First Backcountry hunt pack list

[JustSomeGuy35]

Thanks! I have sense added foot powder, and I’ll throw the extra socks back in.

Yeah no way I’m ditching tooth brush. Bad enough my body will stink, don’t need my breath stinking when I’m whispering to my buddy on a stalk lol


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Awesome! If you do the wet wipes and powder routine each night, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by how clean you feel and how little you'll stink. During my first deployment, we only got to shower once a week. The wipe/powder combo did us well in between showers. Keeps the crotch rot and other nastiness away.

PS - If anyone disputes my advice on extra socks, I'll post a picture of my toes and show you why foot hygiene is critical. I learned the hard way.

 

[maxwellh86]

My two cents… your water setup is too heavy. Sawyer mini, smart water bottle, platypus would be a fraction of the weight. Definitely don’t need two filters. Drop any extra clothes besides socks. I bring a bar of soap for long hunts, there’s always a sunny down day to rinse some boxers and a shirt. Dehydrate your wet wipes, foot powder is awesome for body chafe too - or antiperspirant in a ziplock minus ALL the plastic. Your food sounds really heavy, I bring under 1.5 lbs of food and end up being too busy most days to bother eating and come back with extra. Everyone is different with food but I’d rather come back successful and a few lbs lighter. You’re already bringing a fishing rod and seasoning, sounds like you’re planning on catching some dinner. Drop ten lbs of food and you’ll cover WAY more ground way easier.

 

[landman650]

Thanks! Yeah the jacket is overkill but it’s actually lighter than my “lighter” one by like an ounce so I figured if it fits in the pack I’ll take it.
Puffy pants were for sure just a maybe. Thanks for confirming, I’ll just stick them in the truck for back up.
Hot hands were also a maybe item. I thought they may be handy if we end up having a fire ban, but like you said, I’ll have a sleeping bag.
Allen wrench is for sure, hasn’t thought of D loop stuff so I’ll get my hands on some of that!

Just an opinion but throw a few hot hands in the pack if you want. Don’t necessarily need them for every day but If it got real cold, it would be nice to know you had just for some comfort.

 

[Marmots]

That's really good gear list for a first timer, and I've agreed with every rec so far. Here's my partially redundant opinion.

Ditch the rain cover. They are loud, heavy, and don't work terribly well. A contractor bag or 55 gallon drum liner can protect everything in your pack in a downpour, and be used as an emergency shelter or cut open to give you a tarp to butcher game on.

Carry the extra socks. Socks are the absolute silliest place to try to save weight. I obsess over socks and sock changes, and will swap through three pairs a day. It's good to have all your socks be the same make and model and to test them beforehand, so there's no surprises about boot fitment.

It says filter straw in your pack list. Are you referring to a lifestraws? Lifestraws are awful, if you want to carry a filter spend the $20 - $30 on a Sawyer squeeze.

I go back and forth on steripens, the adventurer model I've had for a decade is very convenient and great in high alpine stuff. It is also super finicky in cold, and won't interface with a smartwater bottle so I have to carry a heavier nalgene. I usually leave my steripens at home because I filter all water anyway. Because sterilized frog sperm is still frog sperm.

Bring more duct tape than you think you will need, I like it for covering hot spots on my feet and think it works better than any medical product. You could wrap some extra around that smart water bottle.

I always carry soap. An ounce or two of Dr. Bronners in a sample sized dish soap container is great insurance against ending a hunt early due to something embarrassing. Being able to actually wash your hands and other critical bits is crucial. You don't want to have to explain to friends and family that your hunt ended early because you got giardia symptoms from cooking with poop hands, or debilitating folliculitis from general swamp ass.

Finally I would suggest you assess your tent, pack, and sleep system going forward. Those three items together are 14 lbs on your back if I'm reading the chart correctly. Upgrading any one of those would save the weight of all the other gear discussed so far. If you get more into mountain hunting, think of new gear in terms of cost per ounce saved. Ignore the siren song of some $50 titanium doodad that will save you an ounce when a $500 sleeping bag upgrade could save you 24 ounces.