Pack items

[Mathewsz7-elkridge]

I have seen post of the 5 most important things to have in your pack. My plan is to pack in about 4 to 5 miles and hunt from there. With this being my first hunt and always wanting to be prepared for everything. I have a pack weight with 7 days of meals and water at 51 pounds. My question is over the years what have you taken out of your pack to lose a little weight that you never used? Is a survival tent worth the weight in a September archery hunt? Or is a good quilty space blanket good enough? How much extra clothes do you take like extra socks, underwear, baselayers, and do you take a extra out layer? Or do you take enough for a day and where is all week?

[otcWill]

Bring a tent for sure. A space blanket will take up as much or more room than a good tent. Cut on clothes. You can wash your clothes whenever you want in a creek. I only bring what I'm going to hunt in and a jacket for when it gets cold.

It'd be a lot easier to help you cut weight if you posted your pack list.

[Mathewsz7-elkridge]

I will put a list up later. I don't have access to it right now. Let me clarify the survival tent. Was a tent in case of emergency away from camp. I will have 2 person tent for my spike camp tent.

[Kentrek]

Personally I'd throw the extra tent out....the space blanket isn't a bad idea but I prefer trash bags instead...both a great multiple use items that weigh nothing

Clothes are up to you but don't be redundant..... I get about 4 days out if a set of socks and briefs...so for me two pair would work but everyone is different

My guess is food and water make up most of that 52 pounds ? Definitely post up a skin out gear list and we can get you to what ever weight you want....if your going to be camped in one spot and only 4 miles there's no need to rough it, just my thoughts

[Mathewsz7-elkridge]

Here is my list elberstock pack, 7 days of food, alps mountaineering mystique tent, compression pad, sleeping bag, compass, first aid kit, flint, 50 ft paranoid, tekking poles, water filter, bladder, jet boil, survival tent, space blancet, binoculars, dead down wind wipes, soap, snips, saw, deodorant, trail tape, gps, bugle tube, calls, range finder, extra release, wind checker, havalon knife, extra blades, flashlight, game bags and maps.

[husky390]

Here is my list elberstock pack, 7 days of food, alps mountaineering mystique tent, compression pad, sleeping bag, compass, first aid kit, flint, 50 ft paranoid, tekking poles, water filter, bladder, jet boil, survival tent, space blancet, binoculars, dead down wind wipes, soap, snips, saw, deodorant, trail tape, gps, bugle tube, calls, range finder, extra release, wind checker, havalon knife, extra blades, flashlight, game bags and maps.

Weights will vary depending on your gear. Your tent and sleeping bag can add pounds pretty quick. Same with the game bags and the first aid kit. You'd be surprised how fast the FA kit can add weight.

I would ditch the survival tent and deodorant. Same with the soap since you have wipes. Not sure what the snips are but if if you're carrying them and a saw, I'd keep the saw and ditch the snips. I carry a space blanket which doesn't take up much room.

[swmoelk]

I seem to over pack when it comes to food. What is your weight for 1 day of food?

[Mathewsz7-elkridge]

22 oz per day oat meal, jerky, honey waffle stinger, cliff bar, peanuts, wilderness athlete energy mix, mountain house.

[saddlesore]

Do not see any handiwpes or tp. Lack of personal hygiene can absolutely ruin a hunt

[wawhitey]

Do not see any handiwpes or tp. Lack of personal hygiene can absolutely ruin a hunt

Id gave been hating life this morning without t.p. in my pack

I keep a bit in a ziploc with a lighter. Consider it emergency firestarter until i use it for emergency buttwipe

[swmoelk]

22 oz per day oat meal, jerky, honey waffle stinger, cliff bar, peanuts, wilderness athlete energy mix, mountain house.

22 oz is a lot for me if I'm ounce counting . I was worried about not having enough on my first trip then realized I only ate half of what I packed. I found a good deal on Lyn house pro packs the other day and with them I can get 3 hot meals a day for 13 oz but I enjoy Mt House meals.

Also I'm not a fitness guy. I'm 275# and love my groceries so food was my biggest concern when I planned my first hunt.

[Mathewsz7-elkridge]

Do not see any handiwpes or tp. Lack of personal hygiene can absolutely ruin a hunt

Haha those are must have. Just didn't put them on there or a toothbrush and toothpaste.

[Brendan]

22 oz per day oat meal, jerky, honey waffle stinger, cliff bar, peanuts, wilderness athlete energy mix, mountain house.

22 oz is a lot for me if I'm ounce counting . I was worried about not having enough on my first trip then realized I only ate half of what I packed. I found a good deal on Lyn house pro packs the other day and with them I can get 3 hot meals a day for 13 oz but I enjoy Mt House meals.

Also I'm not a fitness guy. I'm 275# and love my groceries so food was my biggest concern when I planned my first hunt.

No way I could get by on 13 oz a day of food. I eat over 4000 calories a day and still lose weight. Even if I'm not hungry (rare) I force myself to eat and drink so I keep energy up for the entire hunt. My food came in at close to 32 oz a day - and that's calorie dense stuff. For reference, I'm 5'11" 175 lbs, and I guess a "fitness guy". Maybe because of that I just need more calories to keep myself going?

[Lefty]

I havent truly pack hunted but I have cached items that didnt need to be in my daily hunting pack expecting to spend a night in some comfort. My father in law was a big believer in caches, Im sure there are a few 5 gallon oil buckets with military sleeping bags, small rubber coated tarps matches, canteen and nasty Mars Candy bars in them still in Idaho back country. Well Im sure of two anyway. well one is is Montana and the other just outside of Yellowstone in Idaho
Since your are a big fit guy think of packing in what you want . Can you have a cache before season? Or make an extra trip? If it isnt 4000 foot elevation in those 4 miles you should be able to pack a nice spike camp in.

At one time, I wwas 70 lbs lighter and 25-35 years ago I could haul my whole week pack and a canoe over portages as fast and most people hiked. And that was old-school gear technology.
Just have a pack that fits properly. You can be one comfy guy with 30 lb of "extras" at camp or 80lbs from cached or a 2nd trip.

My 5 night backpack (not for hunting) with 12,000 calories weighs under 30 lbs, but thats for easy hiking with the hope of catching fish and losing weight.Adding 20 lbs to that pack of non hunting gear Im not sure what I would add.
Maybe some better food , packaged salmon, maybe get crazy and add a couple apples, a bigger bag and sleeping pad, extra underwear, soap , a large pot to boil water Im thinking 48 oz. More fuel bigger stove.
Back to the caches: My ATV deer camp was pre selected years back, a stack of emergency firewood and raked nice soft bed of fir needles and duff.And before the cow stomping thread the campsite was within 3 big downed trees keeping out cows ( and cow crap).
I left Utah with an overnight cache in a bucket,.. I could see the tree from my house where my bucket has cached, about 2 miles away and up 3500 feet( I hunted from the top) a neighbor traded me an equivalent Military bag to leave it. As I understand the hunters in town now know where my tree and bucket is located.

Also remember you may not need to pack out everything, again my father-in-law "taught" me this. He burned his extra underwear, socks shirts, pants even jackets and boots, But they weren't Sitka or Kuiu

[Mathewsz7-elkridge]

The extra trip won't be possible because I am 1800 miles away. My hike will have about 5000 elevation change and 5 miles in. It's 3000 feet up the first three and half miles. Then 2000 feet down the last mile and half.

[Ridgernr]

I would recommend a pocket space blanket and a large thick garbage bag. They will get you thru the night or 3 and blanket works to lay meat out on, collect rain water, reflective to be seen, etc. The unscented garbage bag will be a meat bag for packing out with game bagged meat inside, a rain coat , a makeshift sleeping bag if filled with duff, They are very versatile and weigh very little.

[Ridgernr]

Also leave the "paranoid " at home nothing is gonna getcha. Sorry I couldnt resist.
I would probably not take snips, just snap a branch if in the way. Elk make lots of noise, cow call as you do it.
Also a headlamp instead of flashlight, working on an elk in the dark with a flashlight in your mouth or balanced some how is not fun.