10 day hunt in back country

[fracguy]

The more yall talk about pops and having actual real food, I may pack a cooler . MREs aren't bad but 10 days is a long time to eat same thing over and over. I could actually stay another 8 days if I really wanted to but unsure as of yet.

If my atv was only 1 mile away from my camp, I would visit pretty often. I'd also have a cooler on it (or hidden adjacent in the trees in a shady cool spot) full of provisions-including steaks, eggs, bacon, sandwich stuff, and a few cold pops.

Half way through the trip I would head back down to the truck to go to the nearest town to refresh the cooler (get ice/food/drinks). I'd probably have one night in the local hotel to wash up too. I know finances are tight, but 10 days is a long time.

Good luck

 

[fracguy]

How heavy is that tent and sleeping bag? My goodness.

Total is 74 lbs for everything. That's there. Between sleeping bag and tent is around 10 lbs or so, need a smaller lighter everything lol

 

[fracguy]

This is an awesome thread, hopefully some other new guys can learn from all my misery . Appreciate all the info

 

[ganngus]

You are a stronger man than I am. I refused to eat another Mountain House meal after last year. Zero chance I would roll with MREs... Buy some Knorr packets from Walmart and mix in jerky or pouched chicken.

I just went over a weak in Alaska and based my dinner choices off of meals I found on this guy's channel, it was totally worth it in my book: Backcountry Stroganoff

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

I couldn't get anyone to go so this is all solo, had 3 guys that "oh yeah I'm going" now that it's crunch time, nobody can go. I like the idea of hanging food ahead of time. What do you do make a pole between trees? That way it is way high from critters?

Large Dry sack and cordage. You want it to hang high but not too close to the branch either.

Tie a baseball sized rock to the string, throw it over a high and narrow branch and string it up. Birds will be the biggest potential issue over bears and others. If it’s all sealed in a good dry sack it usually doesn’t get messed with. Squirrels can get creative climbing up and down string sometimes, but if it’s all sealed and very low odor we’ve not had a ton of issues.

 

[fracguy]

You are a stronger man than I am. I refused to eat another Mountain House meal after last year. Zero chance I would roll with MREs... Buy some Knorr packets from Walmart and mix in jerky or pouched chicken.

I just went over a weak in Alaska and based my dinner choices off of meals I found on this guy's channel, it was totally worth it in my book: Backcountry Stroganoff

I actually looked at those, I can't stomach much pasta due to living situation with my ex wife. Every dinner was pasta and 3 years later I still can't stomach much of it. Hahaha you must feel same way about mountain house meals . Checking out that dude now

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

If my atv was only 1 mile away from my camp, I would visit pretty often. I'd also have a cooler on it (or hidden adjacent in the trees in a shady cool spot) full of provisions-including steaks, eggs, bacon, sandwich stuff, and a few cold pops.

Half way through the trip I would head back down to the truck to go to the nearest town to refresh the cooler (get ice/food/drinks). I'd probably have one night in the local hotel to wash up too. I know finances are tight, but 10 days is a long time.

Good luck!

We’ve had bears haul off cached coolers multiple times, so bring a chain and chain in to the ATV or tree. They don’t get into the cooler but it’s a pain in the ass to try and find them. Another reason to buy bright colored coolers

 

[ganngus]

I actually looked at those, I can't stomach much pasta due to living situation with my ex wife. Every dinner was pasta and 3 years later I still can't stomach much of it. Hahaha you must feel same way about mountain house meals . Checking out that dude now

I was actually referring to the Knorr's rice packets (chicken rice/spanish rice/mushroom rice/etc). The pasta ones require butter and milk. The rice ones only need water.

 

[Poser]

My small cooler will keep stuff cold for about 4 days in heat but not much longer than that. I don't know what I could take that wouldn't go bad after half my time. Ideas?

With an ATV, I'd at least bring a couple of days of real food and then save the MREs for when you spike out. Just sayin', you can fit a lot of slices of pizza in a cooler and it will keep well at moderately cool temps. Cold cheese burgers, cold fried chicken, cold burrtios, cold meatball sandwhiches.....

 

[realunlucky]

@fracguy your over thinking it. Take less food in your pack and make a resupply run back to the wheeler when/if you run out. It'll be an opportunity to move to plan B if you fail to find elk in first 4 or 5 days worth of food. If you get into elk I'm sure you'll have enough uneaten extras to push into an extra day of the hunting is amazing. Depending on the trip I personally like 3 or 4 days at one time keeps the pack lighter and me more mobile. 74 pounds is going to anchor you pretty close to the wheeler anyways if you have not been humping weight a bunch in off season.

Biggest thing is just getting out there, after that the pieces will fall together. Next year upgrade a piece or two and lighten the load.

 

[eyeguy]

Yah what dakota dude said if only a mile or 2 from atv plan on about 3-4 days max at a time and come aback eat some better food you are not willing or able to carry. Recharge and go back in... Might want to bring a small tarp or tent that is set up near the atv so you dont have to set that up and carry your tent in and out every time. Good Luck.
If you dont have a dehydrator an oven works for a litlle variety. Look up patricks casserole from old kifaru threads. Tasty

 

[fracguy]

@fracguy your over thinking it. Take less food in your pack and make a resupply run back to the wheeler when/if you run out. It'll be an opportunity to move to plan B if you fail to find elk in first 4 or 5 days worth of food. If you get into elk I'm sure you'll have enough uneaten extras to push into an extra day of the hunting is amazing. Depending on the trip I personally like 3 or 4 days at one time keeps the pack lighter and me more mobile. 74 pounds is going to anchor you pretty close to the wheeler anyways if you have not been humping weight a bunch in off season.

Biggest thing is just getting out there, after that the pieces will fall together. Next year upgrade a piece or two and lighten the load.

Yeah I have plans a b and c just in case and if I get to d, well I'm gonna enjoy camping lol. Seems like what you say 3-4 days in the pack is fairly an average number. I have read threads about guys packing in and staying all this time and I'm like how the hell can you get 10 full days of food. I'm sure like you said, I'll have uneaten food so I could stretch it a day or so if I get into elk. As far as the weight, I CAN pack it but rather not. Getting too old to beat my body like that.

 

[fracguy]

Thats

Yah what dakota dude said if only a mile or 2 from atv plan on about 3-4 days max at a time and come aback eat some better food you are not willing or able to carry. Recharge and go back in... Might want to bring a small tarp or tent that is set up near the atv so you dont have to set that up and carry your tent in and out every time. Good Luck.
If you dont have a dehydrator an oven works for a litlle variety. Look up patricks casserole from old kifaru threads. Tasty

That's a good idea, leave my spike camp set up back in and base camp where I park. Yes I will be investing in a dehydrator for next year and lighter equipment. Honestly I've only been down there a couple of times and none were scouting so I'm going totally blind at this. Went down camping last year when I got custody of my daughter at the end of September and saw a nice bull in a camp and back where I'm going I saw a ton of sign, was trying to not get off the trails because I wasn't hunting and didn't want to interfere with anyone else but only saw 1 other guy way back in during the week and half we were camped. Not taking it too seriously, if I get an elk I get one, if not this is a learning experience for next year and a kick ass camping trip if anything

 

[knale87]

Don’t eat the charms

 

[Dos Perros]

That's a good idea, unfortunately for next year. Really that would be probably the best idea, cook what you want. Don't you add water like the peak meals when you do that?

Yes you still add water.