What gear do we all pack along - go basic or all the toys

[eggshell]

I have watched threads on gear and often wondered why so much stuff is packed along on turkey hunts. I absolutely am not being critical of anyone's choices, but being a basic gear guy I do wonder why load up with so much? So what do you carry and why? I suppose most feel like it adds to their chances of success and I imagine most of it does in the right situations. I like to keep on the move and hunt mobile and a lot of gear just wears me out and over heats me. Like I said I am a basic guy. I take 2-3 mouth calls and 1 pot call, 6-7 shells, gloves, a mask, wear a very light vest (liberty), gun and maybe a small bottle of water. I have never owned a decoy or blind. I have filled my tags without pause at home for 20+ years and in most years fill my out-of-state tags. I think there are times the gear would have helped me, but there will be another day. I sometimes think we just bite on good marketing from gear suppliers.

So what do you all think....call me out or agree, I'd just like some conversation while we wait for spring.

[guesswho]

I don't carry much either.  A mouth call, a Sharpe wingbone around my neck, a small bottle of water, some snacks, a range finder because I'm not very good at judging distance if I'm on a field, my cell phone and my turkey tote because I plan on carrying more out than I did in.

[Chris O]

I agree people don't need to carry a lot of things but I carry way more than I need to. Turkey Vests were made to carry many gadgets. Each calling site is a different situation and requires different things at times. I carry a few mouth calls, 2 pot calls and 3 or 4 strikers, 2 trumpets or wingbones around my neck and a box call. I always have pruning shears, face mask, gloves,and extras of both. I also have face paint. I usually carry a inflatable decoy at least sometimes more. I usually only use them when there isn't much talking going on. I also have a turkey tote, box chalk, and 5 extra shells, an ..apple and a orange and bottle of water . I started carrying a turkey chair last year and loved it. I can be way more patient at a call site. I probably forgot a couple things. But I like being prepared for things and I am hunting farm ground and not usually more than 1 mile from my pickup. I think if I hunted mountain terrain I would probably stream line my gear a little more.

[LaLongbeard]

870 loaded with 3 shells.
Vest
In vest : 1 potcall 2 strikers
              Box call
              Tube call
              Turkey wing
              Water   
              2 extra shells
              Thermocell/refills 
I wear my gloves and face mask or have them in my pocket
Sometimes I have a trumpet on a lanyard
The only thing exra I carry on out of state hunts is a topo  map of the area but with the new phone apps I won't be buying anymore of these. This has been my set up for a long time with the trumpet being recently added haven't found a need for anything else.

[bobk]

As the seasons have past I find myself carrying more and more. My plan for this year will be more of a minimalist approach.

Satchel with:
3 scratch boxes or frictionwood call
1 trumpet
Gloves and mask
Water
Life straw
Phone and gps
Turkey tote & Hunters orange  ribbon
Cushion
TP
Flashlight
Sm. First aid pack

Rainy days replace scratchers with a tube and 1 pot.

There are so may great calls available today it will be tough to leave them at home.

[GobbleNut]

Most of my hunts fall into two categories:  planned-out, long-distance hiking endeavors where I may be out for several hours,...and "flash" hunts where I strike a bird quickly and close to camp or vehicle. 

On the flash hunts, it is grab "gun, shells, license, calls, visual/sound aid" and go.  Rarely do those hunts develop into something where I am later going "gee, I guess I should have grabbed the backpack" (TP anybody?).  I always wear cargo pants with the pockets on the sides and always have gloves and headnet in those pockets.

On the other hand, if I have a planned hike/hunt, I carry my backpack,...which has a number of additional items.  Those include "sustenance" items like liquids and snacks, cameras (both video and still) and tripod, a small assortment of emergency-type stuff, map (on occasion), knife, flashlight, cell phone, and some other small "odds and ends" that might suit me at the moment.  The backpack also allows me to have a place to put clothing that I either need to add or remove as the weather dictates.  In certain conditions, I will also put a seat cushion in the pack, especially if the ground is going to be wet when setting up.

Why carry a backpack rather than a vest?  It is simply a matter of weight distribution for me.  I like it all on my back rather than having a bunch of weight flopping around at my waist.  A lot of vests that I have seen just don't seem to have secure, zippered compartments to carry larger stuff either.

As for calls, I am definitely a minimalist there.  I mainly use mouth calls and carry an assortment of those with varying pitches, rasp, and volume.  I also carry a couple of pot calls for certain situations, and a tube and crow call for locating birds at the proper times of day, if needed.  Never carry decoys, blinds, chairs, or the kitchen sink....   

[Happy]

I guess you can say I kinda went through phases. I started with just a mouthcall, and potcall. Then when I got older I added a vest. Killed several birds that way and started on carrying the feather flex hen decoys, killed some more birds with them and without them. Then the wife bought some avian x hen decoys for me and I carried them a few years, killed some with them and without them. Over time I realized I wasnt using them much and that if I did what I needed to do then decoys were not needed. That and they could hurt you as much as help you.  So iditched them all together. The last five years or so I have returned more to my roots so to speak.
2 pot calls
4 mouth calls
Scratchbox
Trumpet or wingbone
Compass
Tp
Knife
Shells
Lighter
Snake bite kit
Water
Food.
Gloves.
Facemask-prefer paint though.
License.
Primos call conditioner thingymabobber

[Greg Massey]

I carry a wheelbarrow with the double tires out front on it , to haul all my stuff ... i carry 2 box calls , few strikers, 4 different pot call surfaces and conditioner , trumpet , gun 20 gauge with shells , crow call , TP, iphone, water, snacks , sometimes i carry my lunch because i stay all day .... couple of decoys depending on the situation.. i use a Glenda satchel and i don't care for the vest or mouth calls at all... i also change out my calls during the season ..  Never leave without the thermocell, small first-aid kit, pocket knife, gloves and mask.... everyone should know you need a licence etc... that's just common sense ... lol... i let mother nature wake the turkey's up, never seen the need to go screaming before daylight ... lol

[Spurs Up]

I've devolved over 40 years from bare essentials, minimalism to the basics+ with 21st century technology and amenities.

Younger days: 1-2 mouth calls, bug spray, occasionally a small hand-held compass; gloves and head net/face mask.  Nothing I couldn't easily fit in BDU pants. Never took extra shells (and only twice did I need them). And, I'd go HAM.

Today: 3-4 mouth calls, 2 pots, 1 box, thermacell with refills (best innovation ever), TP (2nd best innovation), iPhone (worst ever), water, snack, extra snack, extra shells (never once needed them when I had them), small stool or seat if ground is wet, flashlight, backup battery for reflex sight, tag ties, license, truck key fob, turkey tote, bug spray. Still no dekes or blinds. Everything fits into pockets and waistpack or small backpack.  Not a fan of vests.  I still cover some ground but much slower.

[eggshell]

well I did forget the TP on my list, but I don't always remember to carry it.....The Mrs. did ask once what the heck was leaves doing in my underwear. I told it beat dragging my arse on the ground like a dog. She made and unkind remark and threw my drawers away. Women sometimes have no sense of humor or survival....geesh!

[Sir-diealot]

Well my GF bought me a turkey vest for an early CHRISTmas present this year so this Spring I will be giving that a go. I have always gone in with a backpack in the past or a hip sack (Fanny pack, whatever) and carried a couple pens for filling out tags and this year I want to start keeping notes of what I see so in addition to the pens a medium sized pad of paper. Mouth calls, a few pot calls, box call, gloves and head net. Various strikers, scratch box, some decoys though I do not always use them, depends on my mood I guess.

This will be my first year trying to go mobile again, have hunted the last 3 years I have been back in blinds but was able to sit on the ground a bit last year so want to try and see how I do this year so I am sure I am going to have to scale back what I bring with me.

Oh I am hoping I can fit my camera in the turkey vest too. I would also like to add a water bladder to it as I got spoiled using them in my trail walking pack.

[MK M GOBL]

It depends on the hunt...

On my solo hunts I'll go in pretty light, if I'm running and gunning even lighter, if I have others along it depends on gun, bow or video too. Sometimes blinds, sometimes no, Yes decoys and no decoys. I am a definite "set to the hunt, sitation and the area I'm in".

I guess I can say for calls and such I have taken it down to the "basics" for me, all the rest are accessories. Here's my Badlands shoulder pack loaded with what I normally carry.


MK M GOBL

[Tail Feathers]

I'm a firm mediumist.
But besides what everyone else mentioned, I carry some small binoculars (particularly away from my home turf) and usually a gobbler lounger.  I keep the vest somewhat light to make up for that.  I usually have a couple of pot calls and a few mouth calls, rarely a box call.

[renegade19]

I'm getting more and more minimal but I always, always carry a Hunt Comfort Fatboy cushion. 

[Happy]

It's kinda funny. I would feel perfectly comfortable trying to kill a turkey with just a shotgun, shells and a good diaphram call. But I have been known to make a 4am stop a the local walmart just because i forgot mine and anything is better than nothing. Purely mental probably but that is the one call I lean on the most.