I just got back from my hunting trip to South Dakota with Tim and our friends Cristin and Zach and let me tell you: I am IN LOVE with South Dakota. This trip was such a blessing to be able to get back into the outdoors, spend time with people I love, and simply experience the joy of being in God’s creation. If you haven’t been to South Dakota, this is your sign to book your trip (AND your hunt) ASAP!

With most of our days spent glassing, stalking, and waiting patiently in our make-shift blinds for the right buck to show up, it hit me just how important it is to have the right things with you on the hunt.

I’m not one for gatekeeping, so I’m sharing with you the breakdown that I found worked well for a full day of hunting in a fun new series called “Eva Unpacked.” Today I’m sharing with you what I keep in my Bino Buddy for a day on the hunt. 👇🏼

I SWEAR by my Bino Buddy- officially known as the Pro Guide Binocular Harness from Leupold. This is basically my version of a hunting “safety blanket.” No joke! I always feel waaaayyyyyy more settled when I have my Bino Buddy on me. 

My Binoculars are the Leupold BX-4 PRO GUIDE HD 10X42MM. These are compact, lightweight, AND have smudge and scratch resistant lenses. Something I LOVE about these binos are that they’re guaranteed for LIFE by Leupold. One thing I’ve learned over the years is that durability will ALWAYS be a big priority for me. 

While my binos have a built-in range-finder, I always keep my range-finder with me too! I swear by the Leuopld RX-1600I TBR/W. This range-finder has amazing visibility ANY time of day! It’s waterproof and SUPER durable for any weather condition you’re in. The BX 4 binos are going to be better for glassing since you can range and see how far things are when deciding to pursue animals. They’re also good for rifle hunting but for closer shots, especially archery, the handheld rangefinder has less magnification and has a more accurate bow setting!

I always keep a bottle of Dead Down Wind Wind Detector with me to be able to know what direction the wind is blowing so we can be strategic in our hunt. 

I am TERRIFIED of losing my release on a hunt, so when I’m not using it, I always clip it to my Bino Buddy strap! I love my TruFire release. Unfortunately, it was a limited edition Eva Shockey release that is no longer available bbbuuuut if we ever end up re-releasing these, I’ll let you know!

You never know what kind of situations you’re going to run into on the hunt, so I like to keep a knife on my Bino Buddy for easy access. I’m pretty obsessed with my Speedgoat Mini Knife from Montana Knife Company. I clip this to my side pouch with my Kydex Sheath ALSO from Montana Knife Company. If you haven’t taken a spin around MKC’s website, you deeeeefinitely need to. This is an absolutely incredible company, and I love everything they’re doing, all in the good ol’ US of A! The quality with them is simply UNMATCHED. (PS. They also carry my go-to Culinary Set that is nexxxxt level!)

Annnnnnd the last few things in my Bino Buddy: always a spare chapstick (those South Dakota winds GOT ME GOOD), my tags (that sadly went uncut in South Dakota, BUT I’m feeling optimistic about our next hunt!!), and finally, my cell phone which I tuck in the little mesh pouch in the back of my Bino Buddy. 

There you have it! Aaaaallll my hunting goodies that I keep on my person during a hunt. Hope this is helpful! Stay tuned for my next ‘Unpacked’ blog post coming soon!!

Leupold Binoculars | Leupold Pro Guide Bino Harness | Leupold Range Finder | Montana Knife Company Mini-Speedgoat Knife | Montana Knife Company Kydex Sheath | Dead Down Wind Wind Detector

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