Gear Court: Sage TCX sets the stage

This spring Sage lent me a TCX 4-weight to try out for three weeks.  It came just in time for some good BWO action and I was not disappointed.  The TCX is a cannon of a rod and shot out line incredibly quickly.  I loaded it with RIO’s WindCutter® II fly line that I reviewed recently and the combination was deadly.  For a 4-weight, it definitely impressed me with how well it cast large heavy flies and how well it cut through the wind in extremely windy spring conditions.  It also beautifully handled swift currents while casting delicate dry flies from a drift boat.  My biggest regret is that I was not able to hold onto this rod longer. Read more

Gear Court: Osprey Ariel 65 Pack … lots more pros than cons

Can you really say you look forward to putting on a backpack, especially when the weather is hot, you’re sticky, the pack’s heavy. Yes, we like the idea of backpacking, but lugging the load?  I have found a pack that I actually enjoy wearing, so much that I will take it when a much smaller daypack will do!

I purchased an Osprey Ariel 65 for women about a year ago, and recently gave it a severe workout, backpacking in Arkansas, New Mexico and the Rockies for a total of 5 weeks in a variety of weather.  Read more

Gear Court: The ALPS OutdoorZ Turkey Chair MC implores staying power

For many years when I would go turkey hunting, I would find a tree to lean up against and sit down in front of it to get set up for the hunt.  Most of those times, the ground would be wet either from a recent rain or frost or dew, so I would end up getting a wet seat.  But I loved the hunt, so that was just a minor detail I overlooked.

Another minor detail that I would try to overlook, but was not so easily to forego, was how uncomfortable I would get if I had to stay in that position for a very long time, which an important key to a successful turkey hunt is patience and staying power.  With the turkeys’ keen eyesight, it’s very important to remain as still as possible, although that was next to impossible after sitting in that position for an extended amount of time. Read more

Gear Court: Getting the silent treatment with Nikon silent technology rangefinder case

When it comes to bow hunting, having the little things in order can mean the difference between filling your tag and going home empty-handed. I always try my best to keep all my “necessities” handy, but last fall it didn’t seemed to work out that way. I just had a heck of a time keeping my rangefinder usable and within reach.

At first, I tried the neck lanyard that came with the unit. It was completely useless for bow hunting. Using it just turned my rangefinder into an ever present obstacle for me to fight my way around when drawing my bow. Then I wanted to try a retractable keeper that you pin to your outer garment. Well, it was so noisy in the store, that it never made it out of the store. Read more

Gear Court: Scoping it out with the Trijicon AccuPoint Hunting Scope

A Saturday morning finds many people doing many things … lounging leisurely with the weekend paper enjoying a cup of coffee.  Or readying children for weekend activities.  Others may find themselves dreading the list of chores and tasks awaiting them throughout the weekend.  And then there are those that will sleep the daylight hours away …

At 0830 on this particular Saturday morning, I listened intently to my husband, Brian, as he instructed me on how awesome the Trijicon AccuPoint 3 x 9 x 40 Hunting Scope is for hunting, while he zeroed it in for me.  Eddie Stevenson sent me the scope to try out and write about … I’m now dreading the day I have to pack it up and send it back … it’s that good.  Trijicon is a name synonymous with military scopes and the ACOG (Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight), but they make an amazing hunting scope that I think women will love.  And while the retail price of $750 may seem like a lot for a hunting scope, it’s one you’ll never want to replace. Read more

Gear Court: What brown did for her — Ono’s Ocracoke makes her world on the stream easier to see

I’m looking at the world through brown polarized glasses and liking it. Forget about the rose-colored ones. A few months ago, Bill AuCoin asked me if I’d like to try a pair of Ono’s Trading Company’s polarized fishing glasses and write a review. Because I need longer arms these days to see the line so I can tie my knots, I accepted his kind offer of Ono’s Ocracoke model in my magnification. They feature polarized sunglasses with reader magnification enhancement, eliminating the need for bifocals or switching to reading glasses for close-up outdoor tasks. I wore them recently on a trip to a popular fly-fishing stream in Missouri – meaning crowded. Wow! In the early morning sun, at the sound of the siren, I stepped into the stream and cast away. The glasses helped me see better through the light mist that rose off the water that morning. Read more

Gear Court: Right On Target with Birchwood Casey

As a relatively new shooter, I welcome the opportunity to improve my skills and since accuracy is one of those skills, I like to practice using a target. I’ve used many a white paper plate and that’s a great way to see how close I can group my shots but it doesn’t help me when it comes to aiming at specific areas, especially if those areas are outside the perimeter of a regular sized paper plate.

In January of this year, Birchwood Casey introduced the EZE Scorer paper silhouette targets and as a member of  The WON’s writing staff, I got the opportunity to “try before you buy.”  Why would I want to practice using a silhouette target instead of a paper plate? The chance of a paper plate invading my home is zero percent. The chance of a home invader being approximately the same size and shape of a silhouette target is 100 percent Read more

Gear Court: No Slip-and-Falls with the Arks Outdoors Leather Sandals

Two brothers founded Arks Outdoors, LLC, with one goal in mind; quality footwear for the outdoor enthusiast.  The company started selling their footwear products when the brothers were still in college.  Since that time, Arks Outdoors has moved up in the industry as a company with an outstanding line of footwear ideal for any outdoor person.  The company not only has an exceptional line of boat shoes, it is now marketing quality sandals for men and women.

Arks Outdoors leather sandals are made from premium full-grain leather built on a non-marking, slip-resistant EVA outsole.  The sandal is designed with a form-fitting Rubbertex mid cushion with built-in arch support.  The sandal is superbly designed with quality materials and workmanship for long-lasting wear. Read more

Gear Court: Crimson Trace … trace evidence you can rely on

There appears to be more than a trace of evidence that Crimson Trace has hit the target with their new laser grip for the Ruger LCP!

A while back I purchased the Ruger LCP 380 for my carry pistol.  When I saw that Crimson Trace came out with a new laser grip designed for my LCP, I couldn’t wait to pair them up. Read more

Gear Court: Don’t Bug Me!

I recently tested the Ex-Officio Insect Shield® clothing, in the form of a hat and bandanna that were given to me.  Claims like ‘insect resistant’ always immediately wake up my inner skeptic, so these items had to go above and beyond to make me a believer.

The label states that it “repels ticks, ants, flies, mosquitoes, chiggers and midges” (no-see-ums). The active ingredient is permethrin, which can be nasty stuff, but is approved for this type of human use at low levels by the EPA. Read more

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