Day Pack Weight

dkell

FNG
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Jun 9, 2022
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83
Hello all,

I have used the search feature and didn’t quite find what I am looking for. I am curious as to what weight most people run for day hunting.

For context, I am tagging along for the ride to a busy unit for archery elk. We have connections in the immediate area in the form of a family member’s house to stay at and will be going out each day from there [sub 20 min ride]. We will be at elevation of around 9000-11000 feet depending on what spots we are hitting.

Right now, I am sitting at ~15 lbs [Sitka Mountain 4K]). My worn clothing including my bino harness equals out to 10.5 which puts me around 26 lbs total everything on my body and in my pack. I’m in good shape and have rucked elevation in the past and know where my limits are [native flatlander].

I am forgoing bringing along a bladder with water. Instead I am bringing a 1.5 L nalgene already filled with water and I am running a Steripen UL and a sawyer squeeze to refill up water in the many creeks in the area as needed.

My thinking is that I can forgo lugging around a bladder and the extra weight of packing in extra water in a bladder. I absolutely despise using bladders.

Am I on the right track? Way off-course? 26 lbs too much or too little?

Thanks for any feedback.
 
Last edited:

rclouse79

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Dec 10, 2019
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I just use my big kifaru timberline for everything, but in day mode I am around 30.
 

Randle

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Nope
Without water that seems heavy
Mine is 18 lbs in a MR pop up 28 with 2 liters of water
 

*zap*

WKR
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Those big nalgene's are nice. They also make a 1/2 liter if you just want some water in a cargo pocket or for mixing powders..
 

EdP

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Southwest Va
If you listen to the guys that describe packing just a bit over that for a week of hunting I would imaging their daypacks float on the wind.

I only take a 1/2 liter of water but bring my filter because I always have access to water and the filter is lighter than the 1/2 liter. I don't drink much during the day when it is cold out but make a point to make up for that in the evening. Also take: My kill kit, First aid, TP, Lunch snack, Butt pad, Extra orange hat, A puffy, Rain jacket and pants depending on the weather (if so puffy not needed), Fire kit, Cell phone for GPS. Not counting binos, range finder, ammo, & rifle I think that would total about 15 lbs. The pack weight, if I using my full size backpack as a daypack would put me just over 20. Add a liter of water and you added 2 lbs. As the day goes on and clothes come off, the pack weight goes up a bit. Since you included so much clothes weight in your pack 26 sounds reasonable.
 

5MilesBack

"DADDY"
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Normally right around 15lbs, and that includes at least 3L of water in my Camelbak, and sometimes 1 more liter in bottles. Without water I'd be right about 8lbs if I added my filter.
 

Carr5vols

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Normally right around 15lbs, and that includes at least 3L of water in my Camelbak, and sometimes 1 more liter in bottles. Without water I'd be right about 8lbs if I added my filter.
5milesback willing to share what you carry to be that light. I am 17 without weapon and not sure what else i could cut.

Pack and bino harness is 6 lbs empty
Water 1.5 lbs
Food .75 lbs
Puffy and extra socks 1.5lbs
Wet wipes .1 lb
Vehicle key .1 lb
Zoleo .3 lbs
Meat bags, havalon, license .5 lbs
Binos 1.8 lbs
Headlamp .1 lb
Range finder .4 lbs
Rope and 2 carabiners .3 lbs
Phone .4 lbs
Sawyer filter and empty bag .3 lbs
First aid kit .5 lbs
 

5MilesBack

"DADDY"
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I carry a small first aid kit that also has some extra nocks, d-loop, and serving as well. Game bags, FL merino beanie, headlamp, batteries, compass, GPS, knife, Havalon, extra calls, wipes, water, a little food, paracord, and sometimes my down puffy. That's about it. I carry my 8x32's under my right arm, bugle tube under my right arm, RF in my front left chest pocket, and calls and wind checker in my cargo pockets. And the weight decreases every time I drink. (y) But quite frankly, I hardly even notice that my daypack is even there for most of the day. I shoot with it on as well. It's probably hard to see in my avatar pic, but my pack is on.
 

*zap*

WKR
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Lifestraw makes a filter that fits in a nalgene or similar (wide/narrow mouth) just fill the bottle and drink....might be a good option for some folks. 1000 liter o the first stage and somewhat less than that on the second stage....

The LifeStraw Universal is the first bottle adaptor kit with a 2-stage filter. With two sizes of screw caps, it allows you to turn your favorite bottle into a powerful water filter. Fits Select Bottles from Hydroflask, Camelbak, Kleen Kanteen, Nalgene and More

The filter uses advanced hollow fiber membrane technology (0.2 microns) to remove waterborne bacteria and protozoa up to 1,000 liters (264 gallons). The second stage of filtration is a replaceable activated carbon capsule to improve taste, reduce chlorine and organic chemical matter for up to 100 liters (26 gallons).
 

mtwarden

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When I'm day hunting I still carry a hunting frame, so that's 3-ish pounds right off the bat; with a contingency for an unexpected night out, clothing carried, kill kit, grub for a full day (and then a little extra), couple of liters of water, kill kit, first aid kit, fire kit, headlamp (& extra batteries), tp, inReach Mini, maps/compass, extra ammo, range finder- I'm in the 20-ish pound range all in (except optics which can vary widely on the hunt)
 
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dkell

dkell

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@mtwarden is that including clothes worn? I am trying to figure out where/if I am over carrying.
 

BBob

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^^^Pretty close to same. In the same situation I use a Kuiu frame w/1800 bag and basically all of of the same stuff mtwarden listed. For most run and gun archery rut hunts I'm just using 10x32 EL's but as said above that could vary on how things are going.

Not including clothes worn :)
 

Carr5vols

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When I'm day hunting I still carry a hunting frame, so that's 3-ish pounds right off the bat; with a contingency for an unexpected night out, clothing carried, kill kit, grub for a full day (and then a little extra), couple of liters of water, kill kit, first aid kit, fire kit, headlamp (& extra batteries), tp, inReach Mini, maps/compass, extra ammo, range finder- I'm in the 20-ish pound range all in (except optics which can vary widely on the hunt)
@mtwarden does that weight include weapon?
 

mtwarden

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^ no weapon/no optics, but ~ 2 lbs of food and 4 pounds of water- with the pack that's already 10-ish pounds

my "oh $hit I'm spending a overnight" kit is about 3 lbs, probably 2.5- 3 lbs in clothing carried (obviously varies depending on time of year/expected weather)
 

Randle

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Nope
That number is including ~1.5 liters of water in a nalgene.
Ok I read your post again. Binos and clothes your are on the ballpark at 26 lbs
When i state weight , its backpack weight.
I dont always have binos and the harness and weapon is not on my pack.
 
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