2019 sheep hunt gear list....hows it look?

[NorthernAK]

So I'm planning my first sheep hunt up here in Alaska. Over the counter hunt. Putting together my gear list trying to get an idea of how brutal my pack weight will be Haha. Looking for feedback on what I could take out or add.

Side note, my hunting partner will be packing the tent, InReach, and game bags as I'm taking the rifle. As of right now my funds are pretty taped out and there are still 2 things on this list I haven't gotten yet (lightweight puffy jacket, and sleeping pad). Puffy pants would be nice to add in my pack as Im sure I'll need them. Water should be somewhat easily available so I'm not including water weight right now.

Base weight: pack, rifle, food.....just over 56lbs.

 

[NorthernAK]

 

[oenanthe]

You're carrying an awful lot of clothes given that you have a very warm bag and pad.

And those 12x binos are suboptimal, and heavy. Take a light pair of 8x or 10x - your spotting scope will do the rest.

Details are probably best discussed at Hoodoo ...

 

[NorthernAK]

You're carrying an awful lot of clothes given that you have a very warm bag and pad.

And those 12x binos are suboptimal, and heavy. Take a light pair of 8x or 10x - your spotting scope will do the rest.

Details are probably best discussed at Hoodoo ...

Yeah I had a feeling clothing was gonna be my best bet to trim some fat. Unfortunately I dont have the lightest rain jacket and rain pants. With it being my first sheep hunt I wasn't sure how much clothes I needed. I could cut out the Klamath and allegany base bottoms. Which would drop almost 2 lbs right there. All I have are 12x for binos. My 10x binos are old and fog up pretty bad. I appreciate the input, keep it coming. Never been to Hoodoo brewing yet. I'm sure the beer is tasty.

 

[JFKinYK]

Good list. I’ll add a few ideas.

Kill kit is heavy and no game bags yet. I only take one garbage bag. Much lighter than a contractor bag

A lighter sleeping bag can be had but I’m sure you don’t want to change at this point

You have an extra cook pot? Is that for coffee maybe?

My sawyer squeeze with dirty bag is 3.3oz

You have three fire starters. Take two at most. Buddy will have 1 or 2.

Ditch moleskin and athletic tape. Take leukotape.

Tarp seems heavy. Is it the stakes? I always find rocks.

Ditch the deodorant.

My HH impertech rain jacket weighs 15.3 oz

You will be hot hiking in all those clothes. Ditch the guide jacket.

Take one pair of boxers

Ditch the rifle cover. Get a neoprene scope coat.

Whew! I’m obviously bored this morning! Good luck on the hunt.

 

[cbeard64]

I pretty much agree with the above. First thing that struck me was how many jackets/top layers you have.

Have fun and good luck!

 

[duchntr]

Looks like a real good list, your really not that heavy though. There are some obvious things Id cut out, but you'll learn what you use/need after going a few times. Your Kill kit is real heavy, Mine for a sheep hunt is 8oz all up-Knife,2game bags, 2 trash bags and visqueen for ground cloth, it all fits in a freezer quart sized ziplock..Id drop that rifle cover, all but one pair of gloves and the battery bank.

 

[westslopelaker]

Subscribed, I have an up coming sheep hunt too.

 

[adventure907]

Very good list, quite comprehensive. Here's what I would get rid, which mostly reiterates what has been said:

Pillow: I use my clothes, sometimes stuffed in a stuff sack, as a pillow.
Water Filter: Extra weight, not needed
Platypus soft bottle: You already have 1 bottle and a bladder, that should be plenty in the event you need to stockpile for a day or so, especially since you said water should be plentiful
Too many clothes: Is this an early or late hunt. Either way, a little excessive in the clothes department
Waterproof matches: I would add one BIC lighter and stick with the fire starter, flint and striker set up
Tape Measure: Tale of the tape can wait till back in civilization
Rifle Cover: Unneeded excessive weight. Scope cover at most
Trekking poles: Only one is needed, some prefer two, but I like having a free hand for rifle/balance
Binos: Upgrade and Downsize. Good excuse to get into some new Bino's
Pots and Pans: 2 Pots? A pan? Are you doing more than boiling water?
Dark Energy Battery: Seems a little heavy, but I completely understand having the ability to keep your phone charged
Garmin GPS: not needed just extra weight, phone can serve as GPS
Camp Shoes: Luxury item, not needed
Thermarest Z Seat: Luxury Item, not needed
Deodorant: After a few days, nothing will help
Kifaru Tarp: Luxury Item, already have a tent


If I was trying to get as light as possible, these are the things I'd start with. Definitely excessive on the clothes, and trust me, I am not judging as I am a chronic over packer myself. I've really had to force myself to limit the amount of clothes I pack, and it haven't missed one bit all those extra shirts, long johns, etc that I used to bring along.

I realize some people find important some of the things I would leave at home, everybody has their own style and what works for them, but these are things I'd eliminate.

Josh

 

[Akwoodchuck]

I agree with ditching your water filter, that's a pound you don't need to carry...
....mountain streams are pristine and the silt will keep you regular .....try iodine tablets instead.
I would also add another stove canister for backup or if you get weathered in.....

 

[AK Troutbum]

Very good list, quite comprehensive. Here's what I would get rid, which mostly reiterates what has been said:

Pillow: I use my clothes, sometimes stuffed in a stuff sake, as a pillow.
Water Filter: Extra weight, not needed
Platypus soft bottle: You already have 1 bottle and a bladder, that should be plenty in the event you need to stockpile for a day or so, especially since you said water should be plentiful
Too many clothes: Is this an early or late hunt. Either way, a little excessive in the clothes department
Waterproof matches: I would add one BIC lighter and stick with the fire starter, flint and striker set up
Tape Measure: Tale of the tape can wait till back in civilization
Rifle Cover: Unneeded excessive weight. Scope cover at most
Trekking poles: Only one is needed
Binos: Upgrade and Downsize. Good excuse to get into some new Bino's
Pots and Pans: 2 Pots? A pan? Are you doing more than boiling water?
Dark Energy Battery: Seems a little heavy, but I completely understand having the ability to keep your phone charged
Garmin GPS: not needed just extra weight, phone can serve as GPS
Camp Shoes: Luxury item, not needed
Thermarest Z Seat: Luxury Item, not needed
Deodorant: After a few days, nothing will help
Kifaru Tarp: Luxury Item, already have a tent


If I was trying to get as light as possible, these are the things I'd start with. Definitely excessive on the clothes, and trust me, I am not judging as I am a chronic over packer myself. I've really had to force myself to limit the amount of clothes I pack, and it haven't missed one bit all those extra shirts, long johns, etc that I used to bring along.

I realize some people find important some of the things I would leave at home, everybody has their own style and what works for them, but these are things I'd eliminate.

Josh

I agree with most of what Josh and others have recommended, and I'll add my 2 cents. Besides what your wearing, only bring rain gear, puffy gear, beanie, 1-2 pair of extra socks, 1 pair extra underpants, 1 set merino tops/bottoms, and gloves in your pack (assuming your not already wearing some of this).
Eliminate bino adaptor (anything that you want to get a good look at with on the tripod, you'll be using your spotter for anyway), eliminate Nalgene (carry an additonal 1L Platypus bladder instead. They take up almost zero space when empty, weigh only 1 oz., and allow you to have an additional liter of water for those times when you don't want to leave your tent to get more water.), get a lighter battery pack (an 11 oz. battery pack is just too heavy. My 10,000 mAh pack weighs 7 oz. and it's still probably too heavy), and trim 1st aid kit ( no need for Imodium, extra boot laces, super glue, mole skin, athletic tape, alcohol wipes, etc.). I didn't see game bags. No need for contractor bags. I always bring a UL wt. piece of visqueen (like 6'x9', give or take), it weighs next to nothing, has many uses ie., covering stuff up to keep dry, laying meat on to keep it clean, laying out in a depression to collect rain water, etc., and it's cheap and disposable.
I totally understand carrying camp shoes and 8 oz. sounds about right. I also like two trekking poles, but I use them for other stuff besides just hiking, ie., pitching shelter, sometimes shooting off of, and this year I'll be using them as tripod legs to replace my tripod.

That's all I got.

 

[NorthernAK]

Thanks for all the feed back, keep it coming!! I'll do a general response/hit on a couple points.

It appears I pack my insecurities in extra clothing Haha. I'm not used to long 10 day + extended hunt so I can definitely see how I over packed on the clothes department. I'll trim that down. Should be able to free up several pounds there.

I'll slim down the kill kit. I like the visqueen idea. My hunting partner is in charge of the game bags.

The extra 750ml pot is for coffee. It's kind of a silly thing on my part but I always hate having my Mountain House taste like coffee. For this kind of trip I could easily suck it up and bring only 1.

The water pump filter was something I struggled with buying. My thought was to go with something all around so I could use it for those hard to reach small little pools of water but also use it for easy creeks and streams. I originally thought about going the Steripen route which is kinda why I have the wide mouth nalgene bottle. I'll look back into this.

First aid kit, I'll slim that down too. Leukotape in place of moleskin and athletic tape, good call. Couple other items I'll eliminate.

Rifle cover. Neoprene small scope cover instead of the rifle cover, good call.

Electronics. I thought about getting that Base Map app (onX type hunting app) for my phone and leave my GPS at home. Just never used anything like this yet. I bought the Dark Energy battery pack a couple years ago and later on found out about Anker battery packs which are cheaper and lighter. I'm kinda stuck right now with taking the Dark Energy unfortunately.

Fantastic ideas from the hunting community. Clothing is my biggest thing to work on. I've already started hiking and trying to dial in my clothing. I just gotta remember to not over pack Haha. More comments are welcome. Even if it's a repeat idea. That helps drive home the idea to me.

 

[ljalberta]

Great advice here. Lots is gonna be personal preference and you’re going to find out after this first trip a lot about what you use and don’t use.

I agree with most, that for me personally I’d be ditching a bunch of those clothes.

Including both the clothes you wear and the clothes you pack I’d bring:

2 underwear
2 pairs of socks
2 base layer shirts
1 base layer long underwear
1 pants
1 puffy jacket
1 rain coat
1 rain pants
1 pair of gloves
Neck gaiter
Touque
Cap
Gaiters

I’d only bring the mid layer if you’re expecting terrible weather and I’d only bring the camp shoes if you have some rivers to cross.

I’d lighten up the water situation, ditch the ammo sleeve, deodorant, tape measure, rifle cover, flagging tape, and I’m sure you can shed some significant weight from the first aid kit and kill kit. These are my experiences hunting in Alberta though. Never been to Alaska so take my advice with a grain of salt.

 

[AK Troutbum]

If you really want to cut wt. and you have a partner, I would suggest not doubling up on any gear that can be used by both of you. Assuming you're sharing items like tent, spotter, and tripod, have you considered other things? So, not doubling up on anything in your 1st aid kit, kill kit (with the exception of game bags), stove, bring only the one 750ml Toaks pot (maybe just carry an UL wt. cup for your coffee), and if you plan on always hunting together, maybe just bring one pair of binos, range finder, bino harness, and one rifle. A lot of people will balk at the idea of carrying just one rifle and binos, and maybe have some very valid points to carry two, but if you can swing only taking one, you can cut your overall wt. down considerably. I've been on several 2 person hunts and only carried one of all these items, without any issues. I did it last year in fact.
So, for example, lets assume that your partner is carrying the exact same binos, bino pack, range finder, tripod, and rifle as you. If you can cut all that out, that's a wt. savings of just under 13 lbs. By the time you factor in everything that you share, and are able to eliminate one of the two, you'd probably be in the neighborhood of 16 lbs. That's 8 lbs. each less pack wt.
Anyway, just something else to consider.

 

[NorthernAK]

If you really want to cut wt. and you have a partner, I would suggest not doubling up on any gear that can be used by both of you. Assuming you're sharing items like tent, spotter, and tripod, have you considered other things? So, not doubling up on anything in your 1st aid kit, kill kit (with the exception of game bags), stove, bring only the one 750ml Toaks pot (maybe just carry an UL wt. cup for your coffee), and if you plan on always hunting together, maybe just bring one pair of binos, range finder, bino harness, and one rifle. A lot of people will balk at the idea of carrying just one rifle and binos, and maybe have some very valid points to carry two, but if you can swing only taking one, you can cut your overall wt. down considerably. I've been on several 2 person hunts and only carried one of all these items, without any issues. I did it last year in fact.
So, for example, lets assume that your partner is carrying the exact same binos, bino pack, range finder, tripod, and rifle as you. If you can cut all that out, that's a wt. savings of just under 13 lbs. By the time you factor in everything that you share, and are able to eliminate one of the two, you'd probably be in the neighborhood of 16 lbs. That's 8 lbs. each less pack wt.
Anyway, just something else to consider.

Yeah we have definitely talked this over a little. Great points you have Troutbum. We are only taking 1 rifle, 1 cook kit, 1 kill kit, 1 first aid kit, 1 range finder, 1 water filter, and 1 battery bank. We did talk about only bringing 1 set of optics but we both kinda thought that since we were cutting weight of bringing 1 of everything else, we thought we each might bring a spotter and each bring binos. Not set in stone but kinda what we talked about.

 

[Reburn]

I agree with everthing said. I take deodorant I melted down into a chapstick tube. 0.5 oz. I helps my mindset. Also ditch the dark energy. Buy the anker at $35 and save 4oz. The dark energy packs are great but heavy. The ankers are great too and the lightest most reliable I have found. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072MH1434/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I would carry 1 spotter and 1 rifle but each carry his own binos IMO.

 

[trapperJ]

Yeah we have definitely talked this over a little. Great points you have Troutbum. We are only taking 1 rifle, 1 cook kit, 1 kill kit, 1 first aid kit, 1 range finder, 1 water filter, and 1 battery bank. We did talk about only bringing 1 set of optics but we both kinda thought that since we were cutting weight of bringing 1 of everything else, we thought we each might bring a spotter and each bring binos. Not set in stone but kinda what we talked about.

Two binos would be fine but zero need for two spotters.

 

[NorthernAK]

I'll take the advice, 1 spotter it is.

 

[wantj43]

Thought the attached equipment list might serve as a good starting point! Seriously, best of luck on your upcoming hunt.
ADF&G has developed some good material for judging legal sheep and don't forget a current copy of the game regs is always good to have in camp.
Joe

 

[AK Troutbum]

Thought the attached equipment list might serve as a good starting point! Seriously, best of luck on your upcoming hunt.
ADF&G has developed some good material for judging legal sheep and don't forget a current copy of the game regs is always good to have in camp.
Joe

That looks like the list I used for my first sheep hunt Joe.