Posts by Dennis Stokes
The “Just In Case” Bag You Should Always Bring
Seems like the busier I get and the more time I spend in the hills chasing critters, the more I’m apt to either forget something, lose something, or have gear fail. So, to help with this, I decided to get myself a little more prepared. A friend of mine that I work with occasionally always…
Read MoreSpring Cleaning
Spring Cleaning Lately, nothing has been safe around my house. Let me clarify. I have been on a rampage lately waging war against clutter. It feels great! “The Minimalists” A couple of weeks ago, I watched this Netflix documentary called “The Minimalists”. Now, it’s not what you might think. These dudes aren’t walking around in…
Read MoreBear Gear: Do you have the gear you need?
Hi, my name is Dennis and I’m a backpack hunting gear fanatic and avid bear hunter. I love gear and gear organization when it comes to backcountry backpack hunting. I love going through it and constantly tweaking my pack and all that resides within it. Every time I get ready for a hunt, I have…
Read MoreIt’s Just Physics
What is the most common question we receive here at Initial Ascent?? What separates Initial Ascent Packs from ALL the other packs out there? Simple. Our frame and suspension is second to none and is built to pack extremely heavy weights more comfortably than the competition. The Integrous Frame is the foundation of our system. You might…
Read MoreA “Feel Good” Story Behind Our Pack Design
I was thinking about something today and I thought I’d take a minute to explain. When talking about our packs, there is obviously a lot that Joe and I can tell you as we know them better than anyone. We could get into all the engineering that went into the frame as well as technical…
Read MoreBears: Out and About Early This Year
It’s March 18, 2021, and it’s already 70 degrees here in the Treasure Valley of Idaho. Bear season is now less than a month away and the snow in the hills is melting fast. Along with that, things are starting to green up down here at 2500′. What does this mean for spring bear season?…
Read MoreThe Brotherhood of the Traveling Pack- A Journey
1 Pack. 12 months. 12 hunters This amazing project was concocted by our own Steve Opat of Alaskan Odysseys Podcast. He brought the idea to Joe and I, and together we refined the idea that has taken on a life of it’s own. Here’s Steve to talk more about it. “Maybe you’ve seen some of…
Read MoreDo I Really Need That? Making Cuts to Your Pack Weight
If you’re a backpack hunter, this is not unfamiliar ground in which we’re going to venture. One’s pack weight seems to be a major thought as you prepare for that hunt where everything you’ll need to survive is to be carried on your person. Every ounce tends to add up over the course of multiple…
Read MoreDad’s Deer Hunt
I’m not usually one for grip and grin photos with animals I’ve harvested, but this one was one I’ll be grinning about for a long time. Six years ago this week, I took my dad on a real western mule deer hunt. I wanted him to experience western style hunting so I arranged a hunt…
Read MoreHow To Prevent Blisters in The Backcountry
Backcountry foot care has been a topic that’s been covered extensively from the “thru-hike” backpacking world to ultra-marathoning world to backcountry hunting. The resources available on the subject are vast and numerous so we should have this thing figured out. Right?? Not really. Before we get into how to prevent blisters let’s talk about what…
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