Do you pack in a day pack?

M

mrjigger

New member
Jan 9, 2013
17
I'm finally heading out west on my first bivy elk hunt. I have picked up almost everything I need for my trip but I am a little confused as to what is the recommended way to hunt from camp. Are most guys carrying their frame packs as day packs or are they carrying in their day packs? Obviously I'm sure I'm going to get answers both ways but could you guys give me reasons for both? The hunt will be 10 days in the bush. I have a TZ6000 and a Badlands 2200. I have a few smaller day packs I use Whitetail hunting the midwest that I could use instead of the 2200 but I see no point in carring a day pack that won't give me the option of carrying out a quarter. Do I just accept the fact that I need to carry the TZ6000 every day or should I tie on the 2200? Any opinon is greatly appreciated!
 
Your right, you will get people that go either way.  As for me I carry a Sitka Bivy 30 with things in there just incase i need to stay the night out there.  After i harvest an animal i will clean and quarter it.  I will hang it and walk out to my vehicle or main camp and get my meat packs and go back in and start hauling them out.
 
If you are going to carry a pack, then make it one you can take a quarter out with you. Even if it's a front quarter. No sense on walking back to camp or truck empty handed.
You can probably strap a front quarter to the 2200 pack.
 
I am a little confused, but I think you are going into the back country on a 10 day bivy hunt. If that is the case then you will have a large pack able to carry out a good portion of meat. You could add a small fanny pack in with the large pack, while hunting away from the bivy camp.
If you are asking about a trip out and back just for the day, from a base camp, then a lot smaller pack is doable. You will carry 1/3 of what you have on a bivy back country hunt. You can get the back chops and maybe a front quarter in a medium size pack.
 
I should have been a little more specific on our plans. We are hiking roughly 3 miles and setting up camp for 10 days. Hunting will be within 5 miles of camp  with the option to move camp farther in if the elk are deeper than expected. I'm wondering if I should pack in my badlands 2200 with the rest of my gear to use as a day pack or should I leave it at home and just use my TZ6000 for the trip in and as a day pack. Hope this paints a better picture.
 
I think it would depend on your total weight and space you want ot carry in  and whether you are comfortable hunting with the Tenzing pack on.  A day pack is nice for a day hunting, but if you are hunting 5-miles from camp, that means a 10 mile hike before you move meat, unless you pack meat on the first trip with the 2200.
I would put it all together and see what it weighs and where it fits.
good luck
 
I personally think packing in a second pack is extra weight if your big pack is one that you can cinch down and fit your daily ratios in.  This way when you put a bull down you already have a big pack to pack the first load out in. 

I have an Eberlestock Just 1 pack that has 7000 in capacity packing in/out and cinches down to about 2000 for daily hunting and I honestly don't really notice its on my back while hunting.  Whatever pack you plan to use for daily use, make sure you get ample practice shooting with that pack on.  Hope this helps.

BT
 
For me there is no sense in taking a separate daypack on a backpack hunt. My hunting pack cinchs down smaller than most daypacks, and has the ability to carry heavy weights comfortably.
If doing a true bivy hunt you will be carrying all of your gear with you all the time anyways.
 
Lay out what you need for just a day hunt, if you can get it in a fanny pack, then put it in there and put it in your big pack. When you get to your bivy site, then hunt out from there with your fanny pack. Some fanny packs have shoulder straps which are nice.
I would think a fanny pack would be the lightest option for a "second pack", otherwise just carry your large pack with the daily essentials you need.
I personally do not worry so much about my "big humping in pack" being super quiet, but my day pack and a fanny pack must be. So, if I was to carry my big pack for a day hunt it would also have to be made of quiet material.
 
I'm like big Tex with the Eberlestock Blue Widow. I put all my light weight gear in the spike duffle which zips on the back, camp clothes etc. Unzip it and unload the pack except for what I need for the day hunts and compress it down. It will haul a lot out if you get something down.
 
my self I carry a day pack with just the things I need for a day light weight with no frame.and inside of that I have canvas meat bag that has shoulder strap on it so it carries like a back pack.weighs about 2 lbs and you can carry about 75 to 100 lbs of meat in it,it will fit the tenderloins,back straps,neck and rib meat and at least one front leg of a good size bull.saves 1 trip back and no frame pack to deal with.been doing this for about my last 15 animals and works good.
 
I pack everything in my Badlands 2800 pack and many times wonder why I pack all my gear on my back each day. Having said that, it makes it better when you connect and already have everything with you. Also while your out hunting you don't have to worry about heading back to a base camp you can set up camp where you are and start from there in the morning.
 
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