What's in Your Blind Bag?

by
posted on September 10, 2012
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
dogs_ah2015_fs.jpg (24)

An all-important question was posed a couple days ago over on the Final Approach Facebook page: Besides shotgun shells, what do you feel is the most important piece of equipment in your blind bag? Here are some of my favorite answers:

• Calls
• Thermos (Presumably filled with extra black "duck hunting" coffee)
• A hot chick (How big is this guy's duffle? Or rather, how small is his "chick?")
• Toilet paper (Been there, needed that, and it's also a good fire starter)
• Multitool (With duck hunting, you just never know—it pays to have a versatile tool for broken-down outboards and other emergencies)
• Sausage and egg biscuit
• Camera
• Head lamp
• Shotgun Bore Snake (Sure beats unplugging a muddy barrel with a long stick—not that I would ever do that, of course)
• Aspirin (For that post-miss headache?)
• Wader patches (When you need 'em, you really need 'em)
• Spare gun plug (You may have yours, but what about your buddy's new brother in-law?)

All things considered, I was impressed by the comprehensiveness of this list. There are but a few items I'd add to it:

• Extra dog whistle
• Change of gloves/socks
• Small butane stove (I'll see your sausage and egg biscuit and raise you a hot bacon omelette)
• Canine first aid kit
• GPS
• Lighter
• Hot Hands
• Choke tube tool
• Oh, and uh, shotgun shells

So what's in your blind bag?

Latest

Long Beard TSS Beauty 2
Long Beard TSS Beauty 2

Turkey Loads 101

Seemingly simple, selecting the proper turkey load is anything but a grab-and-go proposition nowadays. Instead, it requires consideration of key load characteristics, purpose and value, all of which are covered in this article.

New for 2026: Kings Camo XKG Summit Series Packs

Kings Camo has launched its all-new XKG Summit Series Packs. Engineered for versatility, comfort and load-hauling capability, this pack systems offer modular performance suitable for a wide range of adventures, from streamlined day hunts to extended backcountry trips.

New for 2026: Real Avid Ratchet Rest Adjustable Height Shooting Bags

Real Avid has announced the Ratchet Rest—Adjustable Height Shooting Bags designed to give shooters exact elevation control, faster target alignment and repeatable shooting performance.

MDF Invested $48.3 Million for Conservation in 2025

The Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) mobilized a total of $48.3 million for mule deer and black-tailed deer in 2025, its second-best year on record. Across 153 projects in 17 states, MDF helped restore more than 537,000 acres of critical wildlife habitat, benefitted 129 deer herds and eliminated or converted 149 miles of hazardous fence to restore safe movement corridors for wildlife.

Behind the Bullet: .17 Mach 2

Ever heard of the .17 Mach 2? Go behind the scenes on this hot little rimfire round with resident ammo guru Phil Massaro.

Tuo Curates Specialized Turkey Hunting Collection

For the 2026 spring season, Tuo has architected a technical system specifically curated to meet the demands of turkey hunters. While engineered for maximum versatility, the Tuo ecosystem has developed a particular following in regions where the early season isn't defined by green leaves and lilac blooms, but by the high-contrast skeletal timber and grey-scale of the early spring woods.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.