WHAT'S IN MY TRUCK? 2022 TRUCK ESSENTIALS FOR HUNTING TRIPS

Article by: Beau Martonik

Photos by: Beau Martonik and Justin Mueller

Every year, I head west in search of another grand adventure with some of my best buddies with hopes of coming home with some fond memories, stories and hopefully a cooler or two full of meat. When I started these types of trips, I was extremely unorganized and quite frankly - unprepared. It didn’t take long to realize that keeping organized and having the necessary gear when shit hits the fan makes the trip less stressful. I’m not just talking about hunting gear. Having your vehicle organized with the right equipment will let your mind rest assured that you are prepared for anything ahead.
 

 Here is my gear list for extended hunting trips with my 2015 Chevy Silverado 1500 Crew Cab. I have a Diamondback HD Truck Bed Cover to keep my gear organized, secure, and dry. The Diamondback allows me to keep my gear extra secure while giving me the option to haul up to 1,600 pounds on top of it. I liked my old truck cap with the Decked system, but found myself limited on space and ability to do "truck stuff" outside of hunting season. So far, the Diamondback has been great in both realms. My truck is equipped with a 2.5” Rough Country Lift Kit and 33x12.50x20 Kenda Klever R/T tires.
 
 This system is built to be able to set up and take down camp very quickly and efficiently so that I can be comfortable, but also be ready to take off early in the morning down the road, if needed.
 

James Baroud Evasion rooftop tent mounted to the top of my Diamondback truck bed cover on Yakima Overhaul HD Bars (which are adjustable in height).

Toe strap - Smittybilt
 Bungee cords
 Python locks
 Ratchet straps
 Woodman’s Pal - Multi-use Axe/Machete
 Jumper cables
 Durabatt DB 200 (1200amp) jump starter/battery pack
 Army shovel

Hi-lift jack winch kit
 Leather gloves - in the Hi-lift kit bag
 Tree strap - in the Hi-lift kit bag
 Choking chains
 ⅜” chain
 Misc. tools

Yeti Trailhead Camp Chair

 DECKED D-BAG

Thermacell backpacker bug burner
 Moleskin
 Platypus gravity fed water filtration and dirty bag
 Esbit tablets
 Paracord
 Dark Energy Poseidon Battery Pack
 Havalon backup knife and spare blades
 Spare batteries (AA, AAA, Sony camera battery)

First Aid Kit - Mine isn't this exact one, since I pieced it together, but I always make sure to have trauma gear and a tourniquet. At some point, I would like to get a MTN MEDIC kit

GERBER Vital Pack Saw
 Stanley multitool
 BIC Lighter
 Goal Zero Lighthouse 400 lantern/charger
 

 Yeti 75 cooler
 SITKA DRIFTER DUFFLE 110L with hunting clothes

YETI PANGA 100L DUFFLE with miscellaneous camp and hunting gear

5 Gallon Jerry Gas Can
 5 gallon water jug
 

GARMIN Montana 750i - For satelittle texting and SOS button for emergencies, and will work as a road GPS system with or without cell reception.

SPARTAN FORGE GPS Hunting App - For navigation in the vehicle and in the mountains, the Spartan Forge app is the best GPS app that I've used in the field with next level aerial imagery and dependable offline mapping. Use code eastmeetswest to save 20% off the Spartan Forge app.

 Note: All gear items may vary for each trip, but this was my go-to setup for my 10-day Montana bear hunt this spring. Some links may be part of the affiliate program, in which I make a small commission. I appreciate the support!
 
 All items in the East Meets West Outdoors Amazon store: https://www.amazon.com/shop/beau.martonik?listId=1DEG4BLDFTDRC&ref=idea_share_inf
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