Chicago Bow Hunters, Inc.

When you’re in a tournament, that is not the time to realize that you’re missing a vital tool or component. Having everything you need to make your shot and make quick repairs while on the line is imperative to a successful competition experience. First, let’s outfit your quiver.

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Quiver 

1. Tab (recurve) – Carry at least one spare tab. (Make sure you have used and broken it in!) Tournaments do not stop because of rain. Shooting with a dry tab is an edge.

2. Release (compound) – What are you going to do if your primary release breaks? Have another and be familiar with it. Oftentimes, shooters will carry 2 types of releases, depending upon shooting conditions (windy=thumb, calm=hinge).

3. Finger sling – These have a tendency of getting lost easily. Carry a couple of spares; they take little space in your quiver. One option is to have extra shoe laces. These are cheap, strong and come in a variety of colors and designs.

4. Nocks – It would seem obvious, but… And know the proper way to index a nock and either adhere, or press fit them.

5. Arrow puller – Whitetail target butts, need I say more? Find a place on the exterior of your quiver to clip it for easy access.

6. Arrow lubricant – It can be as simple as a bar of soap or clear shoe polish (cheap and effective), to specifically manufactured products. When you need arrow lube, you’ll be thankful it is in your quiver.

7. Arrow rest – Who wants their tournament to end because of a broken rest? This is another item which takes little space in your quiver.

8. Allen wrenches – Look at what is on your bow which would need to be tightened, or adjusted. I carry both a metric and SAE version. Try to get as compact a set as possible.

9. Multi Tool – Very handy for doing a variety of tasks, from cutting serving to extracting points.

10. A length of serving thread – Tying off an unraveling serving, or tying in a nocking point on the fly has saved my bacon on more than one occasion.

11. Spare string – It’s insurance and takes little room. Again, this should be a string you’ve broken in and have nocking points affixed to it.

12. Pens, pencils and calculator – It’s tough to score without a pencil! And the calculator… make sure those scores are accurate when you turn in your score card.

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Bow Bag

1. Bow (riser & limbs) – Hard to shoot arrows without it.

2. Arrows – Bow is not much good without them.

3. Front & side stabilizers w/ V-bar mount (if applicable)

4. Sight (if applicable)

5. Finger tab (primary & back-up) – Make sure both tabs are broken in well and comfortable and predictable in action.

6. Release (primary & back-up) – Make sure you’ve practiced with the spare.

7. Sling(s) (primary & back-up) – Again, shoe laces make the best, cheapest, flashiest slings. You can customize these just about any way you want.

8. Arm Guard (primary & back-up) – These can break in your bag, so spares are good to have. Otherwise, your arm may regret it. 

9. T-square – This may be even more handy in your quiver, especially if you have to utilize your spare string in a clutch moment.

10. Spare stings with string holder (travel toothbrush holder-neat, huh?)

11. Plunger kit (recurve) – Keep everything that comes with it!

12. Bow stringer (recurve) – Kind of a no brainer, here.

13. String wax – Keep your strings and cables in good working order.

14. Silver and black Sharpie markers – You’ll have to make sure your arrows are marked with your initials. That silver Sharpie comes in handy.

15. Shot trainer – If you don’t have one, it’s a good idea to get one. 

16. Tool box/bag – An absolute MUST!

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Tool Box/Bag

Your tool box can be as simple as a travel make-up bag with your bits and bobs thrown in, or as detailed as a fishing tackle box with individual compartments for everything from rests to different colored nocks. But, however you decide to equip yourself, you should include at LEAST the following parts and tools:

 

1. Extra rests/blades

2. All-in-one (multi) tool

3. Allen wrenches (metric & standard) – Often times, plungers, sights, and other components will come with extra, individual allens. KEEP THESE! You never know when you’ll need them. The easy and compact Allens you get at the hardware store don’t have every size that your components may require.

4. Lighter (for cleaning up tag ends of servings, etc.)

5. Spare nocks – It’s a good idea to have two dozen extra nocks in different colors. When you’re sharing a target with 3 other people outdoors, it’s hard to tell whose arrows are whose if they all have the same color nocks. Having multiple colors to choose from makes a quick change easy and you’ll know which arrows are yours.

6. Spare fletchings/vanes with tape or glue – Make sure they’re the same size and weight as what’s on your arrows currently. While shooting a 2-fletched arrow is still 

7. Spare arrow points & pins – Points sometimes come out in bales. Pins sometimes loosen up. Inserting spares during a tournament is not exactly the best time, but on your downtime, after the lines is done, repairs can be made easily if these are in your kit.

8. Hot melt glue – Spare points and pins won’t be much good without glue.