NEW GEAR
Buck 550 Selector 2.0 Knife
$120, buckknives.com
Hunting knives with interchange-
able blades have made their way
into the packs of more hunters for
one simple reason: they are ver-
satile. Buck Knives recently intro-
duced the 550 Selector 2.0, which
is an updated version of the com-
pany’s original Selector. We had a
chance to test it and given its price
point, its ability to hold an edge,
and ability to perform multiple
functions, it’s definitely worthy of
your hard-earned money.
It comes with three inter-
changeable blades: a drop point,
drop point serrated and a gutting
knife. The beauty of this knife setup
is the ease at which the blades are
interchangeable. Simply, fold the
blade halfway, press on the thumb
stud, pull the blade away and re-
place with one of the two other
blades. With a little practice, it can
executed with one hand.
Made from 420HC steel, each
blade is 0.120 inches thick and
holds an edge through the tough-
est of jobs. Each replacement
blade has its own plastic sheath,
storable in its own sheath carry
system. All told, it weighs 6 ounc-
es. PAT HOGLUND
of time and energy once you have
your animal down. Simply find a
tree, and you’re able to skin any
big game animal with ease. What
makes these especially attractive
is their pulling ratios: it’s designed
with a standard block to block
travel distance of 12 feet. It requires
very little effort to lift an animal to
any desired height.
At the heart of the Pocket Ox
mini hoists are the sealed stain-
less-steel ball bearings on ¼-inch
stainless clevis pins and Delrin®
Sheaves. The Delrin® Sheaves have
been machined from rod billet
stock for a more consistent com-
pression strength than injection
molded parts of similar dimen-
sions. The laser cut plates that
make up the body of the blocks are
100 percent stainless steel as are the
custom split pins (cotter pins).
Each block has attachment bri-
dles comprised of approximately 25
feet of 1/8-inch Vectran® rated at
2,400 pounds. The braided orange
Spectra® fiber Gripbraid® reeving
line is rated at 800 pounds. Each
model is fitted with a length of Grip-
braid® that facilitates block to block
travel of 12 feet.
Available in three standard
sizes: Bull (16:1), Cow (12:1) and
Calf (8:1). The Bull is the largest
model weighing 24 ounces and
can lift 2,000 pounds. The Cow,
weighing 20 ounces, can hoist
1,500 pounds, and the Calf, which
can lift 1,00 pounds, weighs 16
ounces. Depending on your style of
hunting, choose accordingly. These
are handy tools to have with you
whether you keep it stored in an
ATV, pickup, or in your backpack.
PAT HOGLUND
Pocket Ox Mini Hoist
$450 (bull), $250 (cow), $250 (calf)
pocketox.com
If you’re looking for a better way
to skin an animal then look no
further than the Pocket Ox, a pul-
ley system that will save you a lot
32
WESTERN HUNTING JOURNAL
Midland X-Talker T75VP3 radios
$89.95, midlandusa.com
When hunting out West, being able
to stay in contact with other mem-
bers of your hunting party can play
a major role in both the success
of a hunt, as well as your
overall safety. Because cell
phone reception is often
absent, short of a sat-
ellite phone or GPS
tracker, which come
at a cost, the most
useful and reliable
piece of communi-
cation equipment
you can take on
any hunt would
be a quality, pow-
erful two way
radio such as the
X-Talker T75VP3
by Midland®.
With a maxi-
mum range of 38
miles, 36 primary
channels and 121
privacy codes, you’ll
be able to keep tabs on
your hunting partners while ensur-
ing there is no chatter or bleed over
from other folks using similar units
in the area. There is also a dedicat-
ed weather channel automatically
receives local weather information
for hunt area specific updates and
warnings. Call alerts help get your
attention when calls comes through
and can even be changed to five
pre-loaded animal sounds to better
disguise the alert tone. Don’t worry,
if you prefer to operate stealthily,
all tones can be turned off and a vi-
brate function can be used to alert
incoming calls. Microphone and
headphone jacks are also present,
and the keypad can be locked so you
don’t accidentally alter settings in
the field.
Power can be supplied via the in-
cluded rechargeable battery packs,
or three AA batteries, and can be ad-
justed between high and low power
for either peak operation range or
battery conservation. Battery level
indicator provides for quick visu-
al referencing, and recharging can
be done in as little as four hours
through the charging dock or direct-
ly into the unit via a micro USB port
that can also work with 12V vehicle
outlets, portable power packs or low
voltage solar chargers.
Small enough to fit in a shirt
pocket and weighing just 6 ounces,
the X-Talker T75VP3 is easy to car-
ry and will allow everything from
guidance into a target animal, to
calling back to camp for pack crew
support. Staying in communication
with those you hunt with will bring
both success and peace of mind, es-
pecially when in remote, unforgiving
areas. ERIC MARTIN
KUIU Super Down Ultra Jacket
$270, kuiu.com
A down jacket is a must have item
for big game hunting in the West,
especially when in the fall when
the temperatures drop. And few
things are better for warmth and
comfort. When KUIU introduced
its Super Down Ultra Jacket this
year we asked why try to fix what
wasn’t broken. Full disclosure: I’ve
been hunting with KUIU’s original
Super Down jacket for the past
three seasons and thought no rea-
son to change. That is until I tested
their Super Down Ultra Jacket. It’s
40 percent lighter and is, dare I say
it, better the original.
KUIU uses a lighter fabric with
a Toray finishing process which
slightly melts the fabric eliminat-
ing the need to coat the outer layer
thus making it lighter and giving
it added durability. But where the
rubber meets the road is the Toray
DWR-treated QUIXDOWN used in
the jacket. This down has a 850+
down fill power, which means
that for every one ounce of down
it takes up 850 cubic inches of vol-
ume giving it the distinction of be-
ing the warmest down jacket avail-
able. What’s also nice is the down
stays put thanks to a double-baffle
construction.
It comes with YKK zippers,
stretch binding cuffs, an adjustable
hem line, and zippered hand pock-
ets. The left hand pocket doubles a
stuff sack, allowing you to pack it
compactly in your hunting pack.
The jacket itself fits snug, so order
one size larger if you’re in between
sizes (I normally wear a large, but
the XL fits me best). PAT HOGLUND