Cutting Weight in 2025

[4090Sharps]

Where are you cutting weight this year? I'm curious to learn what lightweight gear solutions and changes folks have already implemented or are planning to this year.

Like most in this forum, I've spent (an obsessive amount of) time thinking about where and how I hunt, and how I can optimize my gear, cut bulk and weight, and be more mobile and effective. To start, I dropped about 25lb body weight

Late last year I switched from primarily hunting with an EXO K4 pack, to a Durston Kakwa 55, saving about 4lb.

Then I started thinking about how I approach glassing and where I can cut weight and bulk. With AZ's extremely short rifle seasons for deer, and long seasons for bear and mountain lion, I realized that as much as I love my big eyes and Leofoto two-section tripod, I carry a ton of weight for glass that goes underutilized most of the year. I don't need my big eyes for a lot of the canyons I spend my time in, but I still like a tripod to glass off of. My Sig 16x42's are nice but for their field of view, and my other handheld binoculars, Swarovski CL 8x25, can't mount on a tripod.... Or so I thought, then I fell into the Kramer Designs rabbit hole.

I ended up with their bipod/tripod (SnipePod) setup, Swarovski CL Pocket Adapter, and NanoHead panning head--it's a really neat piece of gear. With my bino harness, rangefinder, Swaro pocket binos, Sig 16x42's (for closer looks or longer distance scanning), and tripod, my glassing setup weighs 4lb 5oz, which is less than my big eyes alone. One big advantage to this system that I see for myself is being able to leave my binos on the tripod locked on target, while getting a closer look through the Sig IS binoculars offhand. Not as close a look as with a scope, but I don't have to swap optics on the tripod, potentially losing track of an animal. I could see switching to a Zeiss 10x30 SFL later on to replace the pocket binoculars, but then I'll lose my handy DIY bino/RF harness.

View attachment 529454

I'll still turn to the big eyes for deer season.



The engineering involved in the KDC setup is really impressive.

Then I turned to my rifle. Switched it over to a straight pull setup from gas, and went to a light optic, cutting almost a pound while moving to a heavier lower receiver.

I finally caved and built a Solo upper. It's sitting at 4lb 8oz suppressed with the 5x Primary Arms microprism. Off to the range tomorrow.

View attachment 931810

All in, I think that puts me around 33lb down over the last year, with more body weight to go

 

[Ajsomp]

I dropped over 25 lb over last year - on me alone. Then made a bunch of changes to my gear.

-Switched to a Aziak backcountry/wiser bt20 tripod combo
-Changed up my battery pack
-changed out my head lamp
-traded out my jet boil for a fire maple petrel/wind master combo
-ditched my bipod
-swapped my Nalgene to a lightweight one paired with a smart water bottle in my pack
-switched out clothing items for lighter weight versions (mostly from outdoor vitals)
-switched to a quilt
-dropped a lighter scope on my rifle (plan to drop it in a rokstok lite at some point).

I plan to eventually swap out my trekking poles for a lighter set (which will cut the weight in half surprisingly)


Small changes here and there - and I need to add up the weight savings. But it’s crazy how little items add up so quickly.

 

[4090Sharps]

I dropped over 25 lb over last year - on me alone. Then made a bunch of changes to my gear.

-Switched to a Aziak backcountry/wiser bt20 tripod combo
-Changed up my battery pack
-changed out my head lamp
-traded out my jet boil for a fire maple petrel/wind master combo
-ditched my bipod
-swapped my Nalgene to a lightweight one paired with a smart water bottle in my pack
-switched out clothing items for lighter weight versions (mostly from outdoor vitals)
-switched to a quilt
-dropped a lighter scope on my rifle (plan to drop it in a rokstok lite at some point).

I plan to eventually swap out my trekking poles for a lighter set (which will cut the weight in half surprisingly)


Small changes here and there - and I need to add up the weight savings. But it’s crazy how little items add up so quickly.

It really does! That BT20 looks awesome.

Which trekking poles are you switching to?

 

[Ajsomp]

It really does! That BT20 looks awesome.

Which trekking poles are you switching to?

Looking at the gossamer gear LT5 pair - 4.9oz per pole

 

[Dave0317]

I like that you mentioned the Durston pack. I’m surprised it’s not a more popular way to hunt. I think most people think they have to be able to pack out half their elk and camp all on the first trip. I’ve definitely considered an approach like this.

Hunt and camp with a lightweight backpacking pack, saving several pounds for only a couple hundred bucks investment in a second pack. Keep a heavier duty pack frame or load hauler type pack in the truck. Get an animal down, quarter it, store it in the shade, (hopefully it’s night and cooling off) pack camp out, grab the load hauler, and then make trips to get meat out.

Other than that idea, I don’t spend a ton on my hobbies, so most of my other weight savings comes from carefully considering what I can do without or do with less of. Like maybe go tarp instead of the nearly two pound floorless shelter I use now. And if I go tarp, maybe use pitches that don’t require trekking poles, or only use one. So now I’m not bringing an entire trekking pole or maybe not bringing any. Use a couple smart water bottles and mp1 tabs instead of the platypus gravity works and multiple Nalgenes I used to use.

 

[Te Hopo]

Im still fan of sleeping bags, the big one for me this year was updating my shoulder seasons sleeping bag to a lighter higher loft down sleeping bag, the One Planet Nitrous.
Its much warmer so I have a larger weather window to use it, and dropped around 1lb over the previous bag I used.

The other thing I've been working on is refining my food list, going for lighter calorie dense foods, making and vacuum sealing some of my own meals.
I've got my breakfasts nailed down, oatmeal or granola, dried fruits, flavored protein powders and just enough to set me up for the day.

Dinners im starting to think I'll just buy, my dehydrated efforts have been so so.
Certainly nutritious but often a little bland compared to the pre-dehydrated meal

 

[Ajsomp]

I don’t even attempt to make dehydrated meals - juice isn’t worth the squeeze when there are some great new companies offering something that actually tastes good and I can count on. I typically only eat one dehydrated meal a day - so I’d rather have something I’m excited to eat.

 

[4090Sharps]

I like that you mentioned the Durston pack. I’m surprised it’s not a more popular way to hunt. I think most people think they have to be able to pack out half their elk and camp all on the first trip. I’ve definitely considered an approach like this.

Hunt and camp with a lightweight backpacking pack, saving several pounds for only a couple hundred bucks investment in a second pack. Keep a heavier duty pack frame or load hauler type pack in the truck. Get an animal down, quarter it, store it in the shade, (hopefully it’s night and cooling off) pack camp out, grab the load hauler, and then make trips to get meat out.

That's exactly my approach. The Durston pack is good enough for a first or lighter load, and the K4 frame is in the truck. I would still like to come up with an ultralight, refined DIY version of the MR Pop Up 18 (even if it's fixed height), but have yet to find the time for it. That would be the ultimate pack for me.

 

[Dave0317]

That's exactly my approach. The Durston pack is good enough for a first or lighter load, and the K4 frame is in the truck. I would still like to come up with an ultralight, refined DIY version of the MR Pop Up 18 (even if it's fixed height), but have yet to find the time for it. That would be the ultimate pack for me.

Yeah, that is a great idea. I think the majority of the hunting pack market would actually be better off with that. I think a lot of car campers and base camp hunters buy more pack than they need. In reality, a pack frame that has a lumbar pack type attachment would be enough for most day hunts. The outdoorsman Butte 25 would be a good example, but not necessarily the most ultralight setup.
You may be on to something!
Just need a lighter carbon frame and a lumbar pack made of a lighter material.

 

[4090Sharps]

Yeah, that is a great idea. I think the majority of the hunting pack market would actually be better off with that. I think a lot of car campers and base camp hunters buy more pack than they need. In reality, a pack frame that has a lumbar pack type attachment would be enough for most day hunts. The outdoorsman Butte 25 would be a good example, but not necessarily the most ultralight setup.
You may be on to something!
Just need a lighter carbon frame and a lumbar pack made of a lighter material.

In addition to the Butte 25, there is Kuiu's Scout 100. It's still half a pound heavier than my Durston pack though.

 

[tall]

To start, I dropped about 25lb body weight

Way to go! You have to fight for those ounces harder than any other. I'm on the same track. I'd also like to find the right deal on a pair of range finding binos. They could reduce weight and clutter, which is nearly as important to me on a backpacking trip.

 

[4090Sharps]

Way to go! You have to fight for those ounces harder than any other. I'm on the same track. I'd also like to find the right deal on a pair of range finding binos. They could reduce weight and clutter, which is nearly as important to me on a backpacking trip.

I go back and forth, and back again on rangefinding binoculars. I will always love having a single unit and near instant ranging, but the extra weight, evolving technology, cost in the face of evolving tech, and optical quality tradeoff while paying more all weigh against them.

 

[tall]

I go back and forth, and back again on rangefinding binoculars. I will always love having a single unit and near instant ranging, but the extra weight, evolving technology, cost in the face of evolving tech, and optical quality tradeoff while paying more all weigh against them.

I hear you. I personally wouldn’t mind a small weight penalty for the added convenience and reduced time before taking a shot but, I haven’t purchased a set yet for the other reasons you listed.

 

[JordanM]

I have refined my gear over last few years but food this year saved a couple of pounds. I rewatched the gearskeptic on YouTube, specifically his food and calorie vids. I carried 3300-3500 calories a day for this sheep hunt (which just turned into a sheep photography session and a broken foot…) and heaviest day was about 26oz. The foods that were super dense and light were:

Mega stuffed Oreos + Justin’s nut butter = 2.2oz/400 calories
1oz Gouda moon cheese + 1oz crushed ruffles = 2oz/340 calories
1oz Macadamia nuts + 1oz PB M&Ms + 1oz mixed nuts = 3oz/540 calories
1x coconut Umchu bar for 1.3oz/220 calories

Add that to a repackaged Peak cheesy chicken and broccoli and an olive oil pack for another 1160 calories and you have a fun day with foods you want to eat. I can add more of the little foods I choose but everyone’s pallet is different. All packed up small and 8 days of food saved me 4# on planned weight due to cutting a little over 8oz off of my 2# per day planned weight.

 

[JordanM]

I go back and forth, and back again on rangefinding binoculars. I will always love having a single unit and near instant ranging, but the extra weight, evolving technology, cost in the face of evolving tech, and optical quality tradeoff while paying more all weigh against them.

I agree with everything you are saying. If you hunt with a partner having two separate systems or redundant systems works better in my opinion. One person takes spotter, one the binos and each have a handheld RF with other dudes ballistics or your own programmed into it.

 

[TradLife406]

I haven't backpack hunted in a few years. A lot of ATV backcountry trips and truck camping. Because let's be real backpack hunting sucks lol.

But I shaved a couple pounds off my rifle
Cut 10 pounds off myself, did a bulking cycle for a while and never leaned back out.
Went to a lighter pack by 2lb or more
Lighter game bags. Kifaru game bags are bomb proof but too heavy to carry day in and day out. Went to Argali.

A few more things.

I think the biggest is losing body fat and lightening up the rifle.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[4090Sharps]

Lighter game bags. Kifaru game bags are bomb proof but too heavy to carry day in and day out. Went to Argali.

Game bags are something I might look at. I've been using a set of Caribou game bags for years now, and I'm all but sure any ultralight game bag would be lighter.

 

[Loo.wii]

I thought this was going to be an ozempic thread.

 

[jonnyviceroy]

Game bags are something I might look at. I've been using a set of Caribou game bags for years now, and I'm all but sure any ultralight game bag would be lighter.

You’d be surprised how much you can save there. Especially without having to bring all five bags like some kits come with. I’ve gotten away with as little as two in the late season and deboning. The argali and blackovis ultralight are the lighter ones I’ve used and liked.

 

[Kyle Wheeler]

Awesome thread. Wiser Bt 20 for me