BowCast Blog

I’ve gotten quite a few inquiries over the years about solo bivouac hunting and how I overcome my fears. Spending time; hours, days or a week or more alone can be challenging for anyone. Living in a society where close and frequent contact with other people are the norm year around for one’s whole life, suddenly finding yourself alone in unfamiliar surroundings with no one to depend upon

I’ve gotten a handful of requests to post my gear list. Over the last decade

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We survived another 102 miles on the PCT.  A couple of the highlights; we covered about 50 miles through the desert—the other 50 through the mountains and snuck through about 30 miles of trail that was closed due to a recent fire.  By the second day, Kyri had

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After a week of scrambling after work to organize gear and food bags, my wife and I are finally on the plane to San Diego. A year before we got married she suggested that we hike the Pacific Crest Trail for our honeymoon. For those of you who aren’t aquainted, the PCT goes from the border of [[Mexico

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I thought I would call out one of the comments I received about the bear mauling directly on the blog.  Thanks for the question, my response is below. 

 

Comment: I guess your story summed up my wife'

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 Sorry for the delay in getting this post up.  It has been a little crazy around here.  As promised I'm going to tell you about the water filters I was at the Outdoor Retailers Show.  The first one is from MSR.  The filter is smaller and lighter than any others that I've tried and it blows the doors off of the competition in speed.  The Hyperflow Pump is what

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   Adding extra weight to your pack is something we all try to avoid.  If a piece of equipment can be omitted from your pack and it doesn't effect the outcome of your hunt, then it takes a pretty strong argument to carry the extra weight.  For some, the stove is one of those items.  Many make the argument that they'd rather just eat MRE's and

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Besides providing a more comfortable nights' sleep, sleeping pads provide another important function; insulation. I vividly recall one bivouac trip I made. In an effort to shave a couple of pounds or so off of my packs weight I decided to leave my pad at home. Several hours into the night, with chattering teeth I realized what that second function was. Since that time, technology and innovation

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One of the bulkiest items on your gear list for a bivy hunt is probably your sleeping bag. If it has not been replaced in the last couple of years, chances are you can not only shave off some weight, but also significantly reduce the bulk. Almost all of the major sleeping bag manufacturers are offering sub 2 pound 3 season down bags now. Some have reduced the weight down to as little as a single pound

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My goal in this blog is to help you learn the ropes of backcountry hunting. Whether you are a seasoned veteran or have never spent the night out in the wilderness, I think there will be something for everyone. I invite your questions, comments and critiques. The first several entries I plan

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