Steven Rinella, creator of Meat Eater, is probably the most well known professional in the world today. Most hunters don’t generally become world famous, but with the help of Netflix, and the excellent TV show, Meat Eater, his popularity has been on the rise. I’ve watched a lot of hunting shows in my life, and his hunting content is the very best I’ve ever seen. He’s down to earth and passionate about hunting. Because of his success, people are always wondering what gear and equipment MeatEater uses on the show. From his scope and binoculars to his pack and waders, we hope this article helps answer a lot of those questions.
First Lite Camo
The camo pattern Steve and the guys use is First Lite. His puffy coat, his jacket, his pants, all are First Lite. This is a high quality line of hunting apparel with a really good pattern. We at Apocalyptic Prepping prefer Sitka, but First Lite is also fabulous.
OnX Hunt
In several episodes, Steve and the others will drop a pin to mark the locations of different animals. In Season 9 for instance, Steve drops a pin on a gobbler he hears, then goes on hunting black bears, but comes back to the bird later.
Vortex HSLR Rifle Scope
Steve uses a couple different scopes on his guns, but you can generally tell there is one he favors, so I was trying to figure out what that was. We can also see some of the features of the scope Steven Rinella uses, like the color, the open turrets and the general size. I narrowed his scope down to either the Diamondback Tactical, or the Viper. The better of these options is the Viper. I own a Viper PST myself. The glass is extremely clear, and is an absolute pleasure to use. I was re-watching meat eater episodes and then figured I should just check twitter. 5 seconds later, I had my answer. Steve generally shoots a Viper HSLR scope.
Janis on the other hand has a clear view of the rifle scope he uses- a closed turret Vortex Razor. For hunting purposes, I prefer a closed turret scope. There’s less of a likelihood of it getting bumped and removes thought from high pressure hunting situations when buck fever kicks in. This isn’t to say that these guys only use one, but these two scopes are some of their best and go-to options for hunting from what we’ve observed. If you’re looking for a midrange tactical scope, check this out HERE instead.
Benchmade – Altitude 15200, Drop-Point Blade, Ultra Lightweight Knife, with Kydex Sheath, Made in the USA
Every knife used in the MeatEater show is a Benchmade knife. There are several different models used. The model above is one of the more lightweight options and extremely sharp and effective for getting the job done. It’s a great option for backpacker hunters, which is often how the MeatEater crew hunts, and its the light weight option Steve recommends. He specifically recommends the Altitude Benchmade Knife
Hoyt Compound Bow
Steve explicitly shows and uses a Hoyt bow. Hoyt is a great brand, and Steve shoots both elk and deer with his Hoyt. He does also say that he shoots a Mathews, or at least gave it a whirl back in 2011, but he only uses the Hoyt on his show. Perhaps he likes the Hoyt more, or just can’t use Mathews because he’s sponsored by Hoyt. Either way, I personally think both Hoyt and Mathews are great brands, and you can’t go wrong with either one.
Oakley Camo Sunglasses
Steve is frequently wearing the classic Oakley boxy sunglasses, in a camouflage pattern. Oakleys are extremely high quality glass and are also comfortable to wear. If you’re using other optics, having good glass on good glass is a must.
Vortex Rangefinder
I’ve only seen Steve range out to about 600 yards max. In fact, A guy quotes him about when he ranges a mountain goat at 475 yards, so we know it at least has that capability. He doesn’t like to shoot that far, so its hard to get a read on the capabilities of his rangefinder. He also doesn’t explicitly state what range finder he uses on twitter as he does with other gear, but we get clues. Based on the looks, capabilities, and other information we know about his optics, our best guess is the Vortex Ranger 1800. This can range out to 1800 yards in good conditions and has excellent glass.
MeatEater Vortex Binoculars Used on the Show
They use Vortex binoculars that look like they’re the Vortex Razor 10×42. Steve confirms this in an interview where he talks about all his vortex optics with Outdoorsman.com. He explicitly says that if he could only have one set of binoculars, it’d be the Razor 10×42. It’s a great choice and a good magnification level for most all your hunting needs.
MeatEater Vortex Spotting Scope Used on the Show
If you haven’t noticed a theme here yet, the MeatEater crew runs Vortex for all their optics needs. They’re sponsored. This isn’t to say that they aren’t high quality. Something like a Swarovski is obviously going to be superior, but the Razor model is the highest end vortex scope. It’s great glass. In the interview with Outdoorsman.com, he also says that he currently prefers the straight eyepiece, just because its easier to switch between binoculars and his spotting scope, but it varies a bit between where and how he’s hunting. However, if he’s doing a longer glassing session, where he relies primarily on a spotting scope, he prefers an angled eye piece.
MeatEater Boots Used on the Show
There are a few different Brands that Steven Reinella recommends. He uses both Schnees, and Meindl. Boots are extremely important to Steve. Footwear will ruin your hunt quicker than almost anything. you really need to take care of your feet.
Steve’s Hat and Orange Vest
If you pay close attention, Steve switches his hat sometimes multiple times per episode, each to give some air time to his various sponsors. I’ve seen him wear a first lite orange hat, a Federal Premium Ammunition hat, a Yeti hat, and a Vortex hat- all within a couple episodes. It seems the most common orange blaze vest and hat are his Vortex brand.
Orange Flagging
After arrowing an elk, Steve and Janis mark blood with this orange flagging. Flagging is really nice for keeping track of where you’ve been, especially on a sparse blood trail. If you’ve tracked one with little blood, you’ll know what I mean. If you haven’t, you will eventually. Seriously, buy this and put it in your pack. You’ll be glad you did. If you lose the trail, you can look back and get an idea of how the animal is moving and you can better predict where to find the next blood.
FHF Gear Binocular Harness
Steve answered directly what binocular harness he uses on twitter. I discovered this after trying to pause several episodes and zoom in. Thanks for answering the question twitter. He has used a Vortex Harness in some of the episodes though.
Weatherby Vanguard Meat Eater Rifle
Steve Rinella often use Weatherby vanguard meat eater, at least for their large game hunts. They use this rifle in most but not all of their episodes. I would probably use my own designer rifle if I had one too, but I’ve seen a number of complaints about this rifle on forums. People complain about the bolt sticking, especially with 7mm.
Climber Tree Stand
While hunting deer in Maryland, Steve uses his a climber deer stand. A climber stand doesn’t require a ladder or climbing sticks and is the most comfortable stand that we have ever used. Steve is more of a hike in hunter, a spot and stalk kind of guy, and we don’t get a lot of good looks or information about the tree stand. From what we know, and what we’ve actually used here at Apocalyptic Prepping, we would say to go with a summit tree stand. These things have a reputation for being reliable, safe, and comfortable. This is the gold standard for climber tree stands.
Limb Saw
Steve uses this for clearing limbs while using his tree stand. A limb saw also had a variety of survival applications, from butchering game, to gathering wood and building a shelter. It’s a tool worth having in your pack.
Game Bags
Every time the Meat Eater crew is processing meat in the field they put their meat in game bags. Game bags keep bugs, dirt, grass, and other debris off of your meat. They help ensure you have a good product on the dinner table when all is said and done. A few of my buddys went out hunting and shot an elk recently and then realized they had left the game bags back in the truck. One had to hike back 6 miles to the truck, and 6 miles back to the kill site with the game bags. They’re important. Don’t forget to put them in your pack.
Broadheads
Steve uses a fixed blade arrow head. Mechanical blades have grown in popularity, but in every archery episode I’ve seen, Steve uses a fixed head broadhead. He had a bad experience shooting an elk with a mechanical head and has since switched to fixed. I haven’t found enough evidence to say what brand he uses though.
MeatEater Waders Used on the Show
A guy on twitter was good enough to help us identify what brand of waders Steve and the Meat Eater crew wear. They rock Simms Waders, which are one of the highest rated sets of waders on Amazon. They keep the water out and heat in and help you get the job done. These are great for fishing, hunting, or trapping, and the crew use them for all three.
Animal Calls
There are a wide variety of calls used throughout the meat eater series. For almost every species there is a call, and sometimes more than one. Take turkey hunting for instance- you’ve got a box call, a slate call, and a diaphragm call. I’ve got a shelf in my office where I actually store all my calls. So what calls does Steven Rinella use? What call doesn’t he use? There hasn’t been one brand as obvious as other gear used by MeatEater on the show that stands out over the rest. Just start to get calls and practice.
Yeti Cooler
I’m pretty sure Steve is sponsored by Yeti, which is extremely fortunate. That’s one company I’d love to be sponsored by. Yeti produces some fantastic coolers. Steve uses them to keep his meat cool, to ice his fish, and as he said in this tweet, to keep his beer cold.
If you enjoyed MeatEater Show Gear Used by Steven Rinella, you may be interested in some of our other articles:
- Best Gear for First Time Turkey Hunters>
- How to Watch MeatEater Online for Free>
- A Review of American Buffalo by Steven Rinella>
- A Review of MeatEater Season 9 Part 2>
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