Getting Started

[gallion_t]

I'm starting to piece together gear to get into backpack hunting. This fall im hoping to do a week long fly in November deer hunt. So cold temperatures. This first hunt will be with friends who already have shelters, water purification, camp stove, and all of the gear that can be shared between a group so those gear items are at the bottom of the list. I have been hunting for years so have all of the hunting gear, but it's not light weight.

I'm hoping to get some recommendation on the backpacking gear to get me started and then light weight hunting gear. Trying to keep things as light weight as possible without completely breaking the bank. What are the areas that i can drop the most weight for the least cost? I just picked up a new pack and boots so I'm set there. I also have a sleeping pad.

The few things I know I should get outside of the clothing are:

Titanium drinking cup
Long handled titanium spoon
Water storage
Trekking poles
Sleeping bag or quilt
Head lamp

 

[Desk Jockey]

Check a few threads here and folks have posted gear lists for comment. Lots of good stuff. If you are trying to lighten your load, I would focus your effort and $$ and things that really move the needle. Shelter, sleeping gear, what if items. On the last one, you can cut a lot of weight by simply trimming down the what if stuff.

Here are a few other thoughts.

Titanium drinking cup - snow peak or toaks.
Long handled titanium spoon - Toaks with the polished bowl. Mark it so your scumbag hiking partner doesn’t steal it.
Water storage - msr drom lite or platypus bladders.
Trekking poles - Leki micro vario.
Sleeping bag or quilt - still working on this one. EE is popular but my EE apex quilt was heavier than I expected and not very compressible. Not a knock against them but just saying do your homework and consider other options.
Head lamp - my current favorite is a zebra light. There are much lighter options but this is an area where I happily pay a bit of a weight penalty.

 

[willfrye027]

Depending on how much you have to spend, I would break things down into ounce-per-dollar savings. You will find that a $40 titanium cup might save you 1 ounce or even less over a comparable aluminum one, which may not be worth the cash. Basically you want to start with the heaviest stuff you have—pack, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, tent, clothing. The other stuff is pretty superfluous IMO and I am an ounce counter myself.

 

[fngTony]

Some good ounces to dollar things. Trekking poles, if you are already planning to buy higher end look for a sale on some made with carbon fiber. After reading several gear lists this can save you about six ounces. I found some from STP for $80 weighs 12.6 for the pair vs some at 16-18oz.

Aluminum vs titanium drinking cup. Cheaper and almost zero weight increase on an item that small.

You’re pack. Streamline it or keep it simple if you don’t have one yet. One pound is easy gain when adding pockets.

 

[gallion_t]

Thanks for the early suggestions. I do need to pick up some trekking poles. I'll try to keep those under 15 ounces for the pair.

I'd like to keep the rest of the gear I need to buy under $2000 excluding a gun/scope. So clothes, water storage, game bags, head lamp, camp stuff, tripod for glassing, sleeping bag/quilt, and any other miscellaneous items that are necessities that I can't think of.

Where would you start upgrading?

 

[willfrye027]

Start with sleeping bag (down, 700fp or higher), then tent, then pack (Kuiu ultra is the lightest that can still pack out an animal), then sleeping pad (personal preference, try out a few kinds at REI), and lastly clothes (basically a good down jacket and merino/high quality synthetics). Biggest weight savings is always gonna be figuring out what you can live without, especially clothes. You can save 6oz just by deciding to leave that extra T shirt in the truck! Guys will spend hundreds of dollars to lose 6oz on carbon fiber, cuben, etc. Those categories are huge and what you need to start with. You can absolutely get down to a great base weight with your budget.

Just wanted to throw this in...you can get really, really light if you work at it. My best was 28lbs total including bow, food, water, etc for a 4 night backpack archery hunt. I packed out my deer and camp in one trip no problem. The weather was mild which is a huge factor, but it can be done!

 

[austinphps]

Oh man - people on Rokslide love spending other peoples money! haha. You're going to get some high end suggestions....and I'll start it off.

Sleeping bag/quilt - look at western mountaineering, Enlightened Equipment for quilts (there are others as well - katabatic i believe gets thrown around as a good one)

Couple that bag with a good R value sleeping pad - Thermarest Xtherm, or an Exped

Those 2 items right there are going to be where you can save some weight, but will want to spend your dollars on quality stuff for a Nov. hunt. - and they will be 2 of the higher priced items.

Game bags - T.A.G or Caribou Gear (I run Caribou, but hear nothing but good things about TAG)

Water Storage - I like the hydrapak 4L bladder for filling up and leaving at camp. For filtering look at a steripen, aquamira drops.

 

[gallion_t]

For a pack I have a mystery ranch Metcalf. For clothes to start with I have some merino base layers and socks, first light curragate pants, kuiu puffy, and first light gloves and beanie. I need to pick up a midlayer top and rain gear to start with.

For water storage I have a couple of the hydropak 4l in my shopping cart that I'll pick up and a couple of the hdpe nalgenes as well.

 

[willfrye027]

For a pack I have a mystery ranch Metcalf. For clothes to start with I have some merino base layers and socks, first light curragate pants, kuiu puffy, and first light gloves and beanie. I need to pick up a midlayer top and rain gear to start with.

For water storage I have a couple of the hydropak 4l in my shopping cart that I'll pick up and a couple of the hdpe nalgenes as well.

Sounds solid. I would take a look at the gravity filters which can combine your water storage and filter into one item. Looks like you just need a good sleeping bag and some other odds and ends.

 

[fwafwow]

Just wanted to throw this in...you can get really, really light if you work at it. My best was 28lbs total including bow, food, water, etc for a 4 night backpack archery hunt. I packed out my deer and camp in one trip no problem. The weather was mild which is a huge factor, but it can be done!

Any chance you can share that list? I've been working on my list for a while and my *base weight* is at 31lbs and my total/skin out weight is 46lbs.

 

[fwafwow]

Agree with all of the above comments. FWIW (coming from an armchair QB):

Consider swapping out the Metcalf lid (14oz) for the Kifaru no volume standard lid (3.5oz and currently $21 plus shipping) - not my idea - that credit goes to JD619er.

Steripen - it weighs ~6.3oz with batteries. I bought one then decided to go with the Sawyer Mini - 68g

Trekking poles - I went with *not* the lightest - Mountain Cascade carbon fiber at 16oz for the pair for ~$46 (after reviewing another thread on that topic) with the idea that I would use the savings over other brands to spend on items that save more weight

 

[willfrye027]

Any chance you can share that list? I've been working on my list for a while and my *base weight* is at 31lbs and my total/skin out weight is 46lbs.

I don’t have a list anymore but I can come up with the big stuff.

Pack: Kuiu ultra 3000 (pre 2017 version which was lighter)
Sleeping bag: off brand 20 degree down 2.5lbs
Sleeping pad: thermarest z lite 12oz
Tent: home made tarp tent 1.3lbs with stakes
Food: biggest savings here was bringing a tenkara rod and some flies. I ate trout every other night and then killed two grouse for one meal. I was a little bit hungry and went pretty light on food but it was fine in the end. Brought jetboil small version and a small propane canister. Mini lighter. Plastic fork and used one of those plastic ramen containers for a bowl after eating it the first day.
Water: pre-scouted the area and knew I could get by with one 16oz water bottle and fill up as I went. Water is really heavy. Also brought one playypus 2l bag and a sawyer mini squeeze.
Clothes: hiked in Kuiu tiburon and merino 125ls. In the pack I had one really light fleece, down jacket, and thin long underwear. One extra pair of socks and underwear. Fleece beanie. Plastic poncho in case of rain.
Optics: only needed 10x42 for this trip and my rangefinder. No tripod.
Game kill kit: small folding saw for capping the skull, two of the cheap cheese cloth bags, outdoor edge razor pro.
Personal items: small toothbrush and toothpaste, small deodorant, small dry biodegradeable soap, tiny tube of sunscreen and 100% deet. iPhone.

That’s about all I brought. No stuff sacks, battery packs, extra clothes, comfort items, etc. it was a solo trip and if for whatever reason I was unprepared I could hike out the 8 miles to my car in half a day. My gear list is not expensive because there’s just not a lot of stuff on there. Getting a light pack is mostly about knowing what you can leave behind, but also knowing where to spend money (my Kuiu pack while expensive is at least 5lbs lighter than my old Kelly external frame).

 

[fwafwow]

I don’t have a list anymore but I can come up with the big stuff.

Pack: Kuiu ultra 3000 (pre 2017 version which was lighter)
Sleeping bag: off brand 20 degree down 2.5lbs
Sleeping pad: thermarest z lite 12oz
Tent: home made tarp tent 1.3lbs with stakes
Food: biggest savings here was bringing a tenkara rod and some flies. I ate trout every other night and then killed two grouse for one meal. I was a little bit hungry and went pretty light on food but it was fine in the end. Brought jetboil small version and a small propane canister. Mini lighter. Plastic fork and used one of those plastic ramen containers for a bowl after eating it the first day.
Water: pre-scouted the area and knew I could get by with one 16oz water bottle and fill up as I went. Water is really heavy. Also brought one playypus 2l bag and a sawyer mini squeeze.
Clothes: hiked in Kuiu tiburon and merino 125ls. In the pack I had one really light fleece, down jacket, and thin long underwear. One extra pair of socks and underwear. Fleece beanie. Plastic poncho in case of rain.
Optics: only needed 10x42 for this trip and my rangefinder. No tripod.
Game kill kit: small folding saw for capping the skull, two of the cheap cheese cloth bags, outdoor edge razor pro.
Personal items: small toothbrush and toothpaste, small deodorant, small dry biodegradeable soap, tiny tube of sunscreen and 100% deet. iPhone.

That’s about all I brought. No stuff sacks, battery packs, extra clothes, comfort items, etc. it was a solo trip and if for whatever reason I was unprepared I could hike out the 8 miles to my car in half a day. My gear list is not expensive because there’s just not a lot of stuff on there. Getting a light pack is mostly about knowing what you can leave behind, but also knowing where to spend money (my Kuiu pack while expensive is at least 5lbs lighter than my old Kelly external frame).

Love the tenkara idea - I've toyed with that myself. I'm close to posting my list on LighterPack for the group here to review/shred, but still a bit hesitant until I try to find a few more ways to shed weight.

 

[fngTony]

Agree with all of the above comments. FWIW (coming from an armchair QB):

Consider swapping out the Metcalf lid (14oz) for the Kifaru no volume standard lid (3.5oz and currently $21 plus shipping) - not my idea - that credit goes to JD619er.

Steripen - it weighs ~6.3oz with batteries. I bought one then decided to go with the Sawyer Mini - 68g

Trekking poles - I went with *not* the lightest - Mountain Cascade carbon fiber at 16oz for the pair for ~$46 (after reviewing another thread on that topic) with the idea that I would use the savings over other brands to spend on items that save more weight

Some good stuff here. I will say the sawyer squeeze vs mini is worth the extra 20grams because of the increased flow rate.

Absolutely the trekking pole $ saving could allow a bigger diet on something else.

 

[willfrye027]

Love the tenkara idea - I've toyed with that myself. I'm close to posting my list on LighterPack for the group here to review/shred, but still a bit hesitant until I try to find a few more ways to shed weight.

It’s great for those archery hunts where you know the deer don’t move much in the middle of the day and you have time to kill between hunts. Kinda risky to depend on catching fish and bring less food but if you scouted and did some fishing it can add some fun to the trip and very minimal weight penalty

 

[gallion_t]

I found some carbon fiber trekking poles that claim they're 7 ounces each for $60 for the pair so I'm going to start there. Figure that money saving will be better spent somewhere else.

Any suggestions for tripods? I'll be running vortex fury 10x42 and it sounds like for the area I would be going a tripod is pretty needed.

 

[gallion_t]

Agree with all of the above comments. FWIW (coming from an armchair QB):

Consider swapping out the Metcalf lid (14oz) for the Kifaru no volume standard lid (3.5oz and currently $21 plus shipping) - not my idea - that credit goes to JD619er.

Steripen - it weighs ~6.3oz with batteries. I bought one then decided to go with the Sawyer Mini - 68g

Trekking poles - I went with *not* the lightest - Mountain Cascade carbon fiber at 16oz for the pair for ~$46 (after reviewing another thread on that topic) with the idea that I would use the savings over other brands to spend on items that save more weight

Does the kifaru lid easily fit on the Metcalf pack or are there modifications needed? Seems like a pretty cheap weight savings.

 

[fwafwow]

Does the kifaru lid easily fit on the Metcalf pack or are there modifications needed? Seems like a pretty cheap weight savings.

It was posted that they fit, but I don't know - as I've yet to make the swap myself.

 

[ShakeDown]

Love the tenkara idea - I've toyed with that myself. I'm close to posting my list on LighterPack for the group here to review/shred, but still a bit hesitant until I try to find a few more ways to shed weight.

I also like the Tenkara concept, but that price tag was a bit much. I will be trying something like this to test out the idea:

Ten Dollar Tenkara

I found the Telescoping rods on Amazon for $4.99.

 

[willfrye027]

I also like the Tenkara concept, but that price tag was a bit much. I will be trying something like this to test out the idea:

Ten Dollar Tenkara

I found the Telescoping rods on Amazon for $4.99.

Yep I’ve got a similar one, 10ish bucks on amazon. Not a true “tenkara” but it’s a long telescoping lightweight rod perfect for little mountain creeks!