Help Lighten My Daypack

[mlgc20]

One small thing. I have the same pack as you. I ditch the lid when I'm using it for day hikes. Easy way to save a few ounces and on something you really don't need.

 

[The Ri Guy]

If you're close enough to go back to the truck then I'd think most of your First Aid and Emergency kit is superfluous. Toss the extra release and the rain gear unless the forecast calls for it.

What exactly is in your kill kit that isn't covered by the knives, game bags, and 3 sets of latex gloves?

 

[mcseal2]

I carry to much too, but I hunt later rifle seasons. I want to be able to spend the night out later season so a little more clothing and a tarp add to my weight. With not just my pack, but everything I wear last year I was just under 42lbs for a late October muley hunt. That's gun, optics, clothing, boots, absolutely everything I pack into the woods except me. I had a compact spotter, 15x Swaros, and 10x Leicas in that weight.

I am going to leave most of the advice for your situation to those who hunt early elk and know more about it. One idea I've used is to not take rain gear unless I think I will need it. The hunts I don't, I replace it with a MyTrailCo poncho/tarp. In a small bag with some guylines it's 7.2oz and pretty versatile. It fits over me and my pack as raingear/pack cover, and can be a small emergency shelter or wind block for glassing.

If it's questionable I'm taking a waterproof jacket and pants and a Seek DST Tarp, but if I can ditch that weight and take the little poncho/tarp I will.

 

[TX_Diver]

That’s one that crossed my mind earlier too about a small tarp instead of the rain gear. I’ll see what the dst and Kifaru equivalents cost. I have plenty of the cheap pocket ponchos too which may be better if it’s not forecast to rain. Lots of options...

good thinking on ditching the lid for the Exo. I like that one as an easy 5oz. Another 3oz if I ditch the belt pouch too...

 

[Phaseolus]

How would you keep flies/bees/birds from attacking the meat, without all the necessary game bags?

OP- my pack for 3 days weighs just a touch more than your daypack, so there must be ways to cut that down a lot.

The time for flies and bees (you actually mean wasps) is fast disappearing at higher altitudes. I’ve never had a kill molested by birds but i’m sure it could happen.

 

[seldomseensmith]

Ditch the lid
Cut water in half
No rain pants.
Trim out a few game bags
Don't chance packs. If you have to carry a pack that's the one to use IMO.
Other than a rain shell don't have any clothes in your pack that you wouldn't be wearing first thin in the AM.
It's all been said.
At some point it is what it is.

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[seldomseensmith]

I meant don't change packs but don't chance packs either.

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[Marble]

I carry 3-4L of water every day in my pack and........first aid kit, kill kit with game bags, knife, Havalon, GPS, extra calls, flagging tape, two headlamps, camera, flashlight, compass, and it all comes in around 15-16lbs.

This almost mirrors my pack.

My knife has two high quality blades. I can gut and skin two elk with it.

Add:
Inreach
No camera
Add cell phone
No trekking poles unless there is heavy snow and I know I have a long down hill.

I bring a steripen or aqua pills.
Can of chew....

I do not carry rain gear if its really cold or nothing is predicted. And by predicted I dont mean slight chance of thunderstorms. I never carry rain pants unless a storm is coming in. I'd rather seek shelter and hunt after the brief storm then hike or carry-in rain pants.

I bring enough clothes that would get me through a night if necessary.

I also bring fire starter and two lighters.

Game bags depend on season. Archery I have 4. Rifle, I leave them at my horse.

Rifle mule deer I carry them if I don't have my horse.

I carry 2 to 4 liters of water depending on the water situation.

Ill weigh my day pack in a few weeks and report back.

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[Frank Grimes]

Doesn’t even seem that heavy? Maybe just stop weighing things for a day trip? Spend more time counting points and less time counting ounces.

 

[farmer14]

That’s ALOT of first aid supplies in my opinion. I carry tweezers, bleed stop and extra strength ibuprofen. If I’m hunting with some yahoo’s I’ll also carry a tourniquet.

 

[fishslap]

Here’s how my kit is different in a way that might help yours:
Cut one trekking pole. I carry only one leki carbon fiber trekking pole for steep hills or pack out.
Replace 1-3 full sized TAG bags with smaller boned out meat bags. I use one BOMB for all loose meat and one each for boned out shoulders. You could get away with only one for both shoulders. I leave the hinds on the bone in the bigger bags.
Cut the rain pants unless rain is likely.
Weigh your knives. I carry one for skinning and one for the rest of the work. The skinner is a buck lite to save weight. Look at cutting weight on one knife.
Cut your z seat unless you’re glassing a lot from a fixed position. I go back and forth on taking mine.
Look at all of your packaging and storage bags on everything and replace or consolidate where possible but still giving you the organization you need. Cut the TAG storage bag and cram them in a kifaru ultralight organizer bag with the rest of your kill kit.
I take 2 liters of water when I bring my filter. I take 3 liters when I don’t. Pound some in the morning and evening. I use an ultralight nalgene and a super light 2 liter platypus bag.
You could also go to thinner cordage.

 

[spike camp]

The time for flies and bees (you actually mean wasps) is fast disappearing at higher altitudes. I’ve never had a kill molested by birds but i’m sure it could happen.

Just sayin, if i left a quarter sitting for more than 15 minutes at 11k where i hunt, it would have 1000 fly eggs in/on that quarter without question and that isn’t changing anytime soon....bees or wasps.

 

[firemaverik]

I always try to apply the simple approach of "Did I actually use XYZ?" when pairing down my pack.

 

[String&stick]

No judgement here and I have no clue how fit you are, but for next year, can you knock an extra 5 or 10 lbs off your body?

Last year I decided I had to much stuff. Looked it all over and realized that 3 Oz here and 6oz there didn't make a huge difference. Then I looked at my body and said "yea there's a lot of ounces hanging out there that I don't need. Dropped 15lbs from last year and plan to trim another 5-10 for next year.

If your in great shape it may not be an option, but for 90% of Americans it's the first/best option!

I'm a fellow camel and keep 4-6L of water on me and a filter!

 

[wind gypsy]

Each game bag is 4 oz so pulling one out might be good too. I could always pack that extra one back up with the 2nd load. and put 2 front quarters in 1 bag for a bit.

Good points to consider on planning to be able to spend the night vs walking out when I'm an hour or two from the truck. The only time I wouldn't walk out is if I weren't able (but most of those situations would bring the inreach into play), or if I had an animal down and didn't want to head out (seems to be a rare occasion for me though )

What I typically end up with using the big elk quarter bags a hind quarter in each, both shoulders in 1, boneless meat in 1 and the 3 quarter bags also have room for additional scraps. Or preferably have 3 quarter bags and 2 smaller boneless meat bags to keep things tighter on a load shelf. If packing in the bag the 1 big bag would work fine.

Unless you want to "put an elk to bed" and sleep on it (do people do that with Elk?), I don't see a situation where you wouldn't be walking out at night.

 

[TX_Diver]

No judgement here and I have no clue how fit you are, but for next year, can you knock an extra 5 or 10 lbs off your body?

Last year I decided I had to much stuff. Looked it all over and realized that 3 Oz here and 6oz there didn't make a huge difference. Then I looked at my body and said "yea there's a lot of ounces hanging out there that I don't need. Dropped 15lbs from last year and plan to trim another 5-10 for next year.

If your in great shape it may not be an option, but for 90% of Americans it's the first/best option!

I'm a fellow camel and keep 4-6L of water on me and a filter!

Legitimate question!! Definitely where most people should look first (and where I looked at myself earlier this year)

I dropped about 10lbs in the 3 months or so leading up to the elk hunt and am at the point have to work at it extremely hard and start limiting food intake to drop anymore weight. I already limit alcohol intake and don't drink soda, eat trash food, etc. I'm only about 10 lbs off the lightest I've been since starting high school currently and am in decent shape. I could always be "more fit" but think where I'm at now is pretty good overall.

I can carry my pack all day at 23-24 lbs but figured some outside input would be good. I think I can get below 20lbs for my next hunts without losing too much stuff I "need" or peace of mind based on some of the feedback given. I'll keep reading the input and also post again if I get back out hunting with the new configuration later this year.

 

[fngTony]

Mine is 13.5lbs before water, weapon. Usually I only carry 2 liters so we’ll call it 17.5-18 lbs and my bow is another 8. You might drop a pound by really criticizing what you bring but it’s the water adding up.

I’m not sold on simply dropping body weight, being in shape is more important. My weight is technically just right but ideally I would want to exchange 10 pounds around the waist for ten pounds of leg muscle.

 

[Phaseolus]

Just sayin, if i left a quarter sitting for more than 15 minutes at 11k where i hunt, it would have 1000 fly eggs in/on that quarter without question and that isn’t changing anytime soon....bees or wasps.

Us Entomologists are a picky bunch

 

[hunting1]

I don’t think that is bad. I carry 3 liters of water, 5-lb is pack, food, first aid, rain gear, gos, kill stuff, layer, hat, gloves...... yep 20-25 lbs.

i am out all day on elk hunts, so for me I’m not going minimal and want a pack to carry heavy loads.