When most people think about hunting gear, certain items probably immediately jump to mind: a rifle, bow, binoculars, ammo, arrows, knife, backpack, boots, etc. Those things are certainly important, but there are a couple of other items you should probably consider taking afield that don’t get quite as much attention.

However, don’t discount their value. They can help you stack the odds of success in your favor as much as possible by enabling you to take better care of yourself and your equipment while you’re out hunting.

Gun Cleaning Supplies

Over the years I’ve had a couple of hunts interrupted by some sort of issue with my rifle or shotgun. Some of these incidents have involved extreme weather. Others have resulted from user error.

Yes, I’ve accidently dropped my rifle and plugged the barrel with dirt. No matter how great your hunting rifle is, and no matter how careful you are, accidents happen every now and then and sometimes it doesn’t take much to knock a firearm out of commission.

Fortunately, you can minimize the impact an event like that will have on your hunt if you have some gun cleaning supplies on hand. Depending on the exact circumstances of your hunt, it might be fine to leave your supplies in the truck. At other times, you may need to carry a basic gun cleaning kit on you.

Either way, a few items should be enough to take care of most issues you’re likely to encounter afield: a sectioned cleaning rod, a couple of patches, some CLP or gun oil, and a rag. That should be plenty to safely clear a barrel obstruction or get a finicky semi-auto shotgun back in running order for the rest of the hunt before a more thorough cleaning when you get back home.

Basic First-Aid Kit

While a gun cleaning kit will help keep your firearms in running order, it’s also important to take care of yourself. Hunting is a physical activity and bumps, bruises, cuts, and scrapes are part of the price you pay for enjoying the outdoors sometimes. However, especially on a really long or physically demanding hunt, those little things can add up to sap your focus and willpower.

Don’t be that guy who needs to quit early for a slight injury.

Once again, the circumstances of your hunt dictate what you should have on hand, but at a minimum, bring a couple of Band-Aids, some pain medication (Advil, Tylenol, etc.), some tweezers, and some moleskin with you so you can deal with minor medical issues while you’re out in the woods.

Bug Repellent

Hunts at certain times of year can mean encounters with large numbers of biting insects. This is especially true for spring turkey season, an early teal hunt, or archery deer season in many areas.

I don’t know about you, but having mosquitoes constantly buzzing around my head and biting exposed skin can be really annoying and distracting.

You want your attention to be focused on your hunt, not by the bugs that are harassing you. Indeed, a coyote I encountered in Georgia many years ago got a new lease on life because I was paying too much attention to the bugs that were trying to bite me instead of watching the woods for predators responding to my call.

That hunt sticks in my memory to reinforce the importance of taking measures to repel biting insects on a warm weather hunt. So, either wear a DEET-based repellent or use a Thermacell to keep the bugs away so you won’t be distracted from your actual hunt.