Actually and for a change, I didn’t go away this weekend.  I suppose I could have used some of that time at home to post up a weekend topic of something, but the fact is I mostly avoided the computer.  In fact, as far as I can remember I didn’t even turn it on Saturday, and only bumped through my email on Sunday. 

It was nice.

My day Saturday was actually spent working up a good sweat as I sorted gear, dug stuff out of dark corners, and packed my truck for my upcoming CO elk hunt.  All of my hunting clothes were inventoried, washed in scent-killer (free samples, I usually buy hypo-allergenic Woolite), then packed in giant ZipLoc bags to stay relatively scent free until I get to the woods.

I also had to sort gear.  I just received three more packs of Magnus Stinger broadheads, so I shouldn’t have any problem running out of “ammo”, although of course my plan is to get it done with just one.  I figure, why go out with only three razor-sharp broadheads in my quiver, when I could hit the woods with a dozen? 

I double-checked my archery box, to make sure I had plenty of string wax, extra nocks, a spare string, fletching cement, and other assorted and varied accoutrements.  I had a string come partially unwrapped on a South Carolina hunt a few years ago, and it almost finished my trip.  Odd as it sounds, if you shoot traditional it’s a lot harder to find supplies and equipment…even something as basic as a string.  The flip side is that trad shooters like myself face very few show-stopping issues short of breaking a string, or breaking the bow itself.  Anyway, I was able to fix the problem with a little dental floss, but I will never again travel out of state without a spare string. 

So clothes and weaponry… that’s really all one needs, right?

Well, not so.  Over the years I’ve accumulated all sorts of gadgets and gizmos.  I’ve dispensed with several of those, but a couple of items come with me all the time now.  My Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) always goes with me when I hit the backcountry.  I hope I never need it, but it sure is nice to know that if I ever do, I can have help at my location within hours (or less).  The GPS is also pretty handy, and while I still own and use a compass, the convenience of a GPS for things like finding stands or trails (or sometimes, the truck) in the dark can’t be beat. 

And finally, there’s my rangefinding binoculars.  I didn’t think I needed a rangefinder when I started bowhunting, but after many frustrating misses, I learned that judging distance in the field can be trickier than you’d expect. 

Cameras were next on the list.  My “good” camera, the Sony digital always goes in the truck.  I also made sure the digital camcorder was fully charged and the memory was clean.  Finally, I checked my pack to be sure the little pocket camera was still where it belonged and fully charged. 

After a run to the hardware store to secure plenty of batteries for everything, I checked that off of my list and noticed that the day was almost gone! 

There’s a ton of other stuff that I’ll be tossing in before I roll out on Wednesday evening, and I’ll probably end up repacking half of what I’ve already got… but that’s part of the fun. 

Are we there yet?

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