Beginner Kit List

New Avon Arms
ColBaldr

ColBaldr

Well-Known Member
Evening all,

As the title suggests I'm looking for a list of must have gear to get started with stalking and maybe some extra bits to look into as time passes. (This is excluding a rifle as I know what I will be getting in that regard).

I have done a lot of research but I don't want to just spend a load of cash on everything when I might not need it all tight at the start. I have also gotten quite tired of scrolling through reviews etc of all sorts of glass, shooting sticks, knives etc. I also dont have a ginormous budget so maybe not swarvoski and Harkila. Hoping that some of you might be able to advise on the bare necessities. Thanks
 
Ask 10 people get 15 different answers 😂 it's usually trial and error, some like little and basic and other like everything but the kitchen sink.

For me though excluding rifle/mod/scope:
Sling for rifle - I like the niggeloh back pack style
Quad sticks - can be as cheap as you like using B+Q canes
Bum bag that contains -
Knife - mora
Rope to use as a drag
Deer + fox calls on string
Nitrile gloves
Smidge (essential)
Thermal or binos, the vortex diamondback are brilliant for the price.

If I've got that, I'll crack on and get stalking. You don't need much to be successful whatsoever.

Have a chat with @Monarch Country Products and he will sort you out for most of the 'field' kit you will need.
 
A half decent pair of 8x42 binoculars will serve you well enough for a good while. And a laser rangefinder can be had for well under £100 too. Mora knives are as good as anything else, and a roesack. Add a set of sticks, and that should see you equipped for just about anything.
 
hendrix's rifle said:
Ask 10 people get 15 different answers 😂 it's usually trial and error, some like little and basic and other like everything but the kitchen sink.

For me though excluding rifle/mod/scope:
Sling for rifle - I like the niggeloh back pack style
Quad sticks - can be as cheap as you like using B+Q canes
Bum bag that contains -
Knife - mora
Rope to use as a drag
Deer + fox calls on string
Nitrile gloves
Smidge (essential)
Thermal or binos, the vortex diamondback are brilliant for the price.

If I've got that, I'll crack on and get stalking. You don't need much to be successful whatsoever.

Have a chat with @Monarch Country Products and he will sort you out for most of the 'field' kit you will need.
Click to expand...
I think a pair of binos would be good to add to your list---------------- @Quixote beat me to it :doh: :tiphat:
 
You’ll need the following:

These are all reconditions for someone starting out and depend hugely on your style of stalking / ground / season.

Knife (Mora good to start with).
Sticks, I like quad sticks
Binos Vortex Diamondbacks won’t break the bank.
Small first aid kit
Suitable clothing - surplus is good.
Boots, wellies or again surplus
Thermal Imager try a few before you buy if you can
Decent rifle sling
Bipod
Call - Buttalo good for Roe and MJ
S hooks to hang / gralloch
Wipes to clean your kit
Good fleece for high seat sessions

Much (much) more will be recommended to you by almost everyone you talk to. This is a bare minimum. I found I overpacked when starting out: as your experience and knowledge increase you’ll carry less. Again a lot depends on wider factors. Stalking in the middle of nowhere - you’ll want different kit from ‘stalking’ from a high seat in the Home Counties never more than 50m from your truck.

You will try stuff that other people rave about only to discard it as not suitable for you in which case you’ll probably end up selling it on here!
 
Rifle & scope,
ammo,
8×42 binos,
quad sticks,
Knife,
Length of rope,
Small knapsack in which to carry the rope, together with sandwiches, flask, a spare jumper, and to shoot off if you need to go prone. Would be a good idea to stick a small first aid kit in there as well.


I carried an awful lot more stuff when I first started, and I now know most of it was unnecessary.

A thermal is nice to have, but by no means essential.
 
Last edited:
It really depends on what you are hunting, where, when, and all the rest but the bare minimum is knife (opinel is a good starter and can be easily sharpened) binos (as others have mentioned vortex are good for the money), quad sticks and rifle

The best thing is getting out there and doing it without over complicating it. While you’re out getting stuck in, take the time to really think about how it’s going and what’s working well and what’s causing issues or missed opportunities. The day after, reflect on the issue causing things or less efficient aspects and ask your mates or people here how they overcame them.

On a side note, I fricking love thermal gear but be wary, it’s a Pandora’s box and can take something intangible away from a days stalk…proceed with caution!
 
Just for normal 2-3 hours stalking

Binos
Shooting sticks
Drag rope/ suspended gralloch
Knife
Gloves
Torch
My three words on your phone
Chocolate bar, drop of water and sterile wipes

Get what you want in a bum bag at keep it at that, no need to over engineer it
Forget about wind puffers , calls etc etc they are pocket fillers to lose

Less is more when it comes to stalking
 
Nice expensive stuff is great, but there's precious few people that can afford everything from the get go. Rifle and scope are things worth forking out a bit for. After that, look for functional gear that does the job and dream of upgrading in the future. A second hand pair of army Altberg boots are good kit at around £50. Indeed army surplus waterproof and hopefully breathable jackets and trousers are worth a look. Or look at fell walking clobber, often cheaper than dedicated stuff. As above, a couple of B&Q sticks can later be swapped for quad sticks. You can pay a small fortune for a great knife, but a functional one can be had for around £20. Similarly, you get what you pay for regarding binos, but a functional one, or even a second hand one will do initially. Have a think about what deer you will be wanting to extract and put something together that'll do that cheaply too. You can always extract by helicopter once your lottery win lands!

Although it's always nice to have named posh stuff, it's never the only option. Anyway, if you bought all the top kit straight off and become a Tackleberry, where's the enjoyment in saving up and upgrading in the future?
 
Loads of research but not used the search on the site it’s been done to death
But it also depends where and what your stalking, you aren’t going to carry the same on the hill walking miles as you would on a 400yard walk to a highseat.
 
For your clothing, have a look on Bushwear they have some good deals. Shooterking , Deerhunter , good stuff. Looks like the lads have covered everything but I will say ,you won’t go far wrong with a pair of 8x42 vortex diamond back bins and quod sticks are easy to make. And don’t forget to enjoy 😉
 
VSS said:
Ear muffs or plugs is another essential I forgot to include on my list at post #7

Torch is a good shout, @Overlay
Click to expand...
Yep, just a small one Always got the phone torch, but you may need that so i have my little head torch and spare batteries on board, can’t see a rabbit hole ankle breaker in the dark when your dragging out best to have illumination pointing to where your going, not good dragging a fallow if you've at best dragging as well a sprained ankle a 1/2 mile drag is a mile of torture

Dont ask me how I know that 🥹
 
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