Gear Dump: Traditional Archery Traveling Kit

Dedicated archery practice time doesn’t actually exist in my life. To combat all the distractions, I keep my shooting gear simple, in reach and ready to deploy at a moment’s notice. Especially while traveling.

The bed of my truck holds a storage solution that contains my tradition archery kit. This light collection of gear travels with me at all times during the summer.

The Gear
Small tackle box:
Extra nocks
Practice broadheads (regular broadheads that I’ve restricted to the practice block)
String wax
Field points
Finger tabs
Spare string

Bino Harness
Practice like you hunt! I keep mine configured just as it is for hunting, with the rangefinder attached.

Archery Target
I prefer the Rhinehart 18-1 target as it takes both field points and broadheads. A bonus feature with this particular target is it’s heavy enough to stand on its own, but light enough to throw. I like to give the target a toss and guess the yardage.

Traditional Longbow
This two-piece bow breaks in half for travel. However, when it rides in the truck it is unstrung and in one piece. Break-down traditional bows should be kept in one piece for long term storage. This is much more critical in a vehicle where it will be subject to fluctuating temperatures.

Truck Storage Solution
I jumped in on the Decked truck bed drawer system a few years back. The Decked system is a commitment, they run about $1,000. It’s also my commitment to the organization of gear, which I desperately need.

My shooting kit, besides the target, all easily fits in one drawer. I keep an emergency sleeping bag in a drawer which doubles as a travel case for my longbow. The bow, unstrung, goes into the sleeping bag, sleeping bag slides into the drawer.  Away we go.

The rest of the truck bed can be a mess, but that mess won’t frustrate my ability to target shoot within minutes when the opportunity presents itself.