Best Hunting Food Processing
Opaque Vita-Save exterior helps block harmful light which destroys nutritional content of food being dehydrated. The hot air is forced horizontally across each individual tray, converging on the core for fast, even and nutritious drying.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I bought this dehydrator sort of like many people did: after reading the things you can do with it, I got all excited, thinking, "I'm going to dehydrate EVERYTHING and it's going to be amazing!!!" So far, I've used the dehydrator to make a couple of batches of each of: - Apple chips (thin apple slices soaked for a few hours in a combo of lemon juice and cranberry juice, then dried). - beef jerky (this dehydrator comes with a starter park for jerky, plus I made my own marinade the next time). - chicken jerky. - bacon bits (the ends and "bad cuts" of my own home-cured, smoked bacon, finely chopped, cooked, and then dehydrated. The temperature can be dialed in from 95ºF to 160ºF as printed on the top (remember that problem I mentioned? Well, I have tested the actual running temperature of the dehydrator against the printed values on the dial, and they're not even close. I used several methods to determine the temperature: 1) A Mastercool Digital Infrared Thermometer pointed directly into an exhaust vent (see photo) with the dial set to the maximum 160ºF. 4) A digital metal probe thermometer (Lavatools Thermowand) inserted into both the upper and lower exhaust ports. In all cases (except #3, which responded too slowly) I was able to see the lower temperature at which the heater kicked on, as well as the upper temperature at which the heater turned off (in theory, this would be right around the number printed on the dial). - At the 135ºF setting on the dehydrator, the actual temperature maxed out at around 120ºF, at which point the heater turned off and the temperature dropped slowly until the heater came back on. - At the 160ºF setting (maximum), it was the same story but with an actual temperature topping out at around 135ºF. What concerns me is this unit's suitability for jerky -- the minimum recommended temperature for any meat is 160ºF when making jerky. I'm not too terribly concerned about the beef jerky because I routinely eat beef at a much lower temperature than that (though it does make a good case for refrigerating the jerky in this case), but the chicken jerky could have gone pretty badly!"
"The 3rd reason I love this dehydrator is simple, it produces the best tasting dehydrated foods I've ever had, I'm and avid outdoorsman and have dehydrated everything from deer to turkey, family friends insist I start selling the jerky made with this product. With all that being said, if you have a dehydrator that is getting old/malfunctioning or just want to start making your own dehydrated foods, this product is for you, don't pass this one up, you will not be dissatisfied with your purchase."
"First, lets talk about performance: Only in a few ocasions I could dry something with less than 12 hours using a moderate temperature and thin slices. But a 4,5 or 4,7 stars would be more fair, since this dehydrator has a lot of good points and we live in a very humid area, in the sea coast. I think if you are willing to put some peppers in a dehydrator, you should use very low temperatures, those used to dry herbs and other fragile stuff. I can not believe some people say this dehydrator makes some undesirable noise to the point that they need to put them in a room far from their bedroom otherwise they couldn't sleep! The gray and white marble finish fits incredibly well in any room, like it's camouflaged, hard to explain. Dehydrated fruits leave virtually no residue, they stick very lightly to the trays and can be easily pulled out. Not a single banana or any other fruit like apples got stuck in the trays to the point that they couldnt be removed easily with the fingers, and entire, not in fragments. (Room temperature: 28 Celsius) With 9 trays full of fruits: 1st hour: 650 Watts (average). Explanation: the first hours take more power because the machine is heating the trays so the thermostat rarely turns off. After a few hours, the thermostat only activates ocasionally to refresh the temperature, since the trays are already heated and only need a maintenance to keep the warm air flow. When the electric resistance turns off, the measure of wattage reads 28 watts, that's the power consumption of the fan (negligible). I will update this review if anything unexpected occurs, or if I have any important thing to add, like new food experiences, et cetera. To finish this review, I'd like to apologize for my awful English, I had a hard time writting this because I am not a native speaker, so tell me if something sounds odd or particularly unusual, I can clarify your questions in the comments section."
Blade length: 4.1 inches (104 mm); Blade thickness: 0.1 inch (2.5 mm); Overall length: 8.6 inches (218 mm); Weight w/ sheath: 4.1 oz.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"They come razor sharp from the factory;sharpen easily with strop or fine stone back to shaving. I also packed my cold steel srk san mai iii for heavier work yet hardly unsheathed it. The mora bushcraft black and mora companion filled my belly with fish and my fire with feathersticks and fine kindling to start the fire for cooking!"
"At this price I ordered a second for myself, so now my wife has a black companion with a purple kydex sheath and I have a black with carbon fiber sheath. I have Bark Rivers, Spydercos, Kershaws, Smith and Sons and others but for bike touring and backpacking, where weight matters I grab the Mora Companion."
"This is one of the best knife at this price range. It is a versatile fixed blade outdoor knife of hardened Sandvik 12C27 stainless steel. Here are some specs of this knife. - Blade length: 4.1 inches (104 mm). - Blade thickness: 0.1 inch (2.5 mm). - Overall length: 8.6 inches (218 mm). - Weight w/ sheath: 4.1 oz. 2."
"What is the best paring knife? A quality fixed blade."
"The neutral: Blade is about as thin as any kitchen knife, so i've been hesitant to go full abuse on it. Prying tin lids are fine, wouldn't go pass 30 degrees of bending though. The bad: The knife can go into the sheath both ways but can only lock in through one way."
"Same look and feel as the bushcraft but in stainless steel so it's not going to be nice to sharpen when it gets dull and it doesn't have the survival gear built into the sheath."
Specially designed channels block oxygen and moisture to maximize air removal.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The food comes out even months later as fresh tasting as it went into the FoodSaver bags."
"I got in a mess trying to use them for the cup-up chicken."
"It is great for wrapping hamburger when I buy great quality."
"love these bags with my new food saver, Super durable and thick you can tell they will keep your food fresh without freezer burn for a while."
"They are more than the roll but I find that I use too much with the roll and making these small bags takes too much time."
"They save me time when I get home from shopping at the box store."
"These are original manufacturer's bags and they do work well."
"These bags make quick work of vacuum sealing your foods."
Best Dehydrators
The Excalibur 9-Tray Large Dehydrator provides 15 square feet of drying space making this the biggest and best there is! 9-Tray dehydrator, 15 square feet of drying space, Built in on/off switch and adjustable thermostat with 26 hour timer.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I has a much smaller one that couldn't hold much and it was frustrating to go to the effort to prep food to dry only to be able to do so little of it at a time, so I took the plunge and bought this Excalibur model and am so happy I made the change. I'm still fairly new to food dehydration so I refer to a book I bought for the proper way to prepare food items and for drying time and temperature, then I follow those directions and I'm having nothing but success so far."
"You already know about the 9 trays, you know about air moving, you know that it's a bit bulky and may not fit under a smaller kitchen cabinet. - Fairly easy to clean, seems to be a decent quality items, I've had zero issues with it after owning and using for a bit over three months."
"They may only have a guarantee of 10 years in the USA, but since I have had the first one for 35 years, I had no worries about buying a second one for a spare because the 35 year old one might go belly up some day--or maybe not. I didn't get this exact model but went whole hog and got the stainless one with the stainless shelves and the timer. However, it's plastic shelves had started to droop, making for uneven drying of leathers--but that's no big deal because people start to droop after 35 years, too! So, I bought new stainless shelves for the old one. They have not changed the demensions of these things for at least 35 years so brand new stainless mesh shelves fit my ancient dehydrator perfectly. The old one just has a knob that sets the temp and starts it running. I made some amazing smoked salmon and chinese beef jerky and about a dozen different types of fruit leather over about a 3 week period.The dehydrator is great to raise bread, dry nylons or lingerie, or put that "glaze" on the brined salmon for perfect smoking in your smoker! However, the one suggestion I can make is to not bother to replace your drooping plastic shelves with another set of plastic ones if you've lost your "mesh" that came with them. When you add up the cost of buying new plastic shelves and new mesh,you may as well just spring for an entire new set of stainless shelves because you won't need the mesh with them."
"We have owned several dehydrators over the years, Started with a Ronco and the last one was an American Harvest. I only wish I had bought the 5 tray instead of the 9. Who knew that by going with the square design you would gain so much space."
Best Hunting Knives, Axes & Saws
Our new key knife just might save the day, unless of course you lock it in the trunk. Black key handle is made of stainless steel that's shaped like a house key.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This little knife is really sharp, has a good locking mechanism, and a hefty metal build."
"I like having mine around and readily available for opening packages, cutting strings off clothing, or gettings those little plastic tags off of merchandise."
"My only complaint is to fold it back you can only grip it from the sides which is awkward to me."
"Awesome emergency knife with limitations of course."
"With the index and middle knuckles wrapped around each side of the head. For $5 SOG mades an alarmingly dangerous and easily-concealed self-defense weapon, especially if used by the right hands."
"Incredible quality, looks awesome, and an extremely high quality blade."
"Great little addition to my clip-on keychain."
"Love this little knife I’ve had it on my keys for about a year now and it’s still very sharp and in good condition."
Best Electric Meat Grinders
This Meat Grinder is intended to Grind Meat - This Grinder Will NOT Grind Bones.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The first conclusion: the most important feature of a meat grinder is the motor power. This STX has a powerful 1,800 watts motor, more than enough to do all of the duties of a home kitchen (and maybe even of a small restaurant). The ground meat texture results very similar to that from a supermarket grinder. We didn't notice that, and what went to the dishwasher was damaged: the shining was gone and those parts became some rough to touch. So, I contacted the seller (The Mercantile Station) and asked them the price of the replacing parts, since I would buy them. What a pleasant surprise: they promptly sent me an email asking for my address, and they kindly offered to send the parts for free (despite, I must stress, the damage was caused by me). IMPORTANT NOTE: a few months after we bought our STX, the motor was improved to 2,000 watts, i.e, an increase of about 11%."
"Put a bit of already ground meat back into hopper to push through the last piece of steak so it doesn't get stuck - push down with pusher."
"First time use was for grinding London Broil at $1.99 a pound rather than buy 80% hamburg at $3.99 a pound. Ground a bunch of chicken and it made delicious burgers, @.99 lb."
"Being a machinist I took a good sharpening stone and dressed the disks and blades, they broke in perfectly. Determining the right amount of tension on the disk retaining ring is not exact science."
"My mom seems to love this thing and grinds everything in it, mainly meats and vegetables."
"While this machine does produce a loud whirring sound while operating, it is a very efficient machine and gets the job done quickly!"
"It saves me money and I can now insure the quality of the meat that I'm eating."
"Easy assembly, good fitting parts except the meat trough is loose when in use and has no way in which to secure it."
Best Outdoor Smokers
Other highlights include a water pan, built-in thermometer, individual vents on the bowl and lid, a heat-resistant nylon handle, and a storage cover. At Weber, they continue that tradition of excellence in everything they do from the development of new grills and accessories to the services they provide to customer and dealers. Performance Weber grills have been and will continue to be the true definition of performance in backyard grilling. 2012 Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker Smokers 18.5" Silver. 22.5" Silver Cooking System Color / Item Black / 721001. Black / 731001 Two plated-steel cooking grates •. • Cooking Area Diameter 18-1/2 inches. 22-1/2 inches Total cooking area 481 square inches. 726 square inches Construction Porcelain-enameled bowl, lid, and water pan •. • Four rust-resistant aluminum vents •. • Rust-resistant aluminum fuel door •. • Glass-reinforced nylon handle(s) •. • Features Lid thermometer •. • Premium cover included •. • Owner's guide •. • Limited warranty •. • Dimensions LxWxH (inches) 21 x 19 x 41. 24 x 23 x 48.5. Size: 18-Inch |. Style: Smoker. Cooking System 2 heavy-duty, plated-steel, cooking grates Two 18.5 inch diameter cooking areas Cooking area = 481 square inches Premium grade cover included Weber cookbook Limited warranty Available lid and bowl color: black Construction Porcelain-enameled bowl, lid, and waterpan No-rust aluminum vents No-rust aluminum fuel door 1 Glass-reinforced nylon handle Built-in lid thermometer Dimensions (With the lid open) Height: 41 inches Width R-L: 19 inches Depth: 19 inches Additional Information A durable built-in thermometer allows you to easily monitor your grills temperature. Water pan; built-in thermometer; individual vents on bowl and lid; storage cover.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"After much research and measuring, I realized the 18 inch version was too big as well (& must be equally heavy) - the 18 inch seems like the right size for someone who entertains for 40+ people regularly - overkill for someone wanting to invite his family over or cook for his own family. To put it in perspective, you can fit two pork butts on the 14 and 4 butts on the 18 - I recently did one butt and had enough pulled pork for 6 adults and 6 kids, and there were left overs that could have fed at least one more family (2 adults and 2 kids) - this means I can feed 12-16 with one butt and 24-32 with 2 on the 14 - more than enough. Also, the 14 uses less fuel and will cost less per use in the long run (for example if you smoke 2 butts in the 18 (versus its capacity of 4) u need to use more fuel because of the bigger space to heat up. Remember the unit is engineered/designed for use of Both racks (which makes the 18 more efficient for 4 pork butts versus the 22 for example)."
"November 2017 Update: All it takes is one WSM-18 to win a Rib Championship, even caveman pitmaster style when no foil or electricity is allowed. New WSMs will tend to overheat until you are able to get grease and gunk on the inside and around the rim where the lid sits to ensure an air tight seal. The fastest way to season is to do the following: Phase One - cover the water pan completely with aluminum foil and run a full load of lit Kingsford briquettes and let it run as hot as it can with no water in the pan (over 350 degrees) to burn off any manufacturing residue. Put bacon strips, chicken parts, pork fat, or any other scrap meat you don't plan to eat. Dry heat allows the crust to form faster on the meat (called the bark). To test for properly formed bark, use your finger nail and scrape the meat surface. Remember to always empty the ash from the bottom and grease on the foiled water pan to avoid fires and any rancid old oil smell before you cook. --------------------------------------------------------------. Updated March 18, 2014 - in response to questions on fire and temp management on the WSM-18, I added a link with more tips [...]. OK. A reader notified me that Amazon deleted my link to my bbq team website where I feature easy recipes of the backyard cook. Regardless of the pit you're using, they all have three major components that you'll need to learn to control to maintain proper cooking temperatures: 1) the air intake, 2) fuel you're using, and 3) the exhaust vent/chimney. Besides, I buy them on sale in the summer months for half price and stockpile them for my classes and contest year where I use over a hundred 20-lb bags annually. Yes, I do use other types of fuel like lump charcoal and pellets but I like to compete using KF Blue (no, they are not my sponsor) because I can fly into any city in America and drive my rental car to Walmart to pick up one bag of KF Blue and win a Grand Championship. In the WSM, there are three circular intake damper vents at the bottom that can be opened or closed as needed to allow more or less air to enter the pit. If you're cooking brisket and pork butt (> 12 hours), you want to fill it all the way going past the top of the charcoal ring until it is overflowing. When you're ready to start cooking, carefully dump a half charcoal chimney of lit briquettes into the crater. If you have access to a WSM circa 2008 and earlier, those older WSMs come with a shallow water pan that does not bump into the briquettes. Alternatively, you can go to Home Depot and get yourself a terra cotta planter base that's the same diameter as the WSM water pan. I don't like the terra cotta approach as it's added weight I have to carry when I transport my WSMs which have already accumulated over 100,000 miles of travel all over the US. All seasoned pitmasters know how to intuitively draft their pit using "clean" smoke to color and flavor their barbecue meats. With both of these quick fix approaches, do not leave your WSM unattended as the temps could rise fast and you'll burn your meats."
"I will keep this short, because I know youve already read all about this thing."
"My husband LOVES this smoker."
"He really likes the Weber brand and doesn't think you can go wrong with any of their products!"
Best Vacuum Sealers
Combining both a handheld and standard vacuum sealer, this 2-in-1 FoodSaver appliance is vacuum sealing versatility at its best. Starter Kit includes: (1) 11"x10' Roll, (3) Qt Heat-Seal Bags, (2) Gal Heat-Seal Bags, (3) Qt Zipper Bags, (2) Gal Zipper Bags.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Below is a picture of the older came show model with a separate vacuum bag roll storage and cutter. One problem with the older unit was that it would not allow you to heat seal the bags closed until it achieved a very thorough removal of all of the air. Again the newer model allows me to seal the bags to achieve a tight shrink wrap but without making a mess. I recycled some plastic take-out Chinese containers, filled them with some delicious bean and bacon soup that my wife made today. I bagged several helpings of soup and with the concavity achieved by the plastic containers they stack perfectly in my freezer."
"I thought having the control panel on top would be a good thing (in use it doesn't really make a difference), and I found the brushed stainless steel chassis wrap attractive... neither affects the function of the sealer, and a buyer can get the same functionality and save $30 by purchasing the 4440. Automated sealing works well, and the amount of vacuum can be controlled from the panel for fragile items or partial vacuum sealing. The attached hose unit is used for sealing vacuum zipper bags or vacuum sealing jars or drawing a vacuum in a marinating dish. I found that 2 1/2 inches from the edge to the contents in the bag results in a reliable seal. After 10 or so days, I have used the first beans, and replenish the containers from the freezer, maintaining FRESH ground coffee for a couple of months."
Best Hunting Field Dressing Accessories
- Lock on the grip, grab the snake effortlessly wothout fear of lessening your grip and it getting away. [47" Reptile Snake Tongs] - Professional 47 inch Snake Tong Reptile Grabber for safely catching and handling snakes. [No Damage to Snakes] - Smooth serrated wide jaw allows to get maximum grip pressure with minimal risk of damage to the reptiles.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I use mine for large rattlesnakes and it works well!"
"Product arrived quickly, and although box was a little torn up at the "pincer" end of the tongs, the product was in excellent shape, and works as expected."
"I've used it to snag Texas rat snakes in our chicken coop that are really big - 6ft+ long."
"I get snakes in my yard on occasion and I was always at a loss as to what to do with them (didn't want to kill them)."
"snagged a few snakes (nonpoisonous) around the house that bothered the wife."
"Worked as advertised, my first snack was a 4 foot black racer."
"I bought / use these tongs to manipulate potted plants in a koi pond."
"Got two, one for me, one for my aggie daughter who has used it twice this week !!!!!!"
Best Hunting Game Carts
A perfectly balanced design centers the weight over the axle to make hauling your trophy buck a breeze, giving you more time to enjoy bragging rights! Solid steel frame for years of durable use; Puncture-proof, 16" solid-rubber spoked wheels manage trail hazards with ease; Perfectly balanced design centers the weight over the axle to make hauling easy and hassle free; 300-lb.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"All packed and ready to bug out."
"Very affordable cart."
"Worked great, modified bars to be a little wider, but still pulled a deer out over a mile."
"exactly as advertised use it every season to carry gear in and deer out."
"not to bad for the price."
"It is a bit noisy at times, but if that's a problem, wrap duct tape around the squeaky areas or spray some light oil on its axle."
"easy enough to throw together havent tested it under weight yet."
"Wheels still smell after a year of owning this."
Best Hunting Trophy Mounts
A premium do-it-yourself antler mounting kit made from solid oak and finished with satin lacquer. Velvet finished antler cover with gold braid to cover the antler bases for a better finish mount.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The velvet finished skull cover is not good."
"Although I liked the quality of the wood, next time, I would probably opt to make my own cover shell."
"OK plaque, but if you have a big buck it will be too small."
"bought for gift, hope the young man likes it."
"Easy to use worked great but brass nails bent easy as crap but everything else was great."
"Easy to assemble my deer antlers on and made them look huge!"
"Felt on top of mount rubs off with a fingernail.. very basic probably won’t buy this one again.. looks ok from a distance but very cheaply made."
"The wooden plaque is nice."
Best Hunting Game Belts & Bags
Front exterior: 2” x 3” loop field for patches; mesh slip pocket with hook-and-loop closure. Full clamshell opening main compartment with dual zips.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"If you are looking for and everyday carry this one is for you can design it to your life style ....this one is set up for mine can't go wrong ,I don't like carrying a back pack everyday."
"It is the size that was needed, similar to the Condor pocket organizer that was reviewed earlier, but about an inch-and-a-half thick, which was desired as it accommodates my mini Kaito Pocket Radio."
"Like every Maxpedition case I have purchased and used, this is a great strong storage item."
"For years I've just thrown all of this stuff in various pockets in my backpack so when I'd go to the airport, I'd have to go though it to make sure all of the pokey things the TSA doesn't like where transferred to a checked equipment case. Then I struck me that having two organizers was great for me because I could have one of them that I always kept TSA safe and the other that I'd have to put in a checked case."
"For me, a smaller organizer would leave me feeling like I left something I need out, and a larger one would probably mean I would fill it with items I don't really need - unnecessary weight."
"I have the next size down which holds my day-to-day stuff in my Kodiak Gearslinger."
"This is a big fat durable bag."
"Amazon recommended this (or some other every day carry bag), and I realized something like this would be nearly perfect for my needs - I had been using a old shaving kit bag to keep loose cables and accessories. The problem was everything was loose - no restraints or compartments to keep things in order - or to keep things from falling out."
Best Hunting Game Hoists & Gambrels
Super Mag 6:1 ratio lift system with magnum gambrel. Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This is a well made block and tackle with a rope brake that works great once you get the hang of it."
"Lift system was easy to use and feels well built; decent length of rope as well."
"I really haven't had many issues with it."
"I use the pulley to lift deers, hogs, and other big game I cannot lift myself or with my hunting buddy into the bed of my lifted UTV. I just use the rope, not the gambrel to lift them into the bed, and it works great."
"I tied the rope off anyway, but really there was no need, and when I moved my deer I did let it hang for 24 hours with nothing but the lock holding it up and it never failed."
"I typically read reviews and hardly ever write reviews, but after reading some of the bad reviews I had to express my difference in opinion with the delusional individuals."
"Very helpful - using for lifting a dinghy on davits (might not be marine grade but it's been working for about 2 months and way cheaper than buying similar items from a marine store - very happy with this quick, reasonable and easy fix!"
"Originally bought a less expensive lift from HF, while waiting for the delivery of this one."