18-20lbs....really??

[bloodarrow]

Im not looking for a 'whats in your day pack', as ive seen the lists on here. What a great site, btw. Ive really enjoyed all the reading and information. And I'll admit, I havent loaded up my pack yet to see how much it weighs with all my 'essentials'. I just have a hard time believing that all these elknuts step out of the tents on to the trails every single am with 20lbs in the pack. Ive been wearing my pack around here and doing some hiking with a 20lb dumbell in it, and cant imagine that Im going to have that much 'stuff'. We are doing a spike camp, so will be returning back to a base camp each night.....so no tent, sleeping bag, etc....unless we plan to hitch it out farther one day....Any secrets to cutting back?

[Mikeha33]

The #'s add up real quick considering water. I typically started last year with 3 liters each morning, then emergency supplies, a spotter, several snacks, etc... I don't have a real light daypack, I use the Eberlestock blue widow as my multi-purpose pack which is almost 7 lbs, then considering the things that are on my person, rangefinder, binos, I'd say I hit 20# total weight pretty easy. Put another 20 lb'er in there while hiking, and the single dumbbell will feel like nothing.

[WapitiTalk1]

Yes sir, sounds about right My Eberlestock BW is a bit heavy by some standards for an all in one pack at 7ish pounds. Add 80-100 OZ of water in the bladder (5+ LBs), first aid/survival gear including a good space blanket, the day's chow, GPS, headlamps, range finder, chli powder, game bags, paracord, knives/saw, Xtra batteries for headlamp/GPS, maps, license, plastic sacks, flagging ribbon/trail tacks, light gloves, skeeto repellant, TP, Xtra .44 rounds if packing in Griz country, etc., and I'm pushing 18-20 lbs for the day. If bad weather is predicted, I'll add a rain top or water resistant jacket to my pack.

Not sure how light a guy can get without leaving some pretty important (IMO) gear out of the mix.

Hey Mike, looks like you were typing your comments at the same time as I. You know what they say about great minds.......

[pointysticks]

Spotting scope and tripod really adds to my load. The rest is just barely enough to keep
Me from dying if I get caught out overnight. My pack isnt that heavy if I don't bring all the optics.

[idahoghost]

Wish I could get by with only 20lbs.

[elkmtngear]

20 pounds feels like next to nothing to me.
I'm sure I'm right about there most days on my elk hunt (water, game bags, knife, paracord, first aid kit, elk urine, extra Slipcover, food, knives, headlamps, batteries, GPS, InReach, camera and supplies, puffy jacket, rain shell, tags/license, TP)

Then again, I work out with a 30 pound pack on starting beginning of Summer.

[Lefty]

Im packing at least a gallon of water/liquid. Right there is 8-10lbs , food, clothes, first aid kit, yeah it adds up fast
This year Im thinking of caching water in 4/5 places

[a3dhunter]

pack 6lbs
3L water 6 lbs
rain jacket 10 oz
fleece jacket 2 lbs 10 oz
puffy vest 14 oz
1st aid kit/meds/headlamp 2 lbs
multi-tool, knives, kill kit with game bags/trash bags, etc. 2lbs 8oz
paracord/ spare gloves/tp/wipes 10 oz

total 21 lbs 4 oz

Usually wearing the fleece jacket in mornings and evenings, only use the puffy if a storm rolls in, same with rain jacket.

[twinkieman]

Everyone else has pretty well summed it up, Eberlestock Blue Widow, 7 lbs., add water, daily necessities, and 20 lbs. is quite easy to hit, especially as the day warms and I start shedding layers. I'm probably over 20, and I really don't want to know what it really is.

[bloodarrow]

I get it, I get it.....Im going to start upping the ante tomorrow....to get ready for the 'big 20'. I'll throw an extra something in that pack. It is the big leagues, after all. I'll be ready!! (do I really need a pound of chili powder?? ) Really cant wait though. A true labor of love. Thanks for all the input.

[WapitiTalk1]

Do I really need a pound of chili powder??

Lance, a guy never knows when somebody may show up at your camp with a few pounds of kidney beans, some fresh elk pieces, a large Walla Walla onion, and perhaps a green or red pepper looking for extra chili powder to make some mountain chili.. A guy has to be prepared

[a3dhunter]

I get it, I get it.....Im going to start upping the ante tomorrow....to get ready for the 'big 20'. I'll throw an extra something in that pack. It is the big leagues, after all. I'll be ready!! (do I really need a pound of chili powder?? ) Really cant wait though. A true labor of love. Thanks for all the input.

For training hikes I have a 15 lb and a 35 lb I throw in, in addition to the weight of the pack and water I usually carry.

[8upbowhunter]

I have never put mine on a scale but I would bet it is every bit of 20-25lbs. I will also be packing my climber in there this year and it weighs 29lbs alone but that is my normal routine during deer season of backpack strapped to climber (public land so I do it daily in and out) so I don't see much of a problem.

[pointysticks]

Do I really need a pound of chili powder??

Lance, a guy never knows when somebody may show up at your camp with a few pounds of kidney beans, some fresh elk pieces, a large Walla Walla onion, and perhaps a green or red pepper looking for extra chili powder to make some mountain chili.. A guy has to be prepared

Lol!

[Miller1]

I also have a Blue Widow and would say easily 20lbs, I actually thought I was the only one left that used a Blue Widow and assumed that without a $700 pack I would never kill anything, maybe I am wrong, I really don't have any high dollar lightweight gear, do I still have a chance of getting an elk?

[one_elk]

yep, I remember the days of just carrying a fanny pack but 20#’s come’s pretty easy these days…

[Rizzy]

You will be coming out with at least 80#

[NCelkhtr]

i have a blue widow and love it.

[timberland]

Glad to hear from all the BW users. got one this year from another member and was starting to question it from the input on other sites. Good luck, all.

[Mikeha33]

Timberland, It's a good pack. It's sturdy, and will carry 100# just fine. I've not had an animal in one, but I've loaded her down just fine. On some of the other sites, it seems they are more sponsor driven sometimes, and if you're not sporting one of the new Kuiu, Kifaru, or Exo, packs, then they make other quality packs seem like 2nd best, and look down on them. I've not used anything other than my Eberlestock BW or my North Face, so I can't knock any of the 3 previous I named, and I'm sure they are fantastic packs, but for what I do, and for what I can comfortably afford, my BW is perfect.

[foxvalley]

I'm throwing "murphy" of my back this year,and have vowed to lose at least as much weight as my day pack weighs,along with my bow, about 30 lbs.Never did the diet thing before,but I am on the aztec diet,along with working out,and have lost 25lbs. in 3 weeks,so in theory,my bow and pack should feel like " nothing" right? .....LOL. When I partner with my in law,every once in a while one of us will double up on gear/food,and let the other guy go "packless" for the day, talk obout feeling free! I hope it feels like that this year all the time.

[dotman]

Timberland, It's a good pack. It's sturdy, and will carry 100# just fine. I've not had an animal in one, but I've loaded her down just fine. On some of the other sites, it seems they are more sponsor driven sometimes, and if you're not sporting one of the new Kuiu, Kifaru, or Exo, packs, then they make other quality packs seem like 2nd best, and look down on them. I've not used anything other than my Eberlestock BW or my North Face, so I can't knock any of the 3 previous I named, and I'm sure they are fantastic packs, but for what I do, and for what I can comfortably afford, my BW is perfect.

Not sure on the Exo as it truly is new but when guys talk about Kifaru, Stone Glacier, MR etc they usually have used many other packs previously. While they are not for everyone there is a huge diff for my back/shoulder etc, Phantom16 has my old BW and I never could get comfortable with it over 70lbs, my arms would go numb. So it may seem like on some sites it is sponsor driven but in reality it is because the users are so happy with the comfort vs what they have tried. Really though I say it is hard to understand until you experience a pack that makes weight feel as good as it can (which may be the case with your BW) until you have experienced it, again though not all packs fit the same for each individual and torso, curvature of your back all come into play. To me 40lbs in my Kifaru felt like 20lbs did in the BW. With daypack gear it really doesn't feel like I'm carrying anything.

Back to the OP. Carrying 18-30lbs a day should be expected when in the mountains, just part of the game.

[foxvalley]

Sounds like a lot of guys are using their day pack to double as their meat pack also,I don't have a lot of experience with other packs mentioned here,I use the sitka flash 20 for my day pack, and the freighter frame for hauling meat.
I'm sure some guys pack in, and only have room to carry only one pack,but it seems like some packs are sacraficing a little as a day pack, and then again as a meat pack. Seems like the day pack is to big and heavy, and when it is used as a meat pack, it seems like the weight isn't transfered to the hips where all the weight should be.
Once again, no experience with all the high end packs,just trying to get informed. More interested in getting info using the pack to haul meat, where is all that weight being transffered to, hips or shoulders?

[twinkieman]

[

Seems like the day pack is to big and heavy, and when it is used as a meat pack, it seems like the weight isn't transfered to the hips where all the weight should be.
Once again, no experience with all the high end packs,just trying to get informed. More interested in getting info using the pack to haul meat, where is all that weight being transffered to, hips or shoulde

All the high end packs transfer weight to the hips, just like your freighter. I also believe that pack fit has to be correct for the pack to be comfortable. A lot of people try out a pack, don't like the way it feels, and sell it, and get a different pack, when all that was wrong with the first pack was incorrect fitting to the body of the wearer. No matter what pack, if it isn't fit correctly, it will be uncomfortable, and the user will expend more energy using it.

[foxvalley]

[

Seems like the day pack is to big and heavy, and when it is used as a meat pack, it seems like the weight isn't transfered to the hips where all the weight should be.
Once again, no experience with all the high end packs,just trying to get informed. More interested in getting info using the pack to haul meat, where is all that weight being transffered to, hips or shoulde

All the high end packs transfer weight to the hips, just like your freighter. I also believe that pack fit has to be correct for the pack to be comfortable. A lot of people try out a pack, don't like the way it feels, and sell it, and get a different pack, when all that was wrong with the first pack was incorrect fitting to the body of the wearer. No matter what pack, if it isn't fit correctly, it will be uncomfortable, and the user will expend more energy using it.

I agree, their is a lot of adjustments that can be made,and it seems that one adjustment can affect the others.