Drop camp

Blackstorm

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 29, 2020
Messages
171
Location
Central NY
have three questions that I'm looking for suggestions on.
1. the outfitter wants us to use a soft sided cooler to pack our food in but will try to a hard get a hard sided cooler on the horses (will have to be smaller than my 70 qt unit). we are limited to 25 lbs per man
the question is are any of the soft sided coolers any good and are there any that could keep the food cold for 9-10 days? season is 3rd Colorado rifle so can be cold but might not be
2. We can't wear our packs in, but the outfitter suggests two duffle bags and we are limited to 50lbs per man.
Any idea on a smaller duffle? I have a large single one now for my western hunting gear, but it might not be the best for packing in the 9 miles on horses.
3. The drop camp will have cots and pads to sleep on and there is a stove for heat, I have Marmot bag that I think is a 10-15 degree bag is that going to be enough, or do I need something warmer? I'm generally a warm sleeper and like my normal sleeping temps on the cooler side.
Thanks
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2019
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Missouri
1. I kept all my perishable food in a cheap Walmart cooler bag during a 7 day drop camp hunt last year. Froze all the food beforehand, put it in the cooler bag with a 5 lb chunk of dry ice, and kept the bag in the shade at camp. The food stayed plenty cold all week, and that was in September during muzzleloader season. You shouldn't have much trouble keeping food cold during 3rd rifle.

2. Your duffels will likely be stuffed inside a pannier or strapped on top of a pack saddle and covered with a canvas tarp. I wouldn't fret much over exactly what to use. Any medium sized duffel or roll-top bag should work fine.

3. Sleeping bag temperature ratings are typically survival ratings, not comfort ratings. I would personally take a bag rated for 0°F. 3rd rifle season in Colorado can get very cold. The stove in your tent will be nice, but it may not be large enough to put out heat all night unattended. I would take enough bag/blanket/clothing to sleep comfortably through the night without the stove.
 
Joined
May 16, 2012
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3,443
Location
Fargo ND
We switched years back for drop camps to soft coolers even Sept archery. Just eat the high risk items first and keep in the shade or creek. No problem at all.
Smaller bags across the board help them load horses and balance the load.
 
Joined
Aug 4, 2019
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Location
North Carolina
We use two of the RTIC 40 can soft coolers. They hold quite a bit of stuff & easily fit in the paniers. One on each side helps distribute the weight evenly too. You'll probably need to keep stuff from freezing instead of getting warm. You can always find snow to put in them.

That Marmot bag should be fine since you're up off the ground & have a pad too but it can get brutally cold in 3rd season. Get a good liner, sleep in merino, wear a toboggan & you can always put a hot hands in your bag if needed.
 

rayporter

WKR
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Jul 3, 2014
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arkansas or ohio
how do you sleep? cold sleeper or not?

personally i would want a warmer bag. now is the time to test that bag and system, not summer.

take it out and sleep in it at 20 degrees.
 

def90

WKR
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Aug 12, 2020
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Colorado
If you are hunting a later season you will already be packing in cold weather clothing so don't worry about the bag so much. I have a 35 degree bag and when it gets cold I just wear my fleece long johns and pants as well as my down puffy jacket that I would already be wearing during the day while hunting inside my bag and I'm fine. I also have a beanie that is big enough that I can pull down over my entire head and face leaving just my nose and mouth exposed. Keeping your head covered goes a long way towards keeping you warm in cold weather.

Coolers, yeah that time of year it shouldn't be too hard to keep your stuff cool. What are you bringing anyway? Learn to live without items that might spoil.
 
Joined
Nov 14, 2020
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ive been doing a drop camp every year for about the last eight years. Late Oct in NW NV. Camp at 8000 ft. Usual Temps from daytime hi 50s to 20s at night. Sometimes much colder. Surplus military water can jackets make a good soft cooler. Little on the big side so they encourage overloading. There’s nothing that will keep food cold for ten days if the weather is warmish. Start with freezing your meat and eat the delicate stuff first.
Choose foods that will keep,
bacon, ham, keilbasa, wrapped sausages the kind that come in a four pack, hamburger and fresh sausage won’t last as long, nor will steak or any fresh meat for that matter. Some salami will keep forever with no refrigeration
Cheese keeps forever.
Then there’s canned meats like deviled ham, smoked oysters, sardines, clams etc… oh almost forgot spam. I don’t eat that stuff at home but it’s delicious when you’re starving.
Commercial “spongy” bread gets squished, but ciabattas, artisan sourdough are pretty tough.
Potatoes onions apples.
instant coffee tea whiskey… beer is too heavy.

We usually take fresh food for 5-6 days, small amount of canned stuff like chili, and 5-6 days of freeze dried. Breakfast and Lunches are usually dried fruit, gorp, nuts, canned meat, salami, crackers, pretzels, pb stuffed pretzels, jerky, granola bars, cookies, choc covered almonds.

We take enough freeze dried and dehydrated food to last a couple extra days. Never been stuck by weather but came close a couple times. Also outfitter forgot us one time.

I would rather sleep on the ground on a really good pad than a cot. On a cot, Cold air circulates below your bag and you can not warm it up. I prefer a 0 degree bag. Even though I like to sleep cold at home with BR windows open even in January, a 15 degree bag doesn’t cut it. i have to wear so much extra stuff to be warm and then I’m not comfy and don’t sleep well. The O degree bag kept me warm in 5 degree temps with only a light base layer on.

that’s all I know about shrimp.
 
Joined
Nov 14, 2020
Messages
1,184
Can’t emphasize enough…. Try your rain gear, snow gear, and sleeping gear in the worst conditions you can muster. It sucks when that stuff doesn’t work. Really really sucks.
 

cnelk

WKR
Joined
Mar 1, 2012
Messages
7,482
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Colorado
3rd Rifle is only 7 days long.
25lbs of food and you'll eat like kings.
50lbs of gear and you'll be fine.

Maybe hop over to the moose/caribou forums and see how guys pack for a fly-in hunt with more restrictions than that.
 
Joined
Oct 5, 2018
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2,063
Location
Colorado
3rd rifle you might need the cooler just to keep your food from freezing at night.

Whatever duffle you bring make sure it has strong quality zippers for the ride and out, especially if you have them stuffed to the gills.
 
Joined
Dec 31, 2021
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Montana
I had a much better understanding of what was needed in camp after spending some time hunting for an extended period at -20. For beds we settled on a foot of straw covered by a tarp. Sleeping bags were Northface mummies with below zero ratings. We still needed wool beanies. We kept two days worth of kindling on hand to start the stove quickly in the morning.

I used a small cooler for my frozen meat. It was easy to maintain two weeks suppllies on hand. I have wooden panniers to store canned goods and paper products. They help to keep them from freezing and being invaded.

A tough one to deal with were fresh veggies and fruit. We eventually dug a hole to put a pannier in and put a bale over it. That also protected them from rodent thieves.

Just a few ideas. You might need to try feeding yourself at home for a week or two under simulated conditions to figure out what works. My experience came from a lifetime of camping for months at a time under extremely harsh conditions.
 

Brooks

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Mar 19, 2019
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New Mexico
I’ve got a Kuiu 15 degree mummy bag and the last time I spiked for 5 days in late Oct in temps in the teens the gatorade was froze in the morning and so was I. My buddy had a big canvas bed roll and a small tent and slept in his shorts.
 

Marble

WKR
Joined
May 29, 2019
Messages
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The outfitter should have a suggested list of gear to bring.

I think its odd that the Op can't wear his backpack in.

0 degree bag is for sure what I would bring. Doesn't matter down or synthetic. Just make sure it is sized correctly.

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk
 

svivian

WKR
Joined
Mar 16, 2016
Messages
3,228
Location
Colorado
The outfitter should have a suggested list of gear to bring.

I think its odd that the Op can't wear his backpack in.

0 degree bag is for sure what I would bring. Doesn't matter down or synthetic. Just make sure it is sized correctly.

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk
Hard on your back to wear a pack while riding
 
Joined
Nov 14, 2020
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1,184
Hard on your back to wear a pack while riding
Not to mention the horse’s back. We usually walk in with lightish packs. I will not let a pack horse pack my rifle in. It’s slung over my neck or in a scabbard, never packed as freight. They’ll bang the packs into trees rocks etc, and horse have zero respect for your spendy optics.
 
OP
B

Blackstorm

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 29, 2020
Messages
171
Location
Central NY
We are all set for this year with gear an guns, one final question and do we tip the outfitter as there is no guide. The outfitter has not provided any real intel on game but will come pick up quartered animals if we provide gps coordinates. there will be some pots an a propane cooktop but we have to cut fire wood for heat stove. I am thinking something sm to whoever gets our game.
 
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