Are you a High Country High Roller or High Country Hobo?

Total hobo, I  used a foot of vacuum tube for a bugle for years.  Most of my stuff is second hand, just got a gps for $10 at a thrift store.  And probably the definition of hobo, I sell plasma to pay for my addiction.  Started out because my wife questioned my application for an out of state hunt and how we would pay for it...well still haven't been drawn, but lots of the plasma money ends up just paying bills instead of its intended purpose.
 
not sure Im still under 100k$ invested so Im not sure where the cut off is.Good binos,scope and boots a must the rest is flexable.hell I dont even care if I wear camo.most times its just a watever shirt and jeans untill the cold hits.than its important to be warm what ever it cost.
 
HOBO! I have 6 seasons on my Rocky pants and shirts (60$ for the set). $70 sleep bag, $30 sleep pad, take a lot of pride in not having expensive gear. My 2007 bow is still hitn dead nuts.  Most expensive thing I carry is my GPS $300. My 4 day bivy pack\camp is still under 40# without spending the big money.


I have hunted with guys that have thousands of dollars into their gear. Doesn't seem to make much of a difference in sealing the deal.  ;)



 
What ever my budget allows.  Skimp in some places and splurge in others...Good footwear,good glass, and good sleeping bag is a must for me.
 
Hobo. Though I won't be seen in poor foot wear. A pair of Asolo's from REI is one of the best investments I ever made. The best part, lifetime warranty, best 300 I ever spent. I am an unusually large person, and have yet to find a pair of camo pants that fit me(40 inch inseam) so I am usually in my wranglers, with a tall set of gators, and chaps when in the saddle. A good cowboy hat goes a long ways, and the best knives I have found for getting thru multiple elk every season are the rubber handled Victorinox for less than 10 dollars a piece at the butcher shop.Ligther, easy to sharpen, stay sharp longer and I figure that the butcher knows best in that dept. Seems I have to buy new diaphragms and reeds for my bugle every year, and can never have to many pairs of wool socks. But, everything else I hunt with is either hand me down, or thrift store treasures. The elk don't care how expensive your gear is. ;)
 
I would say somewhere in between. I have a mix of clothing and not the top dollar stuff for sure. I have some Core4Element I just bought so I will at least match this year. I do have high dollar Kennetrek boots and will never go back to cheap on boots again. I shoot a high dollar Hoyt carbon element but I won that. I have a middle of the road set of binoculars and spotting scope. The way I see it is if I keep cost down of my gear as much as possible and still keep comfortable I can spend the money on tags and more hunts.
 
Probably more of a high roller than my wife would like, but I'm a firm believer that your quality is as much of an external investment as is your internal drive.  I prefer my equipment to be as reliable and durable as possible, and that usually ends up being of the higher dollar range.  Especially where footwear and armaments are concerned.
 
I do the same thing! Allowed me to get a nice pack frame last season. And so far this season I have half of my out of state license paid for. By the time I go it will probably pay for all my gas too.


lang said:
Total hobo, I  used a foot of vacuum tube for a bugle for years.  Most of my stuff is second hand, just got a gps for $10 at a thrift store.  And probably the definition of hobo, I sell plasma to pay for my addiction.  Started out because my wife questioned my application for an out of state hunt and how we would pay for it...well still haven't been drawn, but lots of the plasma money ends up just paying bills instead of its intended purpose.
Click to expand...
 
I would have to say I fall in the middle. I have several sets of camo, but the most expensive was cabelas silent suede. I try to buy the best gear I can afford, but it is not top of the line, but good quality gear. Get alot of stuff from cabelas bargain cave or bass pro clearance rack.
 
I am in the middle so far.  I do buy quality more often than not.  I rarely ever pay full price on anything.  I get discounts on sitka but only have 2 pieces of that so far. Still expensive even with a discount.  My bow and arrows are the only things I pay full price on. 
 
It took years to transition from hobo to roller.  Spend a week in the mountains in cotton and you learn quick that you need something different.  Pack 80lbs into spike camp and realize that you could pack 50lbs if you had better gear then you start yearningfor lighter gear.

Feel the absence of hand shock in a higher end compound and you want to upgrade from your PSE Nova ASAP even though it kills.

It is a process rather than an instant change and it ultimately lets you hunt longer and harder IMO.
 
8) Low Ball High Roller!I love good quality gear,but get it mostly at bargain sales. Cabellas Micro-tex Outfitter camo and Rain Suede for 12 years,Meindel/Kenitrek boots on sale,same with sleep gear and tents. Same rifle for 35 yrs just upgraded,new stock and trigger. Best glass for my meager dollars I can afford,Leupold,Alpen,Steiner,Nikon. E-stock pack half price,still take the Cabellas Alaskan freighter for back up and haul outs.
Most of my gear will outlast me, like the good wool. Most I got for 1/2-3/4 price,some less. Check Costco for merino wool socks.
Good quality Merino wool base layers next on list,when I can find a deal.....
 
I'm middle class... I spent 2 years paying off my binos, cuz I wanted a pair of 15 swaros, I wear gift card camo from cabelas, I shoot a new Matthews, first new bow I've had in 10 yrs, my pack is an eberlestock, cuz I blew the stitches out of my old pack on a bear hunt, I bought all my back country gear on eBay.. What I'm getting at is buy the best, but buy it smart. Some things you think aren't worth paying for, are some of the important things that can make you a better hunter.
 
I waited for years to get to this level.Now my kids are grown I buy the best Cabelas has.I love the place.Now I am going to start Elk hunting.Sitka here I come and I just got my 1st pair of Kenetec boots at a steal of a price 188.00.I am going back next week and hope they are still there.So I can get a 2nd pair.But I like to mix and match my camo.I feel you just blend in better.
 
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