If I were you, I'd rely on the 17 years of experience you've got hunting your area. Go to the shops and examine the gear you're interested in, then make your own judgements on whether the stuff is going to be tough enough and reliable enough to stand up to your kind of hunting. I'd say 99% of the stuff out there is geared to guys who perch their tails up on a treestand all day long. They can get by for years with stuff that your style of hunting could destroy in a morning hunt.