Backcountry Pack Weights

[Aron Snyder]

I don't know which of the 4 above I come off as but my hunting is done mostly in Sept./Oct @ 7k-10k feet and it's taken me 20 years to get dialed in... I bring in absolutely nothing extra. I don't mean to imply that everyone should do it this way and it's definitely not for everyone because it's pretty spartan but it works for me...

Fwiw- I've dropped around 5# since just last season just with equipment upgrades.

I would say you fall into the #2 category

 

[Jdog]

I am right around 63-65 lbs for a DIY 10 day AK sheep hunt. That includes my rifle.

I usually carry about 1.5-2 lbs of food per day--I don't skimp on food as I am a big dude at 6'8' 240 lbs.

Last year I lost ~13 lbs on our 10 day trip but we did more hiking than ever.

 

[5MilesBack]

The weather, season, location, and quarry of your hunt makes a big difference. That's why I love hunting CO's archery season over the rifle seasons. My more winter hunting rifle pack came in around 60-65lbs, and 45lbs for day hunts. The archery season is like a vacation from all that. Also, my pack weight is minus tripod and spotter......I never use them on an archery elk hunt. I also never count the gear I'm carrying outside the pack.......bow, bino's, RF, calls, bugle tube, windicator.

I started big game hunting in 1980 and change and refine this list "every single year". It's been an interesting journey from 1980. I wish I had my gear list still from back then with individual weights of everything. That was brutally heavy back then and pretty poor gear quite frankly. I'm 6'6" almost 210, but I can generally perform pretty darn well for 5-7 days at a time with very little food. My elk season usually consists of several 4-5 day hunts, with a couple off days in between back home until I shoot something, or the season is over.

Here's the short list of my gear in no particular order: Pack, tent, pad, bag or quilt, pillow, Jetboil, water bladder, headlamp, GPS, compass, map, spoon, Via coffee, Tag Bomb bags, first-aid kit, knife, Havalon, camera, mini flashlight, ziplocks, white trash compactor bag, WA H&R, H2O filter, MSR 6L, 550 cord, trekking poles, down puffy, rain jacket, FL beanie, socks, wipes, toothbrush/paste, contact case and solution, glasses. Food and water dependent on duration and water availability. Might have forgotten something, but I use handwritten notes and lists instead of spreadsheets.

 

[fillthefreezer]

Well..... that's a good question and there's several thing to be taken into consideration before trying to go on a 5-7 day hunt with 27-35 lbs. I would personally say DON'T TRY IT, as the people posting these weights have either

dont forget the people that arent counting water or weapon or binos or .... because its in my pockets

 

[Aron Snyder]

You carry water in your pocket?

 

[5MilesBack]

You carry water in your pocket?

I think that's the funniest thing I've ever seen you post.

 

[Kevin_t]

I counted it all. Personally, I think 35
Is pretty realistic unless you carry
a lot of optics.
The country I'm usually in is pretty abrupt and big optics due me very little good. I carried them a couple trips and found them to be a hindrance. I usually take the little Minox spotter and the snipe pod tripod is sufficient for it plus a range finder. Honestly, for most of the country I am in I would be better of changing my scope to a 4x 16 and leaving the spotter at home.

Phone response so hopefully it came out all right

 

[burgerta]

Well said Aaron. I dont even care any more about pack weight. After a cram a full sized tripod, two cameras, extra batteries, mics etc it really doesnt matter and I say screw it I train for the weight of my pack so I'm used it.

Train for the weight!! Perfect advice...figure out what you need in your pack to be successfull and then train your legs and lungs to haul it. The best way I know of to lighten the load you carry is to loose the beer belly

 

[luke moffat]

I try to count everything but the clothes I'm wearing and boots. Yep trekking poles, binoculars, rangefinder, bino pouch itself, everything as its not so much a contest as it is knowing exactly how all this weighs comes into play when you start paying for bush flights.

In my bino pouch alone with binos, rangefiner, knife, extra ammo, and more its around 3-3.5 pounds right there. Spotter/tripod=7 pounds,Backpack=7, Sleeping system=5 pounds. Rifle=6 pounds, 3 liters of water=6.5 pounds, 5 days of food at 1.5 pounds per day=7.5 pounds.

So as you can see I'm over 42 pounds even before I add things like game bags, headlamps, stove, fuel for stove, puffy gear, rain gear, trekking poles, gaiters, and the every important TP. I could care less personally what someone else does as it works for them and they may just weigh their pack in a fashion that makes them feel better by having a lighter pack, but at the end of the day its only lying yourself and your legs. I've just found what works for me and it really varies so much from trip to trip.

Most of the when I leave where the plane dropped us off or the trail head and we set out ofr a week long hunt in which I'm carrying a tripod/spotter and what not i'm over 50+ and usually closer to 60 to 65 as Becca and I split the weight 60/40 or 70/30. Which is fine. Add packrafting to the equation and my pack weight just shot up 20 more pounds! These are roughly number on what we found works for us and how and where we hunt. Everyone has different tatics. I will say that in nearly everyone occasion I've found that those bragging about having a SUL backpack hunt setup find it surprising to see what their pack actually weighs before we head out when I weigh it with the luggage scale and I make them include all the weight, its never been UNDER their claimed packweight to be

I think many guys like to just weigh or include things to make them feel better. I prefer to through it all on the pack and weigh it before I leave the trail head, bino pouch, trekking poles, water, rifle/bow everything. More of a check to see how accurate my gearlist is and see how much the GIF bit me in the butt. Good thread!

 

[60x]

Different places require different gear. I suspect in the lower 48 I could get by with far less then I carry here in Alaska. This is how it boils down to me...

Above all survival: it's a bit different now with sat phones but I don't always carry one. When you get dropped off in a super cub on a remote strip you are on your own... Period. That pilot could crash on the way out then no one may know where you are.. Now what. I prepare for that..

Comfort: I used to spend 100s of days in the field. I want to be comfy. If I can't carry a few extra pounds I have no buisness being out there.

Food: without it you are useless

Hunting gear: that's why I'm out there. I want the best to increase my odds of success..

Meat care: very important.

All this adds up and I have yet to see any packs in alaska go less then 40ish not counting gun..

My opinion of course but that how I prep...

 

[stephen b]

Aron made great points,- along with others.

There are lots of different opinions and definitions for describing a back country hunt. Some people do true bivy hunts where they carry everything they have on their back all day everyday they are in and only drop pack for breaks and end of day. Their are others that are packing a camp and then setting up a spike camp of some sort and day hunting from there. Others still are packing in to a spike camp and then maybe bivying out from there even farther. What you take and what you need for each of those scenarios can be quite different, and can depend on- number of people ( solo vs. more); time of year; distance; quarry, etc. etc.

The OP was asking about a scenario for-

"plan for elk will be 3mi in and almost 3k ft elevation gain and set up camp. I know the area and shouldn't have to move camp so this would basically be one trip in to my campsite. I wouldn't be carrying all the weight every day, just to the campsite."

In that situation you can be able to carry some luxuries no problem. The distance back to vehicle is not large and there is a distance that is not bad for multiple pack outs with camp and meat. 45-50 lbs plus for everything would be a very realistic and obtainable goal.

I know that if I am truly bivy hunting where I am carrying- camp/ shelter, food, water ( because I do carry some of that ), optics, weapon, game care items every day, all day- then I am not going to like it much AT ALL if I am carrying 45-50 pounds on my back. And that with rough terrain up and down elevation and 6-10 miles a day of hoofing it. I know that I did not like it at all when I was a novice at it and attempted it a few times. Emphasis on a few. I ended up more spike camping and having a base camp type set up- or just day hunted out. I new if I wanted to bivy hunt with everything, something had to change.

I just had more gear than I needed and items that were heavy- even though I thought at the time that they were light. And the other problem was I was like the Boy Scout motto- "Prepared"; except I was really overly prepared.

I think, and others of of same mind set- that once you carry even 40 lbs (- minus weapon) on your back all day, every day, that after a while you try to do everything you can to get that weight down. So over time and $$, I have lightened the load down a bunch. I take only what I need- and I know what the kit weighs now. Before I used a scale- I know I was just hand guessing- "seems not to bad".

Other factors are fitness level and size- etc. If you are carrying a 1/3 of you body weight all day long, every day you are not going to like it. Get it below 25% your "fit" weight and it is going to be better. I am 5'8.5" and 155-160 and 50 lbs to me is going to feel different than it is to a 6'2" 210 fella that is same fitness level. Same goes for pack out weights. 90-100lbs is heavy to just about anyone- But, that same weight is a bigger deal to someone who weighs 145-160 than it is to the 210-220 lb person. Difference of trying to pack out 2/3 rds of your fit weight vs 50% of your weight. I know I like 75 lbs loads a lot more than the 90lb ones.

 

[Browtine]

Here's the short list of my gear in no particular order: Pack, tent, pad, bag or quilt, pillow, Jetboil, water bladder, headlamp, GPS, compass, map, spoon, Via coffee, Tag Bomb bags, first-aid kit, knife, Havalon, camera, mini flashlight, ziplocks, white trash compactor bag, WA H&R, H2O filter, MSR 6L, 550 cord, trekking poles, down puffy, rain jacket, FL beanie, socks, wipes, toothbrush/paste, contact case and solution, glasses. Food and water dependent on duration and water availability. Might have forgotten something, but I use handwritten notes and lists instead of spreadsheets.

I saw in an earlier thread that you thought you were coming in around 22# w/o water and food. I'd be interested in specifics on what your running for the big weight items such as...Pack, tent, pad, bag or quilt. Thanks.

 

[cmeier117]

I doubt very many people count everything they take with them when they list those ridiculous numbers. I have really lightweight stuff but the food and 4L of water hurts on weight but you need it.

 

[Yellowknife]

Different places require different gear. I suspect in the lower 48 I could get by with far less then I carry here in Alaska. This is how it boils down to me...

Above all survival: it's a bit different now with sat phones but I don't always carry one. When you get dropped off in a super cub on a remote strip you are on your own... Period. That pilot could crash on the way out then no one may know where you are.. Now what. I prepare for that..

This last year on my sheep hunt we were dropped off via supercub on the typical remote gravel bar strip. There was a guide there waiting on a client he was expecting. Six days later we were back at the strip for a pickup... the guide was still there... still waiting... the weather had been too bad to fly in the mountains for our entire hunt. Client finally came in on the same plane we left on. Bailing on the trip because my SUL gear failed, or the misery level got too high was simply not an option. That kind of situation influences what I bring to some regard.

I've commented on this before, but my philosophy is to shoot for a high level of function in the field. A light pack is part of that, but only one part... I could leave my GPS, sat phone, rangefinder and camera at home, but those serve useful purposes to me. I aim to bring the minimum amount food, clothes and shelter to be warm and happy because that's more important to my success and enjoyment than +/- 2 lbs of weight.

Andrew Skurka (who has far more backcountry experience than me) sums it up very well in this article called "Stupid Light"

http://andrewskurka.com/2012/stupid-light-not-always-right-or-better/

Personally, my 2 person/7 day Alaska pack comes in +/- 50 lbs (including rifle) for a fall hunt. That's about as dialed in as I can get without sacrificing major function items. A near the road, early season trip in CO could be quite a bit lighter.. but that's not what I do.

Yk

 

[5MilesBack]

I saw in an earlier thread that you thought you were coming in around 22# w/o water and food. I'd be interested in specifics on what your running for the big weight items such as...Pack, tent, pad, bag or quilt. Thanks.

Paradox Pack - 4.5lbs
BA Copper Spur UL2 tent - 3.8lbs
BA Q-core SL Long Wide pad - 1.76lbs
Kifaru Slick 0 degree long wide bag - 3.5lbs
EE RevX 0 degree long wide quilt - 2.25lbs

The pack is light for sure, but my sleep system is far from super lightweight at 9lbs. Haven't tried the quilt yet, but that saves me 1.3lbs. For an average sized guy they could easily get their sleep system down to 5lbs or less for an early CO archery hunt. If I was going to Alaska for a week, my pack would weigh a lot more than this.

One thing I see a lot of guys doing is coming to Colorado for an elk hunt and packing 2-3 sets of base layers, 2-3 shirts, extra jackets and vests, extra pants, and by the time they're done, they have an extra 10lbs in their pack. Hey, go for it. I wear in what I've got except for extra socks, rain jacket, and puffy.

 

[cody covey]

Yellowknife thanks for sharing that. Made for a good read.

 

[gil_wy]

I doubt very many people count everything they take with them when they list those ridiculous numbers. I have really lightweight stuff but the food and 4L of water hurts on weight but you need it.

I carry a 3L bladder... so I guess I'm closer to 30# with water... strap my bow on and I'm closer to 35#... My binos are on me so I don't count that...

I guess I'm uncertain why packs in the 25#-30# range seem ridiculous? I know what Aron said holds true... it's not for everyone. But I've never been uncomfortable in the mountains. I try to carry a lb. of food per day and, yes, I lose weight every trip but I don't find my energy lacking. And honestly, there are things I could leave home and lighten it even more. I carry two knives, fixed and a Havalon Torch... I could easily use just the Torch which would also take out the sharpener (but have you ever tried batoning with a Havalon ). I carry a Golite poncho in a my day bag kit that is with me all the time. With a tent and my raingear (also always in the daypack kit) it's not really necessary... that's just a couple of examples. But I carry those items because, like Aron also mentioned, I've had $#!& go sideways on the mountain and like the security of these items.

Why do I try and go so light? Because I hate carrying weight... unless it's horns, cape or meat, I see no reason why I should carry it if I don't absolutely have to...

And like mentioned above... if I was hunting in Alaska or hunting late season, weight would be a lot different than my early season rig...

 

[bigfish b.c]

after 25 years of back packing, the one thing i have learned is that light is great until that day you find that that one item you left behind to save weight,has now put you in a dangerous situation.i keep my pack weight as light as possible without leaving out things i know can put me in a dangerous situation.most of my pack hunts are late sept - oct even sheep hunting,nothing more fun than hunting stone sheep in the snow.my 15-17 day sheep pack weighs around 75lbs & most lake we fly to we hike 10-15 miles & gain 2500-3000ft ele till we make camp slow & steady wins every time.you better be prepared when you wake up to 2+ feet of snow & -10c when you are 10 miles from the lake.

 

[bigeasygator]

I try and break down everything I'm carrying into the field on a spreadsheet. I sum up all of the items in a bunch of different categories to get a feel with how my weight is broken down, both in pounds and as a percentage of the total. Here's the current breakdown:

Electronics 2.19375 4%
Accessories 0.91875 2%
Kill Kit 1.2125 2%
Cooking and Utensils 1.625 3%
Water Filtration 1.7125 3%
Optics 8.65625 16%
Shelter 6.6125 12%
Clothing 6.1625 11%
Pack 6.56875 12%
Toiletries/FirstAid 1.25 2%
Weapon 6.375 12%
Food 7.5 14%
Water 4.48 8%
Total 55.2675

I can adjust which pack, shelter, etc I want to take in the spreadsheet so it can update the weights automatically. Regardless if it goes in a pocket, around my neck, or on my back I like to include it in the weight. The numbers above are representative of a five day bow hunt. It also gives me an idea of where I can potentially cut down on weight. I have the equipment to drop this weight by probably 5 to 10 lbs, but the numbers above reflect the items I've found make my stay more comfortable or successful. Here I'm talking about things like dropping a spotting scope and tripod, using a lighter sleeping bag, bringing a lighter pack, etc. Also, to give myself an apples to apples comparison just for reference, I can take out the weight of my weapon, food, water, binoculars and some clothing and calculate my weight (closer to 35 lbs).

 

[Aron Snyder]

I honestly don't do the spread sheet thing. I'm not saying it's a bad idea at all, but I know what I need, I know what I can cut weight on and a spread sheet won't make my pack any lighter. Again, I am by no means saying "don't use one", but a spread sheet does little for me.

I'm hoping that what I said earlier wasn't taken out of context, as I meant it to be helpful in deciding on your final gear list.

I have no doubt that what Gil uses for his hunt works perfect, but I'm guessing (and I think he agrees), that his list would change according to the area and time of year he's hunting. I know my sleeping bag, shelter, clothing and survival gear will change from one hunt to the next, as some areas are just easier and less dangerous than others.