Help me cut some pack weight!

[cmahoney]

What boots to you have?


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[HDwild]

Tripod for 8x binos?

This list is not for a specific hunt and isn’t a complete list, I left out some other gear that I don’t feel the need to replace or anything. I only threw the tripod in here bc it is something I’m going to upgrade or replace. I don’t bring a tripod for most of my archery hunts here bc it’s big, Old-growth timber with a lot of still hunting.

The intent of this thread isn’t a critique of what I would or would not bring, more like if it were your list and you were looking to lighten up, how would you go about it? In what order would you start replacing items that would make the most sense, without dropping $1,500+ at once.

 

[HDwild]

What boots to you have?


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Heavy ones lol but they fit my feet better than any of the other dozens of boots I’ve tried. Zamberlan 971 Guide Lux, about 2lbs each!

 

[cmahoney]

That’s a big one for me, I wear light weight hikers until I need the leather boots. I really notice it when I make the switch later in the season.


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[Macintosh]

Yeah, they say a pound on your feet or legs is the equivalent of 11 pounds on your back. I dont know if thats technically correct, but its fact that any given weight at an extremeity saps your energy a lot quicker than that same weight in a pack or at your center of mass.

 

[Hussar]

A couple free suggestions:

• Can you cut a tent pole where you hunt? - Saves 10 oz
• Break out the med kit vs kill kit. Are there any items you can cut from either?
  • any items (IE tourniquet) that no one knows how to use and therefore dead weight?
• Any duplicate items that you carry? IE knife in the kill kit, another knife in your bino harness, and a pocket knife? Reducing duplicates is a quick way to shed weight.
• Any items that can be multi-purposed? See lantern example below.

The cheaper items I'd swap out would be:

• Jetboil > Soto Amicus/BRS Stove with a Toaks 750ml pot - Saves ~8 ounces for $50ish
• Lantern > Flextail Tiny Pump 2x (has lantern feature & inflate your pad) - Saves ~6oz for $35
  • Alternative: Goalzero collapsible lantern.
• Tyvek > 1 mil Polycryo - Saves ~4oz for $11

That's saving 1lb for under $100.

Longer term/bigger items:

• Sleeping pad. Lighter options with the same or better R-value - Save 8 oz for $200ish
  • A more insulated pad may allow you to get away with a lighter bag.
  • Examples: Nemo Tensor, Therm-a-rest XLite NXT
• Sleeping Bag/Quilt - could potentially go lighter if the pad is good.

 

[HDwild]

A couple free suggestions:

• Can you cut a tent pole where you hunt? - Saves 10 oz
• Break out the med kit vs kill kit. Are there any items you can cut from either?
  • any items (IE tourniquet) that no one knows how to use and therefore dead weight?
• Any duplicate items that you carry? IE knife in the kill kit, another knife in your bino harness, and a pocket knife? Reducing duplicates is a quick way to shed weight.
• Any items that can be multi-purposed? See lantern example below.

The cheaper items I'd swap out would be:

• Jetboil > Soto Amicus/BRS Stove with a Toaks 750ml pot - Saves ~8 ounces for $50ish
• Lantern > Flextail Tiny Pump 2x (has lantern feature & inflate your pad) - Saves ~6oz for $35
  • Alternative: Goalzero collapsible lantern.
• Tyvek > 1 mil Polycryo - Saves ~4oz for $11

That's saving 1lb for under $100.

Longer term/bigger items:

• Sleeping pad. Lighter options with the same or better R-value - Save 8 oz for $200ish
  • A more insulated pad may allow you to get away with a lighter bag.
  • Examples: Nemo Tensor, Therm-a-rest XLite NXT
• Sleeping Bag/Quilt - could potentially go lighter if the pad is good.

Solid points.

I’ve got some of your recommendations on the way or in the cart. Looking at the Nemo Tensor all-season paired with a Featherstone Moondance quilt. Also about to pull the trigger on a carbon fiber tripod, blackovis to save money or try to find a deal on a used Aziak.

Thanks for the .02!

 

[cmahoney]

This is crazy light. $200 on Amazon

Carbon Fiber Pro CF-632

The SLIK Pro CF-632 Carbon Fiber Tripod is designed for photographers/videographers, nature enthusiasts, and travelers. This tripod is specifically crafted for individuals using cameras, spotting scopes, or binoculars. The standout feature of this tripod is its lightweight design, weighing just...

slikusa.com

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[100%DIYazCOUES]

sleeping bag is very heavy. Quilt would save 1.5 lbs easy.
Get a brs3000 and a titanium cup. Save around 10-11 oz.
6 oz fire kit seems like a lot. Mini bic and a couple Vaseline cotton balls(if you’re worried)
Depending on how wet the weather is, could save a pound on the rain jacket. OR helium is what I use if it’s not gonna rain a ton.
Tripod to me is 100% necessity, but definitely much lighter options. Ex. My backcountry setup is just over 2 lbs with the head, and I can stand if I need to…
11 oz lantern seems ridiculous to me, just use headlamp for everything

 

[HDwild]

This is crazy light. $200 on Amazon

Carbon Fiber Pro CF-632

The SLIK Pro CF-632 Carbon Fiber Tripod is designed for photographers/videographers, nature enthusiasts, and travelers. This tripod is specifically crafted for individuals using cameras, spotting scopes, or binoculars. The standout feature of this tripod is its lightweight design, weighing just...

slikusa.com

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I’ve got a Blackovis Alpine on the way!

 

[HDwild]

sleeping bag is very heavy. Quilt would save 1.5 lbs easy.
Get a brs3000 and a titanium cup. Save around 10-11 oz.
6 oz fire kit seems like a lot. Mini bic and a couple Vaseline cotton balls(if you’re worried)
Depending on how wet the weather is, could save a pound on the rain jacket. OR helium is what I use if it’s not gonna rain a ton.
Tripod to me is 100% necessity, but definitely much lighter options. Ex. My backcountry setup is just over 2 lbs with the head, and I can stand if I need to…
11 oz lantern seems ridiculous to me, just use headlamp for everything

List has been updated, including a Soto windmaster and titanium pot (-7oz), X-mid setup (-12.5 oz). Much lighter Tripod is on the way and I think the next step is a quilt and better pad.

 

[j3h8]

List has been updated, including a Soto windmaster and titanium pot (-7oz), X-mid setup (-12.5 oz). Much lighter Tripod is on the way and I think the next step is a quilt and better pad.

You carry your pistol in a fanny pack. Not being familiar with your specific fanny pack, how do you access it quickly? I ask because if it's zipped shut , that whole system can be left behind since it literally does no good that way; typically.

 

[HDwild]

The gun actually sits in a kydex holster that I took the hardware off of within the fanny pack, with one in the chamber. I run the zip all the way over to one side and the holster is secured to a loop on the inside so I just zip and draw. I know my way around a pistola and have trained to the point my draw isn’t that much slower than my draw from concealment with my edc.

Definitely not the best nor my favorite way to carry but it’s the best solution I’ve tried that keeps that thang on me at all times. I am considering a chest holster but I feel like I’ll hate having it between me and my bino pack.

 

[Marshfly]

The gun actually sits in a kydex holster that I took the hardware off of within the fanny pack, with one in the chamber. I run the zip all the way over to one side and the holster is secured to a loop on the inside so I just zip and draw. I know my way around a pistola and have trained to the point my draw isn’t that much slower than my draw from concealment with my edc.

Definitely not the best nor my favorite way to carry but it’s the best solution I’ve tried that keeps that thang on me at all times. I am considering a chest holster but I feel like I’ll hate having it between me and my bino pack.

The Venandi holster is one of the purchases I regret the least, FWIW.

 

[j3h8]

The gun actually sits in a kydex holster that I took the hardware off of within the fanny pack, with one in the chamber. I run the zip all the way over to one side and the holster is secured to a loop on the inside so I just zip and draw. I know my way around a pistola and have trained to the point my draw isn’t that much slower than my draw from concealment with my edc.

Definitely not the best nor my favorite way to carry but it’s the best solution I’ve tried that keeps that thang on me at all times. I am considering a chest holster but I feel like I’ll hate having it between me and my bino pack.

They have several (Razco?) holsters that sit below the bino harness.

 

[CMF]

Didn't read all of the replies, and not sure from your list, but do you run the pack lid on that exo 4800? I never run mine, there are enough pockets and it isn't worth the ounces to me.
there are lighter treking poles out there

 

[LittleForkHunter]

A lot of good suggestions here. Would I have found is it typically isn't one big thing that saves a ton of weight in the pack but more a collection of weight improvements on everything. I am doing a solo elk hunt in Idaho this fall and my base pack weight is just over 18 lb. Keep in mind that doesn't include a weapon, food, water, and I haven't decided on a tripod yet.

 

[UTJL]

Solid points.

I’ve got some of your recommendations on the way or in the cart. Looking at the Nemo Tensor all-season paired with a Featherstone Moondance quilt. Also about to pull the trigger on a carbon fiber tripod, blackovis to save money or try to find a deal on a used Aziak.

Thanks for the .02!

I’ve owned two Nemo tensors. First went flat on the first night I used it. So I got a replacement from REI. It went flat on the 5th night I used it. Two other family members/friends have had tensors get leaks within 10 days of use. These are all being used with care to avoid puncturing them.

They are super comfortable and quiet but unreliable

 

[wapitispokes]

Always good to consider what shape we’re in but I don’t put too much on the number itself. I’m 15 pounds heavier than I was three years ago but in much better mountain shape.

I agree with you "Tony". I'm sure the body weight comment was well-intentioned, but it reminds me of people whose first comment is "hit the gym and build up some strength" when as far as they know the guy is suffering from arthritis or missing an arm, etc. I think most people don't need to be told to assess their body weight or strength when they are asking how to sensibly lighten their load. Probably those comments come from big strong dudes in their 30's and 40's whose bodies are in comparatively good shape. They are sometimes just too young to understand what folks are dealing with as they are on the border of "aging out".

I've always been fortunate to have naturally low body fat and above average aerobic endurance. So, for ME the issue really had to do with how much I trained with the loaded pack in order to get the feet, hip muscles and shoulders and skin in shape to carry a load uphill & downhill long distance so that on day 2 and day 3 I wasn't in so much pain I couldn't hike. That's just ME. For ME, when carrying heavy load was a "thing" I really need to maintain year over year base and then start climbing local mountains 2X week in January with a load. While that worked for ME it may not be the prescription for everyone. The prescription for most people, and the one the OP asked for was - "how can I drop my pack weight".

These days, I am very careful about how much training weight I carry so that I don't "break anything". And mostly for about the last 25 years I've been using LLamas since before Randy made THAT a "thing". LOL. Maybe I should suggest that the OP simply drive to Idaho, CO, or WY to rent some [good, well trained] pack llamas and haul them back to Central WA? LOL.

 

[wapitispokes]

Heavy ones lol but they fit my feet better than any of the other dozens of boots I’ve tried. Zamberlan 971 Guide Lux, about 2lbs each!

I agree with you on that one. Boots are personal based on age, foot morphology, conditions, load, etc.

I've always believed that a great boot is almost never too heavy, especially if you are carrying a load, traveling cross country and / or side-hilling.

Oh, and over a certain age, some feet do need more support.

I've done long solo backpacks in the Pasayten (north of Winthrop) with trail runners and an "almost UL" pack and it was glorious during the first 20 mile day. That was "on trail". But I also injured my foot and hobbled out in pain (turned out my feet had aged out and I needed orthotics but I didn't know it yet; now that I have orthotics, I think I'll try the trail runners again for that same trip this summer).