We are just wrapping up the Winter show season. If you’re not familiar, this is the slowest time of the year outdoors wise so all of the big shows are packed into a short time period. This year it kicked off with the Texas Trophy Hunters Extravaganza then next the SHOT Show which is the mother of all shows and is held in Vegas. You’d only have 20 seconds if you hit every booth. 55,000 people from all over the world attend. It starts off on Monday with Media Day at The Range. All of the new outdoor gear is unveiled there. I left Friday night and ran over to Nashville to conduct two seminars at the Safari Club International Conv., then hit the Western Idaho Flyfishing Expo and have the NRB Conv. February 24-28.

At the TTH, SCI and Flyfishing show you can line up fishing/hunting guides worldwide. Most of the booths at SHOT though is gear. I thought it might be interesting to hear about some of the new gear that caught my eye.

UMAREX came out with the Komplete airgun which is powered by a 32-gr. disposable NO2 cannister charged with 3,600 psi. They classify it as a PCP. This will be a lot cheaper to shoot than a traditional PCP since you won’t need air tanks and compressors.

A lot of the Henry rifles are suppressor ready.

Knives of Alaska introduced a knife made with Magnicut steel.

5.11 introduced some new boots, backpacks, blue jeans and a polar tec type of base layers.

Smiths introduced a meat hook this year that is going to be wildly popular if I can get time to produce a YouTube so people know how to use it.

OTIS-I talked them into coming out with an Airgun cleaning kit. They introduced it at SHOT. Also came out with a suppressor cleaning kit.

Outdoor Edge introduced a hunter’s knife kit that has a caping knife, boning knife and skinning knife and rolls up in a canvas sheet. Named the Vantex.

GPO is expanding their optic line. Looking forward to testing some of their optics.

Alps came out with a new turkey hunting vest and a really unique fire pit. It has stainless screen wire and is elevated on 4-legs. They have a smaller triangle one that will be great for backpacking.

GAIM has a simulated shooting system to practice/enhance your shooting skills. It is a Star Wars looking outfit. Can’t wat to test it out.

LOWA 102 yr. old boot company. Met with them and checked out some of their boots. Will be testing some of them.

Will soon be tricking out a Ruger 10/22 and testing Aquila ammo. 10/22’s are the most trick-outtable gun on the market (Is that even a word)?

While waiting to meet with Henry Repeating Arms I met Shelby with Rocky boots. They have a boot called the Outback Lite that is a nice-looking boot I’ve gotta test.

Met a guy that owns Wilderness Lite and they make a super compactible, lightweight float tube. Tube and fins only weigh 3 lbs. It’d be perfect for backpacking into high mountain lakes.

Met a lot of cool outfitters. Looking at going on a hunt with African Select Hunting Safaris. Good young couple runs it. Looking at hunting with the Umarex .50 cal. Hammer Airgun and the Henry 45-70. That’d make it a unique hunt.

Talked to the Plummer’s Artic Lodges. Think I’ll go back up there this summer. Kolby and I had a great time a few years ago.

Here’s a unique one. A custom knife maker from Brazil that now resides in Texas attended my Knife seminar at TTH. Afterwords we got talking. He makes some really cool Damascus knives. Now here where it really gets cool. A lady had a wagon wheel that her pioneer ancestors had used to come out West. He melted it down and made her a knife. How cool is that? His name is Ricardo Vilar.

Met with Christensen Arms and am going to be testing out some of their rifles.

Pulsar makes some elite thermal gear. Going to test some in a few weeks on an Oklahoma coyote hunt.