First Impressions: Testing ALPS OutdoorZ’s Impulse
While I sometimes feel as though white-tailed deer hunting is more of what I do to get through the fall until I get the chance to again pursue turkeys in the spring, it doesn’t mean that I am not serious about deer hunting or the gear I am toting when it comes to my fall pursuits.
And, with colder temps in the early mornings and season already being open here in South Carolina, I have been re-evaluating my gear needs for my bowhunting pursuits. Next to my bow setup, which still isn’t changing (I am still shooting my Bowtech Realm with Bloodsport arrows and Gravedigger broadheads), the most critical piece of equipment in the field is my pack, and the one I had been using previously was more than a decade old and almost never big enough for what I chose to take to the field.
Enter the ALPS Outdoorz Impulse, a greater than 1,800-cubic-inch pack that is made specifically for the bowhunter but functional enough for anyone chasing white-tailed deer.
The most favorable feature unique to the Impulse is the use of ALPS OutdoorZ’s DEADQUIET non-reflective fabric that keeps the pack virtually noise-free and protected from light weather due to the fabric’s waterproof membrane (for heavier weather conditions, the pack does have a rain cover stashed in a small zipper pocket).
Though there are more than 10 separate compartments, pouches and pockets for storing your gear in this pack, very few are zippered, instead opting for elastic bands at the tops, meaning there is little worry about in creating unnecessary noise when accessing your gear. Also, the access to the main compartment of the pack is kept closed through a series of magnets and a metal clasp that are both virtually silent.
Another great feature for the pack is that regardless of where you are hunting — be it a tree or a ground blind — the Impulse offers easy access to your gear, thanks to its straps for hanging or the rigid bottom that enables it to stand upright on its own.
Here is what I used to try to cram in my previous smaller pack, so I could have things with me on an all-day hunt, from a ground blind or already established lock-on or ladder stand.
- Thermacell (depending on the time of year, this is a must)
- Wind checker
- Binoculars (sometimes in the pack and other times in a harness)
- Extra release (for emergencies)
- Grunt tube
- Range finder
- ScentLok OZ400
- Rattling antlers
- Knife and bone saw for field dressing
- Paracord/rope
- Headlamp and extra flashlight for blood trailing at night
- Power bank for my phone
- Scent control spray
- Rain jacket
- Drag strap
- Gloves
- Nalgene bottle
- Lunch
- Light snacks
Now this might seem like a lot, but come rut, the last thing you want to do is get out of the stand at any point in the day as bucks are on their feet and on the move.
In previous years, I ‘m sure it appeared that I was hiking in with gear spilling out of pockets or lashed on to the outside of the pack.
No longer is that the case with the Impulse. I can store all of these items with room to spare. And, with the pack weighing in at sub-five pounds before I load anything in to it and with comfortable support from the adjustable waist belt, the pack never seems to be too weighed down.
Additionally, if I decide to walk in to a new area to hunt with a mobile setup, I can affix my box to the pack using a drop-down cam and limb pocket to carry my bow on the pack and free up my hands to carry sticks and a lock-on stand.
While only time will tell how the pack will fair throughout the coming seasons, I have used other ALPS OutdoorZ products for years and never been let down.
So check out the Impulse and see if you too think this pack can fit all of your needs for the fall’s white-tailed deer hunting adventures!
Learn more about the Impulse and other offerings from ALPS OutdoorZ products with the DEADQUIET fabric by visiting https://alpsoutdoorz.com/.