Thread: Budget Hunting (pun intended)

So, I've been thinking about this for a while, and it may have been done before, but I scrolled through a fair bit of history and didn't find anything.
Times are reasonably tough for many at the moment and many of us have to stretch the dollar a little further than we'd like. For my household, putting good quality red meat in the diet at a good price (the costs of hunting) has been invaluable and we haven't had to buy red meat in quite some time. My dearest wife is coming around to the fact that hunting is not just a "hobby for the boys" in the family, and that it has some tangible benefits (we all know there are many right!!). She is a great wife, and very low maintenance, spending very little on herself, which is par for the course when you have three kids that include two large teenage boys who are growing out of everything (their backpacks are way too small and I am carrying way too much weight in my pack for a 49 year old)!

So, to get to the point, we can't all spend, or justify spending on the high end gear (even if we'd like to) - the Tatonka pack, with the Thermarest sleeping mat, the Domex Halo sleeping bag, the MSR tent, the Jetboil cooker etc. etc. etc.
Yes, I know that it is often true that "you only get what you pay for"......often, but not always. So, what I'm after here is anything you have found or bought (as a budget conscious hunter) that fits into the category of getting MORE than what you have payed for, so to speak. Things that you have bought at a cost far cheaper than the high end stuff, but has performed well, or well enough.

Thanks.

This stove has served me well
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005...d=MLNT28ZQi450

Light weight cook ware, worth checking out

https://barrettoutdoorsnz.com/shop

Those twig stoves look interesting!

Waterproof breathable jackets $95 from Hunters Corner https://www.nzgrhunts.com/

Active intents' lightweight pants from the Warehouse $25 approx

Second hand packs off TM - I got a very good but dirty Macpac for $5. a soak and water blast and all good.

I still cruise through the Salvation army and other second hand stores every now and then. Have picked up absolute bargains now and then. Best was a little used Fairydown Everest sleeping bag for $5. Is the warmest bag I now own. Other bargains will be fluffy thermal blankets and copper bottomed pots for cooking over gas in a car based camping scenario, and thin thermal mats for protecting the underside of your flash harry inflatable sleeping mat. All will be just a few bucks.

Ali express gear is generally half the price or less than store purchased stuff here, and will have often been manufactured in the same Chinese factory.

If you really want to save $$ on hunting clothing, and you or the wife are handy with a sewing machine then places like Spotlight and some emporiums have fleece in many colours plus camo. About $6 worth of material will make a hunting shirt or pair of trou.


If you don't have a sewing machine, they will be available in those same Salvation army second hand stores for 20 or so bucks.

Then there's the on line 'Army surplus' stores that sell quality wet weathers for pretty much cheap as chips.

There's lots of ways to get by cheap. My mum made all us kids 'waterproof clothing' for going up Mt Ruapehu out of clear polythene plastic welded together using an iron and cellophane to stop the polythene melting onto the iron.

Warehouse Back Country farm fleece and shorts, Army & Outdoors new (when available in the right size) army surplus "goretex" pants and jacket, Victory 4" drop point hunter or 6" boning knife (straight from the factory"... There's a few cheapies

Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

Waterproof breathable jackets $95 from Hunters Corner https://www.nzgrhunts.com/

Active intents' lightweight pants from the Warehouse $25 approx

Second hand packs off TM - I got a very good but dirty Macpac for $5. a soak and water blast and all good.

None of those jackets from Sarvo look seam sealed I doubt they'd last very long before they start leaking

Go to one of those big hock shops.Theres a lot of good second hand type hunting clothing in them.I accidently came cross one in chch.Good swaney type jackets,near new like $20-$30 each.That was a few yrs ago.

Wives Multitool, that is nearly as good as my leatherman for 1/4 the price. Gutted and skinned a pig with it a few weeks ago.

https://goodtohave.co.nz/product/13-function-multitool/

Lightweight and cheap as chips gas stove, they also are available on aliexpress.

https://goodtohave.co.nz/product/lig...ini-gas-stove/

Things I have bought relatively cheaply:
- Secondhand pack as @Moa Hunter says.
- Torpedo7 inflatable mat.
- Bahco knife.
- AliExpress trekking poles if you're into them (I shoot off them). Otherwise a mustering stick.
- AliExpress SNDWAY rangefinder.
- Most of my thermal & fleece gear.

Things I wouldn't scrimp on:
- Boots (in saying that, I picked up some as-new Lowas off TradeMe for $200).
- Socks. I'm still using Bridgedales I bought in 2003!
- Jacket. This is personal preference, but I wouldn't trust a cheapie for multi-day, all-season trips. I run a Macpac Prophet I picked up on special years ago.
- Sleeping bag. My Fairydown Arete SL is also 20 years old now.
- Binos, although $400 - $500 will get you a perfectly serviceable pair.

There are lots of other hacks on here for hunting on a budget. One of my favourites is to buy 450g gas canisters for cheaper than a 125g canister, and fill a used 125g with one of the adapter things from AliExpress.

I've owned, and still do, a lot of quite expensive knives but my standard go to knife for general hunting and breaking down a venison carcass is this one. $60
https://victoryknives.co.nz/lightweight-hunters-set/
Even if you happen to loose the knife you still have the sheath, so you replace the knife for $28.
https://victoryknives.co.nz/drop-point-knife-10cm/
The're bloody good knives that wont break the bank and wont make you cry if you loose it.

Might be a little controversial for some however I use a topo app on my phone for navigation. You get one chart free and you can delete it and load another for free.
If you want multiple charts I think it was $7.00
Set your phone to aeroplane mode to save on battery, should last 2 days.
Doesn't have all the features of a gps but it will tell you where you are and you most likely already own a phone.
Mate had a gps, has since sold it and uses his phone now as well.
If you want more battery life, take a power bank with you.

Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

None of those jackets from Sarvo look seam sealed I doubt they'd last very long before they start leaking

I thought that too, but at $55 for a knock around farm jacket I thought it was worth a crack ( I bought one of the specials ).
Anyway I have used it everyday including just now (as I have come in for smoko) for shifting deer breaks in a 1 mtr + kale crop. I have not been wet, including Sunday when we got 100mm, while slashing break lines. Give the jacket a shake and it's dry. Has a concealed waterproof membrane so I guess that is overlapped or sealed. The membrane does make a slight 'crinkle' sound but no scape noises

Oh yeah
I forgot, Buy your gas canisters at Bunnings-not at camping stores $6.90vs$12+ They only sell the med-large sizes though
https://www.bunnings.co.nz/gasmate-2...ister_p0114564