in the first place. Comfort of movement and even safety depend on it. Lightweight sneakers can be pierced by stepping on a sharp twig or thorn of a simple hawthorn, seriously injuring the foot.
There are quite a few hunters who believe that tarpaulin boots are the best choice. It’s a good thing – it’s reliable, it protects against dew and even when crossing shallow streams. But you need to know how to wear them – a slightly knocked down footcloth will definitely rub your leg.
Therefore, it is better to give preference to trekking boots or army boots. Yes, high-quality hunting shoes are not cheap. But it is reliable, fixes the lower leg well, is equipped with a durable sole, which is more likely to break a nail (not to mention a knot) than be pierced by it.
Of course, if we talk about the equipment of a duck hunter, then everything comes in a different light. High boots are much better here – up to the middle of the thighs. After all, you have to hunt close to the water, or even standing knee-deep in it. So such hunting has special requirements for equipment.
A high-quality backpack is the key to comfort
The next important element of the hunter’s equipment is the backpack. It should be as convenient and reliable as possible. In it, you can carry spare ammo, loot (not too big, like a duck or a hare), spare socks, and many other useful items.
A hunter does not need a large volume – 30-40 liters is quite enough. Convenience is much more important than volume. The straps should be wide, stiff, so that even with a large weight carried, they do not cut into the shoulders. Also, the backpack should have an anatomical back – firm, straight, so that untidily stowed objects do not put pressure on the back and lower back, creating unnecessary discomfort, distracting from hunting.
A little bit about medicine
When you go hunting tens or even hundreds of kilometers from the nearest hospital, you should worry about your own safety. There are a lot of sources of injuries during hunting: an accidental shot or an unsuccessfully scattered shot, a deep splinter or a heavily bleeding scratch, a wounded and unfinished animal. And an ordinary headache or toothache can cause a lot of torment far from the city.
Of course, there is a first aid kit in the car, but it is often not available. Therefore, it is advisable to carry a first aid kit in your backpack and a few items in your jacket or pants pockets.
The first aid kit should always contain the pills that you usually take, as well as a few bandages, tweezers, wound care products, suture material, general pain relief (in tablets and ampoules). However, anything can happen to a backpack – in case it is lost, carry a bandage, a tourniquet and a strong general anesthetic with you in your pocket. Yes, this may be an unnecessary precaution. But it is possible that it is precisely this kind of thriftiness that will save the lives of you or your comrades.
Of course, when assembling a first aid kit, it will not be superfluous to additionally repeat the rules for using all the tools put in it. For example, not everyone will be able to remember the rules for applying a tourniquet, and very few hunters, alas, know about the correct sewing of deep wounds.
Navigating the terrain
A forest is always a forest, even if it is more of a small grove. Experienced hunters know many stories about how people managed to get lost in a tiny forest measuring a kilometer by a kilometer. Therefore, you should always have a compass and a map of the area with you. Or at least a compass and knowing where to go to get to a power line or road.
Of course, such elements are not included in the equipment of Siberian hunters, who spend a lot of time in the forest since childhood, know it like the back of their hand, and are able to go with their eyes closed to a village located 100 kilometers away, a river, a hut or other important places. They have not only a huge number of landmarks familiar only to them, but also a special flair that allows them to almost always go to the right place.
But for ordinary amateur hunters, it will not hurt to have additional means of navigation. You should not rely on a compass in a smartphone – as practice shows, complex equipment most often either discharges or fails at the most inopportune time.
Don’t forget about the knife
Speaking about the hunter’s survival equipment, we can’t forget about the knife. This is a really reliable assistant that will not let you down in any situation. With its help, you can perform dozens of different jobs, from slicing bread and sausage to opening cans of canned food, cutting carcasses.
Ideally, it is advisable to have a pair of knives. One is light, very sharp and small. The other is longer, with a thick butt, heavier. But in principle, you can get by with one, which is something in between these two.
Remember – the knife should always be on the belt. Do not put it in a backpack or pocket. Otherwise, in an extreme situation, you won’t be able to get it quickly.
It is advisable to choose a leather sheath that securely fixes the knife so that it does not fall out when running and shaking. Folding knives should be abandoned. They have a more complex device, which means that their reliability is lower. In conditions when your health and life depend on the reliability of the tool, you should not neglect even insignificant trifles.
The choice of a knife should be very serious. Start with steel. Do not give preference to knives with too soft steel – they quickly become dull. But high-strength steel, such as HB5 or diamond, is not the best choice. Yes, it is very hard, with its help you can cut up a whole moose without sharpening the blade. But it does not withstand the bending load very well and can simply break. Therefore, the functionality of the knife is drastically reduced. But this tool should help when performing a whole range of work.
A good choice would be an ordinary knife made of steel 65 x 13 or analogues. Very reliable, easy to use and multifunctional.
By the way, speaking about the knife in the equipment of a hunter, you can give a couple of tips about choosing a handle. Give up birch bark and leather right away. Yes, they look very elegant and fit perfectly in the hand. But such handles easily absorb moisture and odor. By butchering the carcass of an animal, you will probably stain the handle in blood – as a result, it will be very difficult to wash it, and the smell of stale meat will accompany the knife for a long time. Either elastrone or stabilized wood is better. Both of them are not afraid of moisture, do not absorb odors, and fit perfectly in the hand – both dry and bloody.
To keep warm
Perhaps any hunter will agree that the equipment for hunting should include matches. This is indeed an indispensable attribute that may well save a person’s life.
It is quite easy to get wet while hunting, starting with a simple fall into the water or heavy rain, ending with a very wet back during a chase through the forest. In any case, it is vital to dry your clothes and warm up as soon as possible. If there is a car nearby that you can sit in and turn on the stove, then there will be no problem. And what if there is no such possibility? You’ll have to make a fire.
Here you will need matches. A lighter is not so reliable – flint can always be damaged, gas can escape, and much more. But regular matches are not always the best choice.
Luckily, you can easily find special hunting matches on the market. They burn longer than an ordinary match, and thanks to their special composition, they create a much higher temperature, which allows you to ignite even damp small branches.
Such packaging is not afraid of moisture – matches can lie in water for several hours and still catch fire easily. Moreover, they are not afraid of a short fall into the water or heavy rain. Six matches are enough for even an inexperienced hunter to make a fire. And they are inexpensive – usually a few dozen rubles. The package weighs a few grams, so carrying it in a breast pocket will be very useful – it is possible that one day such foresight will save your life.
It is especially important not to forget about matches when compiling equipment for duck hunting. You can always stumble in the water and fall, soaking wet to the skin. In September and October, with their cold nights and winds, the opportunity to make a fire is a sure way to save yourself from pneumonia or pneumonia.
To sustain your strength
The hunter spends quite a lot of time in the forest, constantly actively moving. And being in the fresh air makes itself felt. Therefore, it will be very useful to have a light snack with you. Food should be hearty, light, not afraid of high temperatures and, if possible, tasty.
Experienced hunters know that it is enough to eat only 20-30 grams of chocolate to feel a surge of energy and improve mood. A handful of nuts gives about the same effect, but not as quickly and longer-lasting. After all, chocolate is fast carbohydrates, and nuts are proteins. Therefore, it is advisable to combine these two snacks. It is very important that you can refresh yourself with them on the go, without wasting time on a halt, making a fire, and so on.
Of course, if there is food, there must be water. It is advisable to carry either a flask or a bottle of water in your backpack – small, about a liter. Yes, there is almost always water in the forest. But it can be difficult to find a spring, and drinking unboiled water from a river, lake or swamp is very dangerous for health.
Underwater Hunter Equipment
Speaking about ordinary hunting, it is worth saying a few words about underwater hunting. After all, the equipment of an underwater hunter raises even more questions among hobbyists.
With a wetsuit, a mask, a gun and fins, everything is clear – here each person chooses the option that suits him.
A useful thing is the kookan. allows you not to swim with each caught fish to the shore or boat, but to calmly continue hunting – the fish will not go anywhere from the kookan attached to the belt.
It will not be superfluous to carry a knife with you.Moreover, it should not lie in a bag for underwater hunter’s equipment, but securely attached to the thigh or lower leg – depending on your habits.
Useful little things
Of course, you also need to take a lot of useful little things with you on the hunt – often they are the most important.
For example, a flashlight. Choose a headband, with several power modes. An underbarrel one will also not hurt, but it will not be cheap.
A mosquito will help in the woods, protecting your face from annoying insects without causing the slightest discomfort. To protect your hands and neck from mosquitoes, a regular mosquito repellent ointment will do. It is not worth chasing expensive ones – it is better to take a cheap one, but based on clove oil. Works perfectly and for a long time.
It will not be superfluous to put a skein of paracord in your pocket – small, 5-10 meters.
Also, don’t forget to carry a flask of alcohol with you. Not for drinking – alcohol and weapons are generally incompatible. It’s just that alcohol is an opportunity to make a compress, disinfect your hands before treating the wound.
A useful little thing is a raincoat. It is advisable to take it from thick polyethylene – it is lightweight, when folded, it takes up a minimum of space, but at the same time allows you to comfortably walk in the rain, looking at comrades whose wet clothes do not save them from the cold wind.
This concludes our tips for hunter equipment. By remembering them, you will surely not make mistakes when going hunting.