A few new things:
Hill People Gear "Tarahumara" pack, Bison Gear Haversack, Condor Pack Golok:
Initial impressions:
Tarahumara - Every bit as high quality as my HPG Kit Bag, and when the two are combined, I can carry a surprising amount of stuff. I've also added a Kifaru "Pod" to the bottom of the pack for carrying layers, sleeping bag, etc. Another great product from HPG, that is general enough in design to be useful for lots of different activities, and that will be seeing lots of use in the future. This gear is spot on in terms of simple design, excellent build and thankfully non-tactical looking.
Haversack - My first piece of Bison Gear, and it lives up to everything I've heard.
Very well made, with an interior hi-vis lining that makes it easy to find things inside. This is a BIG haversack, which could easily function as a day pack for many things. As I continue to pare down on what I carry for much of my hunting, this bag will certainly carry all I need and more, for anything other than really cold weather.
Pack Golok - Unlike the two items above, which I'm seriously impressed with, the Pack Golok gets a mixed first impression. Positives include the hefty, well-made sheath and good weight-forward balance. I like the medium size, and I think it will be capable of some serious work for its length/weight. The biggest negative is that this knife was ridiculously dull out of the box. Probably the worst I've ever seen, and I'm not saying that lightly. Other things I'm not that psyched about include the slippery handle (addressed with a little sandpaper and linseed oil), and the "pitted" finish on 2/3s of the blade. Prior to seeing this knife in the flesh, this detail was my biggest cause for reservation about purchasing it. I thought this might be something I could minimize with some industrial steel wool, or maybe a Dremel, but now I don't think it's going to be that easy. <rant>Coatings and/or fake finishes like this are, imo, absolutely cheesy, detract from the function of the knife and are totally unnecessary. There is no reason for a knife blade to have anything other than the cleanest, smoothest surface finish possible, except for marketing to people who care more about how a knife "looks" than how it performs. </rant off>
I'll do follow ups on all of these items as they see more use. This was just an "initial impressions" report.