On this Monday Minute episode, Steve & Mark answer your listener questions. Today's topics include "Pro Staff" vs everyday hunters, and the value of influencers for Exo Mtn Gear. A listener asks about the true cost of hunting gear, and what to do when it feels like good gear is out of reach. One bowhunter asks about bow sight setup, how many pins are ideal, and is there any reason to shoot your bow at 85-yards (or further).

Come see us next week, January 12-14, at the Sheep Show in Reno, NV —  https://www.wildsheepfoundation.org/convention

Budget-friendly gear lists, recommendations, and podcasts on the topic — https://exomtngear.com/search?q=budget

LEAVE A MESSAGE or question for a future Monday Minute episode: https://speakpipe.com/huntbackcountry OR podcast@exomtngear.com

Podcast Episode Archive: https://exomtngear.com/podcast

Monday Minute

MM 160 | "Pro" vs Public, True Cost of Hunting Gear, Archery at 85 Yards

Our guests, Josh & Dan, tell us a story of shared success on backcountry bull elk. The hunting collaboration between Josh and Dan formed in a unique way (hot yoga?!?!), and although they have different levels of hunting experience, they have forged an effective hunting partnership. In this podcast, we hear about the story of their last elk season, but also about how they have learned to hunt together well.

Josh's Previous Episode: https://exomtngear.com/blogs/podcast/329

PACK SYSTEM GIVEAWAY: https://exomtngear.com/k4

LEAVE A MESSAGE: https://speakpipe.com/huntbackcountry or podcast@exomtngear.com

Podcast Episode Archive: https://exomtngear.com/podcast

Hunt Backcountry Podcast

390 | Shared Success on Backcountry Bulls

Steve & Mark answer your listener questions. They discuss...

- How much did Kyle's helicopter rescue cost? (Kyle SOS and rescue story is in Episode 389)
- Does the wider K4 Hipbelt cause any pinching or limit mobility?
- Where is the line between staying tough and staying safe when solo hunting in difficult conditions?
- How is the K4 Load Shelf accessed, and how does it function compared to K3 Packs?
- What are some book recommendations for hunting, training, mindset, and becoming a better man in general? (See the links below for some suggestions from Mark.)
- What does the "K" in K4 stand for?
- How do you change the frame height on the K4 Frame?

K4 Updates & Giveaway: https://exomtngear.com/K4

// Mark's Reading Recommendations // There is a lot of variety in this list. Also, there are a lot of good "classics" and currently "popular" books that hunters may like, which Mark did not include, such as those from O'Connor, Rinella, Goggins, Hanes, etc. The goal of this list is to share books that Mark has found helpful on a variety of topics — from hunting, to business, to personal development, to history, and more...

- Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones (https://amzn.to/3EEjKDt)
- The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living (https://amzn.to/3IPdiMw)
- Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World (https://amzn.to/3J00G5n)
- Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less (https://amzn.to/3StXQIE)
- Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It (https://amzn.to/41sfGA3)
- Resilience: Hard-Won Wisdom for Living a Better Life (https://amzn.to/3IwwvBh)
- Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen (https://amzn.to/3ImfmKg)
- Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson and the Opening of the American West (https://amzn.to/3YZPsDq)
- The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be (https://amzn.to/3YQypUd)
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: 30th Anniversary Edition (https://amzn.to/3ZlUGt1)
- Move Devotional: A Guide for Men to Get Up and Go Forward (https://amzn.to/3Su6Ld7)
- A Beast the Color of Winter: The Mountain Goat Observed (https://amzn.to/3Sznxb6)
- Life on the Rocks: A Portrait of the American Mountain Goat (https://amzn.to/3knYDP1)
- An Archer's Inner Life: A Collection of Essays on the Wood Bow (https://amzn.to/3YXigMB)
- Hunting Big Mule Deer: How to Take the Best Buck of Your Life (https://amzn.to/3KAsdLB)
- Long Range Shooting Handbook: Complete Beginner's Guide to Long Range Shooting (https://amzn.to/3m6NVwA)
- Becoming a Backpack Hunter: A Beginner's Guide to Hunting the Backcountry (https://amzn.to/41sEeJo)
- Vintage Hunting Album: A Photographic Collection of Days Gone By (https://amzn.to/3ECz3fQ)
- A Hunter's Heart: Honest Essays on Blood Sport (https://amzn.to/3xOmeeD)
- Campfires in the Canadian Rockies (https://www.boone-crockett.org/camp-fires-canadian-rockies)

Share your question: https://speakpipe.com/huntbackcountry or podcast@exomtngear.com

View & Search the Podcast Archive: https://exomtngear.com/podcast

MM 167 | Danger vs Discomfort, SOS Cost, K4 Q&A

Who knew that there was so much to know about tripods? In today's podcast with Michael from Really Right Stuff, we talk about tripod selection for the hunter that wants to use a tripod for both glassing and shooting. Although this episode is packed with helpful information, it only scratches the surface of this topic. As you listen to this conversation, think about the questions you have and let us know what you want to hear more about. Michael has graciously agreed to do a follow-up episode with us to answer your questions about tripod selection, tripod setup, tripod techniques, and more...

LEAVE A MESSAGE: https://speakpipe.com/huntbackcountry or podcast@exomtngear.com

RRS SOAR: https://rrssoar.com/

Podcast Episode Archive: https://exomtngear.com/podcast

391 | Tripods for Glassing & Shooting — Part 1 with Michael from RRS

Welcome to an all new segment on the Hunt Backcountry Podcast called "Final Friday". This series will be hosted by none other than the infamous Jakey Poo, aka Jake Havlicek. This series will give a look at what's going on behind the scenes at Exo, with the goal of keeping the conversation informal and not having a set goal to accomplish — just a few Exo employees talking into a microphone.

In this first episode, Jake and Mark discuss a variety of topics, including:
- Show-Season Shenanigans
- Fitness challenge among (most of) the Exo employees
- Behind the Scenes of the latest K4 updates
- The 2023 Death Hike
- Continuous growth in all areas of life

Share Your Feedback & Questions: podcast@exomtngear.com

View & Search the Podcast Archive: https://exomtngear.com/podcast

Final Friday

FF 01 | Introducing "Final Friday"

Steve & Mark answer your listener questions — discussing the best place to carry your InReach (and why it matters), what body type works best in the K4 Frame, what we are working on for K5, and how material choices affect breathability, sweat, and chafing.

Share your question: https://speakpipe.com/huntbackcountry or podcast@exomtngear.com

K4 Updates & Giveaway: https://exomtngear.com/K4

View & Search the Podcast Archive: https://exomtngear.com/podcast

MM 168 | Where to Carry Your InReach, Plus more K4 (and K5?!) Q&A

At just 60-years-young, Curtis continues to hunt hard. He is normally a listener of the podcast, but today he joins us as the guest — to tell us a story from his muzzleloader elk hunt this past fall. We discuss...

- Why he continues to hunt elk solo
- How he trains to be able to hunt the backcountry in his 60s
- How he stays motivated to hunt when the conditions are tough
- Simple ways he tracks and patterns elk when they are tough to find
- What led to him making a big mistake with a knife and how he cared for the injury
- Why he didn't seek immediate medical attention after a pretty serious wound
- How his home and family life contribute to his hunting
- And much more!

Resources mentioned in this episode...
- Error Precursors PDF: https://training.lbl.gov/ehs/training/assets/docs/Error-Precursors.pdf
- Mike Prevost Podcast: https://exomtngear.com/blogs/podcast/230

LEAVE A MESSAGE: https://speakpipe.com/huntbackcountry or podcast@exomtngear.com

Podcast Episode Archive: https://exomtngear.com/podcast

392 | Solo Elk Success at 60 Years Old (A Listener Story)

Steve & Mark answer your listener questions — discussing snow pack and spring bear hunting, using a rifle scope to spot or check animals, pack frame height and head clearance, and "What's in my pack?" videos.

Resources mentioned in this episode...
- K4 Packs "Behind the Design" —https://exomtngear.com/blogs/article/k4-pack-systems-behind-the-design
- Bear Hunting Podcasts — https://exomtngear.com/blogs/podcast/334, https://exomtngear.com/blogs/podcast/115
- e-Scouting for Spring Bear — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zt38bciCE2s
- Exo Mtn Gear YouTube — https://youtube.com/exomountaingear
- Steve's Sheep Packing Video — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhGoT3QqmkM

Share your question: https://speakpipe.com/huntbackcountry or podcast@exomtngear.com

K4 Updates & Giveaway: https://exomtngear.com/K4

View & Search the Podcast Archive: https://exomtngear.com/podcast

MM 169 | Spring Bears & Snow, Spotting with Rifle Scope, and More...

When it comes to rifles, calibers, and cartridges for hunting, many assume that bigger and faster is always better. After all, you can't "kill something too dead", right?

But where is the point of diminishing returns? If you find what is "enough", then what are the downsides of chasing more than that? Recoil and shootability? Cost of ammunition, components, and barrel life? What else?

Mark & Steve are joined by Seth Swerczek from Hornady to discuss these topics, and more. As you will hear, sometimes the best way to think about ballistics (and caliber/cartridge choice) is to "think backwards".

Hornady's Podcast: https://www.hornady.com/podcast

LEAVE A MESSAGE: https://speakpipe.com/huntbackcountry or podcast@exomtngear.com

Podcast Episode Archive: https://exomtngear.com/podcast

393 | Backwards Thinking & Ballistics (with Hornady's Seth Swerczik)

Steve & Mark answer your listener questions — discussing how to select the right shelter for your hunt, how to narrow-down areas to hunt, and how to select proper sizing for K4 Pack Systems.

K4 Size Selection: https://exomtngear.com/sizing
K4 Updates & Giveaway: exomtngear.com/K4

Share your question: https://speakpipe.com/huntbackcountry or podcast@exomtngear.com

View & Search the Podcast Archive: https://exomtngear.com/podcast

MM 170 | Which Tent? Which Unit? Which K4 Frame Size?

There is a dizzying amount of information online about rifles, bullets, and ballistics. And while you can find an answer for nearly every question, that doesn't mean we have all of the real and definitive answers. Even a trained, experienced, professional ballistician — such as Hornady's Jayden Quinlan — has questions that keep him up night. Today, we speak with Jayden about those mysteries, and also dive into some practical examples of the things that do and don't matter for your shooting and reloading.

Jayden's Previous Episode: Hunting Lethality — How Do Animals Die? https://exomtngear.com/blogs/podcast/267

Hornady's Podcast: https://www.hornady.com/podcast

LEAVE A MESSAGE: https://speakpipe.com/huntbackcountry or podcast@exomtngear.com

Podcast Episode Archive: https://exomtngear.com/podcast

394 | What Keeps A Ballistics Expert Up At Night? (with Hornady's Jayden Quinlan)

Backcountry hunters talking backcountry hunting.  Join us for lively discussion on a variety of topics related to backcountry, big game hunting.  We'll be talking tactics, sharing lessons learned, swapping stories, interviewing individuals from the hunting industry, and getting into the nitty-gritty of our gear lists and bow/rifle setups.  Contact us at anytime with your questions or feedback by emailing us: podcast@exomtngear.com.

Thanks for listening!  — Mark & Steve

MM 160 | "Pro" vs Public, True Cost of Hunting Gear, Archery at 85 Yards

Hunt Backcountry Podcast

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