Lightweight Gear for High Country Mule Deer Hunting

Chasing mule deer in the high country of the west can be one of the best hunting experiences of your life.  The breathtaking views from mountain peaks are hard to explain. There is nothing quite like hiking up to a glassing knob before day break to find bachelor groups of bucks as they feed to their bedding areas. Some may argue there are few better places to chase big bucks.

But like most things, something worth having doesn’t come easy.

Residing above timberline, high country mule deer generally live in elevations of 10,000+ ft.  This equates to a very physically and often mentally challenging hunt. Hunting at higher elevations comes at a cost. One of the first things you will notice is the effect of limited oxygen at altitude has on your body. Most commonly, you will be short of breath and more easily fatigued.

Training, acclimating, and having high quality lightweight gear will help you be more effective at altitude. With technological advancements, brands like Stone Glacier and Swarovski are always pushing the limits to bring consumers the best gear they can offer without sacrificing quality.  The correlation of light weight gear lacking durability and reliability is quickly becoming a thing of the past.

Following are our top picks for high performing lightweight gear:

Swarovski NL Pure 12×42

Let’s face it, optics are heavy, but something we cannot leave without when glassing is the name of the game. Much of the time spent on the mountain hunting mule deer is spent behind the glass. Having quality binoculars and spotting scopes can often be the difference in locating hard to find game.  But as mentioned, quality glass often comes at a major cost  in weight.  Swarovski solved this problem with their offering of the NL Pure 12×42.  The NL Pure 12×42 comes in at 29.5 oz which is average of most 10×42 high end binoculars.  Not only do you get more magnification, but also a better field of view than many 10×42 binoculars.

Stone Glacier Terminus

New for 2022 and 2023, Stone Glacier released the Terminus 7000 and 8700 packs.  The Terminus line was designed with the alpine hunter in mind. They achieved a very lightweight system by sewing the pack directly to the frame system, simplifying and streamlining the design, and by using lightweight but strong fabrics.

The Terminus packs utilize the same carbon stays used in their frames.  This means they still maintain a load rating of 150+ lbs.  The proprietary SG Ultra fabric combined with X-pac fabrics keep the pack very light weight and nearly waterproof (seams are not sealed). When compared to packs of similar size, the Terminus is a major contender especially when weight is a deciding factor.