Last minute weight saving ideas

[Freebird134]

I loaded up the pack this weekend completely as it will be fore our 9 day elk bivy hunt and was disappointed to discover I'm a little heavier than expected. My pack weight with 3L water, food, all the gear I'm not wearing, and bow tied to the pack comes to right at 53lbs. I really wanted to be at or below 50 lbs. So I am scrutinizing items again, trying to decide if and where I can cut and thought we should get a last minute weight saving thread going.

Here's a couple things I just did:

I use my bar of soap for bathing and washing clothes, but I don't need a full bar for 9 days. Cut that sucker in half had save about 2oz, and share the other half with my buddy

photo 1.JPG (125.96 KiB) Viewed 10650 times

With the packaging, this deodorant weighed about 4oz. I just pulled the stick out and stuck it in a zip lock back to save almost 3 oz.

photo 2.JPG (134.28 KiB) Viewed 10650 times

[foxvalley]

Check your food freebird,it looked like a lot, but everybody eats different. I eat like a bird in the mtns.,by bro-in-law eats like a horse. Thats a lot of weight to freestyle all day. What about finding the elk, and then setting up a spike camp,and shedding all the weight? Just a thought.

[Freebird134]

My food is right at 1lb a day giving me about 2300cal/day. I think that's actually pretty light and good for me.

[elkfuler]

9 days at 53 lbs including bow is very very good imo - good luck

[Freebird134]

Here is my gear list if anyone would be so kind to scrutinize it, I'd appreciate it!!!

Item Qty
Badlands Ox pack 1
Badlands 100oz water bladder 1
Black Diamond z-pole 2

CLOTHING
Under Armour boxer briefs 2
RedRam wool top 1
RedRam wool bottom 1
Meindl boots 1
Wool socks 3
Smartwool liner socks 2
Under Armour short sleeve 1
Sitka Traverse top (open country) 1
Sitka Ascent pants (open country) 1
Sitka cap (open country) 1
Sitka vest (mountain mimicry) 1
Rivers West oulaw Rain jacket (realtree) 1
Frog Toggs rain pants (max4) 1
Light gloves 1
Columbia omni-heat beanie (realtree) 1

SLEEPING GEAR
Lafuma 30F sleeping bag 1
Sleeping bag liner 1
Neoair mattress 1

CAMP/HYGENE
Toothbrush 1
Toothpaste 1
Floss 1
Bar of soap (cut in half) 1
Antipersperant 1
DDW pwder 1
Pack towel 1
Toilet paper 1
Athletic tape (1 roll) 1
Lighter 1
Small note pad 1
Pen 1

FOOD
Steripen (water purifier) 1
Jetboil Ti + 2 100g fuel 1
GSI spork 1
Mountain house dinners 6
Homemade dinners 2
6 oz bags of trail mix 8
Cliff bars 8
Power bars 8
Mountain house cheesecake 1
Instant coffee 8

HUNTING GEAR
Elknut bugle 1
XTR with reed? 1
Primos cow call 1
Primose mini sonic dome calls 3
Wind checkery (Windicator) 1
Elk quarter bags (vacuum) 2
Trash bags (contractor) 4
Havalon Piranta + 1dz blades

ARCHERY GEAR
Bowtech Guardian 1
Arrows with Broadheads 7
Scott release 2
Knife/broadhead sharpener 1

NAVIGATION
Garmin Rino GPS/Radio + extra AA 1
Garmin Ear piece 1
SPOT messenger + extra AAA 1
Black Diamond headlamp + extra AAA 1
Silva compas 1
Map

OPTICS
Nikon 10x42 1
Bushnell rangefinder 1
iPhone + chargers 1
GoPro camera + 2 batteries 1

SAFETY
Whistle with LED light 1
First aid kit 1
40' orange paracord 1
E-bivy 1
Flagging 1
Matches in waterproof container 1
fire starter 1
Bow repair kit 1
Extra shoelace 1
Extra eye glasses + case 1

[pointysticks]

that is a GOOD list..difficult to pick that one apart!!

why the need for the iphone charger? i would leave a pair of clean panties at the truck..wear one, pack one..wash with camp suds. same with socks.

ditch the bar soap..carry the camp suds. i wash everything with the stuff..garbage bags? four? i havent killed that many biggame animals..garbage bags are for what?

again..your list kicksbutt..i want to cut and paste it into my future list..is is very very good. i went in for 7 days..and my pack came it at 70lbs. i've since spent about a million dollars on lighter stuff..but my hunting gear is heavy!!

[Freebird134]

Thanks pointysticks! What are camp suds? I am planning 2 pair of boxers total--wear 1 and pack 1 like you said.

The garbage bags are multiuse: potential rain cover for my pack, but mostly to layout during butchering and maybe sinking meat in a creek if it is too warm out.

The iPhone charger is a battery pack so I can recharge my iPhone in the backcountry. The iPhone is mainly for pictures and vids. I'm a picture taking fool, so I'm def heavy on the camera side!

[pointysticks]

campsuds are amazing (to me)

it's an all purpose soap that lathers up great with mountain water. you can wash everything on you body as well as dishes, laundry..whatever. i find it is the only soap that rinses clean off with mountain water (hard?) a single drop or two has amazing lathering ability. i take in a bottle about the size of the average windicator bottle.

one time on a 9 day early deer hunt..it was hot. we reeked. the water was runoff and super cold. i warned a buddy not to use a regular bar of soap in the river..he didnt listen. he had to repeatedly dunk himself to rinse clean..me? dunk..soap up fast..dunk..done. it is bio-friendly too.

i wash my laundry out there. saves alot of weight.

[foxvalley]

Nice list Freebird. I wouldn't change a thing. Real close to what we bring,right down to the garbage bag,and sitka.
My bad,I thought you where taking 4000 cal. per day.

The camp suds sounds like a great thing.

[Freebird134]

4000cal?? I don't know if I could possibly even eat that much food! lol

Campsuds do sound great. I know the effect is minimal, but I always feel bad with soap in mountain streams. I'm going to find some camp suds now! Thanks!

[Freebird134]

Nice list Freebird. I wouldn't change a thing. Real close to what we bring,right down to the garbage bag,and sitka.
My bad,I thought you where taking 4000 cal. per day.

The camp suds sounds like a great thing.

PistolPete on Archery Talk is talking about taking 3600 cal/day. That seems like a lot to me. But I think he's a pretty ripped southern boy that has a big appetite!

[JimKirk]

the only place I see is on the water. do you really need to carry 3 liters if there is a water source you can fill from. I rarely carry more than a liter if I know water will be available. I have a platypus 6 liter water bag I fill up at the last water source and can then camp anywhere regardless of water availabilty. and I love to drink alot of water!

[foxvalley]

I notice you just have the steripen, how are you going to clean your drinking water? boil, pills?

I have been messing with my go pro,I found out that if you keep the extra batterie piggybacked on the cam in storage, both batteries will be drained. Can your charger do the go pro too?I'm Looking at chargers.

[Freebird134]

I notice you just have the steripen, how are you going to clean your drinking water? boil, pills?

I have been messing with my go pro,I found out that if you keep the extra batterie piggybacked on the cam in storage, both batteries will be drained. Can your charger do the go pro too?I'm Looking at chargers.

I'm confused Foxvalley? Are you pointing out that the Steripen doesn't work in cloud/dirty water? My steripen came with a simple little filter in case you need to remove large particles from the water, but I've never used it. We'll be getting water from crystal clear mountian streams. Hopefully with the low snow pack this year water is still as plentiful as always. We will take backup pills too (not on my list tho, dang it!).

I bought 2 extra batteries for my gopro on ebay from some generic company in China or something. Not the "piggyback" batteries, just the regular internal ones. It was like $10-15 for 2 batteries. My iPhone charger is only good for 1 charge and only an iPhone or iPod. I have the LCD piggyback thing for my GoPro, but I think I will leave that at home because it drains batteries.

[foxvalley]

I justed checked out the steripen line,sorry, I thought the steripen was just a straw,not the brandname. Nice units.

I didn't know that you could get internal bat. for the gopro. We are only going to use ours during encounters only, so I think we should be good.We do have a car charger in the truck if we need it,hope so.

[Freebird134]

I picked up a car charger that goes in your cigarette lighter at walmart for $7. It has two USB slots so you can charge two things at once. For me, that means the iPhone and GoPro can be charged in the truck at the same time.

[Freebird134]

Foxvalley: these are the batteries I got off ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/2pcs-Replaced-AHDBT-002-Battery-GoPro-HD-Hero2-camera-Surf-Outdoor-Motorsports-/110926997224?_trksid=p4340.m1985&_trkparms=aid%3D444000%26algo%3DSOI.CURRENT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D13%26meid%3D1649384612606357104%26pid%3D100012%26prg%3D1014%26rk%3D2%26#ht_1714wt_1236

They were shipped really quickly. I haven't actually used them yet, so I can't comment on that. I did notice the amps are slightly higher than the GoPro battery that came with my camera. I have a good friend that is an electrical engineer that said it won't be a problem and that higher amps just mean slightly longer battery life.

[foxvalley]

Thanks, Freebird.

[Lefty]

My wife use to be a hardcore backpacker, she is also a hyginist, she cut her toothbrush down in size and made sure she only packed the amount of tooth paste she woud need.
Maybe pack some of those sample packets of toothpaste, 1/10th the wight of a sample tube

[foxvalley]

Freebird,
When are you heading out? We are leaving early am wed. the 12. Guessing you are taking I 90 out. Just wondering If I should keep an eye out for you.

[Freebird134]

I'm leaving Friday the 7th. But I'm flying. Driving would burn to many days of hunting time for me, and I have my dads truck to borrow in Twin Falls. Getting meat back is a pain, but we will manage!

[fisherick]

List looks great. You may want to remove- 2 contractor bags, extra release, bow spare parts, 1/2 the water, the steripen and use iodine instead. If with a partner lose the spot. Good luck, sounds like a great time.

[Freebird134]

List looks great. You may want to remove- 2 contractor bags, extra release, bow spare parts, 1/2 the water, the steripen and use iodine instead. If with a partner lose the spot. Good luck, sounds like a great time.

Thanks fisherick. Do you really use iodine as your main way to purify water? I just can't imagine drinking that stuff for a week!!! I agree that I can carry 1/2 the water--I probably won't pack 3L full on my back all the time (if water is plentiful).

My bow repair kit consists of extra d-loop, allen wrenches for my bow/sight/rest, some serving material, and an extra nock. It's not too heavy and could really save my butt if I fell on my bow and knocked something out of whack. Does anyone else carry a bow repair kit?

I am scarred to death of losing my release. It's small and I'd rather pack the extra ounces than risk ever having to walk 5 miles back to the truck for my backup.

I agree with you on the Spot messenger. However, our wives do not. The Spot must go.

[Freebird134]

for those interested, I have changed a few things

1. Soap. Rodney on ArcheryTalk turned me on to Sea to Summit wilderness strips. Less than an ounce and biodegradable. And good for everything (from body, to laundry, to dishes).
2. Duct tape. Can't believe I forgot to put duct tape on my list.
3. Added Potable water iodine tablets as a backup.
4. I'll probably not take the sharpener. I have plenty of broadheads to get the job done and the Piranta has replaceable blades.
5. I'll probably take fewer extra batteries. Everything I am running is Lithiums that should last the whole week.
6. Probably won't take the Garmin radio ear piece.
7. May not take antiperspirant. A lot of guys don't. I'm not sure I am ready to risk that 2oz savings trick though.
8. I might eliminate one clothing top layer. My Rivers West Outlaw jacket is really warm, so I could probably ditch the vest. I like vests though. But I'm not sure I like them enough to justify the extra clothing.

I think that's all my changes for now.

[fisherick]

Yes I do use iodine tabs and neutralizer tabs for a week or more, water tastes fine or add some Emergen-c. I have been using this for years, got tired of lugging around a filter for clear lakes and streams. Maybe choose between the gopro camera and the Iphone with the extra batteries, ditch the range finder and the extra release. You will be Ok without duplicates. Keep the Spot for the wife's sake.

[foxvalley]

for those interested, I have changed a few things

1. Soap. Rodney on ArcheryTalk turned me on to Sea to Summit wilderness strips. Less than an ounce and biodegradable. And good for everything (from body, to laundry, to dishes).
2. Duct tape. Can't believe I forgot to put duct tape on my list.
3. Added Potable water iodine tablets as a backup.
4. I'll probably not take the sharpener. I have plenty of broadheads to get the job done and the Piranta has replaceable blades.
5. I'll probably take fewer extra batteries. Everything I am running is Lithiums that should last the whole week.
6. Probably won't take the Garmin radio ear piece.
7. May not take antiperspirant. A lot of guys don't. I'm not sure I am ready to risk that 2oz savings trick though.
8. I might eliminate one clothing top layer. My Rivers West Outlaw jacket is really warm, so I could probably ditch the vest. I like vests though. But I'm not sure I like them enough to justify the extra clothing.

I think that's all my changes for now.

Freebird,

Dude, you are going so light already,remember, every day you will be a pound lighter.I would keep the pitstick,and the vest,and have plenty of
batteries for the garmin if you are going into new erea. I forgot to put on the pitstick one morning,and my bro-in law could smell me 50yds away. Also, sitting on a wallow etc.can get really chilly.

[Oregoncombatvet]

Also when using tape, roll about 25 feet of it into its own roll will save a lot of weight and the one thing I didnt see on anyones list was 50ft of Parachute Cord or as we call it in the Military 550 Cord, its very tuff and light weight.

[Freebird134]

Also when using tape, roll about 25 feet of it into its own roll will save a lot of weight and the one thing I didnt see on anyones list was 50ft of Parachute Cord or as we call it in the Military 550 Cord, its very tuff and light weight.

I have 40' of paracord on my list! Also, I buy duct tape from outdoor stores that sell it pre-rolled tight on itself. A little more expensive than reg duct tape but convinient

[RockChucker30]

Duct Tape - wrap it around a business card lengthwise. It's very easy to do, and you can get several feet this way.

Paracord - This year I'm taking lash-it instead. Made of Dyneema and at least half the weight of paracord. The 3/16 version still has a breaking strength of 650 lbs.

[mlauber]

Just a thought on saving weight & space.

I use a Browning Cap Light with 2032 batteries as a camp light. Two 2032's run 50 hours!!! No joke either. Solid light.

I use a Browning Alpha Max Flash Light . Runs on one AA. All of my battery driven equipment runs on AA's. Standardized my battery operated gear. AA's last longer in colder weather.

To minimize my battery weight I carry a Goal Zero Guide 10 battery pack with a Nomad 7 solar panel. It charges all of my battery gear....GPS, camera, & S.P.O.T.. Gives the battery pack 3-4 solid charges. Leave it positioned in camp charging while I hunt.

My pack for a 10-12 day hunt weighs in at 55-60 lbs. I am a DIY hunter. Drop in. Dump camp & go mobile with a 35-40 lb day pack loaded so I can spike out for 3-4 days then come back & replenish supplies.

I shed the most weight by buying light weight gear, but as you all know the lighter the gear the greater the price tag. Good equipment purchases only hurt one time.

As a former soldier....you can't win a battle with inferior equipment.

We all are an army of one!