That one item in my Elk pack….

[WapitiTalk1]

that I refuse to skimp on. In the vein of “buy once cry once”, what is the one piece of gear in your Elk pack that you don’t skimp on (besides your actual pack, that’s a gimme). I’ll start . Lithium batteries for all of my devices! Energizer ultimate lithium as a matter of fact. They last “so” much longer than anything else. After dark field dressing an Elk, hiking in and hiking out in the dark on a long forest service trail or similarly, in and out with no trail using only your navigation tools… the added cost of lithium batteries are worth the extra coin.

[Swede]

I am going to give you three items as I often depend on them in one way or the other. My flashlight, GPS, and knives. They are all very valuable when I have to be out after dark. Good batteries are also a must, but I would not have thought of them if RJ hadn't mentioned them.

[Lefty]

Bear spray, on my pack belt.
photon red light, photon black light and a white light I think the 7 of them are less than 3 oz .. And a micro light.
Last year I replaced my 25 year old light with one with a switch...





My emergency overnighter: a few ways to start a fire, 9 hr candle Rain bag, and a handfull of Oxy. was my use-to-be in the desert no cell

As of last year Im getting cell coverage on 40 % so I try to keep my phone fully charged , Still have the emergency overnight items.

Im not afraid of the dark,,, but grizzlies and momma moose put me on edge,,, I tend to stay away from willowed creeks and timber once its dark

[Indian Summer]

I’m an optimist. If I don’t take ANY risks I won’t get hurt. So I carry no first aid. Toilet paper and flagging tape if I need to bandage anything.

Surely the elk gods will make sure it doesn’t rain while I’m hunting elk. So I don’t carry rain gear.

I don’t plan on sleeping anywhere other than base camp or spike camp so I don’t need an emergency bag or anything like that.

BUT….. I know for darn sure it will get dark out every night. And I know I might as well be floating around in outer space if it’s black as a coal mine and I can’t see a thing. So I carry headlamps. Not 1. Not 2. Three! (right rear pocket on waist belt) And I also know that they are all worthless without juice so I have a zip lok sandwich bag full of Energizer copper tops. (left rear pocket of waist belt)

I can find both easily in the pitch dark.

In my experience it’s also a sure bet that it WILL get cold at night. And cold kills. So I have invested a substantial amount of money in Bic lighters. The Swarovski of lighters. None of those see through ones at the cash register line in Wally World. And no minis. Full size Bics. In bright orange or yellow. There are probably 3 or 4 of them in various pockets. One in my bino pouch.

And what good is a lighter if you don’t have anything that will light right? I have like 3 different fire starters. A small cardboard like road flare from an auto emergency kit. Some gooey stuff I can’t remember the name of it’s been in there so long. And some stuff in a little metal can that’s pasty and sticks to the wood. But all I really need is cotton balls covered in Vaseline. That stuff is as good as gas.

But…. no matter where you are in the mountains God provides an unlimited supply of dead and dying pine trees. So I just look around for the rusty red colored pine needles. They are the reason my emergency only fire starters have been in my pack for literally 20 years. They’re full of pine pitch. Attached to the smaller and medium branches they come with their own kindling too. The best part is they ignite easily even if it’s been raining. As soon as the lighter hits them sparks are flying. Nature’s fire starters.

I do carry a lightweight nylon sil tarp. It’s for the days when the sky is falling in the form of an all day rain or snow and I refuse to sit in camp. I use trekking poles every day. So I can easily set up a little lean to shelter to glass from and take a nap under. Obviously it could serve as an emergency bag too if needed. But really it’s mainly another tool to help me punch my tag.

I carry a folding bone saw. It makes quick work of getting rid of the lower part of quarters. Faster than taking the time to use a knife to split the joints. But it’s also great for making firewood out of 1-4 inch dead trees. If I needed wood for an entire night in the hills it would be priceless compared to breaking them up by hand or burning them in half.

I carry a Garmin Montana GPS. Front right pocket of waist belt. Because what good is a nice bright headlamp and trekking poles if you don’t know which way to go! I haven’t powered it up in years. It’s a backup just in case my phone or OnX Maps either dies or malfunctions.

I carry a Garmin Mini as well. Because what good is a headlamp, GPS, and trekking poles if one of your legs is broken? lol But…. I don’t really think about that. It’s nice to know I can hit the panic button for sure. But mainly it’s just to communicate with my partner or family back home. And definitely for looking at weather forecasts. That alone is worth carrying a satellite unit in the high country.

My other just in case item is an Anker power bank. With that I can recharge both my phone, Garmin unit, and/or my GPS. So again…. Potentially priceless especially in a survival situation.

Oh and a green apple Jolly Rancher will get you up a long hill in the middle of the day when it’s hot and dry. It beats crushing half my water just to accomplish a big elevation gain during the day.

I keep telling myself that one of these days I’m going to add a bleed stop product. Clotting agent. We used to have it along when packing in case a horse decided to fall off the trail and roll into some rocks and downfall timber and poke a hole in himself. But I’ve been saying that for years and still haven’t bought it.

Think positive man! Instead of a first aid kit or rain gear you hate to put on consider taking some salt and pepper and a little garlic. Onions are too heavy.

[>>>---WW---->]

Besides the obvious which is my bow and arrows, There are 3 or 4 items, not just 1.

(1) Would have to be a GOOD knife. Guess that's because I make them. And I know I can trust mine to do just about any task I ask of it, unlike most store bought knives that go dull before you get half way through an elk.

(2) Would have to be my Bic lighter. As a matter of fact, I have two of them. One in my pocket and one that is vacuum sealed in my pack.

(3) Is my binoculars simply because I do a lot of glassing.

(4) Would be my little Cabelas light that clips on the brim om my hat. Ya, I know, I'm a tight wad! But they only cost a buck or so and provide hands free lighting that will last plenty long enough to dress my elk out in the dark. And I have had one last the entire season as a walking light to get me in before first light and out after dark.

All of these can fit either on my belt or in my pocket. Everything else is just gravy. But I can easily do a quick in and out hunt with just these four items.

[Lefty]

I think there is a theme here,, that one item is really multiple items .
Maybe this is a good time to bust the bosses bubble and just show pack contents.

Ok I think I will. As far as first aid kits.. Knowing what to do is more important than whats in your kit.My Doc/friend and neighbor went back to the sandbox a few years back. Andy said a comfort kit,, Keep breathing and dont bleed out are his concerns Knowing what to do is more important I have a First aid kit at camp/pickup,

[>>>---WW---->]

I think your Doc friend may be right. Technically, it is a comfort kit, not first aid. If I need real first-aid I'm heading for the hospital. But personally a couple of band aids, maybe a gauze pad or two and something for a blister is about all I carry. There are other items in my pack but not necessarily in my comfort-aid kit, like duct tape and a sewing needle to pick out splinters. So far, in over 40 years in the elk woods, I've never opened my first-aid kit even once. Knock on wood!!!!!

[Swede]

I thought I was bad at counting, but you jerks are terrible.
I'm with Indian Summer on the 1litle sympathy kit, but I have a space blanket. I wear my first aid kit. Some call it a belt or tee shirt. I think I will get a little cap bill flashlight the next time I am at Walmart or similar store. They are handy and I have no idea where my old one is. It is probably dead now anyways. I have spare batteries, but I can't tell the difference between Duracell and Eveready, so I buy what is on stock whenever I want some.

[Indian Summer]

I’m sure there are people who roll their eyes and call me a fool. But hunting out in the mountains without any major concerns of the catastrophe didn’t happen overnight.

I grew up in the woods. We would spend the entire day in the woods and in the creeks. Like any kids we didn’t think about a first aid kit. We went home with injuries all the time.

Our adventures got bigger and better over the years. Gradually. My first elk hunt was fully guided. From there I made quick change to DIY hunting. Then came guiding. Then outfitting. When you have to worry about the safety and well-being of 50 or 60 people who don’t have a lot of experience hunting on your own, starts to look pretty easy. I’m no fool. I ride a motorcycle nearly every day. But I don’t take risks. None. Everywhere I go in the mountains and practically every footsteps is calculated. I would be the last guy to slip on a slimy log and get hurt. Stepping on a slimy log is a risk. That’s a no. So I don’t really see much difference in putting 1 foot in front of the other in the mountains than I do walking around in the woods by my house.

The one thing that can potentially set you up for disaster is shooting an elk far in the mountains at last light. The main thing is to just keep your width about you. Work quick, but careful and calculated. Realize that being in a hurry will certainly do more harm than good.

I can’t think of a single item in my pack that I would skimp on… or go without. They are all vital and when it comes to elk hunting gear price is the last thing I look at.

[Swede]

If those little sympathy strips in a little 1st aid kit will stop my bleeding, so will toilet paper. If something gets broken then I should be able to stabilize it with a stick, my tee shirt and cord in my pack or my belt. I can stop, more bleeding with my tee shirt and if that is not enough, Jesus can take me to his house and care for me there.