Allen Crater
Gear Review: Simms Dry Creek Z Sling
Overview: When it comes to carrying gear while fly fishing, I've tried it all: vests, chest packs, hip packs, and sling packs. Regular...
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Gear Reviews
Jon Osborn
Jun 105 min read
Gear Review: Orvis Helios 4 Fly Rod
Overview: The new Orvis Helios 4 rods launched with significant acclaim over the past few months, and all these accolades made Allen and...
910 views0 comments
Allen Crater
May 283 min read
Gear Review: Poncho Hidalgo Denim Shirt
Overview: Among my friends and family it's no secret that I love Poncho brand shirts. At last count I had eleven of them hanging in my...
484 views2 comments
Allen Crater
Mar 185 min read
Gear Review: Simms G3 Stockingfoot Guide Waders
Overview: In the scheme of things I fish a good number of days each year (never as many as I would like, but probably more than many),...
114 views0 comments
Allen Crater
Mar 48 min read
Gear Review: Exo Mtn Gear K4 5000 Pack System
Overview: I've been a backpacker for nearly 30 years – hiking trails across the country from New Hampshire's Mount Washington to Oregon's...
776 views0 comments
Jon Osborn
Nov 8, 20235 min read
Gear Review: Schnee’s Beartooth 0G Boots
Overview: A common error among bird hunters is neglecting their feet. It’s easy to overemphasize the sexier aspects of the sport, like...
1,152 views1 comment
Allen Crater
Nov 7, 20234 min read
Gear Review: Tricer-BC Hunting Tripod
Overview: The bull crested the ridge at just over 1,100 yards in a drainage to the north and moving in our direction, two cows following...
493 views0 comments
Jon Osborn
Nov 6, 20237 min read
Gear Review: Gunner G1 Dog Kennel & Accessories
Overview: For many upland hunters and waterfowlers, a quality day afield isn’t defined by the sum-total of birds in the bag. On the...
119 views0 comments
Allen Crater
Aug 17, 20232 min read
Gear Review: Optimus Elektra Fe Cook System
Overview: I remember my first backpacking stove purchased in the early 90's. The one that required the pump, pump, pumping of the fuel...
493 views0 comments
Allen Crater
Jul 11, 20233 min read
Gear Review: Costa Seeker 75-Liter Duffle Bag
Overview: I had been searching for a new travel bag for a while but wasn't really sure which route I wanted to go. Rollerbag? Duffle?...
390 views0 comments
Allen Crater
Jun 26, 20233 min read
Gear Review: Riversmith Quick Release Mount
Overview: Maybe I'm just lazy... If you recall my previous review of the Riversmith 4-Banger River Quiver (if you don't, you can find it...
478 views0 comments
Jon Osborn
Jun 12, 20234 min read
Gear Review: Scientific Anglers Sonar Trout Express Sink Tip Line
Overview: Specific situations call for specialized gear. To wit, small streams choked with encroaching vegetation require a different...
904 views0 comments
Jon Osborn
Jun 2, 20234 min read
Gear Review: Sitka Mountain Pants
Overview: I’ve called myself a bird hunter for decades, but if I’ve learned anything over the years it’s that turkeys rank right up there...
1,460 views0 comments
Allen Crater
May 25, 20233 min read
Gear Review: Costa Corbina PRO sunglasses
Overview: I've been a Costa customer for a number of years, dating way back to my first pair of Caballitos, and I've always been...
821 views0 comments
Allen Crater
Mar 31, 20234 min read
Gear Review: Rapid River Knifeworks Royal 7 Clip Point Knife
Overview: In 1899, from his shop in Gladstone, Michigan, Webster Marble developed what went on to become one of the most iconic hunting...
496 views0 comments
Allen Crater
Sep 12, 20223 min read
Gear Review: RightOnTrek Adventure Meals
Overview: Eating on the trail, for me, is one of the greatest luxuries and at the same time one of the greatest headaches about...
285 views0 comments
Allen Crater
Sep 7, 20224 min read
Gear Review: R.L. Winston Alpha+ Fly Rod
Overview: Anyone that has spent time fishing with me knows I prefer articulated streamers, chewed up mice, and big foam terrestrials over...
3,381 views0 comments
Jon Osborn
Jul 12, 20226 min read
Gear Review: Scientific Anglers Amplitude Textured Fly Line
Overview: I’m a chronic procrastinator when it comes to replacing fly lines. Call me cheap, stubborn, or just plain lazy, there’s no...
3,254 views0 comments
Jon Osborn
May 9, 20225 min read
Gear Review: Stanley Vacuum Bottle
Overview: Durable gear has always appealed to sportsmen – especially if that equipment conveys some history. Take Grandpa’s battered old...
2,526 views2 comments
Allen Crater
Apr 29, 20224 min read
Gear Review: Riversmith 4-Banger River Quiver.
Overview: I hate breaking down my fly rods when heading out on a fishing trip or even more so when I'm simply moving from spot to spot,...
1,195 views0 comments
Allen Crater
Mar 3, 20223 min read
Gear Review: Pyro Putty Fire Starter
Overview: “The flames sawed in the wind and the embers paled and deepened and paled and deepened like the bloodbeat of some living thing...
609 views0 comments
Allen Crater
Jan 10, 20225 min read
Gear Review: Stone Glacier Sky Talus 6900 with X-curve Frame
Overview: In my first year hunting "Out West" with Kyle, I used my familiar Osprey backpack to carry gear; the one that had seen trips in...
1,836 views0 comments
Allen Crater
Dec 24, 20212 min read
Gear Review: Duckworth Vapor Snorkel Hoody
Overview: Someone recently asked what my most versatile piece of clothing was. It didn't take me long to answer - my Vapor Snorkel Hoody...
685 views0 comments
Allen Crater
Dec 13, 20213 min read
Gear Review: Dark Energy Poseidon Pro Portable Charger
Overview: For me, having a reliable source of power in the backcountry is critical. Not only do I require it to charge my phone (which...
2,522 views2 comments
Allen Crater
Dec 9, 20214 min read
Gear Review: Heather's Choice Backcountry Meals
Overview: Teddy Roosevelt once said: "No man who, for his good fortune, has at times in his life endured toil and hardship, ever fails to...
533 views0 comments
Jon Osborn
Sep 14, 20213 min read
Gear Review: Poncho Men's Performance Shirt
Overview: Even in this modern day and age, weather forecasts often amount to an educated guess, and anglers seldom have the luxury of...
6,106 views0 comments
Allen Crater
Mar 25, 20214 min read
Gear Review: Duckworth Snowcrest Shirt
Overview: I'm a bit of a dichotomy when it comes to gear. On the one hand I embrace the latest technologies, tools and materials for...
1,685 views0 comments
Allen Crater
Feb 15, 20214 min read
Gear Review: Whiskey Leatherworks Blackfoot Duffle
If ever a product were made for a person, the Blackfoot Duffle was made for my buddy, Jon Osborn. An avid upland hunter, fly angler, pipe...
185 views0 comments
Allen Crater
Jan 28, 20215 min read
Gear Review: Duckworth Comet Crew
Overview: If you spend any amount of time outdoors, it's likely that I don't need to sell you on the benefits of Merino wool. Sure,...
1,684 views0 comments
Allen Crater
Dec 29, 20203 min read
Gear Review: Hultafors Aby Forest Axe
Overview: I've always wanted a camp axe. Something I could use around the cabin, on camping trips, and even keep in the truck "just in...
2,737 views0 comments
Allen Crater
Dec 23, 20203 min read
Gear Review: Snowbee Nivalis Hooded Down Jacket
Overview: I was introduced to the Snowbee brand by my friend, Brian "Koz"Kozminski. Snowbee is a UK Company that was founded in 1978 and...
443 views0 comments
Allen Crater
Nov 22, 20204 min read
Gear Review: Lowa Tibet Superwarm GTX Boots
Overview: While I have backpacked all over the country and beyond and spent many years chasing Michigan whitetail deer, I have never...
1,686 views0 comments
Allen Crater
Nov 20, 20203 min read
Gear Review: Maven B1.2 Binocular in 8 x 42
Overview: I was heading out for my first big game hunt in Montana; a trip with my son in the works for nearly two years. Simply put, I...
2,649 views0 comments
Allen Crater
Sep 30, 20203 min read
Gear Review: Whiskey Leather Works Bradford Fly Wallet
As difficult as it would be to top Jon Osborn's last gear review, he's back again in typical Ozzy fashion (think beautiful prose, not...
570 views0 comments
Allen Crater
Aug 24, 20203 min read
Gear Review: Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL3 Three-season Tent
Overview: From backpacking in the Rockies, Sawtooths, Sierras, Whites and Winds to chasing pike through Canada's backcountry and even a...
1,474 views0 comments
Allen Crater
Aug 12, 20203 min read
Gear Review: Waterworks-Lamson Standard Seat Freshwater Fly Rod
Overview: If you fly fish often, you are likely familiar with the Waterworks-Lamson brand for their innovative fly reels - in fact you've...
1,765 views0 comments
Allen Crater
Jun 15, 20203 min read
Gear Review: Luminox 3741 Survival Master Series Watch
Overview: I spend as much time as possible in the outdoors - hiking, camping, fishing, and hunting and I am notoriously hard on gear. For...
2,321 views2 comments
Allen Crater
Jun 12, 20204 min read
Gear Review: Filson Tin Cloth Packer Hat
Photo by Lance Nelson My buddy, Jon Osborn, knows a thing or two about needing to rely on his gear - personally and professionally -...
6,002 views0 comments
Allen Crater
May 20, 20203 min read
Gear Review: Stio Long Sleeve Eddy Shirt
Overview: I hate spending money on clothes, so those items I do purchase need to play a lot of roles. The utility player. Every team...
1,288 views2 comments
Allen Crater
Jan 7, 20203 min read
Gear Review: Outcast Drifter 13.0 Fishing Raft
Overview: I like to fish. A lot. While I have primarily been a "wade" fisherman besides those times I could bum floats from buddies, I...
1,579 views0 comments
Allen Crater
Jan 3, 20204 min read
Gear Review: Petromax HK 500 (Chrome) Kerosene Lantern
Overview: When I saw it in the 2019 Orvis gift catalog, I knew it had to be mine. Being an outdoorsman drawn to products with history,...
5,339 views1 comment
Allen Crater
Jan 2, 20203 min read
Gear Review: Osprey Xenith 75 Backpack
Overview: Since my early college days I have backpacked all over the country; up and down California, Colorado, Idaho, Michigan, New...
571 views0 comments
Allen Crater
Jan 2, 20202 min read
Gear Review: Native Eyewear Ashdown Polarized Sunglasses
Overview: I seem to always be wearing sunglasses. Whether I'm fishing or hiking or shooting, out in the boat, on the beach or just...
2,263 views0 comments
Allen Crater
Jan 2, 20203 min read
Gear Review: Princeton Tec VIZZ Headlamp
Overview: I use headlamps all the time. From night fishing for big browns on the river, to walks out to my tree stand before daylight and...
81 views0 comments
Allen Crater
Jan 1, 20202 min read
Gear Review: Whiskey Leatherworks Pheasant Pattern Dog Leash and Collar
Overview: Google German Shorthaired Pointer and you'll likely notice one common theme in the description: "needs plenty of vigorous...
200 views0 comments
Allen Crater
Jan 1, 20204 min read
Gear Review: Danner Crater Rim 6" Waterproof Hiking Boot
Overview: I'm fussy about all of my gear, but I am particularly fussy about footwear. My hiking boots tend to see a lot of use and abuse...
4,517 views0 comments
Allen Crater
Jan 1, 20203 min read
Gear Review: Smith Creek Rod Rack
Overview: I hate breaking down my fly rods when I am heading out to fish or even more so when I'm simply moving from spot to spot. I...
485 views0 comments
Allen Crater
Jan 1, 20203 min read
Gear Review: Millennium M150 Hang-On Treestand
Overview: I have trouble sitting still for a long time. Ok, sometimes even for a short period of time. Part of it is just the way I’m...
42 views0 comments
Allen Crater
Dec 31, 20199 min read
Book Review - That Wild Country by Mark Kenyon
Bibliophile. It's an actual thing. And I'll admit I possess this affliction acutely or perhaps, more accurately, it possesses me. Do not...
269 views0 comments
Allen Crater
Dec 28, 20193 min read
Gear Review: White River Knife & Tool 8.5” Fillet Knife – Traditional Cork
Overview: For the most part I am a catch-and–release angler. There are a few exceptions though. Walleye – I flat out love Walleye and I...
233 views0 comments
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