Daypack weight

[BigNate]

For me 1 to 3 miles is pretty close so I would probably drop most of the just-in-case type stuff from my pack. It's close enough that I would probably not carry extra clothes, food, shelter, etc.

I used to just use a fanny pack, with water, folding saw, fire kit, some cord, and snack stuff. Didn't have a bino harness, range finders weren't a thing yet. I was young.

I am no longer young, live where it's quite steep, 6 to 8 miles is common, weather changes quickly, and grizzly encounters are becoming increasingly common. I carry a pack, and a few things to stay comfortable if I get hung up and spend the night. I carry a tiny pot and stove or jetboil a lot, usually have an extra meal along, and carry less water. Started using a Grayl filter instead. Early season may be different if it's a dry year.

Each person has to decide what's appropriate for the area they're in, their ability to make do when things don't go as planned, and their tolerance for discomfort.

 

[Zackmesser]

I started packing a sandwich and chips lunch this year to save weight on cooking and just not having to deal with for day hunts, besides that I just cut down on layering gear depending on the weather.

 

[ZAK13]

I usually just use a medium sized fanny pack for a day hunt. Small first aid kit, a sandwich and some snacks for the day, extra water, a few extra rounds, some paracord, a knife, fire starter kit, and weather dependent either a rain jacket or a puffy. On the cold days a 16oz. thermos with hot coffee comes with me as well.

 

[butcherboy]

I bet you are closer than you think!

say my day pack weight is exactly 30lbs.

Extra stuff I would take to spike out - 1lbs for a pad, 2lbs bag, 3lbs tent, 1.5lbs stove + fuel, 1lbs for batteries. That is only 38.5lbs. That means I can carry 3lbs/day (5k calories) food for 7 days and be right around 60lbs total pack weight.

There is a huge difference between a day hunt and taking stuff for a spike out. I’m not taking a pad, tent, stove, fuel, batteries, food, sleeping bag for a simple day hunt away from my truck or camp.

 

[teamwhitebelly]

A jetboil is defintely a luxury item...

I like to leave camp pretty quickly in the morning. I'm in too big of a rush to make coffee. And I'm certainly in too big of a rush to enjoy a cup of coffee.

After the morning rush, there isn't much to do between 10 am and 3pm. I like to have a cup of coffee at 10am. Drinking that coffee while looking out at the mountains is a highlight of my day. I also plan the rest of the day while drinking the coffee.

And I like to have a meal around 3pm. That lets me use the "idle" time a bit better. And I'm in less of a hurry to get back to camp if I've already sorta had dinner.

pre make your coffee and put it in a small insulated bottle. It would be the same as carrying a jetboil,fuel, coffee, and water.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

Lots of cherry picking as to what counts at “pack weight” and “day hunt” on this thread,

Exactly. Skin out weight or it's not with using a number. Water counts too.

 

[Poser]

For me personally, there is no perceivable performance impact of carrying a pack up to around 35 lbs. I carry packs year around backcountry skiing, peak bagging (often throw a tripod and spotter in my pack just to be heavier), summer backpacking and hunting. With that in mind, I carry the gear I need and like to have and don’t worry about it. I’ve ended up in some hell holes on days hunts I expected to be easy to moderate and have also been out all night. If a thermos of coffee, spotting scope, or a pair of heated socks, or a cold cheeseburger and sweet potato are going to keep me out there/make the day more comfortable, more effective…. enjoyable even in harsh conditions, nobody cares what my pack weighs but me and 30-40 lbs just isn’t a issue, whether it’s 500 feet of elevation gain or 5,000.

On day hunts, I seldom stop to filter water. I’ll just carry the water I need and can always dump excess before heading out. Fact of the matter is, for a day hunt, unless it’s something extremely ambitious, I just don’t care about pack weight. For extremely ambitious backcountry skiing days or peak bagging/mountaineering, my pack weight actually increases as I carry more survival gear. And, really, why should I care what it weigh for one day? Now, a multi day trip where back weighs get into the 40,50,60+ lbs range, I’m absolutely paying attention. This is a weird topic to obsess over. Get stronger/more fit as it will just benefit you anyway AND you can have more enjoyable days out.

 

[butcherboy]

I’m pretty strong. I pack beef quarters around everyday. As I get older I have realized I can have just as an enjoyable hunt without packing unnecessary weight all day. Less weight also helps when you come out heavy with meat. I’ve learned my lessons the hard way. My pack is a little heavier for late season hunts vs. August or September just because of an extra pair of gloves or a heavier coat. Other than those things, I carry the same gear.

 

[WyldGoose]

Bino harness is just over 4lbs.
Day pack setup is around 20lbs with 1qt of water.

I don’t carry a stove or sleep system for day trips. Just rain jacket, puffy, snacks, tripod/15x binos, sit pad, hiking sticks, kill kit, FAK, emergency kit for an unplanned overnight, water filter, small battery bank with cables for phone/inreach/headlamp, etc…

 

[Randle]

You didnt mention what pack ypu are using.
I have been using MR Popup 28.
I could drop probably 3 -4 lbs if I go with a day gear only pack. Right now I like knowing I can pack first load out.