There's this moment.

Crunch time, if you will.

Some call it a moment of truth.

In the backcountry, or really, any hunting field where it's time to shoot and there's this intense focus

and connection between you and your equipment. focus and

hopefully your game.

For those of us that live the lifestyle, the outdoor hunting backcountry hunting

lifestyle where opportunities are hard-earned, dearly one,

and really haunt you for the rest of your life

if you don't make good.

Well, we approach our equipment with an insistence on quality.

I won't say it's quite to the level of mountaineers who sometimes count on that spike or a carabiner or rope for their life every instant that they're

using it those guys cannot afford to compromise quality.

Most real serious hunters and especially backcountry hunters choose not to afford to compromise on quality. That said,

there are times when purchasing the very best, whether it's in terms of boots or

backpacks or hunting rifles or optics, is simply unachievable for whatever reason.

I remember a time when I was newly married attending two different colleges at the same time and full-time schedules

at each, as well as working full-time.

I was a busy man, and I didn't have two spare nickels to rub together, right?

It felt like an achievement every month to be able to make the rent payment on our

little tiny apartment and the $200 mortgage payment on my Jeep.

My wife made enough of her job to cover groceries.

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