2024 gear review...what worked and what didn't?

GoPro Hero 11 was a good addition to my "things I really don't need", but I enjoyed videoing a few solo hunts to share with close friends and family.
What it is capable of is amazing. Within the editng feature, you can take still images by selecting frame-by-frame pictures off of the video. It captures roughly 6 frames per second. You can see muzzle blast, then the wad, then the shot pattern followed by impact.
Here are 4 crystal clear pictures of these examples. Look at the empty shell changes in each picture to validate the individual frames per second.
 

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The 28 gauge stack barrel worked better, the 1958 sweet 16. I love, and used it a lot. I used my 87 0 super mag. Some use the Ithaca 20 gauge side-by-side some and shot it well, use the 1187 when I needed to put an ass whipping on people.
 
Things that worked:
My Rizzini Aurum Light 20 ga
Remington Express XLR 20 ga #6's ammo
WingWorks vest
Garmin Pro 70 dog collars
Ray Ban Meta sunglasses. These have allowed me to take awesome videos of my dogs without getting out my cellphone. They were expensive but I got them as a gift and they are cool.
Hevi-Shot Upland Heavy Hammer 3" 20 ga ammo for my wife. Only shells she used in SD so I didn't have to worry about her having lead in her vest in a non-toxic area. Killed 8 in a row with one shot each.
On-X app on my phone.
Noco GB-70 boost starter
Cell phone holder that mounts in cup holder.
Saddle Guy leather holsters for Garmin Pro 70 transmitter and Garmin 200i
My 3 year GSP Sevee

What didn't work:
Garmin T-5 Mini, had two quit on one day and no customer service on these models.
Garmin Alpha 200i. I like the integrated In-Reach but find it hard to pull data from it.
Marsupial Upland vest. Open top, zipper closed shell pockets are difficult to access and when left open fill detritus from weeds and grasses. Otherwise vest is good.
2014 F-150 with 5.0L V-8, averaged 9.9 mpg for a 1000 mile trip. Ugh!

There are probably others that I might add later.
 
Things that worked:
My Rizzini Aurum Light 20 ga
Remington Express XLR 20 ga #6's ammo
WingWorks vest
Garmin Pro 70 dog collars
Ray Ban Meta sunglasses. These have allowed me to take awesome videos of my dogs without getting out my cellphone. They were expensive but I got them as a gift and they are cool.
Hevi-Shot Upland Heavy Hammer 3" 20 ga ammo for my wife. Only shells she used in SD so I didn't have to worry about her having lead in her vest in a non-toxic area. Killed 8 in a row with one shot each.
On-X app on my phone.
Noco GB-70 boost starter
Cell phone holder that mounts in cup holder.
Saddle Guy leather holsters for Garmin Pro 70 transmitter and Garmin 200i
My 3 year GSP Sevee

What didn't work:
Garmin T-5 Mini, had two quit on one day and no customer service on these models.
Garmin Alpha 200i. I like the integrated In-Reach but find it hard to pull data from it.
Marsupial Upland vest. Open top, zipper closed shell pockets are difficult to access and when left open fill detritus from weeds and grasses. Otherwise vest is good.
2014 F-150 with 5.0L V-8, averaged 9.9 mpg for a 1000 mile trip. Ugh!

There are probably others that I might add later.
My exact thoughts on the marsupial, its the most comfortable vest system I’ve tried but the ammo pouches are junk! They just repurposed a general storage pouch and call it a shell pouch
 
I have a pair of these from an old Quilomene vest. They have a flap cover but they aren’t very deep and I remember they collected a lot of junk too. The other thing as you can see is the attachment straps are wider than the Molle attachment slots. I’ve been looking at Molle pouches but haven’t found anything that I like that I think would work. I also bought the low profile chest harness because I didn’t like the padded one and I’m not sure I want to keep pouring money into it.

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Here is what worked real good

Dogtra 2700 T&B collars
Final Rise Summit Strap Vest ( Nice )
Meindl Vakuum Hunter Very comfortable and good support
Final Rise Upland gloves

Last month of the season was tough with blizzard and tough road conditions.


 
I have a pair of these from an old Quilomene vest. They have a flap cover but they aren’t very deep and I remember they collected a lot of junk too. The other thing as you can see is the attachment straps are wider than the Molle attachment slots. I’ve been looking at Molle pouches but haven’t found anything that I like that I think would work. I also bought the low profile chest harness because I didn’t like the padded one and I’m not sure I want to keep pouring money into it.

View attachment 10518
View attachment 10516
I bought the featherweight system, no padding. It’s very comfortable and I carry a ton of water, 3-4 nalgine bottles
 
Now that 2024 is officially in the books, what gear worked well for you and what didn't?

Worked well:

Cabelas instinct prairie runner pants. I loved them. They were comfortable for me in all the temps I hunted in this year and I thought they handled the thorns like a champ. Vented sides were awesome in the warmer weather. Suspenders that came with the pants were an added plus as well.

Cabelas dog kennel. This thing has been awesome. Fits behind the passenger seat in my truck. Keyed lock, intermediate size, and reduced price compared to some of the other brands. The momarsh cot fits perfectly inside as well to keep my dog up out of any water from our wet hunts.

Did not work well:

Browning upland pants. Fit was weird, didn't last, not very tough at all.
Absolutely the best pants I have ever worn. Hunted at 68 degrees to -5 (with light long johns). I had to buy a second pair.
 
GoPro Hero 11 was a good addition to my "things I really don't need", but I enjoyed videoing a few solo hunts to share with close friends and family.
What it is capable of is amazing. Within the editng feature, you can take still images by selecting frame-by-frame pictures off of the video. It captures roughly 6 frames per second. You can see muzzle blast, then the wad, then the shot pattern followed by impact.
Here are 4 crystal clear pictures of these examples. Look at the empty shell changes in each picture to validate the individual frames per second.
How long does the battery last on the Hero 11?
 
How long does the battery last on the Hero 11?
It came with 2 batteries, but not long. Maybe 45 minutes of total recording time each battery???
If it's cold, it is less. I see they make a large battery adapter, but I haven't look into it much because it's voice activated. If my dog gets "birdie", I can say "go pro on" when the action stops you can say "go pro off". This saves lots of battery, but you do miss some surprise flushes.
 
Worked well: Browning Sweet 16 A-5, Boss 16 ga. #5's, Columbia Upland jacket (at least 20 years old, still going strong), Red Wing Wingshooter insulated boots (very comfortable and durable), Newt, my 5 1/2 year old Yellow Lab--great retriever/cripple finder, 2024 Suburban Z-71 (amazed that it averaged about 18 mpg for a 1500 mile round trip), Ruffland kennel-new this year, roomy, great protective Pheasants Forever cover from Scheels.

Did not work well: My son's Weatherby 28 ga. autoloader
 
My Carhartt camo vest, my Carhartt work pants,my rabbit fur bomber hat, Cabela's extreme cold weather socks, Patagonia neck gator,buck knife,15 boxes old amo,
 
Things that worked well....
1. All 3 Beretta A400's, 2- 28ga's and 1 20ga....No issues all season with any of the guns
2. Kenetrek & Crispi Boots, switched between the 2 all season and even after all these years they are still holding up great
3. Final Rise Vest, in it's 3 year and still love putting it on!
4. Garmin Pro 550, will be switching to the Pro 550 plus this off season to have some GPS on the dogs
5. Boss shells, both #4's & #5's in 28ga, and #3/5 combo in 20ga
6. Oakley shooting glasses, absolutely love them!
7. Orvis Pro LT gloves and Orvis Cold weather Gloves
8. Orvis Pro LT Pants, going on season 7 with these and they are bulletproof!
9. Beretta Gortex Shell jacket, great for layering for extreme weather late season hunts!
 
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