DRT Recon Lounger Review: Five Jobs, One Pack Slot

The DRT Recon Lounger is one of those rare backcountry hunting products that actually does more than the box promises. At 2 lbs 1 oz, it gives western hunters real glassing support, rifle protection, shooting utility, and sleeping-pad backup without wasting precious pack space.

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Backcountry hunters obsess over cutting weight and reducing gear, and rightfully so. Every ounce you carry in is an ounce you carry out, and redundant gear has a way of staying in the truck after the first hard mile. The DRT Recon Lounger is the kind of product that actually earns its spot in the pack because it is not one thing. It is five.

At its core, the Recon Lounger is a glassing chair. I have been using it in the field, and the difference between glassing off the ground or a rock versus having real back support and core stability is not subtle. Long glassing sessions are physically demanding, and a chair that keeps you locked in and comfortable directly translates to more time behind glass and more game spotted. That is the primary pitch, and it delivers.

But DRT built more into it than that. The same unit rolls up and wraps around your rifle, with carbon fiber rods running parallel to the action to protect your trigger, scope, and receiver from impact during transport. Flip it over and adjust the straps, and it functions as a field bipod with adjustable height for multiple shooting positions. Unroll it flat, and it becomes a shooting mat or an additional layer under your sleeping pad for insulation and moisture protection.

All of that in a package that weighs 2 lbs 1 oz, folds to 18.5 by 18 inches, and rolls down to 5 inches in diameter.

For a western hunter doing serious glassing, this is one of those pieces of gear you will wonder how you got by without. The Recon Lounger is $108 and available in Forest Green and Coyote Brown at drthunting.com.

• Pros: Excellent back support for glassing, legitimately multi-use design, protects rifle during transport, doubles as a field bipod, doubles as a shooting mat or sleeping-pad layer, compact for what it does.
• Cons: At 2 lbs 1 oz, it is still a dedicated gear commitment, and hunters who rarely glass for long stretches may not get the full value from all five functions.