So after 4 years and some research I drew my first X-Zone tag. I made a scouting trip earlier this year and have done a ton of E-scouting. I have a plan A,B,C etc. all of which involve death hikes and backpack hunting between 10-12,000ft of elevation. So here is what I know and what will determine what I carry. I will be up there 6 days and 5 nights, the weather is getting colder but it’s not terrible high teens at the coldest and mid 50’s at the highest. There is no rain in the forecast so rain gear stays at home. My pack weight with 2 32oz Nalgene’s of water and no clothes or weapon is 36.2lbs and all in with outer layers and weapon I am 48.6. All of this gear easily packs into my 3500L pack. I figured some of you guys would geek out on my gear list and hopefully this will motivate some of you to go on an adventure and educate you on how much thought and preparation goes into one of these hunts. For others it will remind you why @Hatchet is right and you should just stick to the truck. I am sure I missed a few things but this should get you my meat and potatoes.
Backpack
Exo Mtn Gear K2 3500
Clothes
Feet
Boots Kuiu Scarpa R-Evolution
2-Pairs Kuiu Merino Crew socks
Outdoor Research Gators (for stream crossing)
Legs
1-pair Lapasa Boxer briefs
Lower Base layer Kuiu Pelaton 97 zip offs
Pants Prana Zion’s (most comfortable pants ever)
Upper Body
Longs sleeve Meriwool 250 Merino shirt
Short Sleeve Smartwool 150 T-Shirt
Kryptek Pullover microfleece hoodie
Kryptek Cadog Jacket
Head
Meriwool 150 beanie
Trucker Hat
Gloves
Wool fingerless gloves
Kuiu Super Down glassing pro mittens
Sleep System
Tent Seek outside silvertip 2 man
Elnligthened Equipment 10deg quilt
Off brand blow up pillow
Thermarest X-Therm Sleep pad
Small 4oz tarp for floorless tent
Food and Water
Each day is basically the same changing up the type of dehydrated but below is what a day looks like for me. I have 5 1 Gallon bags packed like this for the trip in my pack
2-32oz Nalgenes
1-MSR Microfilter
1-titanium stove
2-8oz propane’s
1-20oz titanium pot
1- Sea to summit titanium spoon
1-Sea to summit collapsible cup 8oz
1-Mtn House Granola & Blueberries
1-Pro-bar
1-Pack Crackers
1-Flavored Pack of Tuna
2-foldgers coffee tea bags
1-hot coco packet with marsh mellows (these are awesome at night)
1-bag with 1/3 cup almonds, 1/3 cup dehydrated bananas, 1 dehydrated pineapple ring, and a gummy shark
1-Dehydrated dinner either Mtn house or AlpineAir
Optics
Vortex 1000 rangefinder
Vortex viper 10x42 Binos
Alaska Guide Creations Bino Harness
Swaro 15x56 SLC Binos AKA The Meat Seekers
Schonfeld Tri-Pod
Outdoorsman Micro Pan Head
Stuff in my red Outdoor Research organizer
I keep all of my random loose stuff in my OR organizer rather than have it in all the pockets of the pack it makes everything way easier organized
1-headlamp
1-Gerber scalpel
1-pack scalpel blades
15’ Para chord
Tooth brush
Small tooth paste
8-Norcos (incase stuff hits the fan)
5 packs Advil PM (they help you sleep and the ibuprofen is great after hiking)
20 altitude pills (don’t know if they work and I have never got sick but better safe than sorry)
Bic lighter with duct tape wrapped on it
Waterproof matches
10 extra rounds of 260 Rem
2 packs dude wipes
1 roll backpacking TP
Extra windicator
Bug spray
Water treatment pills (incase filter breaks)
Home made first aid kit band aids, blood clotter, goz, neosporene, moleskins to name a few notables
Deer and Bear tags
1 Ball Point pen (hopefully this is needed!)
2 zip ties
6-AAA batteries
1-pair hemostat pliers used for removing hooks and handling hot water pots
Random Stuff
Leki Aluminum Trekking poles (don’t buy cheap poles learned this the hard way packing out a deer last season)
1-extra headlamp
1-inflatable solar lantern
1-battery charger (should get me 3-4 full charges on my Iphone)
Roddy backpacking pole
5-rooster tales in an old medicine bottle
BlackOvis Deer Size Game Bags
Butt Pad
Garmin Inreach Explorer+ (I can text from anywhere in the world and I have SOS location if stuff hits the fan)
Weapon
Old Faithful Tikka T3X 260 Remington with a Leupold VX3i CDS set for 9,000ft of elevation
She’s getting retired after this season since my new gun is almost done but she always gets the job done and hopefully she gets to bark a few more times on this trip
I leave tomorrow morning for the hunt with a deer and a bear tag in my pocket. I really want to shoot a mature buck so I am mentally preparing myself for coming home empty handed. Like @Lungpopper says if I can find him I can kill him. I love a good adventure and look forward to sharing the trip with you guys next week.
Backpack
Exo Mtn Gear K2 3500
Clothes
Feet
Boots Kuiu Scarpa R-Evolution
2-Pairs Kuiu Merino Crew socks
Outdoor Research Gators (for stream crossing)
Legs
1-pair Lapasa Boxer briefs
Lower Base layer Kuiu Pelaton 97 zip offs
Pants Prana Zion’s (most comfortable pants ever)
Upper Body
Longs sleeve Meriwool 250 Merino shirt
Short Sleeve Smartwool 150 T-Shirt
Kryptek Pullover microfleece hoodie
Kryptek Cadog Jacket
Head
Meriwool 150 beanie
Trucker Hat
Gloves
Wool fingerless gloves
Kuiu Super Down glassing pro mittens
Sleep System
Tent Seek outside silvertip 2 man
Elnligthened Equipment 10deg quilt
Off brand blow up pillow
Thermarest X-Therm Sleep pad
Small 4oz tarp for floorless tent
Food and Water
Each day is basically the same changing up the type of dehydrated but below is what a day looks like for me. I have 5 1 Gallon bags packed like this for the trip in my pack
2-32oz Nalgenes
1-MSR Microfilter
1-titanium stove
2-8oz propane’s
1-20oz titanium pot
1- Sea to summit titanium spoon
1-Sea to summit collapsible cup 8oz
1-Mtn House Granola & Blueberries
1-Pro-bar
1-Pack Crackers
1-Flavored Pack of Tuna
2-foldgers coffee tea bags
1-hot coco packet with marsh mellows (these are awesome at night)
1-bag with 1/3 cup almonds, 1/3 cup dehydrated bananas, 1 dehydrated pineapple ring, and a gummy shark
1-Dehydrated dinner either Mtn house or AlpineAir
Optics
Vortex 1000 rangefinder
Vortex viper 10x42 Binos
Alaska Guide Creations Bino Harness
Swaro 15x56 SLC Binos AKA The Meat Seekers
Schonfeld Tri-Pod
Outdoorsman Micro Pan Head
Stuff in my red Outdoor Research organizer
I keep all of my random loose stuff in my OR organizer rather than have it in all the pockets of the pack it makes everything way easier organized
1-headlamp
1-Gerber scalpel
1-pack scalpel blades
15’ Para chord
Tooth brush
Small tooth paste
8-Norcos (incase stuff hits the fan)
5 packs Advil PM (they help you sleep and the ibuprofen is great after hiking)
20 altitude pills (don’t know if they work and I have never got sick but better safe than sorry)
Bic lighter with duct tape wrapped on it
Waterproof matches
10 extra rounds of 260 Rem
2 packs dude wipes
1 roll backpacking TP
Extra windicator
Bug spray
Water treatment pills (incase filter breaks)
Home made first aid kit band aids, blood clotter, goz, neosporene, moleskins to name a few notables
Deer and Bear tags
1 Ball Point pen (hopefully this is needed!)
2 zip ties
6-AAA batteries
1-pair hemostat pliers used for removing hooks and handling hot water pots
Random Stuff
Leki Aluminum Trekking poles (don’t buy cheap poles learned this the hard way packing out a deer last season)
1-extra headlamp
1-inflatable solar lantern
1-battery charger (should get me 3-4 full charges on my Iphone)
Roddy backpacking pole
5-rooster tales in an old medicine bottle
BlackOvis Deer Size Game Bags
Butt Pad
Garmin Inreach Explorer+ (I can text from anywhere in the world and I have SOS location if stuff hits the fan)
Weapon
Old Faithful Tikka T3X 260 Remington with a Leupold VX3i CDS set for 9,000ft of elevation
She’s getting retired after this season since my new gun is almost done but she always gets the job done and hopefully she gets to bark a few more times on this trip
I leave tomorrow morning for the hunt with a deer and a bear tag in my pocket. I really want to shoot a mature buck so I am mentally preparing myself for coming home empty handed. Like @Lungpopper says if I can find him I can kill him. I love a good adventure and look forward to sharing the trip with you guys next week.
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