Items of Interest from Day Two of the 2010 SHOT Show
January 21, 2010
Expensive shotguns. New rifles. Hot opitcs. Random booth babes. Check out these 20 quick shots of the stuff that caught Gun Nut bloggers Dave Petzal and Phil Bourjaily and gear editor Jay Cassell's eyes on day two one of the 2010 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. Kenetrek Mountain Extreme Boots. I saw these back in December when I went deer hunting in Kansas. My host had a pair and raved about them, and when I got home I bought a set for myself. They have 400 grams of Thinsulate, a waterproof lining, very little weight, and they fit the best of any boots I have ever had on my feet, and that is a lot of boots. - David Petzal
The ladies of the Winchester booth.
Leatherman MUT. If you shoot a black rifle, or know someone who is going to the Sandbox, you have got to have one of these. It's a multi-tool from Leatherman that contains the usual common tools, but can also perform any operation on an AR, M-16, or M4 that you can imagine. I don't think you could install a new barrel with it, but that's about its only limitation. - David Petzal
Mystery Ranch Crew Cab Pack. I was put on to Mystery Ranch by Keith McCafferty, and have owned one of these for three years. It's a truly ingenious modular pack that folds in on itself and has the best suspension I've ever used. I mean, you can put enough stuff in here to hurt yourself. The one here is camo; mine is Coyote. - David Petzal
Jay Riddler and Michelle Gentry of Blackheart International.
Hardigg Footlocker Trunk. This is about the size of a military footlocker, but deeper, and it's big enough to pack all your gear in it and ship it ahead to where you're hunting, rather than putting a duffle bag in the airlines and having them lose it. I've used Hardigg rifle cases, and they're actually ramp-ape proof. This case is no different. - David Petzal
Gerber Military Knife. This fighting-utility knife has a 7-inch blade made of high-carbon 440 series steel. It's super strong, and comes with a sheath that will not only prevent loss, but also keeps anyone but the knife's owner from drawing it. A first-rate implement of war that even an E-3 can afford. - David Petzal
Timney Release. Long known for rifle triggers, Timney debuts a new archery release that gives your bow the same trigger pull as your favorite rifle. Timney's Amanda Dana demonstrates. $89.95 - Phil Bourjaily
Knight and Hale Tirade and Ultimate Fighting Purr
Calling champion Chris Parrish holds two new turkey calls from Knight and Hale. The Ultimate Fighting Purr lets you simulate a gobbler fight with one hand; the Tirade lets you change tones simply by turning a wheel on the bottom of the call. - Phil Bourjaily
Tangle Free Decoy Decoy Kit. You get a dozen standard mallard decoys, a decoy bag and Tanglefree's versatile - and genuinely tangle-free - rigging kit, suitable for Texas rigging decoys, all for $49.95. - Phil Bourjaily
Fenix Flashlight. Wendy Hamel holds a Fenix light with a sun-bright 750 lumen output. The light runs on 8 AA batteries. - Phil Bourjaily
Zippo Firestarter Kit. Zippo's emergency firestarter kit comes in a waterproof brass case and contains a flint and four wax-impregnated firestarters. $19.99- Phil Bourjaily
Dye Hard gunstocks. Almost like a tattoo for a gunstock, ATI's process impregnates polymer stocks with ink, resulting in a very durable image. Stocks come in a variety of colors and patterns, from fanciful to camo. $179 stock and forearm. - Phil Bourjaily
C.A.S. Hanwei, known for high-end samurai swords, celebrates its 25th anniversary with this sword held by Missy Hillian, and with a new line of Rock Creek Knives made for the American market. - Phil Bourjaily
Hunters Specialties Squealing Hen. Developed by turkey hunting legend Eddie Salter, the Squealing Hen simulates the sound a hen makes when she's being bred. Gobblers come running to watch. $24.95 - Phil Bourjaily
Ivy Ivers at the Palco airsoft gun booth signs a calendar.
Danner Pronghorn boot. Danner has improved on its popular Pronghorn boot, making it "stronger, lighter, and faster." What really impressed me is the new sole, which imitates the hoof of a mountain goat. I really like my 3-year-old Pronghorns, but have found them a bit slippy on scree slopes. No more. They come in seven different styles. - Jay Cassell
Wolverine also has some cool new boots. These are the Cross Bows, with Vibram soles, 200 grams of Thinsulate, Gore-Tex outers, in a brown/camo configuration. Suggested retail is $130. Wolverine has also expanded it line of boots and shoes with ICS (individual comfort technology). A boot with ICT won Best of the Best in 2009. - Jay Cassell
Lowa is a really hip boot and shoe company. They make expensive footwear, but good lord does it last. It'll also take you to high peak and serious slope without problem. This year's new entry is called the Ranger. It's made for slopes and mountains that aren't too rigorous to climb. Price is steep - $325. Also new from Lowa is the Cougar, a woman's boot with 600 grams of Thinsulate, and rubber log outsoles. Price is $130. Ya gotta love the name. - Jay Cassell
Patricia Engeberg hands out SHOT Daily magazines at the show floor entrance.
Motorola has a new, less expensive Talkabout called the MC225R. It's got the same range as more expensive Talkabouts, but has fewer features (no USB port, no weather channel). Price is an amazingly low $60. - Jay Cassell
SOG knives has a ton of new products this year - 47 in all. SOG has always made high-quality, expensive knives. Now they're making high-quality, less expensive knives, plus camping tools such as an entrenching tool and folding saw ($20 each), a machete ($27), and a hatchet ($55). Lee Ermey, the Gunney, is their spokesman. That's me and Gunney. - Jay Cassell
Benchmade has a ton of cool knives this year as well. One new set that caught my eye is the Bone Collector series of knives, endorsed by Mike Waddell. Check these out - fixed blades ($100, $115), folders ($130, $135), and a gut hook ($30). - Jay Cassell
Sitka always has great hunting clothing. I've been using it for years. This year the company is introducing a line of Optifade Forest clothing, aimed at the whitetail hunter. I want to get a pair of the insulated pants and jacket and use them next deer season. Fully articulated, with a hood, stand-alone collar, and waterproof zippers, this is really good stuff. It's expensive, though - the jackets goes for $600, the pants $470. - Jay Cassell
Check out this minigun mounted through the sunroof of a GMC Yukon Denali.
