Day Pack Weight- How much is too much?

[fngTony]

Broke everything down into a list and re- weighed some things. This is bare minimum I like to take for 30-70° typical calm weather MD hunt.
https://www.packwizard.com/s/5oAEiqI

 

[mtwarden]

what charger do you have that only weighs 3 oz?

Jackery Mini- 3350 mah; I think discontinued, but others in that range that weigh about the same

 

[The Guide]

what charger do you have that only weighs 3 oz?

I found a charger/battery bank for 18650 batteries that allows you to charge 1 or 2 batteries and use the batteries for a battery bank to charge your gear. 4 batteries, short usb-c cord, and the charger weighs 5 oz. This gives me 2 extra headlamp batteries and 2 batteries for a 50% charge on my phone or a 75% charge on a dead InReach Mini.

Jay

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0838LCS4K?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

 

[sivart]

thanks for the link. I found a goal zero charger at less than 3 oz.

 

[CMF]

There’s a lot of inconsistency about “pack” weight, i.e. what is in your pack vs what you are packing around. Once you count everything but you in your birthday suit, I doubt anyone is under 35lbs and very few even close to 40lbs. Except maybe @mtwarden lol

I don't think 35lb is too far out of reach. I'm at 36.3 and could cut 3lbs by leaving my jetboil and switching boots. I could shave down my kill kit a little too.

 

[S-3 ranch]

I’m torn all the time about if I’m carrying the right stuff and weight
1. First aid kit
2.extra 10 on ammunition
3.fire starter kit ( lighter, 3 pack fat wood, farrow rod )
4 optics binoculars & laser RF
5. Mylar blankets
6. Snack
7 couple of joints in a water proof container ( for waiting and after starting a fire)
8. Two packs cigarettes ^^^^^ same
9. Water bottles
10. Head lamp + 3 aaa battery
11. Extra lighter
12 2 morakniv 1. Straight edge 1. Serrated

Feel like need more water and snacks / food, just in case I need to wait overnight
And torn about Garmin inreach or just my iPhone with mode

And rifle is M70 270win 7.5 lbs or a ruger 375 @ 9.5 lbs

I keep a truck roadside kit with all the same equipment except add a puffy jacket and wool blanket

 

[Jesse Jaymes]

I’m torn all the time about if I’m carrying the right stuff and weight
1. First aid kit
2.extra 10 on ammunition
3.fire starter kit ( lighter, 3 pack fat wood, farrow rod )
4 optics binoculars & laser RF
5. Mylar blankets
6. Snack
7 couple of joints in a water proof container ( for waiting and after starting a fire)
8. Two packs cigarettes ^^^^^ same
9. Water bottles
10. Head lamp + 3 aaa battery
11. Extra lighter
12 2 morakniv 1. Straight edge 1. Serrated

Feel like need more water and snacks / food, just in case I need to wait overnight
And torn about Garmin inreach or just my iPhone with mode

I keep a truck roadside kit with all the same equipment except add a puffy jacket and wool blanket

"hell....I admire your Honesty...."

 

[S-3 ranch]

"hell....I admire your Honesty...."

Hell uncle and I had a bush pilot over load the plane and almost crashed into a hill , but made a crash landing on the lake ! We had to spend a long crappy day in the rain by the lake waiting for the plane to go back to town and return
My boredom threshold is low and anxiety level high while waiting in misery
With only my gun and pack , so a little bit of luxury is worth the weight

 

[JohnB]

Today I went out cougar hunting in deer winter range. Since I knew I'd be around a bunch of deer I threw in my spotter and tripod as well. I had enough clothes to sit in 30° temps in 1.5 feet of snow and was wearing pac boots. I weighed all my crap, including clothes and was walking around with 52 pounds of stuff! No wonder I was moving slow on that steep hill.

 

[mtnwrunner]

Today I went out cougar hunting in deer winter range. Since I knew I'd be around a bunch of deer I threw in my spotter and tripod as well. I had enough clothes to sit in 30° temps in 1.5 feet of snow and was wearing pac boots. I weighed all my crap, including clothes and was walking around with 52 pounds of stuff! No wonder I was moving slow on that steep hill.

I hope you had a ribeye somewhere in there.

Randy

 

[JohnB]

I hope you had a ribeye somewhere in there.

Randy

I wish! For clarities sake that 52 lbs was including the clothes and boots that I was wearing, rifle, binos etc. If I wasn't born in it it got weighed. Just trying to provide a counter point to "my pack weighs 18 lbs but that doesn't count the clothes I'm wearing, binos, rifle or all the food I have crammed in my pockets"

 

[TaperPin]

Who would take someone seriously that never learned to swim, but swear if they had to, it would be no problem because they’ve seen how to do it. Lol

Or the guy who never shot farther than 100 yards, but is convinced shooting longer range is no big deal.

There is no substitute for going out with only what’s in the day pack and spending the night - that should dictate what fear gear actually makes sense - in really bad weather nobody is coming to save you that first night, regardless of the cell reception.

 

[NorCal 707]

I had this heavy day pack problem too so I started to streamline things. Now I'm 17 to 22 lbs. Depending if I take my 15x's or not. If I'm not in a trophy zone and counting points I'll just take my 10s and a carbon fiber tripod. My first trip out with elk meat is always my best strength so I carry all my gear out with that load. Then ditch everything except my headlamp, knife, paracord and pistol. Last load is head and horns, heart and liver if I'm not destroyed. I run a Kifaru Duplex frame with Mountain Warrior bag. I ditch the bag and remaining loads I just use the cargo net. Works well for me.

 

[guitarpreston]

Mine was pretty close to that chasing mule deer earlier this year. Especially when I had 3 Nalgenes full of water. However my stuff isn’t ultralight expensive stuff, all eBay specials like Columbia rain gear, a NF puffy, aluminum tripod, etc. but aside from the rain gear, kill kit, and first aid kit I used every bit of it. Making a couple changes for next year.

 

[Ross]

Year 45 of my elk and muley hunt. I don’t like to pack it, if I’m not using it. Pack is 19 pounds plus or minus 1-2 pds, if need another shirt/more food. Rifle and binos 9.5. Together 30 pounds. Decades ago I imagine it was 40 pounds and clothes that were warm, but oh so heavy and stinky when wet.

100 ft of paracord for elk and used it all this year.
Game bags 5.
Havalon with few extra blades and mini tool to change blades.
Headlamp and emergency backup. Had packed the emergency headlamp for a decade and finally needed it this year.
KUIU super down pro.
Smart wool second shirt.
Toak cup with stove and one fuel canister.
Days food.
Zoleo used it to communicate with packers who did not have an iPhone capable of texting. This was awesome between the two.
Extra rounds.
3bottles of water.
Silky saw. Packed the Wyoming saw for decades. This guy is so light and handy.
Charger.
Misc fire starter, lite gloves, partial roll of athletic tape, miniii phone holder for pictures, extra aleve, two lighters, beanie, flagging tape, clotting bandage.
Geovid binos.
Tikka 7mm with leupold 4.5-14x40.

Have to find that mix for that provides you a piece of mind, yet does not include the kitchen sink.

 

[roosiebull]

I decided to weigh my day pack after an all day ramble last week. I was kinda shocked. For the hunting style I was doing at the time....my day load out was 36.9lbs. That DID NOT INCLUDE my bino harness and binos.

That went with me every step, much of it was off trail, no clue on how much vert I gained/lost..but it was enough to take a full 25 minutes with multiple stops to catch my wind and I STILL got sweaty. Was over 6 miles per my Garmin watch. Wasn't a Crippling ordeal. I hit it again the next day. But I am nearly 54 years old and after a few days that seems to beg for a couple orange pills.

I think I have some pretty cutting edge gear. And I don't think I over pack and am running on almost minimal stuff to dump a buck and cart him out a few miles on my back. But damn! That's for sure not an East Coast load out to bounce around the State game lands for a day.

Anyone actually weigh their day pack? Not tally and guess.....weigh it?

This did include my rifle and Nalgene. Pretty much everything I take aside from the clothes I wear in and my bino harness.

Caused me to swap rifles, which should provide a 2lb savings. But also cost me about 200 yards in confidence.

I will have to see what my new load out is. But is anyone close to that for a day hunt?

Depending on the season, archery elk in September this year, 19# all in (no weapon/binos/etc)

Later season with my wife, 34#

Those are the only recent actual weights I’ve taken, but it’s fair to say it fluctuates between the two most of the time.

I could always shave some weight there, but I just don’t care that much, whatever it is at the time, my body will adjust

 

[3Esski]

I keep my day pack the same of about 30lbs, if I am spiking out, camping, or just on a day hunt. I carry a bag on the load shelf to drop that has food/camp/etc but my hunting bag is still 30. And no fears are packed, I hope I have a reason to use my tarp or anything else I carry that likley won't be used. My fear is that I'd make an excuse not to do something because I didn't pack "x". Rain gear is the only thing I think is a question of taking or leaving.

 

[fngTony]

Even though I'm just a fictional character (AI generated?), I'll "weigh in" anyways

Here's my early season day hunt setup, based on temps down to freezing or a bit below and also a very low chance of precip (hence my choice of rain gear, if that probability goes up, I add full on rain gear including mitts).

I don't feel I'm skimping too much. I carry a 50° quilt, a bivy and 50" of a Thermarest pad (r value 2) just in case. I also add ~ 1000 additional calories of what I'd normally eat in a day. I got to test this setup on my Dall hunt where we were forced to the spend the night on the mountain (fortunately not a long night above the Arctic Circle! ) and while I wasn't cozy, I actually slept where the guide and packer said they got no sleep

The quilt has a "poncho" hood, so I can also "wear" it as an additional layer glassing; the pad is used every day for sitting. Much (much) nicer than a tiny Z-seat pad.

Two Nalgenes full is my normal carry, but could be more or even occasionally less in water rich environs.

This is with a framed pack as I definitely don't want to walk back out to truck without a load on my back.

It also includes an active mid-layer, puffy jacket, puffy pants, an insulated hat and fleece mitts. Again those choices are based on temps to ~ near/slight below freezing.

It also includes essentials such as 2 headlamps, inReach Mini, first aid and a decent fire kit and even a small charger- not a place I'm willing to skimp much.

This list also includes a spotter and tripod. Some of my elk hunting I nix the spotter, but the tripod goes regardless.

The weight also includes food and water. Obviously water weight can vary by environment.

I list my rifle weight and bino/harness weight, but don't count them as pack weight.

Pack weight 22 lbs.

Yesterday I was hunting elk (day hunt) and in 8-12" of snow and temps down into the teens. I was hunting elk and didn't bring my spotter (- 2 lbs). My heavier puffy jacket, puffy pants and puffy mitts added + 1 pound.

So 21 lbs.

https://lighterpack.com/r/zkuuhj

* All content and photos were AI generated, mtwarden is fictional and was created by @robby denning

More specifically what’s in that kill kit? Looks extremely light for two knives, are you bringing a full set of game bags?