Advice for the Inexperienced Backcountry Wannabe’s

[trophyhill]

What advice do you have for the new guys wanting to test the waters in the western Rocky Mountain backcountry for the 1st time? Mine is simple. Buy and accumulate great gear as you can afford it before jumping in feet first. The backcountry is no place to find out your made in china shit don’t work. I can say this from my first attempt in 2010. I didn’t make the leap until 2015 after that experience. I ended up back at truck camp and still had a great hunt but realized a mile in, I did not have what it takes. Gear wise

 

[realunlucky]

What advice do you have for the new guys wanting to test the waters in the western Rocky Mountain backcountry for the 1st time? Mine is simple. Buy and accumulate great gear as you can afford it before jumping in feet first. The backcountry is no place to find out your made in china shit don’t work. I can say this from my first attempt in 2010. I didn’t make the leap until 2015 after that experience. I ended up back at truck camp and still had a great hunt but realized a mile in, I did not have what it takes. Gear wise

Interesting exactly opposite of mine-- which would be just go.

Quality gear makes it much more enjoyable but the experience might not be for you. Can you really even appreciate a $600 backpack if you've never used one so shitty that it hurt your shoulders just looking at it even after the trip was over?

 

[StillBald]

Just get out there. Waiting 15 years to draw that awesome tag, then blowing the opportunity because you have 0 experience is not what you want to do. Hunt OTC, buy points and burn them every couple of years on easy to draw units. You'll have way more fun that way than sitting it out every season, waiting to be drawn for a primo unit.

 

[Gerbdog]

Yea the only thing i would say is try it out and see how you like it, to add to the gear comments, i would advise anyone to get quality boots, its the only piece of gear i can think of shy of your water filter breaking down that can have some serious real world consequences. Wrong boots that cause injuries, blisters and lead to infections in the back country can put a person in a bad situation. Like pa said, take care of your feet!

 

[3forks]

Get as fit as possible.

You don’t have to have the lightest gear to just get out and start gaining experience, but if your fitness sucks, you may not even really be capable of getting into the “backcountry”.

 

[Steve1662]

Can you really even appreciate a $600 backpack if you've never used one so shitty that it hurt your shoulders just looking at it even after the trip was over?

Ha! I used a large Alice pack for years. Figured how much different/better could an expensive hunting pack be. Oh boy was I wrong. Money well spent... though I still train with the old pack just to keep it real.


Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[trophyhill]

Interesting exactly opposite of mine-- which would be just go.

Quality gear makes it much more enjoyable but the experience might not be for you. Can you really even appreciate a $600 backpack if you've never used a shitty one that hurt just looking at it?

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk

Yes I would have appreciated a $600 pack and that would have made a world of difference it’s like going in with a 27 lb pack and being miserable on a 10 day hunt versus a 54 lb pack and having a few comforts and having a great hunt. To each his own but I’ve learned I like having the things that help with a little comfort and not being miserable, cold and wet amongst other things

 

[Bighorner]

My first backcountry hunts were with a blue tarp and a gen 1 cabelas Alaskan farm pack (which I completely wore out before replacing). Just go. All the time on this forum won't equate to real trip.

 

[BDRam16]

Interesting exactly opposite of mine-- which would be just go.

Quality gear makes it much more enjoyable but the experience might not be for you. Can you really even appreciate a $600 backpack if you've never used one so shitty that it hurt your shoulders just looking at it even after the trip was over?

I have a shitty "meat hauling" pack that I did several training rucks with. I very quickly realized an investment in a quality pack was worth it lol. The difference between what I was using and the Metcalf I'm in now is so extraordinary I wish I would have done it way sooner.

 

[5MilesBack]

One of the biggest things I figured out was.......I'd rather hike 5 miles in and hunt and hike 5 miles back out and sleep well in the comfort of my Ritz Canvas camp, than try to sleep on the ground with a pad in a tiny tent. However, I still pack in sometimes if it's a spot I want to spend a couple days exploring.

 

[Idaho_Potato]

Forget about the word "backcounty" and figure out how to hunt from a comfortable base camp and your vehicle. Animals don't magically appear or get bigger when you get 5 miles from a paved or maintained road.

 

[trophyhill]

One of the biggest things I figured out was.......I'd rather hike 5 miles in and hunt and hike 5 miles back out and sleep well in the comfort of my Ritz Canvas camp, than try to sleep on the ground with a pad in a tiny tent. However, I still pack in sometimes if it's a spot I want to spend a couple days exploring.

Truck camp has its advantages. In 2019 I did truck camp in the Gila and ate good (gas grill, ribeyes, bacon and huevos) slept good, changed underwear and socks every day, and bathed every day. And on top of it all ended up killing a monster about 500 yards from the truck. I think I gained 5 lbs on that hunt

 

[sndmn11]

You don't have to epically hike for a day away from your vehicle to have a backpack or backcountry hunt. There is nothing wrong with setting up camp a half mile from the truck to test your equipment and bring about the challenges of being away from your vehicle while still being exponentially safer should something go wrong.

 

[rideold]

Start in the summer. Right? Get some miles and nights under your belt when the stars are clear and the weather is mild before you jump into a back country situation that involves the potential for crappy weather!

 

[GringoBling]

I'd spend money upfront to buy really good quality boots. I made the mistake of buying cheap Danner's that were supposed to be Gore Tex when I first started 15 years ago. Those things were TERRIBLE. Wished I spent the money on good boots so my feet weren't wet, freezing, and unsupported.

The number one thing I can't stress enough is to have premium optics. I have always had excellent binos, rangefinder, and scopes. You can't shoot what you can't see.

Other things like jacket, backpack, pants, shirts, gloves....I bought Cabela's and Academy gear initially that was OK, but nothing great. I upgraded (and continue to upgrade) that kind of stuff regularly. But, I don't think you need it right off the bat if you're just starting.

Friends will loan you stuff if you're responsible. I've never really borrowed anything, but I'm happy to loan stuff out if I feel reasonably confident that I'll get it back and get it back in the condition that I loaned it. Caveat to that- I will NEVER again loan out my UTV or ATV. Long story short, I got stuck with $2500 in repairs on my Ranger 2 years ago after loaning it out.

 

[trophyhill]

I'd spend money upfront to buy really good quality boots. I made the mistake of buying cheap Danner's that were supposed to be Gore Tex when I first started 15 years ago. Those things were TERRIBLE. Wished I spent the money on good boots so my feet weren't wet, freezing, and unsupported.

The number one thing I can't stress enough is to have premium optics. I have always had excellent binos, rangefinder, and scopes. You can't shoot what you can't see.

Other things like jacket, backpack, pants, shirts, gloves....I bought Cabela's and Academy gear initially that was OK, but nothing great. I upgraded (and continue to upgrade) that kind of stuff regularly. But, I don't think you need it right off the bat if you're just starting.

Friends will loan you stuff if you're responsible. I've never really borrowed anything, but I'm happy to loan stuff out if I feel reasonably confident that I'll get it back and get it back in the condition that I loaned it. Caveat to that- I will NEVER again loan out my UTV or ATV. Long story short, I got stuck with $2500 in repairs on my Ranger 2 years ago after loaning it out.

Atv’s utv’s are very handy getting to the backcountry. A few years back I used a friends ATV to get to where I wanted to start and shave an extra 5 miles off. I liked that hunt so much I went out and bought a 4wheeler

 

[Idaho_Potato]

Atv’s utv’s are very handy getting to the backcountry. A few years back I used a friends ATV to get to where I wanted to start and shave an extra 5 miles off. I liked that hunt so much I went out and bought a 4wheeler

This too. By the time you buy a $2k spotter, $900 backpack, $500 boots, $700 tent, $500 bag, $2k worth of camo, before you know it you could have an ATV that will get you 3,000 feet of elevation gain in under an hour. Much more useful than the rest of that crap.

 

[Wapiti1]

Advice.......Boots are the first thing that I would scrutinize. I don't care what brand you get. I care if they fit, and you can do what you want in them. This will take hiking time to figure out. I like a softer boot. Others like a harder boot. What do you like?

Pack is number two, but fit and cost are not related. I have cheap packs that worked great. I've used spendy packs that I wouldn't give to my worst enemy. My best advice is to buy a good one used, and get help in adjusting it. Most of the time, a good pack, adjusted right, will be useable.

Those are the two things that kill me or keep me in the game.

Almost everything else I can buy at Wal-mart and be fine with. Seriously, a cheap rifle, or bow, with cheap binos, and I can kill an elk, deer, or tree rats. We put waaaaayyyyy to much emphasis on optics and gear. Woodsmanship and animal knowledge kill critters. Gear is an aid, and we pretend it matters far more than it does.

The only caveat that I'll throw in is if you go to Alaska. Rain gear then becomes critical and cheap won't cut it. Mid-range will if chosen wisely, but even high end may not be awesome. Rain gear for Alaska takes some research to get right. Hint: If it says Helly, or Grundens, you're probably good to go.

Jeremy

 

[trophyhill]

This too. By the time you buy a $2k spotter, $900, backpack, $500 boots, $700 tent, $500 bag, $2k worth of camo, before you know it you could have an ATV that will get you 3,000 feet of elevation gain in under an hour. Much more useful than the rest of that crap.

Oh cmon. I think you are exaggerating a little there aren’t ya? Let’s not turn this into class warfare. I use my atv to get to a starting point and then hike in where it applies. This year I will use it for “running and gunning after work. When I take some pto, I will drive my pickup to the gate and hump my happy azz in with 50+ on my back and get away from people. It’s not for everybody that’s for sure but, if you have what you need, and aren’t afraid of the night, it sure is everything I thought it would be when Slim9300 first started telling me about his adventures 12 or 13 years ago

 

[Idaho_Potato]

Oh cmon. I think you are exaggerating a little there aren’t ya? Let’s not turn this into class warfare. I use my atv to get to a starting point and then hike in where it applies. This year I will use it for “running and gunning after work. When I take some pto, I will drive my pickup to the gate and hump my happy azz in with 50+ on my back and get away from people. It’s not for everybody that’s for sure but, if you have what you need, and aren’t afraid of the night, it sure is everything I thought it would be when Slim9300 first started telling me about his adventures 12 or 13 years ago

Which part is an exaggeration? I have links to all of those items if needed....I guarantee every marketing department has a reason each item is now a "necessity" lol. My point was that added together, an ATV has way more utility than the rest of that crap put together. Get yourself to the animals is the point. A $900 pack does not need to be a part of that equation despite what a LOT of salesmen on this site will tell you.