Backpack bowhunt gear list

[breacher]

Any experienced backpackers out there that can critique this list? Trying to get my weight down to around 40-45 for 4-5 days. I am about 50 pounds right now for that time frame. That includes my bow strapped to pack and 32 oz Nalgene bottle of water ( I filter at every opportunity to avoid carrying more). My buddy and I are going to reduce personal items like a stove and water filter. He will carry one and I'll carry the other to reduce weight.

Interested in hearing about any lightweight shelter options. Bugs can be an issue (as are porcupines!) so a tarp is out of the question. I've tweaked and tweaked and this just may be as good as I can get it without purchasing some seriously high dollar gear that weighs less. Less than two months before the archery deer and bear season in Northern California!!!!



Camp gear:

Gregory Baltoro 75
Kelty Lightyear 20 degree down sleeping bag
Big Agnes 2.5" air pad
Eureka Spitfire 1
Pillow (Kelty)
MSR Pocket Rocket stove and 1 fuel cannister.
MSR Miniworks water filter
Bic lighter


Hunting gear:

Bow
Arrows 4-5
Bino's
550 cord (25 feet)
Havalon knife w/ extra blades
Game bags (1)
Headlamp (Fresh batteries)


Hygene:

Wipes (disinfectant, 2-3 per day)
Toothbrush (small bottle toothpaste)
First aid supplies (bandaids, gauze, tape, disinfectant, iodine)
Unscented baby power for body and wind direction
Washcloth
Unscented soap (small bar or liquid)

Food:

Plastic spork and mug
Breakfast- Quaker oatmeal packets (2 per morning)
Lunck- Tuna and cracker kits
Dinner- Mountain House
Snacks- Beef jerkey, trail mix, Fiber One bars.

Clothing: (what is in pack and not being worn on hike in)

1 extra pair wool socks
Fleece beanie
medium weight wool L/S pullover
Cabelas Space Rain jacket

Misc.

Printed out aerial photos of area
Camera

 

[HunterBK]

Hygene:

Wipes (disinfectant, 2-3 per day)
Toothbrush (small bottle toothpaste)
First aid supplies (bandaids, gauze, tape, disinfectant, iodine)
Unscented baby power for body and wind direction
Washcloth
Unscented soap (small bar or liquid)

[/quote]

I don't have a whole lot of backpacking experience, but I'd add butterfly bandages to your first aid supplies if you don't already have them.

The one backpacking trip I went on was in Yosemite - not a hunting trip, just a good group of friends looking to go on a 4-5 day trip. We hiked about 12 miles on day one and ended up being ahead of schedule. On day two, we got up in the morning and hiked 5 miles further and found this great area on the river where we could fish, swim, slide down natural water slides, etc.

Being that we were ahead of schedule, we spent most of the day at this spot on the river. At about 5pm we were headed back to our packs to start hiking again and a friend of mine slipped on a rock and split his shin open. We were able to jimmy-rig a bandage with some gauze and duct tape, but no one was very confident in the patch job.

We ended up backtracking the entire 17 miles we had already hiked. Since we didn't get moving until about 5:30 or 6pm, most of the hike back was in the dark. It was a real pain in the ass.

 

[El Matavenados]

I’ve done some backpacking and backpack hunting, and learned a couple things. Hope this helps.
1. Water: you might want to reconsider your water treatment for weight savings. Ultralight hikers will frequently forgo water treatment completely. They can do this only be carefully choosing their water sources. For example, where I’ve hunted, the water came directly from small, melting glaciers. So there was no silt or algae. All I did (on two occasions, with no ill effects) was treat with plain old bleach (10 drops per quart, I believe, wait 30 minutes before consuming). If the water in your area will be similar in quality, you should be able to treat with bleach (carry a small amount in a small bottle, preferably one that dispenses drops easily).

2. Even if you do decide to filter your water, you may want to leave the Nalgene bottle at home. They are HEAVY. Instead, use a wide-mouthed Gatorade or Powerade bottle. The filter won’t thread onto the bottle, but is that required? If you don’t HAVE to use the Nalgene, leave it home.

3. If filtering water, I recommend a small, collapsing bucket that can stand on its own. With this, you won’t kill your back bending over a creek trying to pump water out of it. Your filter will also pick up less crap.

4. Shelter: a tarp shelter would save you a significant amount of weight, but it does come with challenges (such as bugs). Coleman has a cot-sized mosquito net that you can suspend under the shelter, which will help. If it can be attached to the tarp itself (with Velcro or whatever), that would be even easier. But if this is not an option, take a small, 2-man tent, and split it between you and your buddy. A 1-man tent weighs almost as much as a 2-man tent. Alternatively, you can go the waterproof bivvy sack route, but the weight on these is too high for my taste. Tarps rock!

5. Ditch the 2.5” pad. Go to WalMart, and get a cheap, lightweight foam pad. That will save you as much as a pound. Yes, I know, it’s uncomfortable. Prepare your body for it by sleeping on it for a week before you go.

6. Ditch the pillow. Use your other gear (pullovers, etc.) as a pillow instead.

7. Ditch the game bag. Bring enough ziplocs to stuff your deboned meat into, and put those into a single, lightweight garbage sack.

8. Is the toothpaste a must-have item? I think the toothbrush will suffice.

9. Washcloth- get one of those Coleman camping towels, and cut a piece off of it (maybe 8” x 8”)

10. Food- Tuna is heavy. Take a 2-day practice trip over a weekend. Make it a long, hard hike in, with a heavy load. Then try some of the food you plan to take. I’ve learned that margarine always melts and gets all over everything. Pepperoni does the same (greasy!!!). Ramen is light, but I won’t eat it after a strenuous day of hiking. Trail mix is good the first day, and I don’t touch it after that. I’m not really a breakfast person most days, and besides, mornings are for glassing, not eating! Pick foods that you KNOW you will want to eat. Otherwise, it’s dead weight, and a lot of it.

11. I don’t see maps listed, so either you overlooked this, or you know your hunting area very well (and don’t plan to leave it).

12. Headlamps are nice, but can be heavy (though not all are). Consider a Fenix flashlight that uses a single battery, like this: http://www.amazon.com/Fenix-Compact-LED-Flashlight-Blue/dp/B002YLTTXW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1371748254&sr=8-2&keywords=fenix

13. Don’t count your food or water in your base weight. Do the best you can to minimize this weight, of course, but focus on your base weight.

14. Every pound you lose off your body is another pound you don’t have to carry. If you have weight to lose, try dropping 5-10 lbs.

 

[breacher]

I’ve done some backpacking and backpack hunting, and learned a couple things. Hope this helps. Great info El Mat!
1. Water: you might want to reconsider your water treatment for weight savings. Ultralight hikers will frequently forgo water treatment completely. They can do this only be carefully choosing their water sources. For example, where I’ve hunted, the water came directly from small, melting glaciers. So there was no silt or algae. All I did (on two occasions, with no ill effects) was treat with plain old bleach (10 drops per quart, I believe, wait 30 minutes before consuming). If the water in your area will be similar in quality, you should be able to treat with bleach (carry a small amount in a small bottle, preferably one that dispenses drops easily). I've researched this, excellent weight savings method however, I don't wan't to wait the suggested 30-60 minute purification time when using drops or tablets. Also, something about seeing the "floaties" in the water is annoying.

2. Even if you do decide to filter your water, you may want to leave the Nalgene bottle at home. They are HEAVY. Instead, use a wide-mouthed Gatorade or Powerade bottle. The filter won’t thread onto the bottle, but is that required? If you don’t HAVE to use the Nalgene, leave it home. I hear ya on Nalgene bottles being heavier. We'll be hiking in 8 miles or so and I don't know I want to chance a gatorade bottle cracking. I might have to weigh them seperately. It may be splitting hairs with the weight. Probably a matter of a few grams. Going to check that tonight.

3. If filtering water, I recommend a small, collapsing bucket that can stand on its own. With this, you won’t kill your back bending over a creek trying to pump water out of it. Your filter will also pick up less crap. This isn't an issue but interesting idea.

4. Shelter: a tarp shelter would save you a significant amount of weight, but it does come with challenges (such as bugs). Coleman has a cot-sized mosquito net that you can suspend under the shelter, which will help. If it can be attached to the tarp itself (with Velcro or whatever), that would be even easier. But if this is not an option, take a small, 2-man tent, and split it between you and your buddy. A 1-man tent weighs almost as much as a 2-man tent. Alternatively, you can go the waterproof bivvy sack route, but the weight on these is too high for my taste. Tarps rock! There are many options with shelter. Bugs pretty much require a tent in this area. Two man tent is an idea. Going to look into that. If my buddy was an attractive female, I'd be all about it!

5. Ditch the 2.5” pad. Go to WalMart, and get a cheap, lightweight foam pad. That will save you as much as a pound. Yes, I know, it’s uncomfortable. Prepare your body for it by sleeping on it for a week before you go. Completely agree however those foam pads roll or fold up pretty big. My BA Air Core rolls up to size of a soda can and is under a pound

6. Ditch the pillow. Use your other gear (pullovers, etc.) as a pillow instead. Definitely going to try that.

7. Ditch the game bag. Bring enough ziplocs to stuff your deboned meat into, and put those into a single, lightweight garbage sack. Good idea! We may be using the plastic bag method anyway to sink the meat in a nearby stream. Extends our trip withought worrying about meat spoilage.

8. Is the toothpaste a must-have item? I think the toothbrush will suffice.

9. Washcloth- get one of those Coleman camping towels, and cut a piece off of it (maybe 8” x 8”) Probably going to ditch this alltogether.

10. Food- Tuna is heavy. Take a 2-day practice trip over a weekend. Make it a long, hard hike in, with a heavy load. Then try some of the food you plan to take. I’ve learned that margarine always melts and gets all over everything. Pepperoni does the same (greasy!!!). Ramen is light, but I won’t eat it after a strenuous day of hiking. Trail mix is good the first day, and I don’t touch it after that. I’m not really a breakfast person most days, and besides, mornings are for glassing, not eating! Pick foods that you KNOW you will want to eat. Otherwise, it’s dead weight, and a lot of it. We'll be putting in some serious miles which burns a lot of fuel. This is a hard one for me. I always bring too much. Need to seriously figure out caloric intake vs. calories burned. The tuna and crackers is conveniently packed which is why I like it.

11. I don’t see maps listed, so either you overlooked this, or you know your hunting area very well (and don’t plan to leave it). I print out paper aerial photos of the area which are lighter and fold smaller than my natl. forest map of the area.

12. Headlamps are nice, but can be heavy (though not all are). Consider a Fenix flashlight that uses a single battery. Headlamp is too convenient for hikes in the dark. Need both hands to carry a bow and move plant life.

13. Don’t count your food or water in your base weight. Do the best you can to minimize this weight, of course, but focus on your base weight.

14. Every pound you lose off your body is another pound you don’t have to carry. If you have weight to lose, try dropping 5-10 lbs. If I lost 10 pounds, bones would be showing...

Great info from a different perspective. I'll be taking a look at my stuff and adjusting it a bit. Thanks!

 

[El Matavenados]

I would be willing to bet money (at least 5 cents!) that you won't be able to crack a Gatorade bottle. As you noted, the weight savings may only be 1/2 oz. But it's that same weight-cutting mindset that will help you get down to your target base weight, so go for it!

Tent: my brother has a very small, 2-man tent. Well, maybe 1 man and 1 child, but we took it up the PCT above Indian Flats one evening, and it started to rain. He and I are both hefty guys, and we were packed in there like sardines. If you don't mind a little contact with another dude...well...what happens in deer camp...

Pad: I have an air mattress as well, but I don't use it anymore. Wally World has 2 styles, one of which is lighter and rolls up better (it has "lumps" instead of being solid. I cut it down to my length, and tapered it a bit toward the feet. It weighs 9.4 oz. When hunting, it usually gets strapped to the outside of my pack so that it won't take up too much room. In my ultralight pack (about 12 oz!), it goes inside, around the perimeter of the pack, and all my other gear gets crammed inside of it. This gives rigidity to the frameless pack. Just a thought, in case you ever go that route.

Sinking the bags of meat: you and I think alike! If I ever have to keep meat for a day or two, that's my plan as well. Bag it, and sink it in a creek. When I shot my buck 7.5 miles in 2 years ago on opening morning (just before noon), I was by myself. So I stuffed it in bags, dropped a garbage sack in my pack, loaded up, and hit the trail, making it to the car just before dark.

Ray Jardine wrote a books about thru-hiking the PCT and the AT, and his "Ray-way" changed the way a lot of people think about backpacking, me included. I don't go overboard like the super-ultralight packers (they want a sub-5-lb base weight, which is moronic), but it's a different (and good) mindset.

When I was a kid, we wore heavy leather boots when backpacking. Now, I wear tennis shoes. Think about how much that is in weight savings!

One more thing. My Mathews Switchback came with all sorts of vibration dampeners in the risers and cable guide. The drop-away rest had them too. These consist of weights suspended in rubber wheels. I don't know if your bow has these, but I ditched them. When set to 65 lbs, my bow is quiet. When cranked to full power (72 lbs), it's noisy, and the dampeners don't help. I figured since the deer probably weren't going to stick around for a follow-up shot, I didn't want to carry them into the backcountry.

 

[breacher]

I appreciate your knowledge El Mat! Going to get myself a scale that can measure in grams and ounces to really fine tune it.

 

[Lungpopper]

I wouldn't be able to cut any weight off of that. In fact I would be adding weight, I couldn't go up there without a fishing rod and reel plus some gear.
You were talking about hiring a packer the other day when we were talking. If your going to hire a packer to take your gear in I'd send him in with a case of beer also.

 

[Randomshot]

I would stick with the water filtration. Chlorine although a powerful disinfectant will not necessarily kill giardia or cryptosporidium if you were unluckily enough to encounter it from a stream. I would rather carry the weight and sweat a little rather than loosing it out my back side and possibly endangering myself..

 

[Ajsnack]

http://www.petzl.com/en/outdoor/headlamps/super-compact/elite

Check thisning out as a headlamp. I would carry this as a a secondary on patrol. It a a good light. They have listed there with a wrist mounted version but I have the head strap for it. I don't know how big your headlamp is but that may cut some weight off. If you want to get crazy about it do you need a whole toothbrush or just a half of it. Take a cheap one and cut the bottom half of it.

 

[breacher]

I wouldn't be able to cut any weight off of that. In fact I would be adding weight, I couldn't go up there without a fishing rod and reel plus some gear.
You were talking about hiring a packer the other day when we were talking. If your going to hire a packer to take your gear in I'd send him in with a case of beer also.

We havent decided yet on the packer. In and out prices are pretty steep in my opinion. If anything it would be one way and on the pack in.

We substitute shots of metamucil for the beer. After a few days of freeze dried meals, jerky and dried fruit your stomach is might as well be a brick factory. Things just don't flow anymore.

 

[MJB]

I usually do a 5-10 day solo bow backpack hunt in UT for deer or Elk at 9-11K elevation.

My pack is a MR yea it's heavy but it can tote +100lbs with great comfort. Plus it has a small day pack that works great for the day hunt. The only thing I wish was the pack had smaller pockets dividing up the bigger pockets.

My sleep set up is around 7lbs. tent, air mattress and bag. I would never go without an air mattress for comfort. A good nights sleep is really important when out in the back country and hiking all day looking for game.

Tent http://www.catomaoutdoor.com/Catalog/ProductInfo.aspx?id=155
Easy setup/teardown....I can be set up in 10 seconds and out of there in about 20 seconds. Great mesh keeps all the bugs out and very durable. I also use it when camping out of the truck.
I will leave the rain fly poles and stakes at home and use a 550 cord along along with some sticks to hold the rain fly. The rain fly covers enough ground that all my gear is under it to keep dry.

Air mattress Big Angus aircore

My bag is a Kelty 20 degree

I also bring a space blanket in case I'm left out over night away from my tent. I've never use it but I don't have to worry about killing or going after an animal thats far away plus if you get tired on the way back to camp at least you won't freeze while you get some shut eye.

Now for water filtration I would not share, too many times when I have gone with other hunters I'm going one direction and my buddies are in another so sharing is not wise especially if you need to spend the night away from camp.
I use a water bladder by camelback with the attachment so my water filter goes right into the drink hose no need to take the pack off to drink or fill. My MSR Hyperfilter is light weight and fills directly into my bladder. Most of the packers in CA don't even use any water filters now is this wise well I guess if they have had no problems over the years I guess you could do with out.

Now for food I always over do it but better too much than not enough. I go two ways first I break apart MRE's and take the peanut butter, cheese packets, crackers and trail mix for breakfast and snacks. Then I use the freeze dried stuff for dinner or a heavy lunch if needed. On the freeze dried stuff I puncher a hole to let the excess air out and them put some duck tape over the hole. It works great and if I need any small bits of duck tape I have it for use after I eat the meal. Another option is to kill any fish, small game or game birds in season to enhance or stretch your food. In UT grouse is in season at the same time I usually see them as soon as I get to my camp and take one right away and do the submerge in the creek to keep it cold and the varmints/bears from getting it. The tuna thing is a no go for me in bear country they love fish but if I do catch any fish which I have with natural traps or by my hands I make sure I'm far from camp and leave nothing but the bones and spread the remains in tiny bits so it's harder to find and smell. One time while in UT my know it all buddy had some of the tuna stuff and a bear camp into his camp at night going through his trash pile.......lets just say he will never do that again.

First aid I bring super glue, Neosporin and duck tape for cuts. I take Aleve for pain relief if needed and Bayer heart aspirin for elevation sickness. I start the aspirin a few days before and stop at the third day at elevation. I'm at sea level most of the time so I don't take any chances of getting elevation sickness. I've never had it but have seen people that have and it looks like no fun and can ruin a hunt in a hurry. The Bayer heart/baby aspirin thins the blood and this keeps you from getting elevation sickness along with hydration and has less side effects than the proscribed stuff. Yea you still pee alot but thats it and it helps to take the little pains away.

Cooking utensils I went and bought the titanium solo cook set and don't regret it. Everything packs into it, the Pocket rocket burner, one canister of fuel along with my spork. It comes with a rubber lid, cook pot, rubber cup and a net to hold everything together.

As for rain gear I bring a Coleman poncho and a book. If the clouds are so low I can't see the book really helps. The book helps to pass the time and is a great way to fall asleep during the mid day for a nap.

I also bring camp soap, toothbrush, razor(I hate having a beard making noise against my clothes when hunting or bundled up at night) and a shamwow for a towel/washcloth. The shamwow is supper light and can go from washcloth to towel to cold compress to stop the bleeding if cut, in seconds.

For lights I bring two head lamps, always have a back up no fun stumbling in the dark due to a broken/lost or dead light. One uses the watch batteries and the other the AAA.

I love the Havalon knife and bring that along with a fixed blade knife. I wear the fixed blade it gives me a camp knife and a sense of security when sleeping in the woods with bears and lions.

I can't remember the rest of the stuff I bring or don't bring but to get the weight down you'll have to spend the money on the light stuff. Your sleeping, food and hunting gear is where the weight is but how much can you go down? I always look at comfort vs. weight vs. use. I like to have a good time and being as comfortable as possible. On the way in the heavy pack helps to motivate me to get to my base camp as quick as possible so I can ditch the pack and start hunting!!!

Good luck and have fun.

 

[MJB]

Oh yea....those packer prices are ridiculous but it does come in handy to get the game out.

You just get the GPS coordinates of the site and call them in or when you get to town. Sure beats making multiple trips to get your game out on your back.

 

[BuckHunter]

Great thread with some great info.

 

[Bonejour]

Thank you guys for taking the time to write all this down. Great insights.

 

[Flecko]

MJB recommends superglue... Me too!!! It was first developed for surgical use and can do wonders on a straight cut!

Wipes are also key! Buttrash is no fun! Haha

I bring a travel size bottle of hand sanitizer, which also doubles as a fire starter.

I'm curious to hear if you've updated this list after your most recent hunt...

 

[longbowhunter2]

good stuff guys, thanks for sharing. I have not done a long trip in years.

 

[Drewski2324]

Awesome thread! If you opt for the foam mattress from walmart you better invest in some good wiskey because those things are aweful!

 

[longbowhunter2]

Awesome thread! If you opt for the foam mattress from walmart you better invest in some good wiskey because those things are aweful!

lol I could use some good wiskey

 

[JakeSCH]

Just came across this thread. An old but great one!

 

[baboltin]

A good read and good info