SL1 Multifunction Light

Some things are’nt so great when combined like, oh say, orange juice and toothpaste or maybe, milk and pizza.  On the other hand,  there are some fantastic combinations like the old standby peanut butter and jelly or even buffalo wings and blue cheese dressing. 
Tool Logic has combined two necessary outdoor items that definitely fall in the latter category of a fantastic mix….an LED flashlight and a razor sharp blade! 

The SL 1 Light (SL stands for Survival Series) weighing in at 2.7 oz. features a waterproof LED module with a magnetic base:

A 3 inch solid steel serrated blade:

an emergency whistle with lanyard hole and black stainless clip:

This multifunction knife/light may not be real practical for field dressing your deer, but we put it to the test during our 2008 bow seasons and here’s what we found.

The Light: This LED light is super bright!  It is very tiny and actually is removable out of the black housing.  The opposite end of the light has a magnetic base allowing it to be a hands-free device if you’ve got any metal around.  (Are you thinking treestand?? Yeah, us too)
This little light was perfect for guiding us to and from our stands this fall and it’s so light and compact in the SL 1 housing, I really can’t see ever using anything else.  The light is turned on/off by twisting the PCB switch at the top and is powered by a 1.5 volt button cell battery (#LR41) 
The only thing we noticed about this type of LED is that it did not pick up our trail markers as easily as we thought it would.  Don’t get us wrong, we saw them, but not from the distance we thought we might.  We’re theorizing it has something to do with the LED color or reflective properties of the tacks. 

The Knife: The 3 inch serrated liner-lock blade is extremely sharp and has a series of grooves on the back to be used with an optional magnesium alloy fire starter (not included with the SL1). 
As mentioned before, you probably won’t want to plunge this multi-tool into the body cavity of your downed Whitetail or Elk but we find no reason why you couldn’t.  You might want to remove the LED light from the housing first (although it is rated as waterproof).  

Other functions: We tried out the lanyard hole and belt clip and found that we really just liked to tuck this tool into the top pockets of our Scent Blocker suits.  Although we tried the whistle a couple of times outside with Dan’s dog Max, we thankfully never needed to use it in a real life survival situation.  We’re convinced that if we had however, the whistle would have worked great. 

Summary:  Tool Logic offers these SL Pro System Multifunction Folding Knives with a variety of components.  From hunting, to camping to everyday work wear, these knife / lights become a necessity after you’ve experienced them for any length of time.

Our Marks on the SL 1 Multifunction Knife / Light

Quality: 5 out of 5
Zero problems with the long lasting, extremely bright LED and the hardware is solid and doesn’t have that “cheap” feel to it.

Function: 4.5 out of 5
This Multi-tool outperformed all of our expectations except we’d like to see it pick up those trail marker tacks a little better.

Overall Value: 5 out of 5
At $39.95, this multifunction knife / light gives you a heavy duty blade with a brilliant LED in a rugged housing.  You’ll get your money’s worth, trust us!

For more information about the quality, professional grade products that Tool Logic has to offer the outdoorsman click HERE

 Safeguard Treestand Harness by Muddy Outdoors

When hunting from a treestand, a safety harness is as essential as your bow or firearm.  A simple Google search on Treestand Saftey or a discussion with some of your hunting buddies will reveal some of the data (scientific and unscientific) on the falls (reported and unreported) involving treestands.  I don’t want to present all kinds of figures and numbers in this review to get you thinking about how important it is to wear a quality safety harness.  It’s the sort of thing that you’ve either already bought into or you’re still rolling the dice with your safety.  I do want you to think about one question before I continue:
Would your wife, kids, significant other, parents, etc. want you to wear a safety harness in the treestand?  If the answer is YES, to any one of them (Ok, so let’s not count the wife’s answer DURING the hunting season.  She might be a little peeved at you being gone all the time)  than you need to at least consider it if you don’t wear one already. 

On to the Safeguard Harness by Muddy Outdoors:       We were drawn to field test this particular harness because it looked light, easy to put on and comfortable.  First of all, we had previously been fans of the vest type safety systems but found 2 drawbacks to these.  One, the system really needed to be worn on the outside of the jacket which defeats the purpose if you’re using carbon clothing (we were using the ScentBlocker Dream Season Suits this year) and two, the vests were quite heavy.  After a long hike to your stand (which for us sometimes is over a mile) you notice the extra weight and I don’t like to have to “take off / put on” more than I have to once in the treestand.  Most of the time I will strap my jacket to my pack and not wear it on the hike to the stand.  This means that once I get into my stand, I have to take off my vest, put on my jacket and then put my vest back on.  Now those vests are still quite attractive to us and we still like those pockets and how easy they go on, but we also believe the Safeguard by Muddy Outdoors represents the best of both worlds in Saftey harnesses; light and easy to put on (over or under a jacket, based on your preference)

Lightweight and Effective:       The Safeguard harness has thinner shoulder and leg straps than its competitor harnesses.  We like this because it cuts down on weight and you don’t really notice the straps once it’s on.  The problem we’ve encountered in the past with the NON-VEST style harnesses is that they tangle up quite easily.  The Safeguard is structured so that it will not get tangled easily.  It has a “Y” style padded yoke that connects the back part of the harness and a thicker belt piece (also padded) that goes around the waist.  This yoke pad seems to keep the harness from tangling.  A bit of frustration not welcome at O’Dark-thirty in the morning when you’re trying to get your gear together.

Connection points on safety harnesses are of great concern to us.  On the one hand you want the connection points to be strong and solid to serve its purpose in the event of a fall.  On the other, you want those same areas to be easy to connect and quiet in doing so.  The Safeguard has a unique system of connecting the chest and waist area of the harness.  You simply slide a rectangular piece of metal through another, larger rectangular piece of metal and pull the nylon fabric taught.  These pieces of metal are rubber coated so as not to make any noise during connection. 

The other connection point that has always been the biggest pain in the butt (literally) is the area around the legs.  As most of us have learned over the last several years, harnesses that support the legs in addition to the waist and chest will keep you alive in the event of a fall while those that just support your waist or chest can make it problematic to even breath while dangling 20 feet up in a tree.   The Safeguard harness gets the award for the simplest yet most effective method of leg attachment.  Slide the nylon strap through the knarled clasp and BAM!  Done!  It’s quiet, simple and your legs aren’t slipping out of those straps.  We like to let those leg straps dangle and perform that step last when putting on this harness.  Stepping through the leg loops is too much of an exercise in futility.  Let‘em hang and slide the leg straps on last. 

One other cool feature to this vest is the Binocular / Rangefinder elastic straps on the front shoulder harnesses.  You can easily attach your optics to these straps and when you’re ready to bring them up to your eyes, the elastic lets you do so without any hassle. 

There’s also a lineman’s feature to this harness.  It comes with rugged metal clasps and a lineman’s belt for use in hanging the treestand.  

Our marks on this product:

Quality:  5 out of 5
 No frays on the nylon and they even have the new mossy oak treestand pattern on the camo portions of this harness

Design: 5 out of 5
 The design is light, comfortable to wear and the added bonus of the optics attachment is a great idea. 

Function / Effectiveness:  5 out of 5
 We didn’t see any need to include a video of Dan trying out this harness from our Heritage Hunters backyard treestand.   Take our word for it, it works!  There is a video on the Muddy Outdoors website if you’re interested.

Adjustability: 4.5 out of 5
 As long as you check the Muddy Outdoors Website (http://www.gomuddy.com/products/3) for sizing information, you should be fine with the adjustability of this harness.  We’d still like to see a one-size fits all harness, but for now check the sizing chart on their site.

Price:  5 out of 5
 Can you really put a price on your safety?

Play That Back
Dylan R Ainsworth
 

The passion of preserving my hunting heritage by filmmaking has proven a valuable tool in my adventures afield.

 If you’ve read my article “Creating an Obsession” you may recall the story of my ol’ man’s first tom. At the same time he bagged the 21 pounder, I missed my shot at a jake. Flabbergasted at the reason for my inaccuracy, I reviewed footage of the hunt to determine went wrong. It was only when watching my film that I realized a pine bow was engulfing the barrels of my twenty gauge. This tree limb took my shot and the jake escaped. A hard learned lesson and the brunt of many jokes, forever captured on film.

I once filmed a bear hunt with hounds that required watching the video afterward.  I recall helping the successful hunter drag his bear off Umpire Mountain. At first the Maine native was elated at his kill, but halfway down the mountain I noticed a solemn look on his bearded face. He soon revealed to me that he was not wearing his newly purchased spectacles. In the excitement of chasing the hounds to the tree, sighting in on his target, and caring for his quarry after the shot, he must have knocked them off. The likelihood of ever finding them was minuscule due to the amount of territory we had traversed. I tried to reassure him by observing that 250 dollars, the cost of his glasses, was a reasonable price for a fully guided black bear hunt.

During the viewing of the hunt, I saw the man’s glasses on his face throughout various parts of the video and it reminded me of his misfortune. Reviewing the clip of him approaching the treed bear (ten minutes after the dog handlers, my ol’ man, and I had arrived) the hunter could be seen breathing heavily as he ascended the steep terrain. I could also see his glasses hanging vertically from the collar of his shirt. His weariness led him to lean on a small tree, as he pulled his daypack off his chest and over his head the strap snagged his spectacles and they landed on the forest floor. I felt a moral obligation to try and retrieve the glasses, once I knew where they were located. My ol’ man and I hiked back up the mountain-side, located the spot of the kill, and after a few moments of leaf rustling, I found the lost eyewear. On the way down, we looked out into Victory Basin and reveled at the vastness of this natural marvel. 

The successful hunter had given me his phone number and address in hopes of getting a copy of his hunt on DVD. I called him and relayed the good news. Fortunately, he would be coming to Vermont to pick up his butchered meat and bear skin in a couple of days. I wasn’t at home when he came to pick-up the bifocals, though as reward for my generosity I was left with a hefty roast.

I can’t count the number of times I’ve used video footage to identify specific gobblers, or determine exactly what a particular squirrel or bird was feeding on. Apart from the outdoors I’ve even used video to help locate my wedding band, which was lost amongst hordes of wrapping paper on Christmas morning. Video has become an essential part of my life and its ability to astonish me with its many uses never seems to cease.

Review of LaCrosse Footwear “Ala” Heritage Hunters

This review is on several styles of hunting related footwear from LaCrosse.  I’m sure you’ve heard that credit card commercial’s catch phrase of “What’s in your wallet?”  Well, we here at Heritage Hunters would like to ask a similar phrase about your choice of hunting boots ….“What Boots are in your closet?”
We’ve always been a fan of Rubber Boots for our hunting needs especially those made by LaCrosse.  The folks at LaCrosse have been very good over the last couple of years at helping us get the word out about preserving the Hunting Heritage.  They’ve helped us out with giveaways at shows we’ve attended as well as allowing us to test a variety of footwear styles that we feel should be in every hunter’s closet.  Here are several of those styles and their attributes:

Alpha Lite Side Zip Rubber Boot

What The LaCrosse Website Says: The NEW 18″ Mossy Oak® Break-up™ Alpha Lite Boot features the legendary comfort of waterproof Alpha Technology with the same snug and supportive fit that consumers have come to appreciate, now even more lightweight than ever. This waterproof boot is the ultimate outdoor, chore, and hunting boot, built to face any environment with durable, scent free rubber and a combination of self insulating lightweight neoprene. This 18″ Mossy Oak® Break-up & trade 5.0 mm Neoprene version provides a rear gusset to allow the boot to open up for extra room, scent free protection and lightweight support in the field. The aggressive lug designed outsole is fit for any terrain. From the farm to the trail this is the ideal boot for comfort and stability. Available in Men’s sizes 6-15 (whole sizes only).
Weight: 3 to 4 lbs per pair

What Heritage Hunters Say:
These Boots wear like sneakers!  We got to experience these boots for Spring Turkeys and combined with our choice of socks (Covert Threads www.covertthreads.com) these boots rock!  Easy on / Easy off, and the neoprene allows for a truly waterproof and lightweight version of the old standby LaCrosse Burlys that we were so accustomed to.  The outsole is also beefed up for solid footing in the Deer or Turkey woods.

Alpha Lite Slip-ons

What The LaCrosse Website Says: The Alpha Lite Slip On 3″ rubber hunting boots are perfect for slipping on when you’re heading out to the barn to muck stalls or relaxing around the campfire after a hunt. With 3.5mm neoprene for warmth and 100% waterproof protection, these boots are great for having around the house or in the back of the truck.
Weight: 2.3 lbs per pair

What Heritage Hunters Say:
This year we went exclusively with ScentBlocker apparel during our NY Bow Season (Future Review on ScentBlocker Coming Soon!). Following all of the “Scent-free” criteria took a little getting used to.  We adapted to a routine where we would wear a base layer during the drive to and from our hunting area.  We did not wear our LaCrosse Rubber boots in the truck cab.  Instead, we wore these snazzy Slip-ons.  Grab the back loop and slip them on!  It’s as easy as that.  Upon getting to our hunting area, we would stand on a carpet square, change into our ScentBlocker and put on our LaCrosse Rubber Hunting Boots.  Although not what we were used to from previous seasons, the process worked slick and so did these slip-ons!

Chukka Moc Hunting Boot

What The LaCrosse Website Says: The Chukka Moc hunting boots are super comfortable and great to have around camp. Quad Comfort® technology offers all-day support while cement-down construction gives an athletic fit. The leather and 1000 Denier nylon upper is soft yet durable and Realtree® Hardwoods Green HD™ provides the ultimate coverage.
Weight: 2.3 lbs per pair

What Heritage Hunters Say:
These boots are a more versatile version of the above slip-ons.  There were many times that I would come directly from Teaching my last class of the day and hop in the truck headed for Dan’s for an evening hunt.  The Alpha Lite Slip-ons were a little too “casual” shall we say for class.  The Chukka’s were perfect for those days when I knew I had to “jet” after work to my treestand and they look pretty good with Khakis!  They are still my boot of choice to leave the house in.

Locator Scent HD Hunting Boot 

What The LaCrosse Website Says: The Locator Scent HD are lightweight hunting boots that feature a Scent Hyper-dri® barrier for 100% waterproof and scent-free protection. Extremely comfortable, the Locator Scent HD offers durable pigskin leather and a 1000 Denier nylon upper so that you can be quick, quiet and agile on your feet. Quad Comfort® Technology gives you four layers of cushioning from the footbed to the outsole. The boot is built with cement-down construction for an athletic fit along with the quiet, self-cleaning rubber outsole that is ideal for stalking. 
Hyper-dri® is a highly engineered, waterproof, scent-free barrier that lines the entire boot for 100% protection. Not only does Hyper-dri® block water from entering the boot, it also absorbs moisture in the boot and transfers it away from your foot.
Weight: 2.8 lbs per pair

What Heritage Hunters Say:
Dan and I log a lot of miles in the Summer and Early Fall looking for “Just one more stand site” or “A better trail” for our existing stands.  As a result, we put the Locator Scent HD Boots through the paces (literally!)  From Hiking the mountain, to hanging stands, these boots not only hold up extremely well, they kept our feet dry inside and out. 
These boots are as light as our sneakers and are almost as comfortable too! If you’re a Turkey hunter and would like a light, comfortable, moisture wicking boot to “Run and Gun” in, give these boots a look.

A word on Socks!

Every Hunter knows that sock choice is as important as boot choice.  We’ve always had the issue of sweat to deal with when wearing boots.  As we’ve mentioned before, some of our stands are a hike to get to.  The last thing you want is for your socks to get wet in your boots and then have to sit there in the stand with your feet freezing.  We gave a company called Covert Threads a try last Spring and like what they have to offer.  They got their start making socks for members of our Military.  They did what any successful company does when trying to develop a great product….They listened to their customers….in this case, the Men and Women of our Armed Forces!  What better subjects to put these socks to the test right?  The Motto of Covert Threads is  “A Sock for every clime and every place!”  Sounds like a slogan that might fit Hunters too, eh?

Check em out at: www.covertthreads.com

Our Marks on LaCrosse Footwear’s Hunting Boots:

Comfort: 4.5 out of 5
This is probably our highest marks for comfort of a Hunting Boot.  Lets be honest, the cold and the terrain plays into this and a comfort level of 4.5 out of 5 is pretty darn good!

Durability: 5 out of  5
We still have LaCrosse boots purchased last decade that are still going strong!

Function: 5 out of 5
Depending on your hunting activity, LaCrosse has a plethora (I just like this word, so I figured I’d use it here) of choices for you to explore.

Price: 5 out of 5
Compared to other boots on the market, the pricing of LaCrosse Boots are on par.  Definitely not overpriced for the wear you’ll get out of these boots.

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This Month’s Member Profile comes to us from Altus Oklahoma by way of The United States Air Force.  He’s Staff Sergeant Chris Maynard and we’d like to ask him a few questions:

Pictured Above: Staff Sergeant Chris Maynard in Iraq

HH: Tell us a little about your hunting background?

SSgt Maynard: I grew up in Northern California; I only had a Crossman 760 Pump master BB gun so I would hunt the ground squirrels. That was about it for my youth.  I was about 24 when I went dove hunting for the first time and I was hooked after that. I went on a deployment to Afghanistan and when I got home I bought my first deer rifle and went deer hunting for the first time. It was a great experience. I have only got one deer so far but now being stationed in Oklahoma rifle hunting is almost impossible on most of the local public land. So I bought a bow and started learning that.

HH: What is your favorite type of hunting and why?

SSgt Maynard: Deer with archery tackle. Even though I have not had any luck, I can’t say that I have not had a blast. I had the perfect opportunity at a shot but with the inexperience I didn’t have my release in the loop all the way and at ¼ draw it slipped and shot my arrow about 15 feet in front of me.

HH: What advice about this type of hunting can you relay to the members of Heritage Hunters?

SSgt Maynard: It takes a lot of time and patience to learn so if you don’t get that perfect shot off just take a deep breath and know that there will be another chance in time. I really don’t have any professional advice for anyone other than know your equipment and its boundaries. Don’t take the shot if you have to think twice about it.

HH: If you could hunt anywhere in the world for any type of animal, where and what would it be for?

SSgt Maynard: I would love to go back to Montana and take another one of those big ol’ mule deer that are so famous. I have never been anywhere where hunters are welcomed by the farmers and land owners without a price. That makes it a great place to hunt!

HH: How did your Fall Seasons turn out?

SSgt Maynard: My fall deer archery season was a bust but fun. I had to cut it short though. My wife was offered an opportunity to go on a women’s only NRA hunt so I had to stay home and save some money but it was well worth it.

HH: What are your plans for the 2009 Seasons (Turkey / Deer)?

SSgt Maynard: My plans for the 2009 seasons are to hunt! I think that I will do deer – archery and try some rabbit and hog hunting.

HH: Can you tell us the story behind your HH forum screen name?

SSgt Maynard: It’s quite simple really; I’m proud to be a Staff Sergeant in the worlds best Air Force!

HH: How are you passing on / or intend to pass on the Hunting Heritage?

 SSgt Maynard: I am doing my best at passing on what I know to my wife who has never picked up a gun before we met. Now she is my little deer slayer!

HH: What’s the best thing you like about TheHeritageHunters.com?

SSgt Maynard: This place is like a family. We all share the same interests and when one has a question, another always has the answer. People here make it enjoyable to ask a question about anything without feeling like you just asked a stupid question. The giveaways make it fun as well.