Fieldhook.. What to get ?

Hi all !

I'm looking for a sturdy fieldhook. I have thought about getting the Midwest Professional Field Hook or Furmont Stumpripper.

The Stumpripper is good, i have tested it a couple of times (A friend owns two), but seems hard to get, i need to get it shipped to me in Sweden. Midwest hook i haven't tested so i don't know much about it, but i have some other hooks from them and they have been excellent, and it is easy to buy and get shipped to me.

I also is going to get Midwest Collapsible M1 40 inch Tong and some other stuff from them so it is a good idea to also order their fieldhook ?!?

But where i'm going i really need something that i can trust, it would be a disaster if the hook fails in field. I have 2 trips planed, one in Switzerland where the goal is to photograph Vipera aspis in it's habitat, i will spend about to weeks out in the field and the other is to South Africa for 5 weeks in the field.

So i need some top notch equipment.

The plan was to bring the Midwest Collapsible M1, forceps and a good fieldhook.

Any suggestions or comments i much welcome.

Best Regards
Daniel Claesson

Personally I would only use a field hook such as a stump ripper (which i have and is amazing) or the midwest fieldhook if you are planning on lifting boards and or tin and the like. You can get by with handling slow moving hots with them but they are awful for handling an elapid. If you plan on handling elapids for sure keep an actual hook with you.

Chip Cochran wrote:: Personally I would only use a field hook such as a stump ripper (which i have and is amazing) or the midwest fieldhook if you are planning on lifting boards and or tin and the like. You can get by with handling slow moving hots with them but they are awful for handling an elapid. If you plan on handling elapids for sure keep an actual hook with you.

Thanks for the input, i will think this through a couple of more times.

Regards
Daniel

I have a collapsible Midwest hook along with another homemade hook.
The Midwest mechanism is ridiculous, within the first month is seized. It now does not matter which way I turn the knobs, it tightens both ways.
I have stopped using it and have returned to my trusty homemade hook made with a golf club and some shaped round bar with a flattened end.

Rob Deans wrote:: I have a collapsible Midwest hook along with another homemade hook.
The Midwest mechanism is ridiculous, within the first month is seized. It now does not matter which way I turn the knobs, it tightens both ways.
I have stopped using it and have returned to my trusty homemade hook made with a golf club and some shaped round bar with a flattened end.

Ok, najs info to know.

Regards
Daniel