Advice for a new backpack hunter?

L

Lark Bunting

New member
Sep 14, 2016
710
What advice would you offer up to a new backpack hunter?

We\'ll be hiking in roughly 2.5 miles to set up camp. First trip will be for 2-3 nights, later trip will be for 6 nights.

My biggest dilemma is that I LOVE hunting with my Tenzing 2220 but it\'s not nearly big enough to carry that much supplies so I have a backpacking backpack that I will be hauling gear in with and I am debating disassembling the Tenzing (internal frame supports) and rolling it up and bringing it along but it\'s weird to think of bringing two packs...plus the added weight.

Anyway, what advice do you offer a new backpack hunter?
 
Well, I\'m no backpacking expert but did my share of 3 night pack-in hunts so will toss out a few ideas.

2.5 miles isn\'t too bad unless lots of incline - a trip back midday to get something wouldn\'t take long. For the 6 day hunt, I\'d consider setting up a zodi shower and do an afternoon \'clean up\' around day 3 along with a hearty meal.

I like having a small pack on when I hunt so everything isn\'t stuffed in pockets of jacket and pants. If you\'re remote enough at 2.5 miles, on your scouting trips consider taking in some canned goods and burying or hoist up in a tree. Bears may be an issue but we\'d done this before with no issues. An empty can isn\'t too bad to haul out.

Make as many trips as possible with a full pack so you get accustomed to how it may shift along the trail.

Lastly, if feasible, rent some llamas!
 
The only difference between 3 days and 6 days is the amount of food you need to take. If you are only 2 1/2 miles in, you can go back to the truck and resupply as often or as little as you like.
 
I would recommend only one backpack, as pounds on the trail = pain! As said though, 2.5 miles isn\'t too bad, but that depends on how good of shape you are in. You may want to look at army surplus for a camo rain cover if you want your backpacking backpack to have camo and just take it.

If you are able, it would be good to get all of your gear (clothing, sleep system, first aid, meds, repair kits, stove, kill kit, food, etc) for each of your trips and see how everything fits into your pack. For the longer trips the volume of gear and food can take up space pretty quickly, so it will be good to know if your existing pack can handle the volume of gear and how it handles the loads. Oh, don\'t forget to see if you want to put your rifle or bow on your backpack for the walk in, or just carry it.

Food for the 6 day hunt can take up a lot of room - but it depends on how much you eat. A good rule of thumb is to look for food that is 100-120 cal/ounce.

I would suggest trekking poles for the hike in and out, I think Costco has some carbon fiber for around $40.

A nice little lantern for the tent/outdoor area is a Luci solar lantern around $20 and really light and compact. This will help save your headlamp in camp.
<!-- m --><a class=\"postlink\" href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROXKQdO04z4\" onclick=\"window.open(this.href);return false;\">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROXKQdO04z4</a><!-- m -->
 
\">>>---WW---->\" said:
The only difference between 3 days and 6 days is the amount of food you need to take. If you are only 2 1/2 miles in, you can go back to the truck and resupply as often or as little as you like.
Click to expand...


:upthumb: Bill is spot on. Last year I got a weeks worth in my Badlands 2200 with a food bag lashed to the outside. I would try to make one pack work. You can use a lightweight dry sack and strap it on somehow to haul extra gear into camp.
 
If an extra trip is needed, I would do that BEFORE season.
Stash some stuff that can weather the \'elements\' until you get there.

If you cant do a trip in prior, the 2-3 day hunt is pretty do-able in one trip, still gonna suck tho
I figure 1lb of food/day. That means I have a water source at the spike camp

No reason your pack shouldnt weigh over 40lbs for the 2-3 day hunt. Still gonna suck tho :)
 
Thank you for the tips.

Russ, there is about 1200-1500 feet of climbing to get in. It\'s probably why my buddies that have been very successful; in this area have never seen any people in three years. I do have a solar shower that ls like a waterbed mattress material with shower nozzle. I\'ve tested it out while car camping and the thing gets HOT while sitting in the sun! Good call! I know the guys that have hunted this spot have packed in water before on scouting trips so some canned food might be worth considering as well. Thank you for the tips.

WW, I am new as hell to backpacking anyway so I will be doing quite a few trips locally as well as for scouting this area. I will need to get some food ideas as my son can\'t eat the Mtn house meals, I think we\'ll be okay for the short trip and I\'ll research food ideas for the longer trip.

Huey, I just set up my folding tables in the basement so I can lay out all of my gear. I am still testing a few things (new sleeping bag and pad) and will determine what gets to come with me as the summer progresses. I have a list of things to get done soon and loading up my pack is one of them. I quickly threw everything I\'d \"want\" into my pack and came in at 63 pounds (no water). Of course I had camp shoes, extra clothes, 750 glass bottle of whiskey, and a lot of \"extras\". It was a good baseline though and gives me ideas of where I can save weight. I am stressed about the Tenzing staying home, I\'ve spent a lot of time with that pack in the woods. I do have a camo hip pack that someone gifted me. I may bring that to wear during the day. It\'ll fit a kill kit but I\'d need to wear my Camelback for water...and that combo isn\'t much lighter than just rolling up my Tenzing. We\'ll see. I have two sets of trekking poles that I bought last summer, they are 1lb per pair and has the spring/shock build in. What I use while camping for a lantern is the $1 solar lights from Walmart. I just have the heads of two in my pack and they barely weigh anything. (I use 8 around my camps while camping. They make a nice and cheap addition to car camping.

Bowhunter, I have considered this as an option. I loaded up my Tenzing one day and had my food bag, sleeping bag and extra clothes left out and it was pretty stuffed. I need to narrow down what is going so I have a more realistic pack and see if I can make that work. I LOVE my hunting pack!

cnelk, I will be scouting this area a couple times before season and will \"practice\" backpacking in this exact spot. I have some game cameras now and would like to hang them in mid June. I can pack in water and canned foods. I don\'t think I\'d want to bring anything like tent or other camp gear as I don\'t trust it will be in great condition when I arrive. I know a friend that turned us on to this spot years ago stashed tree stands back in there years ago and the mice left nothing but metal. There is running water 1/2 mile from where these guys camp and is what I was counting on. I have my Platypus to filter and three extra bags. The stashed water would be great as well but packing in a LOT of water would suck. Also, I have been hemorrhaging money on gear since my son talked me into this a few years ago! We went through his hunting clothes from last year and nothing fits. I just bought new boots in September and they got used three days...too small. His pants are hysterical! He\'s a growing 15 year old. I need to start a gear thread for used clothes. Hell, I have o build more arrows yesterday after realizing his arms have grown so much. Thankfully his Apprentice is adjustable...his arrows were not. I have a friend with young men that are learning to hunt and I am passing down two pairs of boots, shirts, jackets, gloves, backpacks, and lots of Misc things.

As I learn more on my short backpacking trips this spring and summer I hope to be able to ask better questions.

Right now I am on cloud 9 knowing I have my deer tag and elk tag coming. I really can\'t wait!
 
<!-- m --><a class=\"postlink\" href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byv1-H2sn50\" onclick=\"window.open(this.href);return false;\">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byv1-H2sn50</a><!-- m --> You might get some ideas from this video.
 
2.5 miles...take everything in early.

i would use your tenzing and tie on a dry sack with gear on the outside. 2.5 miles you can go back for the meat later.
 
I left a daypack with a tent, a couple MREs, and few other odds and ends hanging in a tree for over a year once

No
Prob
 
I took a few mins today and loaded up a spike camp on my Kelty.

Shelter [fly from a tent]
3 days of food [Mtn House]
Daypack with typical essentials
Sleep system [BA bag, BA air mattress, blue foam pad]
camo jacket
rain jacket
base layers
2 pair socks

#30lbs
 
How can I share a spreadsheet? Right now I\'m at 40.40 without a pack or water for the hike in. I don\'t know what I\'m going to do for a pack right now. My Tenzing looked like it was ready to burst at the seams and granted I could haul some meat in it it\'s certainly NOT intended to carry 100# of meat.

On second thought if I could get everything in with my day pack I could leave a meat hauler in my truck and grab it after the first load. :ugeek:
 
Lark
Can you save your spreadsheet as a .jpeg? and then post it here?

I know that I will do a couple extra trips instead of carrying 100lbs of meat at once... I have that T-shirt.
No more

The key is using smaller stuff sacks and then putting them into a larger one.
And remember, You wont be carrying everything. Split some weight with your son.
 
\"cnelk\" said:
Lark
Can you save your spreadsheet as a .jpeg? and then post it here?

I know that I will do a couple extra trips instead of carrying 100lbs of meat at once... I have that T-shirt.
No more

The key is using smaller stuff sacks and then putting them into a larger one.
And remember, You wont be carrying everything. Split some weight with your son.
Click to expand...

Hope these pictures turn out. Also, the longer trip is going with a buddy that has been in here three years in a row and has taken elk each year. Not bad for a new hunter! Anyway, let me know if you see any major areas to shave weight or if you see stuff I am forgetting or shouldn\'t take.
 
Lark
Nice list!

Here are my thoughts...



Remove:
Hex keys
release [dont need 2]
facemask or paint?
reduce ziploc bags
solar light [use headlamp]
chili powder
head lamp [dont need 2]
take more baby wipes - no TP
Para cord is listed several places - 50ft should do
only 1 extra Tshirt/underwear
either take the 1/4 zip Cabelas shirt or the base layer top
 
What Brad said. Also germex? Wash your hands in the stream. First aide i use ibuprofen and maybe a couple bandaides. I will sacrifice a piece of clothing or top of a game bag to stop bleading if the bandaids wont do. I noticed a sharpener? You have a havalon with extra blades. Shouldn\'t need anything else.
That\'s not a bad weight. You will drop a lot at camp then the days wont be bad.
 
Lark, good list! A couple items I noticed:

1. May want to bring a folding or fixed blade knife, as the Havalon blades may break when you are working on ball joints. Perhaps that is what your wire saw is for, but the less bone fragments the better the meat - IMO.
2. Didn\'t see contact solution - probably in your toiletries.
3. I would suggest getting some Luekotape P for blisters. It will stay on for days - even with sweat and getting wet - unlike athletic tape.
4. Wrap duct tape around a lighter for emergency use.
5. May want to add super glue for your first aid kit to close up cuts and repairs.
6. Another item you may want to consider is a small umbrella. This helps quite a bit in rainstorms and if you end up in a spot where you are in the sun.
7. Gear aid tenacious tape is a great option for repairs to fabrics.

Also, If you can hike some trails (uneven ground) with the backpack at your trip full load weight for a couple of hours to ensure that your boots are acceptable and not causing problems with your feet. Encountering foot problems are the worst, as your feet get you in and out. This will help you figure out if a soft, medium or stiff sole works best for you.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Members online

Total: 38 (members: 1, guests: 37)

Latest posts

Share this page

Back
Top