Feedback on backcountry elk loadout

[GooseLR]

I did the same thing when I first got into hunting the high country. Every year, if I didn’t use something the prior year, it was removed from my pack. My pack for a 7 day hunt is now 37 pounds. That’s with food and 2 liters of water. I rarely hunt late season, so clothes don’t weigh so much.

Personally, I can only do 1 freeze dried meal a day. So I supplement with high protein snacks and liquid IV’s for electrolytes (I call em my HIV’s). And I gotta have my ramen. More of a comfort food since it really ain’t good for anything nutritionally. I will also pack a few MRE’s. I may be shitting like a crippled goose, and lose 10 pounds over a week, but I ain’t hungry.

Here’s the point I’m trying to make….like others have said, do a couple weekend trips to dial your gear. Learn what food combos keep your energy levels up.

Good luck!

“Shitting like a crippled goose.” I am familiar with the effects of MREs unfortunately. Man, 37lbs sounds so unattainable but I’ll keep working my way down. Thanks!

 

[elkguide]

Admittedly, I am new to elk hunting and my buddy has killed a bull in this area on the majority of his hunts so I figure it’s a good place to start. It is 100% not falling on deaf ears that if we are successful, it will be a hellacious pack out. But my friend has done it a few times, we’re both young, strong and maybe a bit dumb still. I appreciate all the advice and honest thoughts, I am taking it all into consideration!

Granted, I have a few miles on me and my pack frame, but after packing out the cow that I shot last fall, just a mile and a half, my buddy looked at me when we got to the truck with our second loads and said, "you know that you could have shot a calf!" I think that in the past 10 years, together we have packed out 14 elk. The farthest was about 2.5 miles back in, and that was the first of those 10 years. Each year we keep crowding the roads more and more.

(Granted of those elk that were bulls, none of them were much over 300 inches so if you're looking for big bulls you might be going back in farther but the biggest bull, I shot in that time was a 320+ bull, less than a mile from the road.)

Now camping in the back country does create an amazing experience and some awesome memories but, those 2- or 3-day pack outs do put some wear and tear on the body even when you are young.

So, with that said, fill your pack full of everything that you think that you are going to need and in August, head back in where you want to go. Spend a day, hiking and scouting and glassing the area and then hike back out. All of the great advice that you have been given will really become a lot more real to you and when the hunt comes, you'll be much better prepared and will be set up better for your fall adventure.

Good luck.

 

[GooseLR]

Granted, I have a few miles on me and my pack frame, but after packing out the cow that I shot last fall, just a mile and a half, my buddy looked at me when we got to the truck with our second loads and said, "you know that you could have shot a calf!" I think that in the past 10 years, together we have packed out 14 elk. The farthest was about 2.5 miles back in, and that was the first of those 10 years. Each year we keep crowding the roads more and more.

(Granted of those elk that were bulls, none of them were much over 300 inches so if you're looking for big bulls you might be going back in farther but the biggest bull, I shot in that time was a 320+ bull, less than a mile from the road.)

Now camping in the back country does create an amazing experience and some awesome memories but, those 2- or 3-day pack outs do put some wear and tear on the body even when you are young.

So, with that said, fill your pack full of everything that you think that you are going to need and in August, head back in where you want to go. Spend a day, hiking and scouting and glassing the area and then hike back out. All of the great advice that you have been given will really become a lot more real to you and when the hunt comes, you'll be much better prepared and will be set up better for your fall adventure.

Good luck.

I will definitely be doing a test run or two. Thanks!

 

[JK47]

My pack weighed 55 pounds when I got into it. I toted a hatchet, 4 or 5 knives, and just a bunch of crap I didn’t need.

Like I said, I hunt the early seasons. Warm or mild weather, so I don’t have to lug around heavy clothes or extra layers. That saves weight.

I had a FULL size EMS first aid kit that probably weighed 5 pounds. Haha. Talk about packing my fears! Now, I have a few band aids, quick clot and a hook needle and fishing line. Just in case I need to stitch my gear, or my scalp.

With time you will be able to lighten that load. Unfortunately, nobody on here can tell you what you can leave at home. If I told you, get a lighter sleeping bag, would you? Nah. Of coarse, what season you hunt dictates that. But I am comfortable in my 40 degree bag (super light) with Sea to Summit Reactor liner (also small and light) down to 10-15 degrees.

Trial and error, my friend.

 

[cnelk]

We’re going about seven miles, there is some elevation gain in the first leg (about 1,000-1,500ft) but it levels off quite a bit after that

Please. Please. Check back in with us after this hunt.
Let us know what worked and didn’t work.

 

[wyosam]

That is a lot of weight 7 miles back. What is the furthest you’ve packed an elk to this point? Your weight going in seems really high to me, but if you’re planning on packing a bull that far, that load should be something you’re comfortable carrying for 5+ times that distance. I know people like to shoot a heavy rifle, but I can’t imagine packing a 10 pound rifle that far. Elk aren’t that hard to get close to.


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[mikeafeagin22]

Three peak meals a day is going to feel like you spent your whole elk hunt boiling water. If it’s not quick and easy then you’ll probably start skipping that midday meal then end up bonking hard after a couple days.
And I’d make darn sure I had a full pack of those wet wipes when I left the truck if you end up sticking to that plan. I don’t know about you but after a few days just eating one of those meals at night has me thanking the Lord for whoever invented wipes.

 

[Marble]

I will definitely be doing a test run or two. Thanks!

This has been my standard advice for many guys who are unsure of their gear. What they need, what they don't.

You don't necessarily need to go where you are hunting. But getting it as real as it can be with 2 overnights will give you a good idea of what worked and what didn't.

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[Marble]

Three peak meals a day is going to feel like you spent your whole elk hunt boiling water. If it’s not quick and easy then you’ll probably start skipping that midday meal then end up bonking hard after a couple days.
And I’d make darn sure I had a full pack of those wet wipes when I left the truck if you end up sticking to that plan. I don’t know about you but after a few days just eating one of those meals at night has me thanking the Lord for whoever invented wipes.

I am the same way. I do not want to have to carry my stove with me during the day. So my day food is a big variety of ready to eat stuff. I'll put stuff in individual gallons sacks and then grab as many sacks as I need when I leave my truck. If I have food left over, I'll either gorge myself at some pint or consider stretching it into another day .

Or I'll do a trade with my hunting partner. Maybe he wants something I've got.

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[LongWayAround]

Is that thermarest pillow the big lumpy one, with chunks of foam inside? If so, I have the same one and there's no way I'm taking that on a hunting backpack trip.

Ditch the tent liner. Bugs shouldn't be a problem on a rifle season trip.

Ditch most of the paracord. If it's 550, swap it to something thinner with less stretch.

Swap the "large waterproof bag" with an appropriate black trash bag.

I don't know exactly where a "combat top" fits in or what the Patagonia jacket is, but base-fleece-puffy-rain jacket is a pretty common layering system.

I think you will find that stuffing 18 peak meals into your bag consumes a lot of volume. At a minimum, you will probably want to repackage them.

I don't know if you already have, but shove all that into your pack and you will probably start reconsidering the amount of stuff.

Are you and your buddy planning to both bring things like tent, stove, power bank?

I would axe that power bank and just not play with your phone.

When you have it narrowed down, do an overnight trip of a similar distance and see if you can cut some more stuff.

 

[Runwilderness]

I may have missed it, but I didn’t see a t shovel for digging cat holes. I personally am not a fan of hiking seven miles back and finding an area cover in s—t:

The Deuce #2 UL Backcountry Trowel

 

[wyosam]

I may have missed it, but I didn’t see a t shovel for digging cat holes. I personally am not a fan of hiking seven miles back and finding an area cover in s—t:

The Deuce #2 UL Backcountry Trowel

Doesn’t matter, eating freeze dried meals three times a day, there won’t be time to dig a hole after the first day anyway.


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[bz_711]

We’re going about seven miles, there is some elevation gain in the first leg (about 1,000-1,500ft) but it levels off quite a bit after that

Have you or your buddy packed out a dead bull before? If yes, how far and how many trips?

 

[Grant K]

I'd suggest ditching the 3 freeze-dried meals a day, realistically if it's cold you're not going to be able to boil that much water with one fuel canister and a stove without a heat exchanger, at the very least ditch the lunch one and bring bars/trail mix/jerky/nuts, you're going to be craving easy calories during the day and it's a huge PITA to have to haul a stove along on day hunts.

I'd also consider breaking the trip up and only bringing enough food for three days in, if you do that you probably don't need a powerbank, or a lot of the other stuff, if you haven't got at least one elk in three days I'd be moving anyway, and if you have got one you're probably moving quarters back to the truck, use the trip to grab more food and charge things...

I'm assuming that if you are going with someone you are sharing a tent, stove, pot, filter, etc, if not why not?

your pack weight isn't bad if you think you will actually use all of the stuff you are bringing, I'd be willing to bet that if you ditched everything you didn't use multiple times on the trip you could cut close to 15 lbs though, you have a base layer and 4 jackets for example, I'd bet you never use more than the big puffy and one midlayer, sure, it may not be perfect to have less but you will be fine, and your legs will thank you, same with baselayer pants and whatever "combat bottoms "are, at 28 oz they better be warm enough to double as a sleeping bag...
I'd also ditch the tripod with a quickness if you aren't bringing a spotting scope.

 

[GooseLR]

That is a lot of weight 7 miles back. What is the furthest you’ve packed an elk to this point? Your weight going in seems really high to me, but if you’re planning on packing a bull that far, that load should be something you’re comfortable carrying for 5+ times that distance. I know people like to shoot a heavy rifle, but I can’t imagine packing a 10 pound rifle that far. Elk aren’t that hard to get close to.


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I have honestly never packed an elk out (this is my second year elk hunting). I have done some significant rucks through various terrain including some gnarly mountains though. I do a lot of rucking in my job (military) and often carry loads heavier than what I’ve proposed here. That being said, this is a hobby that I enjoy and I’d like to keep it that way, hence the goal of getting as light as possible. As far as my rifle weight, I usually carry a Barrett MK22 (with a NF 7-35, diving board, RAPTAR, bipod and can) so a 10lb rifle feels like a squirt gun in comparison

 

[GooseLR]

Three peak meals a day is going to feel like you spent your whole elk hunt boiling water. If it’s not quick and easy then you’ll probably start skipping that midday meal then end up bonking hard after a couple days.
And I’d make darn sure I had a full pack of those wet wipes when I left the truck if you end up sticking to that plan. I don’t know about you but after a few days just eating one of those meals at night has me thanking the Lord for whoever invented wipes.

Yeah I think I need to eliminate one of the freeze dried meals per day in lieu of something ready-to-eat. Thankfully my stomach handles Mountain House and Peak meals pretty well.

 

[GooseLR]

Is that thermarest pillow the big lumpy one, with chunks of foam inside? If so, I have the same one and there's no way I'm taking that on a hunting backpack trip.

Ditch the tent liner. Bugs shouldn't be a problem on a rifle season trip.

Ditch most of the paracord. If it's 550, swap it to something thinner with less stretch.

Swap the "large waterproof bag" with an appropriate black trash bag.

I don't know exactly where a "combat top" fits in or what the Patagonia jacket is, but base-fleece-puffy-rain jacket is a pretty common layering system.

I think you will find that stuffing 18 peak meals into your bag consumes a lot of volume. At a minimum, you will probably want to repackage them.

I don't know if you already have, but shove all that into your pack and you will probably start reconsidering the amount of stuff.

Are you and your buddy planning to both bring things like tent, stove, power bank?

I would axe that power bank and just not play with your phone.

When you have it narrowed down, do an overnight trip of a similar distance and see if you can cut some more stuff.

Yeah that’s the one, I have removed that from the packing list. I grabbed my puffer, threw it in a Sea to Summit E-vent bag (large waterproof bag) that I was already planning on bringing and it was actually a little better than that pillow. Saved 10ish oz there!

The 550 cord I’m planning on bringing 50’ instead of 100 and gutting it.

The combat top is just a patagonia quarter zip shirt (I think it would be classified as a mid layer?) and the patagonia mid weight jacket is probably staying behind since I’ve got the puffer. I like that jacket a lot but… ounces.

As others have mentioned the food situation a lot, I am planning to reevaluate that as well. Not sure exactly my solution yet but I will likely be dropping one freeze-dried per day.

My friend and I are both bringing a tent and stove, not sure about power bank. I can definitely see us potentially leaving one stove behind, that makes sense.

 

[wyosam]

I have honestly never packed an elk out (this is my second year elk hunting). I have done some significant rucks through various terrain including some gnarly mountains though. I do a lot of rucking in my job (military) and often carry loads heavier than what I’ve proposed here. That being said, this is a hobby that I enjoy and I’d like to keep it that way, hence the goal of getting as light as possible. As far as my rifle weight, I usually carry a Barrett MK22 (with a NF 7-35, diving board, RAPTAR, bipod and can) so a 10lb rifle feels like a squirt gun in comparison

Sounds like you’re in the right kind of shape. Cutting weight going in (which also means a little less to bring out, other than consumables) definitely helps once there are elk on the ground. They are big animals, and two guys 7 miles back is a bunch. That being said, I’ve carried a few out solo in the 2-3 mile range over the years, and there’s a really good chance you’re in better shape than I’ve ever been. Out that far solo I’ve always done it in two days, and generally find myself closer to a road of some sort for a few years until I forget.


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[GooseLR]

I'd suggest ditching the 3 freeze-dried meals a day, realistically if it's cold you're not going to be able to boil that much water with one fuel canister and a stove without a heat exchanger, at the very least ditch the lunch one and bring bars/trail mix/jerky/nuts, you're going to be craving easy calories during the day and it's a huge PITA to have to haul a stove along on day hunts.

I'd also consider breaking the trip up and only bringing enough food for three days in, if you do that you probably don't need a powerbank, or a lot of the other stuff, if you haven't got at least one elk in three days I'd be moving anyway, and if you have got one you're probably moving quarters back to the truck, use the trip to grab more food and charge things...

I'm assuming that if you are going with someone you are sharing a tent, stove, pot, filter, etc, if not why not?

your pack weight isn't bad if you think you will actually use all of the stuff you are bringing, I'd be willing to bet that if you ditched everything you didn't use multiple times on the trip you could cut close to 15 lbs though, you have a base layer and 4 jackets for example, I'd bet you never use more than the big puffy and one midlayer, sure, it may not be perfect to have less but you will be fine, and your legs will thank you, same with baselayer pants and whatever "combat bottoms "are, at 28 oz they better be warm enough to double as a sleeping bag...
I'd also ditch the tripod with a quickness if you aren't bringing a spotting scope.

Planning on dropping a Peak meal per day.

I like the idea of breaking the trip up and resupplying at the truck, that could alleviate a lot of issues.

Cross loading equipment between the two of us is a good call as well, I’ll have to come up with a plan for that with him. The combat bottoms are just some patagonia pants with cargo pockets, I know they’re heavy, I have honestly just been prioritizing other gear over clothes thus far. Do you have a recommendation for a good pair of pants for this application? I saw a pair on Kuiu’s website, and they are cool but the thought of paying $200 for a pair of pants irks me a bit

 

[mikeafeagin22]

Yeah I think I need to eliminate one of the freeze dried meals per day in lieu of something ready-to-eat. Thankfully my stomach handles Mountain House and Peak meals pretty well.

If you’re already boiling water for coffee in the morning then toss some packs of oatmeal in your bag instead of a peak meal every day. Bag or two of oatmeal and a pop tart will save you quite a bit of space and you don’t have to wait 10-15 minutes every morning for your meal to be ready.

I personally don’t ever eat a designated lunch when I’m hunting. Just do breakfast and dinner then snack all day on that day’s food. Throw what you’re going to eat for each day in a ziplock bag. I like to eat throughout the day like that so if it’s ever time to grind it out and go after something, I’ve usually got the energy to make it happen. Less likely to drop into something nasty chasing a bugle if your stomach thinks your throats been cut!