This is the bowhunting gear I am carrying, testing, or keeping available for the 2026 season. It is not meant to be a universal shopping list. It is a working loadout built around the way I hunt.
Some of these items have been part of my setup for years. Others are still competing for a permanent place. As preseason practice and the hunting season take shape, I will update this page when something earns its way into the system or gets replaced.
If you want broader recommendations by category, start with my best bowhunting gear guide. This page is different: it shows what I am actually using now.
My 2026 Bowhunting Setup at a Glance
| System | Current gear | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Compound bow | PSE Decree | Currently carrying |
| Arrow | Easton 4mm FMJ build | Final build subject to preseason tuning |
| Broadhead | Trifecta fixed blade | Currently carrying |
| Saddle | Latitude Maverick | Currently carrying |
| Platform | Latitude Profile | Proven over two seasons |
| Climbing sticks | Latitude Carbon SS | Currently carrying |
| Primary pack | Latitude Ranger 22 | Current front-runner |
| Heavy-load pack | Mystery Ranch Pop Up 30 | Situational alternative |
| Bow case | Mystery Ranch bow case | Currently using |
How to Read This Gear List
- Currently carrying: Part of my primary setup right now.
- Current front-runner: Leading the category, but I am still evaluating it through the season.
- Situational alternative: Used when the hunt requires a different capacity or capability.
- Testing this season: Promising equipment that has not yet earned a permanent recommendation.
- Replaced: Gear that still works but no longer fits the system as well as another option.
Compound Bow Setup
PSE Decree
The PSE Decree is still my current hunting bow. It fits me, I understand how it shoots, and it has been tuned around the arrows I am using. I will change this page if another bow legitimately improves the system, but I do not replace dependable equipment only because something newer is available.
Sight, Rest, Stabilizer, and Quiver
These accessories stay because they perform their jobs without adding unnecessary complexity. If one changes, it will be because I am solving a specific issue with balance, visibility, containment, or repeatability.
Arrows and Broadheads
My current working arrow setup uses an Easton 4mm FMJ and a Trifecta fixed-blade broadhead. I am leaving room for the final finished weight and component details to change after preseason tuning. The important point is that the shaft, insert system, broadhead weight, and dynamic spine must work together.
I use the Everyday Bow Hunter Arrow System to evaluate that complete build instead of choosing an arrow by one number.
Latitude Mobile Hunting Setup
My core mobile setup is built around the Latitude Maverick saddle, Profile Platform, and Carbon SS climbing sticks.
I have used the Profile Platform for two years and love it. It gives me the foot room and stability I want without turning the setup into something difficult to carry. The carbon sticks fit the same objective: reduce unnecessary weight while keeping the climbing system practical.
The reason I have become so positive about Latitude is not one individual product. The equipment is well designed, and the pieces integrate extremely well. The saddle, platform, sticks, pack, and attachment points feel like parts of one mobile-hunting system instead of unrelated products I have to force together.
I still use a lineman’s belt, tree tether, and Ropeman 1 where appropriate. Any climbing equipment must be used according to its manufacturer instructions and inspected before every hunt.
The Packs I Am Carrying
Current Front-Runner: Latitude Ranger 22
The Ranger 22 is the current front-runner for my primary saddle hunting pack. It has enough room for a complete day setup without feeling oversized, and it carries my Latitude platform and sticks in a way that feels deliberate. It may become my new number-one pack, but I want the rest of the season to shape that final judgment.
Heavy-Load Alternative: Mystery Ranch Pop Up 30
The Pop Up 30 is the pack I reach for when I need more flexibility. It remains manageable as a daypack, but the frame and load shelf give it the ability to carry heavy additional gear or help pack out a deer. That range is what impressed me most. It can do much more than its everyday size suggests.
I use the Mystery Ranch Quick Attach Accessory Straps to mount my saddle platform more securely and make the pack easier to organize.
Other Pack Roles
The Eberlestock X2 remains a capable alternative when I need to carry heavy gear or help move a deer. Smaller minimalist packs still have a role for short walks and warm-weather hunts, but I do not have one universal minimalist recommendation in this loadout yet.
See my saddle hunting pack comparison for the complete breakdown, including minimalist options and packs I still want to test.
What I Carry on Me
- Release aid
- Headlamp with spare power
- Compass
- Leatherman multi-tool
- Phone and offline maps
- License, identification, and essential safety items
I keep the items that affect safety or the immediate shot on my body. A pack can be set down, dropped, or separated from me. The release, light, navigation, and critical safety equipment stay accessible.
Binoculars and Harness
My binocular setup is built around useful glass that I will actually carry. I use a Rick Young harness because it is simple, light, and keeps the binocular accessible without a bulky chest rig. The best binocular is not the one with the longest specification sheet. It is the one you have with you when you need to confirm an animal, study a trail, or pick apart cover.
What Stays in the Pack
Every Hunt
- Water and a compact food option
- Basic first-aid and emergency items
- Rangefinder and wind checker
- Spare release or critical repair items
- Flagging, marking, or recovery supplies permitted where I hunt
- Power bank and charging cable
Recovery and Processing
- Knife and replaceable blades
- Gloves
- Game bags or drag equipment based on the hunt
- Additional light
- Pack-out straps when the terrain and pack call for them
Seasonal Additions
Insulation, rain protection, hand warmers, calls, scent-control equipment, and extra food are added when conditions justify them. I do not carry every possible item on every hunt. Pack weight should reflect the day, distance, weather, and recovery plan.
Scent-Control Equipment I Am Still Evaluating
I use Ozonics equipment in parts of my scent-control process, including the HR500, DryWash bag, and Micro3. I treat these as supporting tools, not permission to ignore the wind. Access, stand placement, air movement, and deer behavior still come first.
Alternate Hunting Systems
Hang-and-Hunt Setup
I still keep a hang-and-hunt option for trees and locations where a conventional stand makes more sense. The saddle is not automatically the best solution for every tree. The system should match the location, cover, shot opportunities, and length of the sit.
Ground Setup
A ground setup gives me another way to adapt when the right tree is not available or the terrain creates a better opportunity from the ground. Concealment, wind, background cover, and the ability to draw without being seen matter more than adding equipment for its own sake.
What May Change During the 2026 Season
The Ranger 22 and Pop Up 30 are the biggest active pack decisions. My final arrow components may also change after the complete bow is tuned and tested at hunting distances. Clothing will rotate with weather and the location I hunt.
That is why this page is organized in independent Gutenberg sections. When a product earns a place—or loses it—I can update that part of the loadout without rebuilding the entire article or pretending the rest of the system changed with it.
Your Next Step
- Best Bowhunting Gear: Compare my broader recommendations by category.
- Best Saddle Hunting Packs: See the full field-tested pack comparison.
- The Arrow System: Build and evaluate an arrow that matches your bow and hunt.
- The Hunting Clothing System: Build layers around the conditions you actually hunt.
