We love to argue about the best rifles, cartridges, and optics. These are important, but there are lots of excellent choices. It seems to me that the most essential gear includes good, durable outerwear; comfortable, rugged footwear; and a load-carrying device to get your gear (and your sheep) off the mountain.
Kuiu (kuiu.com) outerwear is tough and breathable—and you bet I layer up. As expected, the September Montana weather was mild, chilly in the morning and warm at middays. Raingear went in the pack as a last-ditch layer, but fortunately, it stayed there.
For footwear, I’m a big fan of Danner, a great old brand, but knowing I needed to be as light-footed as possible and expecting mild weather, on this hunt I wore the new Lodestar boots from LaCrosse…