Mobile Device Sock for Hunters

Mobile Device Sock (sleeve)

We have received requests to offer a mobile device sock for big-game hunters, sportswomen, and sportsmen. After giving it some consideration, we asked our sweatband manufacturer to create something unique and versatile that would stand-out and identify your passion for the outdoors.

While sporting our great looking and meaningful logo (see “Our Logo”) this newly released armband will nicely serve a dual role as a mobile device sock (sleeve) and watch cover. You will find that it works great when throwing your cell phone or iPod Touch® in your glove compartment, pack, or bag and while hunting or pursuing other outdoor activities. It also provides a great way to wipe sweat from you brow instead of using your fingers or hands. This helps to keep insect repellant out of your eyes at the most inopportune moments.

I have found that my iPod Touch® generation 4 fits nicely with a grip case installed and my BlackBerry® Storm™ 2 fits great with or without a perimeter hardcase installed. Because this armband is open on both ends it is necessary to assure a firm fit when you insert your device. Follow this link to Diizche Safari Adventures.com  to learn more:   

Shooting Glasses for Hunters-Pilla Sport Performance Eyewear Product Review

Pilla Hawk 75% SO LTM

This is an interesting topic for me personally. In my younger years as a clay target shooter, I always wore shooting glasses on the range. I was the guy with what was then considered to be one of the industry’s best shooting glasses and a variety of additional lenses.  I make no apologies for them either as they served me very well over the years. After all, if you want to hit a target you have to be able to see it first. It is all about visually controlling the target as much as possible.

This includes a multitude of concerns such as a wide field of vision, target contrast, gathering and maximizing available light, managing excessive light, and getting the maximum amount of light to your eye without squinting. That’s a pretty tall order. Even we average shooters worry about such things! It is important to understand too that what works for one person or environmental condition will not necessarily be the best for the next. With that being said, I have always preferred more incoming light as opposed to less with shooting glasses and have always leaned toward lighter lens colors.  

When it came to hunting I did not regularly utilize shooting glasses. Intuitively I always knew they were the right thing from an eye protection standpoint. I knew hearing protection was important too but that’s another topic. I would wear eye protection often when duck hunting in flat light or chasing pheasants. I don’t recall wearing eyes much while hunting big-game. Certainly I wore them much less than when I was hunting with a shotgun. I guess my rational was glasses were a hassle to keep clean, a problem when it rained or snowed, and an irritating problem when they fogged. When I did wear them I usually preferred to use lighter colors as I mentioned previously.  

Recently, I was being fitted for some electronic hearing protection and I was discussing vision and shooting glasses as best as I could considering my ears were full of foam corks and silicone. My conversation was with Pat Fountaine. Pat is an experienced shooter and an authorized dealer for Electronic Shooters Protection. Pat had agreed to take my ear moulds for my friend Jack Homa of Electronic Shooters Protection and we were having a great time chatting about hunting, shooting, hearing and eye protection.  

Pat is also a distributor for Pilla Performance Eyewear. Pat has some 35 years “AA Class” clay experience in sporting clays, skeet, international skeet, international bunker, and wobble trap. Pat is NRA and NSCA certified in shotgun and pistol. To say he knows his way around the range and how to instruct shooters would be safe to say. He has some 4000 hours of professional instruction experience. Beverly is Pat’s wife and business partner. She is also very knowledgeable about their products and is also a shotgun shooting instructor. Their company is Target Solutions (www.targetsolutionsonline.com) .

As we were discussing eye protection and hunting I pondered the benefits of performance eye protection, big-game hunting, and the advantages of merging the two again at some level in my life. Since I have already partially messed up my hearing, at least I had not yet destroyed my vision from an unforeseen hunting accident. Enhancement of your vision while hunting is a realized benefit as well.

Pat asked me if I would consider evaluating a pair of Pilla glasses and I agreed to give him my honest feedback primarily related to double rifle range shooting and field performance while hunting dangerous game. The agreement was that good or bad I would share my experience and he would be getting the glasses back after I gave them a try. No free glasses in exchange for positive feedback. By the way, that scenario was in no way suggested or implied by Pat. He was looking for an honest opinion and constructive criticism. The initial model I parted with to review was the Pilla Hawk and two lenses.

The lenses consisted of a 25% Sport Brown lens for use in full sun, and a 75% Sport Orange lens for lower light applications. The percentage associated with these lenses refers to the percentage of light transmission that passes through the lens. I felt these would be great lenses to initially evaluate for my intended use.

The Pilla Hawk has a frame that securely attaches the lens with three snaps but allows them to easily snap-off for interchangeability of lenses (Pilla Hawk Link) .

The lenses are a wrap around style with a small “Yoke Bridge.” The bridge is designed in a way to provide a large unobstructed field of view that eliminates a vertical bridge that could affect your sight picture. The glasses also have a brow bar that eliminates fogging.

The Hawk shares the same companion frame and mounting points as the Pilla Panther. This offers the consumer a wide variety of lens possibilities from either the Hawk or Panther line. Bridge options also become available with the Panther line.

One of Pilla’s distinguishing features is their lens manufacturing process. The Hawk line I tested is fitted with their HD Ballistx Sport lenses. The lenses have a proprietary high definition technology called ColorTrast. This produces a lens that intensifies color and increases contrast to produce sharp detail and color registration. The lens manufacturing process is noted to achieve industry leading crystal clear optics and significant impact performance.

Pilla lenses are not colored by the application of a color to the lens surface or through dip tinting. Instead, ColorTrast high definition technology is infused into the lens material. The Ballistx lenses pass the ANSI Z87.1, ANSI Z80.3, AS1067-2003, and EN1836-2005. With respect to the ANSI Z87.1, Ballistx exceeds the High Velocity impact test and the High Mass Test.

Pilla stresses the importance of maintaining a proper color enhancement balance. This is to allow the eyes to optimally gauge depth of field properly. “We (Pilla) provide full registration of the entire color spectrum with our lenses.” Pilla describes further how simply applying a tint to a lens will limit the ability of the eye to see the complete visual color spectrum. Pilla states, “If you are using lenses that turn what you see one color, you are robbing your eye of the ability to see depth of field.” I would also add that for hunting applications balanced color registration is very important. Super contrast is an exciting thing when you look through lenses but not at the expense of seeing the entire color spectrum or getting light to your eye. Boosting specific color registration to higher levels in some instances is of course a very real advantage.

The Pilla literature provides an interesting comparison between the manufacturing of their HDX Ballistx lens and a Polycarbonate lens made by their competitors. HDX Ballistx lens material starts as a liquid and is poured into glass moulds. In contrast, Polycarbonate lenses start as a solid, are melted into a liquid, and forced into a metal mould under pressure. The difference being a lens formed without heat and stress in a glass mould creates a lens surface without imperfections as compared to one that is produced with high heat and pressure in a metal mould causing stress. The latter contributes to haze and distortion.

An HDX Ballistx lens takes over one day to cure creating a strong molecular structure and no stress in the curing process. Polycarbonate lenses are flash cooled in less than a second. Pilla literature notes that this can translate into haze and distortion of the Polycarbonate material. “The process of Polycarbonate lens manufacturing yields 40,000 lenses in the time that it takes for Pilla Performance Eyewear to make one lens.” Pilla’s goal is to produce the best distortion free lenses on the market.

I decided to take my pair of loaner glasses to a heavily wooded and brushy area with bright and filtered sunlight areas for their maiden voyage. I brought along one of my double rifles and 20 rounds of factory KYNOCH brand ammunition. After setting-up targets at ranges varying from 9 feet to 100 yards I fitted the glasses with the 75% Sport Orange lens and took a peak.

The first thing I noticed was the obvious lens clarity and the natural appearance but intensified colors of the various plants and trees. The contrast was indeed increased with very good detail. The color registration was excellent from the color of my vehicle, to the signal and brake light lens colors to the plants and wildlife I viewed. I did not find that the lenses simply painted everything a particular color.

Once I threw up my rifle and looked over the express sight that was when some additional magic happened. My front sight looked like it was a beacon of hope. I am in my 50’s and have the typical eyes that come with that longevity. I often have trouble picking up the black rear sight and white front bead quickly. Not so for me with these lenses, what a pleasant difference. I usually do not use the sights up close beyond referencing the front sight and simply pointing and shooting. Sometimes you do have a transitional moment to reference the front and rear sights and this seemed to be much easier for me through these lenses. A pretty nice first impression!

I gave the 25% SB LTM lenses a try also and found them to be equally as helpful to my eyes, particularly in the brighter sun. For my use and preference, I think the 25% lens could have the potential to be too dark when moving into and out of heavily shaded areas quickly. In that scenario I would personally tend to lean more toward one of the higher light transmission lenses Pilla offers. In all fairness, it is a simple matter to pull off your glasses if you quickly move into a darker area and your lens is a bit too dark. The lenses are extremely easy to quickly change out if a hunter carries an extra lens and plans to hunt an area of dense cover where light is less than good.

It was 1600 hours and it was pretty warm when I was shooting. The temperature was in the high 90 degree Fahrenheit range. I was sweating a bit and experienced no issues with fogging. I proceeded to practice some off-hand unsupported shooting from in-your-face to 100 yards. After 20 rounds of ammo the only issue that I encountered for my facial structure was the frames moved around occasionally on my face under the double rifle recoil. Pushing them back up the bridge of my nose was not a difficult remedy. Many may not have noticed this as an issue but for my hunting style, I felt it could be a potential problem for me. I also completed a few running and shooting drills and found that the glasses would sometimes move about slightly. This would be expected as the temple piece or ear piece is of a conventional design.

Overall, I was pleased with my initial experience. I shared my findings with Pat and he had a quick remedy for the frame movement issue I encountered. In summary Pat said, “Let’s put you in the Panther Pro line. These have a wraparound fully adjustable ear piece that should correct the effect of recoil you are experiencing. These will allow you to utilize the same lens style if you like and you can test the frame change.” Sounded like the perfect solution. 

Pilla Panther Standard HDX 55% LTM

The Panther Pro frame was designed by Pilla for George Digweed. If you don’t know George Digweed you probably don’t follow clay target shooting. He is a multi-world and European clay pigeon shooting champion. George has used various Pilla models including the Panther.

The Pilla Panther has a frame that securely attaches the lens with three snaps just like the Hawk frame as previously noted. The Panther was designed in part to eliminate frame movement for those who find it to be a problem. These frames have a wrap around ear piece that is completely made from rubber to eliminate the typical ear pain often associated with metal around the ear wraps (Pilla Panther Link) .

They also have an adjustable temple piece to fine tune the length to the specific shooter. I have used shooting glasses previously with metal around the ear wraps and have found them to be uncomfortable at the back of the ear. I was curious to see if the rubber ear wrap made any difference in comfort for me. As a side note, the Panther Pro frame is also prescription insert compatible.

I wanted to try a few additional lenses with the Panther Frame. I retained the Standard HD 75% SO (sport orange) LTM from the Hawk frame and added two additional lenses from the Standard HDX line for comparison. In these lenses I chose the Standard 55 HDX and 40 HDX. These two HDX lenses are visibly browner in color than the Standard HD 75% SO I had tested previously. I also selected a Max Orange HDX 65% LTM clay target lens for slightly personal reasons. I wanted to see how they worked on clay targets.

So to summarize lenses, the original lenses tested were from the Standard HD line (25% SB LTM and 75% SO LTM); the two new lenses I added were from the Standard HDX line plus a third lens from the Max Orange HDX line. Before Pat and I parted ways, he promised to order me an additional fourth lens from the Max Orange HDX line. The lens I was interested in receiving is the Max Orange HDX 80% LTM. This is a lens developed as a target lens for excessive low light and for use in heavily tree covered areas. I was interested in how this might perform for hunting in tree cover and tough light. More on this lens later when it arrives.

Shooting Skeet with the Max Orange HDX 65% LTM

The Max Orange collection of lenses is manufactured with clay target shooters in mind. To create contrast of the White Flyer orange in clay targets the orange color spectrum is spiked by 600% over their standard lens while also introducing contrast. Looking at orange with these lenses is really a surprise. I took an opportunity to shoot skeet with the Max Orange 65% and was truly amazed at the advantage they provided when compared with my other shooting glasses. They really make a clay bird stand out.
 
My second session of double rifle shooting gave me a chance to try out the Standard HDX lenses in 55 and 40% light transmission values. What I noticed with both of the Standard HDX lenses is excellent clarity, excellent contrast, and a very nicely balanced color interpretation. For my eyes, these would both be an excellent lens line choice for hunting. My white bead front sight still stood out as well. These lenses were developed to work nicely for a sportsman that would use his glasses for hunting and on the range. The yellow, orange, and red spectrum is slightly boosted to assist with clay targets but not to the level of the Max Orange series of lenses.

The Standard HDX lenses come with some additional benefits over the Standard HD lenses I initially tested. These include Dielectric Flashing, Hydrolio Coating, and Anti-Reflective Coating (5 layers). These are each applied through a vacuum coating process and will never wear off the lens.

The Dielectric Flashing is a multi-layer coating to improve light transmission and reduce glare. This coating also produces a brighter sight picture that enhances high contrast and color. I found this to be evident.

The Hydrolio Coating is a feature that is exclusive to Pilla Performance Eyewear. This coating is applied to the front side of the lens. It helps to sheet water off of the lens in adverse weather, reduces finger print smudges, and provides a hard coating to provide scratch resistance and to facilitate easier cleaning.

I was not able to test the lenses in the rain but I did have my assistant splash water on them from time to time from a bottle of water I had with me. They do in fact sheet water extremely well allowing you to see through the lens easily. I found that to remove any remaining trace of a water streak required nothing more than simply blowing your breath across the lens and it is clear and dry without needing to wipe off the lens.

The HDX Anti-Reflective Coating is used to prevent stray light from negatively affecting your vision from both the front and back lens surface. Being concerned about reflective light while hunting, I had an assistant take the HDX lens and Standard lens down range from me to create a flash from the Sun. Both lenses were held on the same plane so they would reflect in the same way simultaneously. What I easily noticed is the HDX lens had a smaller amount of flash and the pattern of flash when viewing the lenses up close was also much smaller and less flared.

Viewing the reflection of the Sun in the HDX lens it appeared as a small tight ball of light with minimal light reaching outward. On the HD lens the pattern was significantly larger with numerous fingers of light extending outward. While a hunter should be aware of the Sun and work to minimize a scenario where lighting is in his/her eyes it can’t always be eliminated. A coating that prevents stray light from causing reduced vision is certainly important. Shooting with the Sun to my back and from rear angles did not cause any problems from light striking the rear surface of the lens.

It was just a short few days later when I received word from Pat that the Max Orange 80 lens had arrived. We met quickly to exchange a word or two and I was off with the lens. I decided to take them with me on an evening training hike to try them in a heavy tree canopy and fading light. I decided on a mountain trail I hike routinely. It is rather steep and I thought that would be a good test to see how they handle heavy sweating as well. I encountered no fogging issues of any kind during my 4 mile hike.

As my hike continued on it became late evening and the trail still seemed full of good light. I lifted off the glasses and was shocked to see how flat the light truly was and how little light was actually available. It was at that time in which we are all familiar with when the light fades and flattens after sunset and just before total dark. It’s during this time of the day that depth of field seems to almost vanish. The Max Orange 80 lens was noticeably helping to contrast and provide color enhancement in those areas that would otherwise be extremely difficult to see. I was extremely pleased with their performance.

I think the Max Orange 80 would likely be an excellent lens for early morning, early evening, and dense or heavily shaded areas. I headed out to shoot the lens the next day and found them to perform every bit as good as the Standard HDX 55 and 40% lenses I tested earlier. I got into areas of dense foliage and cover to shoot and they really performed exceptionally well in these poor light and heavy shadowed areas.

After having spent a great deal of time in the Panther frames I have found the adjustable temple piece and around the ear wraps to be great. They have not created any uncomfortable areas at the back of the ear. The rubber ear wrap seems to help greatly with overall comfort.


Pilla Case: Four Lens Slots Plus a Section for Frame with Lens Installed

The Pilla lenses I have tested were housed in a very nice zippered Pilla protective case. The inside is fitted with a dense foam liner that contains cut-outs for four lenses and a frame fitted with a lens. There is plenty of room to house lens cloths and micro-fiber glass cases as well.

My experience so far with the Pilla glasses has been an enjoyable learning experience. They seem to offer a real advantage that can easily be seen. Of the lenses I have tried, my favorite for double rifle range shooting in the field are the Standard HDX 55%, Standard HDX 40%, and the Max Orange 80%. The Max Orange 65% was of course a treat on the skeet field.

I will be adding to this evaluation following my August 2011 dangerous game hunt in Tanzania. We will have a variety of game on license including elephant, lion, leopard hippo, and several Cape buffalo. Various plains game animals will be on license as well.

I am looking forward to giving the lens combinations a try and to see if they offer me a performance edge in various conditions while hunting. The questions that I have are how or will these lens combinations work? Will the Max Orange 80% be a good lens for sitting in the leopard blind in the evening, sneaking out to the lion bait in the early morning hours, or looking for rogue bull hippo deep in the bush or while walking a korongo? I hope to try these lenses in some of these scenarios in Tanzania to see how they measure up. More to follow when I return!

Update September 3, 2011:

Well I made it back home from Tanzania in one piece after several exciting encounters while we were hunting dangerous game. These included a very close call with an elephant, a 90 minute tracking job in the long grass for a buffalo, an exciting encounter with a hippo on dry ground, and a showdown with a Cape buffalo at 10 paces just to name a few of the highlights!

After having an opportunity to hunt with a variety of lenses in most of these situations I must say I was pleased with their performance. I of course came away with my favorites. Being able to exchange lenses quickly and effortlessly made it a simple process to quickly try different lenses. I also tried hunting without lenses during these same hunts to better compare and appreciate their benefits.

Let’s get right to the point. While all of the lenses worked very well these were what proved to be my favorites:

In low light I found the Max Orange HDX 80% to be a very versatile lens. I liked the contrast and color rendition and the advantages they provided. They were especially useful when poking around to find hippo in those nasty and dark korongos.

While hunting in moderate to bright light I still liked the Max Orange HDX 80% but I found that the 55 HDX removed the urge to squint in those brighter environments. So the nod in brighter light went to the 55 HDX over the Max Orange HDX 80%.

Finally, when seated on top of the vehicle in the very bright sun a lens with less light transmission was my preference. While bouncing through the bush over roadless country looking for game I preferred using the 40 HDX lens. So there you have it. These are what worked well for my eyes.

Remember, we are all different with regard to light sensitivity so you may find that you prefer going to the higher or lower light transmission side of things for your preferred range of comfort and to maximize your visions performance.

A special thanks to Pilla and Pat Fountaine for asking me to field test the Pilla products both here at home and in the bush in Tanzania where it really counts. I would wear these products without hesitation and did not encounter any problems while testing the Pilla Panther Pro line.

Link to Pilla Shooting Sports Brochure

Ice-forecasting Project Uses Facebook to Improve Safety for Walrus Hunters and Whalers

The Sea Ice for Walrus Outlook (SIWO), an activity of the SEARCH Sea Ice Outlook started in 2010, is a resource for Alaska Native subsistence hunters, coastal communities, and others interested in sea ice and walrus. The SIWO provides weekly reports from April through June with information on sea ice conditions relevant to walrus in the Northern Bering Sea and southern Chukchi Sea regions of Alaska.

Excerpts from the Article:

Marine mammal hunters trying to negotiate increasingly finicky ice conditions have a new ally: a National Weather Service project that can shoot weather forecasts and satellite imagery straight to their cell phones.

The idea for the project came from Vera Metcalf, executive director of the Eskimo Walrus Commission. The project allows hunters experiencing climate change first-hand to inform scientists and each other about what they're seeing, such as the thickness and movement of ice, said Metcalf.

The satellite images span several miles off the coast of each village, but aren't detailed enough to allow hunters to spot animals.

To learn more and read the entire article and associated links: The Arctic Sounder

To visit the Facebook page for Sea Ice for Walrus Outlook (SIWO): SIWO Facebook

Choosing Your Big Game Hunting Knife

Choosing and purchasing your big game hunting knife can be a fun task with just a little research and consideration beforehand. I am the first to admit I like knives and have purchased far too many over the years. Those purchases were usually based on wanting to have something different to try as opposed to really being in need of something new. I am not a knife collector so all of my knives have a history of assigned duties and are not relegated to a display area or stored in my safe.  Not that there is anything wrong with collecting knives. I just can't afford another hobby!

There are many factors that should be considered before you lay down your hard earned money on a blade. Probably the first area of concern should be to decide what your working price range is likely to be.  You may find that to be the easiest component of your quest for the perfect knife, if such a thing even exists.

Choosing your preferred hunting knife will come down to how you intend to use it, preferred platform configuration, blade material, blade shape and length, sharpening and edge holding characteristics, handle material, balance, cosmetic preference, and as mentioned previously the cost factor.

Once you have established if you are able and willing to spend, $50.00, $150.00, $500.00, or $5,000.00 you can start down the path of other selection concerns. This is probably as good of place as any to say that I understand fully that specialty knives can be used for each area of big game hunting chores. Likewise, general configurations can also be chosen to optimize performance over a variety of areas in most instances thus reducing the number of blades one carries with them on an outing. Neither approach is right or wrong just two different ways to get to the same destination. The next area of consideration after price is likely to be choosing a construction platform.

Knife platforms generally fall into two main categories which are fixed blade or folding.  There are also hybrid categories such as the flip blades and the interchangeable blade systems. The sales pitch for these is of course a multi-functional knife approach. If you like those as options a little research will provide a variety of considerations in various price ranges.

In the interest of full disclosure, I have not used or tried the replaceable blade or flip blade knives that are on the market. For me personally, they are not a knife that interests me. They may however be exactly what you are looking for making it the perfect choice for your purchase so they should not be discounted as an option.

I have used the more traditional folding knives and fixed blade configurations for hunting.  While I own both types I have come to prefer a fixed blade hunting knife.  For me, there is no other platform to consider when it comes to big game applications. This does not mean it is the correct choice for you it is simply what I prefer. My basis for convincing myself this is the right choice for me is reliability, ease of cleaning, maintenance, and design strength.

Folding knives are an attractive option for those looking for a multi-purpose knife that will be utilized for hunting but will also be carried for everyday use as well. For most people a fixed blade knife will not perform that function as well as a folding knife simply because they are larger and are carried in a sheath. A fixed blade sheath generally extends downward and can often get in the way of everyday chores, chairs, and vehicle seats. They also tend to stand out with daily wear clothing. The other plus to a folding knife is it is often more compact and offers more carry options. These would include carrying a folder in your pant or jacket pocket or even in a small sheath on your belt.  The folding knife sheath is generally much shorter than a fixed blade sheath. Attention should always be given to assure the folding knife has a locking feature to assure the blade does not close accidentally while in use. The pivot area of the blade should also be examined to assure it is robust to help eliminate, as much as possible, any inherent weakness of a pivoting area.

How you intend to use your knife will to a large degree help to determine blade size and configuration. I generally bone meat where allowed and find that I can also break down and skin big game animals in the field easily and efficiently with a 4” blade. A larger blade is not needed by me for this type of task. This size blade works perfectly in performing caping chores as well and is why it is my most preferred knife in a clip point blade design.

I do not like serrated blades on big game hunting knives and avoid them in my selections. I have used 4” clip point blades on game ranging from javelina to moose without issue. I offer this as background information in case you experience difficulty in deciding on blade length and configuration.

The main blade types available include clip point, drop point, and skinning profiles. Modified versions of these three basic designs are also available. The clip point blade is the style you likely will remember seeing on the Bowie knife. When looking at a clip point blade from the side you will notice the blade tip appears slightly upswept but the main feature is the concave area on the front portion of the blade spine that leads to the knife point. This is a good all around blade in my experience and is the one I generally prefer in most instances. It works very well in performing field dressing, skinning, boning, and caping duties. The sharp tip of the clip point blade allows you to get into tight places when caping such as the tear ducts, around antler bases, and also when detailing the face.

Top knife shows a serrated blade section. Middle knife is a drop point. Bottom knife displays a clip point profile

Drop point blades are recognized by a convex area on the front portion of the blade spine that leads to the knife point. This makes the knife point less defined when compared with a clip point blade. This is also a versatile design with regard to field dressing and skinning.  It falls short on performing caping duties in my experience and is therefore less desirable for my needs when the goal is to pick a one knife does-it-all blade design.

Skinning blades are recognized by their curved trailing point when viewing the blade from the side. The blade tip noticeably curves upward and the spine of the knife curves upward. This gives the blades working surface a larger belly for skinning. This blade configuration is more specialized but can efficiently field dress and really shines in the skinning department.  It does not however offer the general characteristics you would usually want when performing caping duties.

There are of course other blade configurations besides the three previously listed. These include spey point, spear point, needle point (dagger style), and sheepsfoot blades. While they have a niche they are however not generally considered as general purpose hunting blades.

Gut hook style blade with a drop point

Choosing blade composition is a consideration when making your purchase. You will in general have two broad categories from which to choose. There are also hybrids such as ceramic or modern Damascus steel (pattern welded carbon steel or Damascene) blades.  Choices for most knives will normally be either carbon steel or stainless steel as an option.  Some manufacturers will offer you the same knife model in either blade composition choice.

I am not a bladesmith and don’t want to impart that I have a great understanding of metallurgy. The Rockwell hardness of a knife blade is typically between RHC 56-62. Blades that have a content of greater than 13% chromium are normally considered stainless steel. Quality knife manufacturers use a variety of steels ranging from carbon material like 1095, CPM M-4, A2, O1, D2 and stainless steels such as 154 CM, 440B, and N680.  Many other types of steel are also utilized.

Higher amounts of carbon in steel increases hardness while a higher amount of chromium improves corrosion resistance, wear, and hardenability. Regardless of the material utilized heat treating is what helps to further develop the blades properties. Each steel material does of course have its own inherent properties such as hardenability, ductility, and toughness.

I have used various blades made from stainless and carbon steel and can offer an anecdotal level of information. In general, carbon steel and stainless steel blades each have their advantages.  Stainless steel of course is less prone to rusting while carbon steel blades will rust more easily. That in and of itself is not a problem it just means you must be aware and give your carbon steel blade a little more attention.

Stainless might be a better choice for those who will primarily use their knife in snowy, wet, or humid environments but especially so for those who frequent saltwater environments. Blades that are made of high carbon steel are often said to hone more easily and hold a better edge. I have found both stainless and carbon blades that have worked very well for my intended use.

If you just remember to treat your carbon steel blades like a blued steel hunting rifle they will serve you well.  Things like cleaning your blade thoroughly after use, drying the blade, storing it in a dry location, and applying a wax such as Renaissance ® as opposed to oiling the blade. Waxing a stainless steel blade is also a good idea. Bolster, guard, and pommel luster can be restored by polishing with a product such as Simichrome® from time to time and can also be waxed. When storing your knife it should not be left in the sheath.

Handle material is an important consideration for a working knife. For my way of thinking a big game knife should have a handle material that is easy to clean and maintain. Exotic wood looks very pretty but I generally lean toward the phenolic resin, rubberized material, bone, or stag handles. I find these wash up well and are very durable in my experience. One thing that I particularly like about the rubberized material is when you add blood to the equation the knife remains very controllable.  This is also true when the knife becomes wet from rain or snow.

Top knife is a Randall that shows a curved blade compared with a Buck Woodsman 102 clip point (bottom)

Hopefully this will give you some food for thought before making your big game knife purchase.  Don’t worry too much because if you are like me you will most likely want to try something different before too long. What is my favorite knife?  I love my Randall Model 4 and also my Knives of Alaska Bush Camp for various chores. The knife that has seen more use on big game than any other continues to be my Buck Woodsman 102. It does it all and has never let me down. It goes to show you that you do not have to spend a lot of money to find a quality knife that will fill your big game needs.

DVD Video Clips for Mark Sullivan, Craig Boddington, Ivan Carter & Others

Diizche Safari Adventures has recently updated their Website DVD page and associated their current DVD offerings with video clips! Visit their DVD landing page to learn more about DVDs being offered. Let us know if you like the idea of being able to preview DVD excerpts.

Hiking Boots and Foot Comfort

Choosing the right boot is one of the most important decisions you will make when it comes to mountain hunting. Unfortunately, it is not as simple as doing an internet search for product reviews and picking the one with the most stars. Although admittedly, there can be some value in this as a potential starting point. Online reviews are often very useful to learn if a particular boot is prone to certain characteristics or problems. What fits one person well will not likely fit the next so trying boots on is of course a necessity to properly compare brands that will work best for you.  

Make a short sighted decision in your quest for the proper boot and you will likely be miserable, in pain, and not very efficient as your hunt progresses from day one to day fourteen. Mountain hunters require the very best in support and durability. As such, you will likely require a durable boot exterior and sole that won’t get eaten up by rocks and shale.  A high rubber rand is also helpful. The boots will also need to support heavier pack loads, especially coming off the mountain with your hard won reward.

There are many nuances to getting your preferred boots to feel just right if the out of box fit is a little less than perfect.  Here are three very important components that some might tend to overlook.  These include proper sock selection, aftermarket insole selection, and learning variables in lacing techniques. Knowing how to utilize various lacing techniques will also help you to fine tune your boots as needed during any given adventure.

When purchasing new boots, the factory insoles often feel perfectly acceptable. If that is the case for you consider yourself lucky.  Many of us find the need for various levels of support because of our different arch height requirements, the need for additional support, better foot control in the heel cup, or more forefoot padding.  The goal of aftermarket insoles is of course proper biomechanical alignment, comfort, reduction of shock, and improved foot control.

Regarding insoles, some shoppers can afford to seek out custom-made orthotic insoles but many are quite satisfied using trim to fit or heat-moldable insoles.  The heat-moldable varieties will of course create a more custom do-it-yourself approach specifically molded to your foot.  The only problem is you can’t try them on to see if you like how they feel before you buy them.  You will need to make the investment and hopefully they will provide what you need. There is nothing wrong with this approach but it is an aspect to consider before you buy. 

The trim to fit variety of insoles can be inserted into your specific boot and trialed at your local shop that carries the brand or brands that are of interest to you.  My local REI shop happens to have a selection of trial models that they allow customers to slip in their boots and test drive in the store.  It offers a great way to compare brands and models within brand lines to see what feels best! I am sure this is available through other outdoor shops as well.

Once you find the trim to fit insole that feels the best, purchase one pair and take them home. You will then need to remove your factory insole and trim the replacement insole following their supplied instructions. Once they are trimmed, you can insert them into your boots and start using them on your training hikes. If they work well, I would recommend purchasing an additional pair, trim them to fit and keep them with you as a rotational pair on your hunts.

Annually, I put a minimum of fifteen miles per week on my boots rain or shine during my mountain training hikes.  This does not include actual hunting. It is easy to forget at times but insoles do not last forever. Replace them regularly to help assure you keep your feet as happy as they can be made to be. Recently, I noticed my feet were getting a little sore during my hikes for no apparent reason.  I inspected my insoles and noticed they were in need of replacement.  I had not changed them for about 12 months.  For me, that was a little too long.  Everyone’s mileage and timelines will of course vary based on use. When you consider all the costs associated with your outdoor hunting adventures, regularly replacing insoles is not even on the radar as a cost concern.

This is probably as good a place as any for a short word or two about socks. They are not all created equal from your foot’s perspective. Don’t be afraid to try different thicknesses and of course different fabrics such as wool, high tech fabrics, or blends to see what works best for your needs.

There are many methods for lacing a boot. I am surprised by the number of people who spend a great deal of time outdoors in boots and are simply unaware of these techniques and what can be achieved. If a standard lacing method works for you then that is great!  If you think there is a possible benefit to be gained with lacing and knot variations, give a few different techniques a try and see how your feet feel about it.  Now you know why those boots of yours came with such long laces!

When you lace your boots the goal is generally to create even firm pressure from the lace to the boot surface creating a secure and firm foundation while avoiding overtightening. Lacing technique options may vary slightly based upon the overall eyelet style of your boot or eyelet style in different sections of the boot.  These would include variations such as regular eyelets, D-loop, lugs, and other speed laces. 

There are seemingly unlimited variations of lacing techniques and knots but starting with just a few can offer a lot of versatility in properly adjusting or securing your boots. By learning and using simple lock, tension, and knot techniques you can then customize to suit your specific needs. It used to be that to learn these techniques you had to pick the brain of savvy climbers. That was how I first learned a few basic techniques. With access to the internet, all this information is easily available to all from the comfort of their home.

When using unmodified lacing, the laces typically come up from below and under the boot eyelets. When switching to a locking technique you can either continue from the bottom of the eyelet or come around and down through the eyelet to apply pressure to the lace. This can then be followed with an overhand knot or a surgeon's knot interval where needed to secure the tension you have adjusted through the eyelets below the knot. I prefer using the surgeon’s knot as it locks extremely well. Locking techniques are very useful in stabilizing your foot without the need to create unnecessary amounts of pressure through the laces.



Heel Lock Technique



A boot heel lock technique is useful to help maintain pressure in such a way as to keep your heel and foot in place.  This can be accomplished easily by taking the lace along the outside of two hooks, as opposed to crossing the lace at each hook, and then bring the lace back down over the upper of the two hooks hooks and passing the lace free end under the opposite straight lace created between the hooks, pulling with tension and then going up to the next highest hook resuming a normal lace crossing technique. Variations of this technique can be utilized such as an overhand or surgeon’s knots along with a loop locks. 



Loop Lock Technique Used to Help Adjust a Low Volume Situation 



A loop lock is typically created by going over a hook as opposed to coming up from the bottom of the hook and then crossing the laces and going to the next hook. This will create a loop around the hook. I find this technique is useful if I choose to wear a thinner sock which then creates a lower foot volume condition inside of my boot. This technique helps to comfortably take up that space created by the thinner sock.



Reducing Pressure on a High Instep



You can reduce pressure over your instep by locking off tension with a surgeon’s knot, then skip the lace crossing technique where the boot would bend naturally over the instep hooks, and then again lock off tension with an overhand or surgeon's knot above this area. This creates a larger open area free of crossing laces over the instep which will be noticed as a reduced amount of pressure.

Most finish their boot with a square knot and avoid a granny knot which is said to often slip. Those that double knot are sometimes less concerned about a granny knot. There are some variations you can consider prior to the finishing knot. Cuff pressure can be controlled at the top of the boot by lacing over the top of the final hook and tying off below the hook.  You can also adjust cuff pressure by using a normal hook approach at the top and adding a surgeon's knot prior to the final knot. An alternate method for boots with a top eyelet is to create a loop lock through the eyelet prior to the final knot. I generally finish my lacing with a surgeon’s knot topped with a modified double knot. This gives me a secure non-slipping knot that is easily untied with a simple pull of a lace end.



Finished with a Double Knot Over a Surgeon's Knot

If you are interested in learning more about knot and lacing techniques there are numerous sites that you can visit through an internet search. Keep in mind that some lacing techniques are nothing more than a way to add flash or style.  You will likely want to focus on learning the techniques that will offer performance enhancements and adjustability gains.

Education Fund for the Children of Slain PH Andre de Kock

By now, most in the hunting community have learned of the tragic death of Professional Hunter Andre de Kock, reported as killed by poachers in Tanzania (read reported information). The Robin Hurt Foundation, together with Conservation Force has set up a fund of Andre and Lesley de Kock for their two children Mathew and Kelly. Conservation Force is a 501(c) (3) public charity and all donations are tax deductible.

If you are interested in helping, you can make a donation online at: http://www.conservationforce.org/donateonline.html- select de Kock Family Fund from the contribution type.

Lastly, for those of you in Africa (because of the high transfer fees) you may contact Michael Angelides for information regarding making donations from your country at secretary@tzpha.com .

When giving your donation through this non-electronic method please provide your
full name, contact details, address and email. All the names will be given to
Conservation Force who will acknowledge your individual donation (required by
law).

For more information regarding the fund contact Conservation Force:
Chrissie Jackson - cjackson@conservationforce.org