EHN: How to organize your critical gear, and a gear room update

I hope you're well.

Lots of stuff going on here. And today, I'd like to share two updates.

One on my gear room build.

And one about a product we're working on. To help you stay organized.

Gear room build part 3

I haven't skimmed a wall before, but that's what I'm doing now.

I prefer building work from decoration. Probably because I'm better at it (relatively speaking).

But I'm strangely excited about skimming the walls. Because it means the gear room is close to being operational.

It's taken way longer than planned. Because I've worked on other projects in parallel. And because I had to figure out how to do stuff as I went along. Fortunately, I've had competent support to guide me along the way. And for some of the heavy lifting.

I've spent a lot of time figuring out how to organize the room. And my gear. And I keep coming back to the Russian doll concept. Gear in layers.

My three main storage modes are boxes, bags, and webbing. That way, I can grab a few items as possible and know I've got everything I need (see a pattern here?).

The next step is to build the shelving units. And get organized with boxes. And, dare I say, start using the room.

And I can't wait to give you a proper tour of the finished room.

Until then, you can get a short update.

Click here to see the video on YouTube.

The room is all about organization. And I've got an update on a new product intended to help ensure you stay organized.

Did you ever forget your [insert name of critical rifle component] when going hunting?

A couple of times, I've forgotten essential parts of my rifle.

One time I arrived without my sound moderator.

Another time I forgot the trigger unit for my Blaser rifle.

I blame early mornings and a lack of coffee.

But the truth is, they're both poor excuses for lack of proper planning. Which I also talked about in the last newsletter.

My solution was relatively simple. First of all, I now pack the day before, so I just need to grab two or three bags and my rifle in my cabinet.

I can deal with that, even in the worst morning fog.

There are some things I don't leave out in the hallway, beyond the rifle itself, for safety reasons. And they're mainly all components required to operate my rifle.

Now that introduces an element of unwanted and unnecessary complexity. Because at that time my mind is preoccupied with coffee.

To address that, I made a rough prototype pouch to hold all those items. So I don't have to rummage around my gun cabinet. That's noisy or requires light. And in my household, that's not popular at 3 or 4 am in the morning.

Anyway, as much as this pouch was pretty basic, it kept my critical items in one place. And it simplified my routines a great deal. And kept everyone happy.

I haven't forgotten any of the critical items since then, I'm pleased to say.

And I've gotten positive feedback from other hunters when they've seen the pouch.

And some have commented it's also great for keeping your rifle separate from your accessories. For example, if you're on the road and have to stop for a break.

So, we've made v2 of the prototype, which I'm now testing further.

We still haven't dialed in the details, but it's pretty close.

You might have different preferences from other hunters. Or use different pieces of gear.

Consequently, we've built it to accommodate different use cases.

Space for gear, ammo, and paperwork. And a shoulder strap if you need to leave your vehicle.

Before I forget, you'd probably want to see a few pics. Here's the pouch set up for two different sets of gear.

So far, so good.

What do you think?

Getting input from hunters like you is critical for building great products.

Does this kind of product suit you and the type of hunting/traveling you do?

What kind of items would you want to store in the pouch?

"Critical items pouch" is the working name, but it's not exactly doing the product any service. What would you call a pouch like this?

Thanks in advance for your help!

All the best,

Christian