Help to be light

[Jonrad]

Ok guys went camping and hunting for the first time and I'm hooked. I have been looking for gear and getting prepared. I have a bad back but I carry a 30 pound tool belt. But like to know some tricks to keep it lite for a 1-3 day hunt in Texas and Missouri

 

[BackcountryBloodline]

Get a 2nd and 3rd job

Your first few trips out will always be your heaviest, best way to go light is to bring only what you need and nothing more. Easy to fill your pack up with luxury and "just in case" items and wonder how it got so heavy, tough to know how bare bones you can really get away with in the beginning though...will most likely take a couple trips to strike a good personal balance between comfort and bare essentials. Some things will add to the sufferfest on the way up but detract from it on the mountain, where you want to do the suffering is largely a personal decision but I'll take the beating on the way up to be comfortable up top almost every time.

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

You're asking a really broad question there. It's hard to give you too many answers without a better idea of what you're planning to do. Are you asking about backpack hunts? Just hunting from a truck?

 

[Jonrad]

Away from the truck 1-3 day


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[Newtosavage]

Going light is always an evolving process. Best advice is above - take only what you need. The trouble is you don't know what you don't need until you don't need it. It takes practice to figure out what you really need and more importantly, what you really don't need. I've been at it for years and I still find myself adding and ditching things after every trip. I think that's just part of the process.

I have arrived at a modular pack system for multi-day hunts away from the truck. You can see this system on the "DIY modifications" forum on the thread I started about the Eberlestock F1 Mainframe pack modifications. It's essentially a three-part pack, with a day pack on a frame, a removable "lid" for camping gear, food and part of my water supply, and a removable dry bag that contains my camp (tent, pad, pillow, bag). So that's my system. Other guys here have been doing it a lot longer and have it down way better than I do though.

Best advice I can give you is to put a system together and then go practice. You'll find out very quickly what do and don't really need.

Finally, prepare to be successful, which means hauling out meat. So part of your practice should be to try hauling out 40-60# of dead weight on your pack and making multiple trips to the truck to go back and get all your camping gear, if that's what it takes.

Good luck! It's not for wimps! LOL

 

[rklein]

You can obsess over this gear and that gear, make yourself crazy worrying about ounces. Here is the only trick:

Bring less



Just get comfortable with less. If you do want to go down the rabbit hole on counting ounces, just go over to the Lightweight forum page. There is several threads on each piece of gear to keep you busy for quite a while.

 

[Newtosavage]

There are a lot of days I remind myself that so long as I have my boots and my weapon, I can hunt. Everything else is just to determine for how long and how comfortable. LOL

 

[fngTony]

You don’t need an 8oz cordura pocket clipped to your pack to hold your 13oz rain jacket because your pack is full of doomsday stuff. Not falling into that rabbit hole will save you ten pounds.

Don’t get over complicated with your gear.
You’re less likely to enjoy the experience if you’re constantly messing around with stuff.

Start off simple and adapt per your needs.

Taking a little extra weight for a warmer bag and pad is fine.

And finally don’t forget to cut your toothbrush handle in half then drill holes in it. If using gas station water bottles cut of the label, remove the adhesive and file down the top of the lid because 3/32 is too thick and heavy. Now you just saved 3 more grams! Seriously if you start into those last few things please seek counseling.

 

[Jonrad]

Lol great point


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[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

I like to look at it this way:
1. What do I need to kill the animal? Emphasis on NEED
2. What do I need to survive the night? Emphasis on NEED
3. What do I need to feel happy about hunting again tomorrow? (a.k.a. food, more water, and toilet paper) Again, emphasis on NEED

Then ask for advice on budget conscious, light options to fit those needs.

The need list is a lot shorter than the want list, in reality. The biggest differences in weight between heavy packs and light packs is probably going to be in that 3rd item... "what keeps me happy to be waking up cold and tired well before dawn on day 3 or 4?"

 

[Farmerlentz]

Keep it simple it's amazing how little you really need to go have a good time in the woods. Lighter pack is a great resource also to analyze where your weight is. Feel free to pm me if you have any questions

 

[Jonrad]

Thank u guys I really appreciate the info and I don’t think I can pm ppl get I have restrictions because I just joined lol


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[Natevon04]

We’ve been backpacking for a long time but only really started trying to cut weight and get better stuff over the last 5-6 years. I should throw out there we typically throw in 6-8 cans of Coors and a fifth so obviously we’re not fanatics about weight. After all the main goal is to enjoy yourself.... A good down bag will save you space and weight, I used to be paranoid about being too cold at night but have recently picked up some light puffy pants and jacket so I can use my marmot helium bag 12 months out of the year and also use the puffys while glassing. Also started taking only 2
Pairs of socks and undies and shirt on our 7 day trips and washing them every couple nights. Here in northern Idaho
We cross a creek every couple hours so I quit packing Nalgene bottles full of water. I just got a aquamira bottle with filter in it. Klymit pad is another good space/weight saver. I can’t tell you how many times I ended up packing food home after a trip, don’t worry your not gonna starve to death, don’t over pack shit loads of jerky and cliff bars. Throw in a couple extra ramens if your worried. If you don’t have a pack your invested into already you can really save weight by getting a good one. Look at the difference between some of these eberlestock packs and the the kifaru or kuiu stuff. You can save 3-5 lbs right out of the gate. Most importantly get a savings account your wife doesn’t know about, this hobby has caused more divorces than that Ashley Madison website. This part of planning, upgrading gear, and getting ready for these trips is half the fun, enjoy!!


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[rclouse79]

My biggest weight savings was ditching the tent for a tarp. I have been running a flat tarp but am eyeing an eolus from seek outside for next season.

 

[Bastian30_06]

We’ve been backpacking for a long time but only really started trying to cut weight and get better stuff over the last 5-6 years. I should throw out there we typically throw in 6-8 cans of Coors and a fifth so obviously we’re not fanatics about weight. After all the main goal is to enjoy yourself.... A good down bag will save you space and weight, I used to be paranoid about being too cold at night but have recently picked up some light puffy pants and jacket so I can use my marmot helium bag 12 months out of the year and also use the puffys while glassing. Also started taking only 2
Pairs of socks and undies and shirt on our 7 day trips and washing them every couple nights. Here in northern Idaho
We cross a creek every couple hours so I quit packing Nalgene bottles full of water. I just got a aquamira bottle with filter in it. Klymit pad is another good space/weight saver. I can’t tell you how many times I ended up packing food home after a trip, don’t worry your not gonna starve to death, don’t over pack shit loads of jerky and cliff bars. Throw in a couple extra ramens if your worried. If you don’t have a pack your invested into already you can really save weight by getting a good one. Look at the difference between some of these eberlestock packs and the the kifaru or kuiu stuff. You can save 3-5 lbs right out of the gate. Most importantly get a savings account your wife doesn’t know about, this hobby has caused more divorces than that Ashley Madison website. This part of planning, upgrading gear, and getting ready for these trips is half the fun, enjoy!!


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Hey, what did you think of that Aquamira filter bottle?

 

[Wyobohunter]

Get a digital kitchen scale and weigh every little thing you’re thinking of putting in your pack. Get a free app like PackLight and enter all of your gear. This adds perspective. Remember, the thing you don’t buy is free. The thing you don’t bring is weightless.

 

[Yobrevol]

This suggestion won't work for everyone... Bring a tarp and groundsheet instead of a tent. It is more versatile, a bit lighter than the UL tent options, takes up less space, and is cheaper. The tarp is quick to throw up if you get caught in a storm. If expecting fair weather, allows you to go without a raincoat. Additionally, the groundsheet makes a sit pad to keep the butt dry. The downside of tarps is that you have to know how to pitch them and don't have full protection from the bugs and elements. Normally I keep a head net in my kit. In certain areas I have carried bug netting I can put up as needed.

The best way to get your kit lighter and more compact is to get your gear doing multiple jobs.

 

[Wyobohunter]

This suggestion won't work for everyone... Bring a tarp and groundsheet instead of a tent. It is more versatile, a bit lighter than the UL tent options, takes up less space, and is cheaper. The tarp is quick to throw up if you get caught in a storm. If expecting fair weather, allows you to go without a raincoat. Additionally, the groundsheet makes a sit pad to keep the butt dry. The downside of tarps is that you have to know how to pitch them and don't have full protection from the bugs and elements. Normally I keep a head net in my kit. In certain areas I have carried bug netting I can put up as needed.

The best way to get your kit lighter and more compact is to get your gear doing multiple jobs.

That makes sense. Not my choice but I definitely get it. Have you pitched the tarp above tree line? I assume you use trekking poles for this.

 

[Yobrevol]

That makes sense. Not my choice but I definitely get it. Have you pitched the tarp above tree line? I assume you use trekking poles for this.

I have not. I am sure there are places where tarps are not the best choice especially above tree line. In a pinch I bet I could get a shelter put up in almost any condition.

 

[Wyobohunter]

I have not. I am sure there are places where tarps are not the best choice especially above tree line. In a pinch I bet I could get a shelter put up in almost any condition.

I bet it could be done pretty easily with trekking poles. My UL tent and my big pyramid both rely on trekking poles.