Brooks range gear critique

jofes

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Jul 23, 2014
Messages
322
I'll be doing 10 days at the end of August with Tyrrells trails. Feels like it's getting close!

This i probably confusing as all get out but it's how my brain works, I'm trying to cut weight and still need to add a foam pad, waterproof gloves, and I'm right on space so I plan on putting the food in the load shelf with the 4800 dry bag. I don't have a real jacket aside from the SEAK but I plan on using it unless it's sunny out.
Deal free to let me know what you would do differently.


Exo with lid 5lbl 10oz

Exo dry bag 7.7 oz

Maven 1 lbl 8oz
Pretzel 3oz
Lighter with lueko .5 oz
Knife 1.7 oz
Sign rangefinder 8.1 oz
Bino harness 1 lbl 3 oz
Outdoorsman bino adapter 2 oz
3lbl 10.3 oz

Sirui AM-225 with siriu VA5 head 2 lbl 10 oz.
Kowa 553 with cover and adapter 2lbl 3.2 oz
4 lbl 13.2 oz

Savage 6.5 CM 6lbl 10.5 oz
Ammo 1 lbl

2 trekking polls 1 lbl 3oz

Nemo 2 lbl 5oz
Pad 13.2 oz
Bag 1 lbl 14 oz with pillow
Bora bivy 6 oz
Dry bag 2.5 oz
5lbl 9oz

Emergency bag 1 lbl 10 oz

Pot 7.7 oz
Stove with bic 4.8 oz
Canister 8oz
1lbl 4.5oz

Kuiu gloves and Gator 2.2 oz
Klamath hoodie 14 oz
Ridgeline pullover 8.5 oz
Kuiu down jacket 8.5 oz
FL rain pants 1 lbl
Rain jacket 1lbl 7oz
Kiln bootop bottom 8 oz
Extra underwear 2.3 oz
Xtra socks 2 oz
Leather gloves with pile 8 oz
UA beanie 1.8 oz
Gaitors 10.2 OZ
6lbl 8.5 oz

Nalgene bottle 3.8 oz
Platypus 2.2 oz
Toiletry 10oz
16 oz

32 oz water

Est. 41 lbls 6.7 oz
Actuals weight 42 lbls

Additional items

Clothes worn prana Zions, FL wick t shirt, Merino socks and Crispi Thora or briksdal

Food estimate 15 lbls.

Gloves haven't decided on what would be a good pare.
 

RyanC

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Joined
Feb 7, 2013
Messages
334
Your list looks pretty thorough and well thought out. You don't need waterproof gloves, so I wouldn't worry about that. Also, you don't need a real jacket. Base layer, mid-layer, puffy jacket, rain jacket....done. I would also plan on wearing more than a t-shirt on the day of your drop off, either your Ridgeline or Klamath.

Good luck, take lots of pictures and be ready to cover some miles!!

Ryan
 
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Jan 15, 2022
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Outfitter isn't providing siwash bivy, sleeping pads, stove, fuel, cooking gear, or toilet paper? Interesting.
 

madcalfe

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May 9, 2019
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902
Location
British Columbia
ill echo what Ryan said. you don't need water proof gloves or a real jacket. T shirt, wool long sleeve, puffy jacket, and rain jacket is all I use on sheep hunts from Aug. 1- sept 15 in northern bc. and a good pair of gloves that i use every year are leather impact mechanic gloves.
 

schmalzy

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Joined
Oct 1, 2014
Messages
1,327
Looks pretty solid, but take that with a grain of salt as I have not yet gone on a sheep hunt.

Do you have any batteries or a book or anything?
Bug net?
Pretzel meant to be petzl which I assume is headlamp?


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Jordan Budd

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Looks pretty good. This is kind of personal preference but I would consider a larger bag. If you are tight enough on room to have to put food in the load shelf, then you're really going to be tight when it comes to meat and a cape. Also, moving the majority of your gear away from your back for that kind of hunt I would shy away from.

They will have a stove kit that they'll use for everyone on the hunt, but if you really want to pack your own that's up to you. What is your sleeping bag and pad setup?

Also I would opt for the Briksdals. Wish I would have taken those on my trip.
 
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jofes

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Joined
Jul 23, 2014
Messages
322
Looks pretty solid, but take that with a grain of salt as I have not yet gone on a sheep hunt.

Do you have any batteries or a book or anything?
Bug net?
Pretzel meant to be petzl which I assume is headlamp?


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Yes petzl, I didn't plan on a bug net but that may be a good idea.
 
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jofes

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Jul 23, 2014
Messages
322
Looks pretty good. This is kind of personal preference but I would consider a larger bag. If you are tight enough on room to have to put food in the load shelf, then you're really going to be tight when it comes to meat and a cape. Also, moving the majority of your gear away from your back for that kind of hunt I would shy away from.

They will have a stove kit that they'll use for everyone on the hunt, but if you really want to pack your own that's up to you. What is your sleeping bag and pad setup?

Also I would opt for the Briksdals. Wish I would have taken those on my trip.
I have the Bora bivy, cedar ridge outdoors 0 quilt and a thermorest neo air.

Would you ever run your Thor's? The briksdal are feeling a bit narrow for my wife feet.

I was thinking of getting the 6400 but I keep thinking I will have eaten through most of the food by the time we tag out, probably light insurance to upgrade though. Was the dall bag too small?
 

Russp17

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Aug 5, 2013
Messages
315
agree with others on the jacket. I bring the following on my backpack hunts in Alaska for august.
t shirt, long sleeve base layer, puffy jacket, rain jacket.
 
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Hard to find a boot better than the Briksdal SF for putting in miles on the rocky river valleys in the Brooks.

Everyone is spot on with their upper layer (leave the jacket at home). And mechanic gloves are always a good add. Depending where you are, you almost need them on at all times to handle the damn bugs - same with head net. I bring mechanics gloves and them wool finger gloves that have the flip over mitten. May even want to add a little bottle of the Ben's 100% deet. Ask your guide, I've been places in the brooks where even after single digit nights we were in bug nets and gloves all day and some areas where I never took the bug net out of the pack.
 

Lvthntitall

Lil-Rokslider
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Sep 25, 2019
Messages
206
Location
Illinois
I would definitely get the 6400 bag you can always compress it if you don’t need all the space but will be thankful you have the room when you pack out an animal. I am also glad I took fellow roksliders advice and bought Briksdal Sf boot they worked great on my first sheep and goat hunt last year.
 

kaboku68

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Joined
Jun 14, 2012
Messages
397
Location
Alaska
trade your nalgene for a seeker 3 lt rubber/silicone bottle that you can attach with two carabiners to your pack. You will save weight and those bags are as tough or tougher than nalgene bottle.
 
Joined
Oct 17, 2017
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Missouri
I hunted with Luke in 20. Your guide will have a larger stove, fuel and pot. All I took was a toaks cup. We left base camp with 5 days supply of food and expected a resupply if needed.
I would ditch the EXO dry bag and go with one or two DCF drybags. The XL size typically weighs 2 oz. Having one big drybag fill up the inside of your pack takes away zipper access from the side. Pack cover was helpful.
I was glad I took my bora Bivy. Kept the bugs off during naps.
If you search my username I did a gear review on here after my hunt.
Congrats on you sheep hunt. Luke and his family are awesome people and they did a hell of a job making my lifelong dream come true.


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mtwarden

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Montana
I've got a hunt booked with them next year and have been told by a very reliable source ( @Marine4life ) :D definitely bring a headnet and some bug dope!

What's your emergency bag?

I wear Thors hunting (mountain elk & mule deer)- they fit me perfectly and have found them plenty stiff for mountain use and heavier loads. I'm going to try a pair of Briksdal (the plain ones) though to see how they fit. I like the idea of the SF- I don't like the idea of insulation for an August hunt.

With the 6.5 I take it you're not going to purchase a grizzly tag? Everyone I talked to thought it would be a good idea to have in case your sheep hunt is over on the early side, reasoning you've paid for a ten day hunt- might as well continue hunting :)

Wish my trip was this year- best of luck!
 
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jofes

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Joined
Jul 23, 2014
Messages
322
I hunted with Luke in 20. Your guide will have a larger stove, fuel and pot. All I took was a toaks cup. We left base camp with 5 days supply of food and expected a resupply if needed.
I would ditch the EXO dry bag and go with one or two DCF drybags. The XL size typically weighs 2 oz. Having one big drybag fill up the inside of your pack takes away zipper access from the side. Pack cover was helpful.
I was glad I took my bora Bivy. Kept the bugs off during naps.
If you search my username I did a gear review on here after my hunt.
Congrats on you sheep hunt. Luke and his family are awesome people and they did a hell of a job making my lifelong dream come true.


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Awesome, I didn't know about the 5 day split, thanks for the bug info, I didn't have a head net on the list. You're hunt sounded awesome!
 
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jofes

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Joined
Jul 23, 2014
Messages
322
I've got a hunt booked with them next year and have been told by a very reliable source ( @Marine4life ) :D definitely bring a headnet and some bug dope!

What's your emergency bag?

I wear Thors hunting (mountain elk & mule deer)- they fit me perfectly and have found them plenty stiff for mountain use and heavier loads. I'm going to try a pair of Briksdal (the plain ones) though to see how they fit. I like the idea of the SF- I don't like the idea of insulation for an August hunt.

With the 6.5 I take it you're not going to purchase a grizzly tag? Everyone I talked to thought it would be a good idea to have in case your sheep hunt is over on the early side, reasoning you've paid for a ten day hunt- might as well continue hunting :)

Wish my trip was this year- best of luck!
Actually i just bought the grizz and sheep tag, I keep thinking sub 300 with a Barnes bullet will be enough, my other option is a 300 wsm with a nightforce shv pushing 180 Barnes but it adds a few lbls... I just got a pair of Thor's from black ovis, trying to see what my feet like better.
 
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jofes

WKR
Joined
Jul 23, 2014
Messages
322
I've got a hunt booked with them next year and have been told by a very reliable source ( @Marine4life ) :D definitely bring a headnet and some bug dope!

What's your emergency bag?

I wear Thors hunting (mountain elk & mule deer)- they fit me perfectly and have found them plenty stiff for mountain use and heavier loads. I'm going to try a pair of Briksdal (the plain ones) though to see how they fit. I like the idea of the SF- I don't like the idea of insulation for an August hunt.

With the 6.5 I take it you're not going to purchase a grizzly tag? Everyone I talked to thought it would be a good idea to have in case your sheep hunt is over on the early side, reasoning you've paid for a ten day hunt- might as well continue hunting :)

Wish my trip was this year- best of luck!
Are the Thor's fairly water resistant in your mind?
The emergency bag has some meds, quick clot, emergency blanket, extra batteries type stuff.
 

mtwarden

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Are the Thor's fairly water resistant in your mind?
The emergency bag has some meds, quick clot, emergency blanket, extra batteries type stuff.


They have a full goretex lining, so pretty water resistant; the main reason I'm considering the Briksdal (non-insulated version) is that it's full leather and you can waterproof the leather pretty well- giving you two lines of defense from water. My hope is they are built on the same last and fit as well as the Thor's.

ahh- I thought "emergency bag" was something to weather an unexpected night out
 
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