The Evolution XP1, by Rhino Laboratories, is a great-looking and well
designed ground blind based on the popular 5-hub system.

My expectations were simple enough – I needed a blind with plenty of room, plenty of shooting windows, made from a durable fabric, at an affordable price. That wasn’t asking too much, was it? In all honesty, I was really looking hard at the Primos Double Bull Dark Horse, but I just couldn’t get past the $400+ price tag. That’s when, while walking the aisles at the NWTF National Convention, I came across a brand new blind by Rhino Laboratories called the Evolution XP-1.

The first thing I noticed about the Rhino blind was the heavy 600-denier polyester material wrapped around the large, five-hub frame. Material is what really seems to separate the “cheaper” blinds from the top end ones and Rhino Labs has certainly spared no expense in that department. Not only is the material heavy, but it is also treated with UV protection to slow down the harmful effects of the sun, as well as an antimicrobial treatment to protect the blind from mold and mildew. While I haven’t had the blind long enough to attest to the effectiveness of either of those treatments, I can certainly attest to its water repellence! During a turkey hunt last spring, my hunting partner and I had the blind set up in an open field and got caught in a downpour that lasted for close to an hour. The only place we had water coming in was where it was running off the top and into the front window, and at a couple of seams – which I plan to treat with a good seam sealer like you use on a tent.

The second thing that caught my attention was the blind’s window layout. The front of the blind has a large panel of solid fabric sewn at the bottom with magnetic closures on the sides and top that allows 180 degree field of vision. The back side has a series of five windows that are held closed by magnets under normal conditions, or with a zipper when hunting in extremely windy conditions. Additionally, all of the back windows include shoot-through netting that is held in place with Velcro and can be removed as needed.

The backside of the blind has a series of smaller windows that can be
left open or closed depending on your setup. These windows have both magnetic
and zipper closures, along with shoot-through netting.

The shoot-through netting on the front window is held in place by hooks and loops for silent lowering when needed.

The windows are held close by strong magnets, which allow for silent opening and closing.

The front panel and five back windows give the hunter a full 360 degree field of view and lots of options when it comes to setting up the blind for hunting. Like most other five-hub blinds, setup and take down of the Evolution XP-1 is quick and simple. Rhino’s website claims it can be done in under 10 seconds, and with a little practice, I have no doubt that it can be done (though I’m not sure why you would ever need to be in that big of a hurry!).

The Rhino blind also has a few other features that, while easily overlooked, I found extremely beneficial and worth mentioning. The first is the leather-reinforced corners that keep the hubs’ rods from poking through the blind material – a great addition that I don’t think I have seen on any other blind. The other feature is the oversized carrying bag that accompanies the Evolution XP-1. Made of the same material as the blind, the bag has a set of padded backpack straps that make the 20 pound load a breeze to pack in, and its big enough to add your seat or some gear to free up your hands.

The corners of the blind are reinforced to prevent the frame’s rods from busting
through the material, and plenty of brush loops allow you to really brush in the
blind for excellent concealment from wary game.

The Evolution XP1 comes with an oversized bag that includes padded backpack
straps and a chest strap for easy carrying in and out of the field.

Rhino Labs certainly seems to have a winner with their first entry in the hunting blind market. Combining some of the best features from the other big-name blinds on the market has resulted in a first class product which is being offered at a very affordable price ($299). While I can’t yet attest to its durability, I feel certain that the Evolution XP-1 is built to last; and having met and talked to the company’s owner, I am confident that if a problem should arise, they will stand behind their product. For more information or to order a Rhino blind, check out the company’s website at www.Rhino-Labs.com.

As with many of the hunting items I purchase, price was a big factor in choosing a pack for the hunting season. At well under $50, there are very few packs on the market with so many features for so little cost. While it’s not a pack I would have chosen for a week of elk hunting in the Colorado backcounty, it’s perfect for one or two day deer hunting trips that are more typical of my hunting season, especially if you are packing video equipment to the field.

The Glenwood Canyon pack from Fieldline is roomy pack, with
numerous pockets for storing all your favorite hunting gear.

Now let’s take a look at some of the “pros” and “cons” of this Fieldline pack and see if it suits your hunting needs.

PROS
The Glenwood Canyon internal frame backpack has an impressive 3,325 cubic inches of storage space divided among its large main compartment and four additional zippered pockets. This gives a hunter plenty of room to pack all the gear he or she should need for a day long, or even multi-day excursion, and allows for easy access to the various areas of the pack.

The top pocket is perfect for storing small gear that you
want to keep easily accessible, like your wallet, GPS or cell phone.

Once the pack is loaded, then your gear can be safely secured with the four compression straps included on the pack. And to keep it all comfortable, the pack includes padded shoulder straps with adjustable chest straps for a firm fit and a cool mesh padded back to reduce sweating when hunting in warmer weather. An additional feature of the Glenwood Canyon pack is that the pack is hydration compatible, although the bladder is not included. And no pack would be complete without a choice of Mossy Oak Breakup or Realtree All Purpose camouflage!

The Fieldline pack has padded shoulder straps with
adjustable chest straps for all-day comfort.

CONS
While the large size of the Glenwood Canyon pack is convenient for storing all of your hunting gear, it’s almost too big for just a typical morning or afternoon deer hunt, especially during the early season. The extra space becomes more important in the late season, when it can be used to pack extra layers of clothes.

Probably my biggest complaint with the pack is the stiff, somewhat noisy interior liner material. Considering the cost, however, this is not a major issue for the purpose for which I use the pack. While I would love to see a softer, goretex lined material, I realize that such a feature would drive the price up drastically.

My final concern with the Fieldline pack is its long-term durability. While my previous Fieldline pack (different model) has survived 7 seasons and multiple states without excessive wear, the Glenwood Canyon pack that I bought last year already has a shoulder strap coming unsown. I take partial responsibility for this, as I generally slip the pack on without letting any slack out of the shoulder straps, which can put a lot of stress on the straps. I am hoping that this may have just been a fluke and actually purchased a new Glenwood Canyon pack for my 2008 Wyoming antelope trip and subsequent Kentucky deer season. Only time will tell if the Glenwood Canyon will live up to the expectations that I developed from my original Fieldline pack.

SUMMARY
Overall, the Glenwood Canyon is a spacious, well laid out pack for the money. While it may be a little big for a typical “daypack”, it is perfect for the late season hunter needing to pack some additional layers of clothing, or for hunters like myself, that have started packing along video gear to capture footage of the hunt. So, if you are looking for a roomy, well designed pack at a very affordable price, you may want to consider the Glenwood Canyon, and you may just end up packing out a hefty load of meat this season.

The two side compartments are just the right size for stowing
away a snack, a drink, or your favorite hunting call.

The vertically aligned front pocket is the perfect place to
store that fixed blade knife, pruning saw, or bow hanger.

For more information visit www.fieldline.com.

Fortunately for young hunters today, there are plenty of options when it comes to choosing the right gun. With the continued push to get more youth involved in hunting and the outdoors, most all of the big firearm manufacturers now produce a variety of youth model shotguns and rifles. In fact, there are way too many options to cover in one article, or to recommend just one or two for all youth hunters. Which firearm is right for your youth hunter is really dependent on his/her size, build, shooting ability and what he/she will be hunting (not to mention mom and dad’s budget!). The purpose of this article is to simply take a look at three great youth firearms, each with their own unique qualities and purpose.

Keystone Arms Crickett .22LR

When it came time to buy my son his first real firearm (I’m not counting the Daisy Buck BB gun), I was concerned about finding one that would fit his small size and limited arm strength. He just didn’t have the muscle to hold up a small shotgun or full-sized .22LR. Then, one day while browsing the gun case of a local sporting goods store, I came across the “.22 Crickett” produced by Keystone Arms. At just 30 inches long and weighing in at a mere 2.5 pounds, I knew right away it would be the perfect beginner’s gun. My son, Dakota, could easily lift and shoulder the gun, and after mounting a nice little 4X scope on top, it became a perfect can plinker and squirrel assassin.

Knowing that the Crickett is designed for the youngest of shooters, Keystone Arms added some great safety features. The gun is a single-shot bolt action that must be manually cocked, so just loading a shell in the gun doesn’t ready it for firing. In addition to manually cocking, the Crickett includes a feature that I haven’t seen before on any other firearm – a keyed safety at the bottom of the stock that allows you to “lock” the gun, so that it cannot be loaded and fired. This is a great feature when storing the gun to prevent a kid from getting the gun out and attempting to load it unsupervised.

Overall, the Crickett proved to be the perfect first rifle for my young son. As mentioned earlier, its small size made it easy for him to handle and with a price tag right around $100, it was easy on my wallet, as well! While I have not put the rifle through any formal accuracy tests, it has proven plenty effective on both paper targets and squirrels at the short ranges in which I allow my son to shoot. As he grows and moves on to bigger and better things, I hope to eventually pass the gun down to my daughter. Who knows, maybe someday, one of my children will pass the Crickett down to their child.

New England Firearms Single Shot .243
While the .22 Crickett may be the perfect first rifle for a young, up-and-coming hunter, sooner or later they are going to want to graduate to larger game – and a larger firearm. Such was the case with my son after a couple of years of proving himself both safe and accurate with the Crickett. That’s when the search began for Dakota’s first deer hunting rig. My goal was to find a short-stocked gun that would have enough take-down power for a white-tailed deer, without an excessive amount of weight and recoil. After a little research, I narrowed my search down to something in the .243 caliber – and soon after decided on a Harrington & Richardson .243 Compact Handi-Rifle.

While the H&R is considerably heavier than the Crickett at 6.75 lbs, it is one of the shortest deer rifles I could find at just 36 7/8 inches. The length seemed to fit Dakota perfect, and with the use of a good set of shooting sticks, the excess weight was not an issue.

Like the Crickett, the Handi-Rifle is a single shot that has to be manually cocked after loading – again, a great feature for a young, inexperienced hunter. However, there are a couple of things worth noting before you run out and buy the Handi-Rifle for your young hunter. First, if you are planning to mount a scope on the gun, you will need a special scope mount, as well as a hammer extender – neither are a big issue, but worth noting. Secondly, I have experienced some problems with cheaper ammunition casings not ejecting from the rifle. Obviously, this could be a big problem in the field if a follow-up shot is needed on a deer. This hasn’t been an issue when using quality Winchester or Remington ammunition.

Mossberg 500 Super Bantam 20 Gauge Shotgun
No gun collection would be complete without a good shotgun, and finding one that is just right for your young hunter can be a challenge. Not that there aren’t plenty of youth shotgun options, but I had to find one that fit my son’s small frame, but that he would still be able to use as he grew older. The perfect option seemed to be the Mossberg Super Bantam 20 gauge shotgun.

With a 12 inch length of pull, the Super Bantam was one of the shortest pump shotguns that I could find, and seemed to be the perfect fit for Dakota. What really made the gun so great, though, was that it came with a 1″ spacer that mounts on the butt of the gun, extending the stock so it can grow with your young hunter. And if that isn’t enough reason to pick one up, when your child gets big enough to need a full-sized shotgun, Mossberg provides you a certificate for 50% off the price of a full-sized stock. Not only did the gun turn out to be the perfect fit for my son, but with the 1″ spacer in place, it also worked perfectly for my wife.

Aside from its small size, the Super Bantam is almost identical to its big brother, the Mossberg 500, which has proven itself dependable for over 10 years now. The gun I bought Dakota was the turkey model, so it came in Realtree camouflage with fiber optic sights and an extra-full choke tube. It also comes with a plug in place that only allows for one shell in the chamber – none in the magazine. Of course, this is easily removed and can be replaced with whatever size dowel rods suit your needs.

Summary
These days, there are plenty of great youth firearms out there for your young hunter, and most will do an adequate job for teaching the fundamentals of shooting and getting your young hunter out in the woods to hunt. The most important thing is to find one that fits the child well and that they can handle both comfortably and safely. If you have a small-framed child, as I do, then consider one of these three great firearms to get them started. All have proved safe, reliable and plenty accurate to get the job done. With the proper equipment, your young hunter will be on their way to a lasting love of hunting and the great outdoors.