Friendly reminder for those hunting in the wet conditions

Joined
Nov 25, 2016
Messages
3,721
Location
Utah
Things ALWAYS in my Pack for Utah mountains or AZ desert...
Rain top light and packable
Small silnet tarp light and packable
trek poles
emerg kit
surv kit (lighter pyro putty etc)
Headlamp
Nalgene bottle 16 oz
 

9.1

WKR
Joined
May 27, 2021
Messages
376
What about a dry bag, etc to stuff wet tent/tarp in so it doesn’t soak everything else in pack? Assuming you’re packing up and carrying it’s you each morning… Pull it out to dry mid day over lunch break, etc…

Get a waterproof cover for your pack. Carry a small towel in a zip lock baggie and a dry pair of socks in a zip lock baggie. If it’s been raining all day that towel and dry socks will be worth their weight.
In my experience it's worked better to assume the pack is going to get wet and just stuff all the wet stuff right in the main compartment. Anything I need to stay dry goes in a dry bag pack liner or Ziploc. This system just seems easier to manage than using wet and dry bags in a dry pack with a wet rain cover that might end up holding water in the bottom and soaking your pack and makes everything inaccessible.
 

Poser

WKR
Joined
Dec 27, 2013
Messages
5,033
Location
Durango CO
This information and comments are making me rethink what tent I was planning to use next week...

I still continue to use single ply tarp tents, but expect them to be very wet on the inside and out, even if you sleep with the doors open. I’ve been drying the tent out during lunch or when there is some direct sun. It’s not the end of the world, just wet and heavier than usual.
 

aorams

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Sep 7, 2013
Messages
196
This information and comments are making me rethink what tent I was planning to use next week...
I hunt almost exclusively in western Washington on the cascade crest. Those single layer tipis/tarps are ok if the trip is short, humidity is low or if it doesn’t plan to rain but my goodness is a second layer a comfort upgrade. It rains/sleets on 85% of my hunts. I’m someone who tries a lot of different gear and I’ve run single layer shelters by Kifaru and Seek Outside and traditional tents by MSR and Hilleberg and in the end I can never justify the weight savings or space increase afforded by a single layer tent. Also the whole stove thing is just ANOTHER thing to do when you could be sleeping or eating. Just my perspective coming from a wet state
 
Joined
Feb 17, 2013
Messages
2,255
I hate wearing rain gear. To me it’s just to use for short periods like sitting out a quick rain that comes and goes. If you hike in it you’ll get wet from the inside out with sweat. So the reality is I hardly ever wear it.

If I know it’s going to be a rainy day I dig in. I might move twice during the day if there’s a break in the precipitation. But every time I stop I break out the 8x10 siltarp and the trekking poles and setup a shelter to glass from. I’m dry. My weapon is dry. My pack is dry. If I decide to stay at one location or just two I might build a fire. They lift your spirits on such crappy days.

The only thing thats wet is the tarp. When I take it down I jam it into either a gallon ziplock or a garbage bag. In camp it dries out fast unlike a pack which takes days to dry out.

I hate rain so I just hunker down and wait it out. It’s better than sitting in camp. Plus I’m always in a spot where I could definitely shoot an elk.

As far as a tent…. The more airspace the better. Plus it sure is nice to be able to stand up. I have an 8x8 Buckstitch Canvas wall tent made of a synthetic material that only weighs 14 lbs. It has a pyramid roof with a big D ring at the top so it hangs from an overhead branch. Pull the 4 corners down and tight with stakes, pin the 4 corners to the ground and and that’s it. No frame needed. No way I’m surviving in a little nylon cocoon while I’m trying to slay a bull. Yuk
 

Hoyt Ag

FNG
Joined
Mar 13, 2022
Messages
73
Thoughts on pack liner vs. pack cover vs. both?
It adds ouzes but I use a dry bag (what I use on rapids when rafting) inside main compartment of pack and then have a pack cover. Its saved me a lot of times in essentials not getting wet in the backcountry.
 
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