Fresh Meat: New Hunting Products

Vortex Optics Torque Wrench Mounting Kit
RANGE: 10-50 in-lb, in 1-pound increments
INCLUDES: 3/16-inch, 2.5mm, 3mm hex bits, T15, T25 Torx bits, 10mm-wide screwdriver bit, ½-inch socket, ¼-inch socket adapter
PRICE: $90
INFO: vortexoptics.com
NOTES:
Once-in-a-lifetime hunts usually involve travel, and travel is hell on optics. Scope mount bolts can be set by feel, but why leave something so important to chance when there’s a compact torque wrench out there like this one from Vortex. Its torque range of 10-50 in-lb will lock down any ring or mount setup, and it comes with a testing certification that tells you how accurate it is. Instead of a repurposed 3/8-inch drive socket wrench, this guy is a dedicated ¼-inch bit driver, meaning you won’t be a slave to a drive adapter going missing at the worst time. And, while it’s a screwdriver form factor, there’s also a socket for a ¼-inch ratchet handle on top for improved leverage and feel on heavier settings.

Els & Co. Kimberly Stock Cartridge Pouch
CARTRIDGE SIZES: African Large, Large Magnum, European Large, Compact Rifle
PRICE: $149
INFO: elsfineleather.com
NOTES:
Having a few spare cartridges at the ready can make the difference between coming out of the field with dinner or with the resolve to bring a few spare cartridges on the next hunt. The Kimberly Stock Cartridge Pouch is a fully structured leather pouch that ties to your stock with a couple of leather lanyards and hides the knot under a leather flap, preventing the loops from getting hung up on. The pouch comes in several sizes to accommodate cartridges from African big bore to .308 Winchester. These handmade beauties class up any rifle, and the feel of leather on your cheek takes the sting out of the morning air. Each one is made from start to finish by an individual craftswoman in South Africa.

Garmin InReach Mini
SIZES: 1.75 by 3.75 by 1 inches
WEIGHT: 3.5 ounces
BATTERY: 50 hours, USB rechargeable
PLANS: $12-$100 per month
PRICE: $350
INFO: garmin.com
MIL/LE SALES: strohmanenterprise.com
NOTES:
Garmin’s new inReach affords us an electronic reach-back capability in a package barely bigger than a couple of Zippo lighters. The gadget provides GPS, mapping, and data comms anywhere the Iridium satellite network is available. It sends and receives freestyle and canned texts, emails, connects via Bluetooth to select Garmin devices and phones, allowing you to download maps, routes, and waypoints. It also shares location information directly with other inReach units and keeps your fans updated using Garmin’s web portal. For safety, it pulls weather on the fly and can send out an SOS that will notify the GEOS response center so they can get a search-and-rescue effort heading your way. Of course, all this goodness requires a subscription that may dampen your enthusiasm for backcountry texting.

CourtEney Boots Selous Safari Boot
SIZES: U.S. 7-15.5
PRICE: $400
INFO: courteneyboot.com
U.S. ORDERS: africansportingcreations.com
NOTES:
Named after the renowned South African hunter and conservationist Frederick Selous, Courteney’s flagship hunting boot is hand-stitched in South Africa exclusively of gameskin. The upper is made of hardwearing kudu skins, with impala skin providing support and padding at the ankle and lower calf. To call the sole pattern “aggressive” would be a laughable understatement. The tread looks like it’s ripped from an off-road truck tire and grips the earth like 60-grit sandpaper on balsa wood. The lack of a modern waterproof membrane means these things breathe properly, but will need to be fed a steady diet of wax or polish to keep them in top shape. Seldom have we experienced such a wanton and wonderful display of “they don’t make ’em like that anymore” as we felt when we donned these exquisitely comfortable and capable boots. The boots include a brush, polish, cloth, spare laces, and full-length and partial footbeds.

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