A Hunter’s Pack: Essential Hunting Accessories and Reasons to Invest in Them

Serious backcountry hunters know that the success of most trips to the bush depends on the planning and preparation they put into their packouts. Everything from packing enough socks to having all the proper permits matters. Possibly the most important bits of kit that they carry, however, are the accessories needed to take care of their rifle or shotgun.

A loose-fitting sling and a lightweight muzzle cover may be enough for a one-day small game hunt, but they’re not enough for a hunt that could see several days in the bush, the success of which could all come down to a single shot. Every ounce of weight matters on long trips to the field, and it’s the reason why hunters want shooting accessories that are as lightweight, safe and versatile as they are robust.

Lightweight Accessories Give Serious Hunters Serious Advantages

Let’s be honest: with all the equipment that hunters need to bring to the bush, packing only the lightest equipment makes the most sense. This is especially true when it comes to their shooting gear though, where investing in the lightest multi-functional hunting accessories Australia has to offer is the wisest choice.

Rugged terrain and Australia’s perfectly unpredictable weather means that everything from the weight of a hunter’s shooting gear to its ability to serve multiple roles offers a potential advantage. And where the success of a hunt frequently comes down to just one shot, having the right gear for that shot – and not being too tired to make it count – can make all the difference.

Slings, supports, scope and muzzle covers are some of the most crucial shooting accessories hunters take to the field. And it’s no coincidence that they’re also among the handful of hunting accessories that fit all the planning and preparation standards that hunters set for proper packouts, including:

• Lightweight construction. Aside from the weather, weight is a hunter’s chief concern. And as a successful hunt would inherently mean bringing back more weight than they left with, lightweight shooting accessories help them keep their packouts to an absolute minimum.
• Compact size. No hunter want’s to find themselves strapped to a piece of bulky kit, especially when they already have a rifle or shotgun in tow. Compact, smartly designed shooting accessories like tripods and shooting sticks don’t take up unnecessary space and are easy to transport.
• Multi-functional capability. Any hunting accessory that’s only capable of performing a single job is excess weight. Thoughtfully designed shooting accessories, however, are truly multi-functional and help reduce the amount of weight that a hunter has to carry.

Make no mistake: even with a lightened stock and barrel, the average shotgun or hunting rifle, together with scope and ammo, can easily weight 7-8 kg. Add to that a backpack and compression sack, a few articles of dry clothing and the kit to dress and store a carcass, and a hunter is looking at a packout that, after a day or two, is going to feel like it weighs a tonne. Any measure of weight savings is appreciated. And fortunately, multi-functional shooting and hunting accessories are where hunters can regain the weight advantage.

Durable Rifle Slings Help Hunters Bring Home the Big Game

While there’s no shortage of attractive, bespoke rifle and shotgun slings on the market, serious hunters expect more from their slings than just good looks. As a minimum, they want slings that are tough enough to endure days of exposure in the bush, can comfortably carry a weapon for hours without causing severe neck or shoulder fatigue, and still allow the weapon to rotate quickly into firing position.

What they really expect these shooting accessories to be, however, are lightweight tools that can do more than just carry a weapon. With their choice of single- or dual-point swivel connections, the durable but flexible nature of nylon, Cordura nylon and neoprene slings gives hunters a level of non-slid certainty which, in addition to carrying a rifle or shotgun, can also be used for:

• Dragging game carcasses out of the bush;
• Carrying other hunting gear like cameras and hiking supplies; or,
• Providing additional rifle stabilising, or as an alternative to a tripod or shooting stick.

Three-point stalker-style slings are also ideal accessories to incorporate into a hunter’s first aid kit. In an emergency, they can be used to tie splints and tourniquets, or as pure shoulder slings to support injured arms or rotator cuffs. That makes them one of the few pure shooting accessories that could even be a potential life saver.

Tripods Add Everyday Functionality to Hunting Packouts

Tripods are high-end shooting accessories that are designed to support a rifle or shotgun when a hunter is ready to get to business. Even on inclines, they can be set up and adjusted for taking the perfect shot from virtually any seated, standing or kneeling firing position. It’s their usability aside from steadying weapons, however, that makes them such valuable accessories to take to the field.

Weighing only 1 kg and engineered to go from a fully extended 170 cm to a collapsed height of only 55 cm, a steady tripod is irreplaceable on a muddy hill on a windy day. And depending on the type of tripod plate a hunter uses with it, it can also be used for:

• Stabilising binoculars, as well as supporting laser range finders and long distance spotting scopes;
• Taking precise wind readings with hands-free wind meters; and,
• Supporting long lens cameras and video recording and capture equipment.

Regardless of whether it’s bird hunting in the frontcountry, or deer or buffalo hunting in a far off corner of the bush, tripods are among the most versatile shooting accessories that a hunter can take to the field. And they’re one of the few hunting accessories that are just as effective for everyday jobs like photography, land surveying and arts and crafts work as they are for hunting packouts.

Getting the Fullest Benefit From Muzzle and Scope Covers

Muzzle and scope covers are arguably the most important shooting accessories carried by hunters. The 100% latex muzzle covers provide a tough, easy to shoot through moisture- and debris-proof barrier for bores up to 27 mm in diameter. And for rifles and shotguns that are equipped with scopes, one-piece nylon muzzle and scope covers provide the essential dust and grit protection that could quickly ruin a costly mount optical device.

Not surprisingly, they weigh almost nothing and take up even less space – factors that are reflected in how reasonable these hunting accessories’ online prices are. It’s their combination of low cost and strength, however, that makes them especially useful for an array of improvised field jobs, such as:

• Providing protective, friction-free wrappings for ropes when hanging over rocky ledges;
• Providing tough, waterproof coverings for electronic gear like handheld GPSs, phones, and two-way radios; or,
• Making impromptu handles to carry game or other items.

Like slings, combination muzzle and scope covers can also be used to make splints and tourniquets. Plus, the elastic banding can even be stripped from a scope cover and used to tie down loose gear or cut into strips to keep water and cold from entering sleeves and cuffs.

The Final Word

By investing in the lightest multi-functional hunting accessories Australia has to offer, hunters can be confident that the gear they’re taking to the bush is as versatile as it is capable. It’s the peace of mind that’s needed to know they have everything they need to bag the big game, and to bring it home safely.

At the end of the day, with a heavy rifle or shotgun topping their packouts, backcountry hunters are under no illusions about the kind of liability extra weight can be, especially when it comes to their shooting accessories. That’s why they don’t want accessories that simply take up valuable space. They want accessories that can also be counted on to fill multiple, and if necessary, life or limb saving roles.