Solo Hunter - Kitchen Sink or Minimalist?

[WapitiTalk1]

When you head out solo for hunt in the elk woods (day hunt or more), do you carry a survival pack, i.e., first aid kit, fire starter items, xtra food, ample water and/or a lightweight filter device, perhaps a lightweight space blanket or something else that be used as a makeshift shelter? Do you carry this type of gear (kitchen sink), or, do you carry just what is needed for the actual hunt and game processing? Just curious. I'd have to say I'm a predominately a kitchen sink guy.

[Rangerz]

Kitchen sink. Can never tell what may happen. I prefer to be over prepared than underprepared.

[Swede]

I have just a little more than the minimum when I leave camp. In camp I have too much stuff. Go figure.

[Lefty]

When I was hunting the desert it was the kitchen sink. I was going to be on my own until the day after I was due home.
Where I hunt now down hill is always safe. Ive reduced the first aid and overnight emergency gear

Also I now have cell service in about 30 % of my area

[elkstalker]

Somewhere in the middle, although I always have enough food to last a day or two, water purifier, minimal first aid kit, and fire starting kit.

[Ilikefire]

I'm a kitchen sink kind of guy. I carry a descent first aid kit, a space blanket and a rainfly type shelter, matches and lighter, small metal bottle for boiling water and water filter, small bags of snacks and a few mre type meals along with general hunting equipment. I can spend 3-4 days out with this setup in the wilderness. For a day hunt or over night I ditch the mre meals. Rather be safe than sorry in my opinion.

[saddlesore]

Kitchen sink,I never leave camp without the ability to stay out overnight. However I have aour legged critter t carry my sink.

[JosefAbrams]

Mind you this will be my first time backpacking/camping in the field while hunting. We always did large group camps when I was a kid.

But when I was in the Marines we did a lot of extended exercises where we would hump in 15-20 miles, and set up a hasty camp, in types of weather, and terrain.
My pack would always:
3 layered sleeping system with a Gortext shell.
First Aide kit
3 pair of spare socks
2 extra underwear
1 set polypro base layer
a beanie
Baby wipes
Headlamp w/ red lense
extra batteries
multi tool
weapons maintenance tools
water filter
3 field stripped MREs

So pretty minimalist, I think. We'd get by like that for days, so I'm pretty sure my back will be pretty small next season.

[Backyard]

I'm an old Boy Scout, and later a leader, I like to be prepared for whatever may happen. So, kitchen sink type for me. But only the minimal for an overnite emergency and or basic injury.

[Osprey]

I have several ways to start a fire. Waterproof matches, lighter, and vasoline soaked cotton balls. Basic first aid kit I bought the steelhead first aid kit and added a few odds and ends including survival things. A blister kit and electrical tape. My first aid/survival is still relatively light. I also have water tablets with the first aid, back up compass, para cord, space blanket, and a very small tarp that can be made into a make shift shelter in emergnecy or when cutting elk meat on solo hunts I can lay out the meat on the tarp keeping it clean from dirt then put it in the mesh game sacks. The tarp washes off clean and weights pretty much nothing also folds up flat and takes up no space in bottom of pack. I also carry maps of course. Red flashlight, whiteheadlight, knife, batteries, orange tape, TP, extra layers of clothes in 2015 I took sitka kelvin jacket since this was a 3rd rifle hunt. This is about all I can think of at the moment. This sounds like a lot but it all this really takes up little space and is very light. I also have some trail mix and a couple cliff bars for food. I hunted solo this past season so I took a lot more than I did in 13 when hunting with my dad but honestly it took up very little space and was light so I will always bring all that stuff from now on you just never know. I fit all this into my eberls X2 daypack with extra room to spare.