Critique my Gear List

[Archerm]

ndbwhunter when you get everything together throw it in your DT1 and step on the scale. I think you will be surprised how fast it all adds up. 10 days you are probably looking at a minimum of 15-20 lbs of food and that first 3 liters of water which weighs 6.6lbs so just in water and food you could be pushing 26lbs alone. All this being said if you don't move camp? I always move once or twice a trip. you will unload 60-80% of it at your camp. I think my day pack weight is somewhere around 20-22 lbs.

 

[ndbwhunter]

I take unscented deodorant. I can't stand to sleep with myself otherwise.

I too think you could drop one of the merino shirts and probably the vest as well.

I would also take sunglasses.

I will probably take some scent free deodorant. At 7.6 ounces, the down vest has to stay in the pack. I think the guide jacket will being staying home or in the truck.

 

[Charina]

Can your phone act as a second flashlight? I don't like being out without a backup light source in case the primary goes down.

I'm also a big fan of thin synthetic socks as a base layer under my wool ones. Far less hot spots for me with such a setup.

 

[MTbowhunter36]

Looks like you have it pretty well dialed in. Here's what's in my pack/on my person during MT archery season:
Attack pants
1/4 Zip merino top
Sitka soft shell vest
synthetic puffy
rain jacket

If I were you here's what I would do; ditch the rain pants since you have gators, lose the soft shell and use your rain jacket instead, ditch the merino bottoms (it got down to 16 last year and I never used merino bottoms). Unless you're in griz country, you can ditch the bear spray. Since you have your phone for entertainment you could lose the playbook too.

Do you have a puffy jacket? If you do throw that in as well and couple it with your rain jacket for wind/rain/snow, etc.

Do you have your Sawyer set up in-line with your bladder? If so, you could lose the other bladders and just roll with your 3L which would be more than plenty. I have an SG pack and put a 2L bladder in between the frame and the bag. Once it's empty it takes a couple minutes to remove the bladder, dip the bladder in a creek and place it back between the frame and bag. The bladder I have is a Cabela's brand where the whole top unzips so I can fill it in less than five seconds. My buddies are still pumping water while I've got a full water bladder put in my pack.

 

[ndbwhunter]

Looks like you have it pretty well dialed in. Here's what's in my pack/on my person during MT archery season:
Attack pants
1/4 Zip merino top
Sitka soft shell vest
synthetic puffy
rain jacket

If I were you here's what I would do; ditch the rain pants since you have gators, lose the soft shell and use your rain jacket instead, ditch the merino bottoms (it got down to 16 last year and I never used merino bottoms). Unless you're in griz country, you can ditch the bear spray. Since you have your phone for entertainment you could lose the playbook too.

Do you have a puffy jacket? If you do throw that in as well and couple it with your rain jacket for wind/rain/snow, etc.

Do you have your Sawyer set up in-line with your bladder? If so, you could lose the other bladders and just roll with your 3L which would be more than plenty. I have an SG pack and put a 2L bladder in between the frame and the bag. Once it's empty it takes a couple minutes to remove the bladder, dip the bladder in a creek and place it back between the frame and bag. The bladder I have is a Cabela's brand where the whole top unzips so I can fill it in less than five seconds. My buddies are still pumping water while I've got a full water bladder put in my pack.

Thanks for the advice. I've got a kuiu superdown vest on the list, but I don't have a puffy jacket. I will be hunting in griz country, so the bear spray will definitely be coming with me. The sawyer mini is set up to run in-line. What do you do about water for cooking? I was planning on using the dromelite for camp water and cooking.

 

[Archerm]

Just know where you will get your water. I go through at least 3 liters of water a day. I just use the water out of my bladder when not near water and refill when I am close to water. I normally have a hot chocolate coffee mix about mid morning and one hot meal in the evening. That is only 2 Cups of water and just a little more to clean up. You will only need the 3 liter bladder as there should be sufficient water where you will be. The good thing about a puffy or puffy vest is you can double it as a pillow at night. I stuff mine in one of the original Kifaru meat bags along with any extra cloths for a pillow.

 

[ridgefire]

I would ditch half your batteries, use only one bladder, keep just the phone and gps, get rid of the plastic bags and ground tarp and jacket.

 

[Archerm]

Any Idea how far you will be packing in? If you are camping at the truck and hiking in everyday you wont have that much pack weight. Have you ever packed above 6000ft. We always park at around 7500ft then pack in 3-5 miles to around 8500ft so what we need we carry. Have you tried packing locally with any substantial weight? If not you should get started. Start with 50lbs and work your way up. My weekly hike is 70lb pack. Our pack outs with meat are around 80+lbs. Also its a different world in the high country when you are packing this weight.


Looking at the list you can leave the tyvek at the truck as well. If you clean the animal gutless you can just use the skin of the elk to dress the animal. We just hang the meat in a tree to cool or place it on a log when it is deboned.

 

[ndbwhunter]

Any Idea how far you will be packing in? If you are camping at the truck and hiking in everyday you wont have that much pack weight. Have you ever packed above 6000ft. We always park at around 7500ft then pack in 3-5 miles to around 8500ft so what we need we carry. Have you tried packing locally with any substantial weight? If not you should get started. Start with 50lbs and work your way up. My weekly hike is 70lb pack. Our pack outs with meat are around 80+lbs. Also its a different world in the high country when you are packing this weight.


Looking at the list you can leave the tyvek at the truck as well. If you clean the animal gutless you can just use the skin of the elk to dress the animal. We just hang the meat in a tree to cool or place it on a log when it is deboned.

The area that I'll be hunting first is about 5 miles with 1,900ft elevation gain. Once the trail ends, I'll have another 1.5 miles and 1,500ft of elevation gain to reach the area that I'd like to setup camp. I have hunted and packed above 8,000ft, but this will be my first backpack hunt. I've been hiking with about 70lbs for the last 6-8 months. I'm going to finish my current workout and then hit the trail 3-4 times a week to log20-27 miles per week up until a week or so prior to the season.

 

[Archerm]

Nice keep it up! I always tell friends that have never been is to train like you are going to hunt. Work on body parts you have or might have problems with. I am a big fan of core exercises and leg workouts. Cardio will help your lungs as well. Stay within your abilities and move on from there. My favorite is full pack + hikes. A lot of folks don't pack enough to get their pack or their boots and socks right. If you get those two thing right you will be happy in the mountains with your pack.In the long run your feet get you everywhere if they are not happy you surly wont be.Use the L-Tape even at home. Even with it on any hotspots your feet will still build up some toughness.

Hows the DT1 treating you? You can pack it with more than you would like! 2 more months till we hit the road!!

The area that I'll be hunting first is about 5 miles with 1,900ft elevation gain. Once the trail ends, I'll have another 1.5 miles and 1,500ft of elevation gain to reach the area that I'd like to setup camp. I have hunted and packed above 8,000ft, but this will be my first backpack hunt. I've been hiking with about 70lbs for the last 6-8 months. I'm going to finish my current workout and then hit the trail 3-4 times a week to log20-27 miles per week up until a week or so prior to the season.

 

[ndbwhunter]

Nice keep it up! I always tell friends that have never been is to train like you are going to hunt. Work on body parts you have or might have problems with. I am a big fan of core exercises and leg workouts. Cardio will help your lungs as well. Stay within your abilities and move on from there. My favorite is full pack + hikes. A lot of folks don't pack enough to get their pack or their boots and socks right. If you get those two thing right you will be happy in the mountains with your pack.In the long run your feet get you everywhere if they are not happy you surly wont be.Use the L-Tape even at home. Even with it on any hotspots your feet will still build up some toughness.

Hows the DT1 treating you? You can pack it with more than you would like! 2 more months till we hit the road!!

I got lucky with the boots and socks. The salomon boots and darn tough socks are a perfect combination for my feet. I can't say anything bad about the DT1, but my experience is pretty limited. I've only been packing a sandbag and water bladder, so I guess we'll see when I actually have it loaded up with gear. Now that Kifaru is coming out with the new frame and suspension, I may consider going that route after this season.

 

[KMD]

Yessir, Salomons & Darn Tough are life savers. Add in a good set of gaiters and you're golden...

Also, don't kill yourself training! Give your body time to rest & build itself up. Our bodies ain't designed for constant heavy load hauling. I hike a couple miles every day with 30lb. pack and only pack a heavier 60-70lb. load twice in a week. Found it saves alot of wear&tear on the back & joints...

Good luck, man!!!!

 

[MTbowhunter36]

Thanks for the advice. I've got a kuiu superdown vest on the list, but I don't have a puffy jacket. I will be hunting in griz country, so the bear spray will definitely be coming with me. The sawyer mini is set up to run in-line. What do you do about water for cooking? I was planning on using the dromelite for camp water and cooking.

The filter is about one foot or so from the bite valve and I just pull that section off the filter and drain the water into my canister to heat the water for dinner. I'm rather impatient so I squeeze the bladder to make the water come out faster, but it's pretty slick and easy.

Also, the advice that I gave was with the understanding that you're backpacking in. If you're driving to your base camp, I wouldn't leave anything behind.

 

[xziang]

I have my med kit in front of me it weighs 1.2lbs. I carry this kit on solo hunts and split it between two if someone else comes along.
1small pack moleskin
2 large space blankets ( I will use one instead of a bivey for a overnighter away from camp)
2 Blood clotting sponges
1 ace bandage
hydration salts
Aspirin and Aleve (don't use them together)
matches and a lighter cotton balls with Vaseline.
bandage gauze material

If I cant take care of a problem with the above more help is required.
I also carry a Spot Messenger but it is always on my person.

I don't have some of the things in the above post but 3 things that came to my mind was:
Tweezers
Needle (thread)
Fingernail Clips

+ other things, moleskin, normal first aid stuff, I have also thrown in small bottle of super glue

Not in my med kit but I'll wrap a couple wraps of HIGH QUALITY electrical tape around my upper bow limb. I originally did this to avoid scratches on the bow when using a hang in step as a bow holder for deer but have used it for a bandaid using TP paper.

 

[drrice]

ndbwhunter, i noticed you have the 145 zip-t and 210 zip-t and i was thinking about getting the same pieces, do you have any opinion if that is to bulky having zippers sitting on top of each other. I talked with kuiu customer service and they advised me not to go with both zip-t's because of bulk but I like the ability to get a little more air if it is pretty warm.
By the way this thread is great as I am going on my first backpack elk hunt this year as well.

 

[ndbwhunter]

ndbwhunter, i noticed you have the 145 zip-t and 210 zip-t and i was thinking about getting the same pieces, do you have any opinion if that is to bulky having zippers sitting on top of each other. I talked with kuiu customer service and they advised me not to go with both zip-t's because of bulk but I like the ability to get a little more air if it is pretty warm.
By the way this thread is great as I am going on my first backpack elk hunt this year as well.

I haven't worn the two together, so I can't say for sure if the zippers would get too bulky.

 

[rodney482]

whats it all weigh?

where is your food?

 

[ndbwhunter]

I'm still waiting for a few items to a arrive, so I'll post the total weight when I finalize everything. I've got a food list started, but haven't nailed it down yet. Breakfast will consist of granola and/or oatmeal. Lunch will be a butthole sandwich, and dinner will be a variety of dehydrated meals (no mountain house). Snacks will consist of jerkey, pb crackers, snickers, and protein bars. Any input on the initial meal list is greatly appreciated.

 

[MOcluck]

Ten days solo is a long time. I had the same plan last year, I came out on the 8th day dumped a bunch of crap I didn't use and changed spots. It was my first backcountry hunt and I went in 6 miles. My pack was heavy as hell 64 lbs without water and I quickly learned what I needed and what didn't get used I think it's a lesson most people go threw. All that aside it sure is fun. Good luck!