Review: Aziak Equipment
Ever used a piece of outdoor gear and thought to yourself, Hmm, I wonder if a little tweak here & there would make this piece of gear better? Then you jerry-rig something, only to have it fall apart after a couple trips. If only you were an engineer…
Well, that’s exactly what happened to Rydell Reinbold. The difference is, he is an engineer. So, he turned his tinkering into a business: Aziak Equipment. Born from real-life experiences in the mountains, the company produces a variety of unique, lightweight hunting & hiking gear focused primarily on optic accessories. Rydell recently dropped off a box of Aziak Equipment goodies for us to check out. Here’s what we thought.
After years of hunting and scouting with my rickety, fragile tripod, I’d resigned myself to a choice between strong and light. Until I tried out Aziak's Backcountry Lite Tripod ($275) and Backcountry Lite Ball Head ($75), that is. This combo is a dream—both light and sturdy, with strong components that slide, twist, and turn with the smoothness of equipment three times the weight (and price). No matter what I put on this thing—binoculars (with Aziak's Bino Clamp, $37), spotting scope, or rifle—the tripod holds steady. When the wind gets a-whippin’, a handy hook underneath the center column accommodates a weighted bag or boulder, for additional stability. The oversized feet don’t sink into soggy ground, and the whole thing collapses to a tight, trim size for strapping or stuffing into a pack. And for me, at 5’8”, it’s just the right height: with my spotting-scope’s angled eyepiece, and the long center column in place (Aziak throws in a short column, too), I can use the tripod in any position, from seated to standing. —Mike England
As a new hunter starting to acquire gear, I always thought a tripod for my binoculars was a luxury, not a necessity. But after testing Aziak's Backcountry Lite Tripod ($275) with the Backcountry Lite Ball Head ($75), I realized I was only seeing half the picture—and half the animals—while scouting. This tripod has everything you want—easy to adjust, incredibly stable, and very user-friendly. It only lacks one thing: weight. Compared to other tripods, it's sturdy, light as a feather, and I barely notice the addition to my pack when I’m headed into the backcountry. Aziak elevated this setup even further with their Bino Clamp accessory ($37). The nylon clasp slides on and off the tripod in seconds, and its lightweight design and low profile allow you to slip your binos into their harness with the clamp on. No straps to cinch, no clips to buckle, no extra fidgeting while out in the field; and with three different sizes, there’s an option for just about any pair of binoculars on the market. When hunting, the little details can be the difference between getting an animal down and walking out of the woods with a light pack. Having ultra-dialed optics goes a long way. —Peter Moreno
Many a time I’ve been frustrated with my Garmin inReach Explorer while hunting. No fault of the device, but tucked in my zipped pocket it would often lose connection. I experimented with different ways of strapping it to my pack, but I always worried it would fall off. Thankfully, there’s a solution with Aziak's Garmin Device Backpack Mount ($35). This simple holder attaches to my pack’s straps and clips to the back of my Garmin, holding the device snug and making it easy to access while maintaining a strong connection with the satellite. No more digging through zipped pockets, and no more losing connection in the field. Plus, it works with my Alpha 10 dog tracker. I can easily transfer the Aziak Mount to my bird vest. Or, more likely, buy another one—at only $35, it’s not going to break the bank. I should probably get one for my runting (run/hunting) kit as well… —Chris McCarthy
It's amazing how far lightweight materials have come, and the folks over at Aziak Equipment are using it to engineer real-deal accessories for crucial outdoor devices. Their Garmin Device Backpack Mount ($35) is so light I forget it’s on my shoulder, but still durable enough to trust in any circumstance—laying my bike down on a sharp corner, for example. The mount keeps my Garmin inReach Mini more in reach than ever before, firmly secured to my backpack strap, and whether I’m biking or backpacking, I feel safer and more confident on the trails. —Adam Brown
As an outdoor photographer, I’m constantly asking myself how much camera equipment is “reasonable” to bring. When backpacking, even the camera and lens feel like a lot. Do I take the tripod too, or find a good rock to balance my camera on? Traditional camera-support systems are bulky and cumbersome to bring on outdoor adventures, so I usually opt for the rock; but this makes it a challenge to capture stunning landscape photos. Enter Aziak’s Stable-Trek ($45), a lightweight trekking-pole-to-monopod adapter that has revolutionized my outdoor-photography experience. With the Stable-Trek, I no longer need to lug around a bulky tripod. Instead, I just screw the adapter into my camera’s base plate, slide it onto my trekking pole, and anchor it against a tree—or that trusty old rock—to minimize shake and maximize image quality. The Stable-Trek fits the trekking poles I already carry to lighten my load, and its ease of use makes it a must-bring on every outdoor expedition. —Morgan Pellowski
Gear that’s lightweight, functional, and reasonably priced; that’s what the O/B crew found with Aziak Equipment. The fact that Aziak is a local company, based in Belgrade, is just icing on the cake. Check out their full range of products at aziakequipment.com.
