Hercules...Hercules....Hercules!!!!

[SLDMTN]

I've always said "You haven't lived until you're carrying 100lbs on your back and you let it get ahead of you on the downhill side on a steep slope".

We still give my dad a hard time for "scorpioning" with part of my sheep on his back. It was scketchy and hilarious at the same time. We were traversing a gnarly chute and he let gravity get the best of him and went downhill, headfirst fast!

 

[jmez]

It is kind of like the archery grouping threads. There are a lot of badasses out there and Levi Morgan should thank his lucky stars that 3/4 of Archery Talk decides not to shoot professionally.

 

[Frito]

I've done it hunting elk, once. Something had to give. I've made adjustments to my plans and will be making multiple trips, 75lbs and under. I am also looking into game carts but I've had nightmares with that too. I had help when I did it so I had to lay in my pack, buckle up and they would help me up, then I would have to adjust. I do know some guys who do it every year though. I have a better time making 2 trips, then resting and making 1 or 2 more. It sucks when 4 guys get elk all in the same morning but I don't regret any of it. I'm just not cut out for 100+ pound loads more than once a week. Haha.

 

[Felix40]

I train with two plates in my pack all summer. I'm not saying 100 is fun but even for a small guy like me it's no big deal if you work up to it. I did about 2 miles with my bigger deer at 120# then 2.5 miles with my smaller buck at 100# this year. Both pretty flat ground but I could have gone several hours with either load. Train during the summer and build those hip flexors before you go hunting.

 

[Frito]

I train with two plates in my pack all summer. I'm not saying 100 is fun but even for a small guy like me it's no big deal if you work up to it. I did about 2 miles with my bigger deer at 120# then 2.5 miles with my smaller buck at 100# this year. Both pretty flat ground but I could have gone several hours with either load. Train during the summer and build those hip flexors before you go hunting.

2 to 4 miles is no picnic but still very feasible for me. My issue is spike camp is about 3.5 mile in, then you are pushing another 4 to 5 miles from there to get to where we hunt. Often times you end up having to cross literally 1/4 mile of downed timber to get to the road that takes us down the mountain and it's a muddy road, heavily trafficked by horses and mules. I think if I knew that the truck was going to be 5 miles, I might still plan on a heavy 100+ lb load but not being able to count on that....But there are still those who do it for 10 miles. I'm just not going to.

 

[jmez]

There are very few that do it for 10 miles. There aren't a lot of places in the Lower 48 where it is 10 miles between roads.

 

[Frito]

There are very few that do it for 10 miles. There aren't a lot of places in the Lower 48 where it is 10 miles between roads.

I would agree....very few. And I'm not one of them, but I've done between 8 and 9...only about 2 miles to the road/trail, no atv's/motorized vehicles allowed.

 

[wncbrewer]

The first elk I packed was a buddies spike. He and his crew pack out the entire torso with quarters and head removed. Being new to the bunch and wanting to show how tough I was, I volunteered to pack that piece, on an old crappy frame pack that for reasons unknown, the guy i'd borrowed it from had taken the hip belt off of. I didn't weigh it but I'm guessing that chunk of bone and meat was about 100 lbs. we only had a mile and a quarter to go, most of it on a cat road and I wanted to die by the time we got to the pickup. I ordered a kifaru the following week.

Point I'm trying to make is after that experience. I'll be limiting myself to around 80, even with a quality pack, as often as I can in the future.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Felix40]

There are very few that do it for 10 miles. There aren't a lot of places in the Lower 48 where it is 10 miles between roads.

That's what I'm thinking. If you are more than 10 miles from the truck there's probably a better way to access your spot lol

 

[boom]

interesting..i admit i never weighed my pack.

what do you'all suppose an entire rear elk leg weighs...dont deduct the hoof.. hoof to the ball joint.

 

[5MilesBack]

I don't really even consider the weight honestly. I look at what bags I have hanging and what else I need to carry and figure out how to do it the fewest trips possible. Even if I could carry 250+lbs out of the mountains, there is no way I could feasibly get that much meat into a pack bag, or onto my pack frame to carry it. But half a decent sized bull boned out would split into two loads pretty easily. Wouldn't be a fun pack out, but I'd rather do two of those loads than three smaller loads on my own.

On the other hand I'm having disc issues in my neck and back right now, so future loads may be dictated by that more than by me.

I'll throw two 45's and a 25 on my pack frame at home every now and then, and I know I've carried heavier loads than that off the mountain before, and that's only 115.

I also read about guys having to get help up after getting their pack on. Doesn't everybody use the turtle method? Put the pack on while sitting on the ground, then roll over onto your hands and knees and stand up.

 

[Felix40]

interesting..i admit i never weighed my pack.

what do you'all suppose an entire rear elk leg weighs...dont deduct the hoof.. hoof to the ball joint.

Id be afraid to guess but I'm sure it's less than 100#. I think you get "bulky item" bonus points if you leave the hoof on though. Did it one time like that and the dang legs were getting caught on everything. Like someone mentioned, I think it's harder to pack awkward loads than compact heavy loads.

 

[Felix40]

I don't really even consider the weight honestly. I look at what bags I have hanging and what else I need to carry and figure out how to do it the fewest trips possible. Even if I could carry 250+lbs out of the mountains, there is no way I could feasibly get that much meat into a pack bag, or onto my pack frame to carry it. But half a decent sized bull boned out would split into two loads pretty easily. Wouldn't be a fun pack out, but I'd rather do two of those loads than three smaller loads on my own.

On the other hand I'm having disc issues in my neck and back right now, so future loads may be dictated by that more than by me.

I'll throw two 45's and a 25 on my pack frame at home every now and then, and I know I've carried heavier loads than that off the mountain before, and that's only 115.

I also read about guys having to get help up after getting their pack on. Doesn't everybody use the turtle method? Put the pack on while sitting on the ground, then roll over onto your hands and knees and stand up.

I'm a fan of the turtle method as well. Sometimes I strap myself to the pack laying on my back and roll over. I've had it heavy enough I had to crawl on hands and knees to a tree so I could pull myself up. When you start getting into those weights you take every step carefully because I dang sure don't want to "scorpion" that kind of load lol. Is it September yet?!

 

[Frito]

That's what I'm thinking. If you are more than 10 miles from the truck there's probably a better way to access your spot lol

There's also easier ways to eat elk, even than shooting them from a truck. On this particular mountain there's a couple of trails in, all foot traffic or horses. You can't always go as the crow flies either. 10 plus miles of wilderness trail is very common in Colorado. We chose to push out a little further than the majority of hunters and were successful for it. But, to your point, I will not be doing it that way again. It sucked. I'm no superstar though, and I know people who are more badass enough than me to do it.

 

[boom]

Id be afraid to guess but I'm sure it's less than 100#. I think you get "bulky item" bonus points if you leave the hoof on though. Did it one time like that and the dang legs were getting caught on everything. Like someone mentioned, I think it's harder to pack awkward loads than compact heavy loads.

damn..then i might have been one of "those guys" ( i once caught a fish "this" big)

my first elk. four guys, we took 100% of the meat. liver, heart, tongue, etc. one trip. my pack was crushing. i even started to tear a shoulder strap on the way down. we had to leave one man standing so he could help the other three up on their feet. you could NOT throw a pack over your shoulder. you had to put it on sitting down and squat up. we took turns being the guy that stayed standing.

 

[Felix40]

I should say that I was talking about cows. I've never messed with a big bull on the ground. There are guys here who have seen way more dead elk then I have. I distinctly remember being able to pick up a whole hindquarter and hang it pretty easily to debone. I didn't like the way it swung around so I haven't picked one up like that since.

 

[Frito]

Id be afraid to guess but I'm sure it's less than 100#. I think you get "bulky item" bonus points if you leave the hoof on though. Did it one time like that and the dang legs were getting caught on everything. Like someone mentioned, I think it's harder to pack awkward loads than compact heavy loads.

Bone-in quarters are typically in the neighborhood of 75 pounds. If and when I get another elk I'll make the first trip with the straps and loins. If its a cow I will throw something else in....a bull and I'll add the antlers. I'll just take my time finding a good way to keep the rest cool until I come back for it with a buddy or two.

 

[tttoadman]

This year had some great tests for me. I generally am not a good packer. It all feels heavy to me. I had both hind quarters boned out from a 5x5. I had each hind in a TAG Bomb bag. I had to work to get all of this meat in a 55L dry bag and actually get it in my warrior bag. We thought it was well over 100# easy. I weighed it at home at 96#. I was turtling to get up and took many breaks. We packed 6 miles at a blistering pace of about 1 mile per hr. I am finally starting to get enough experience to know what my limits are. I say this as I can't hardly get out of my chair because my back is so screwed up. I will be packing lighter loads in the future for sure. I am proud to say I am becoming very comfortable with my whimpyness.

 

[wasatchcomm]

i think they are two schools of thought for packing heavy loads
1. under 35 years of age
- bring it on, no training, who cares i will recover in a hour...

2. over 35 years of age
- carefully place weight in pack

i like to think i am in great shape for a 46 year old, however
the body just does not recover like it used to and the the abuse it used too
most of the guys packing 100+ are most likely under 35
not saying you cant do it over the age of 35, it just becomes much more difficult and has serious implications if you are not training properly for it.

i train with 60-80bs all year long
i could handle 100+ easily
but i would never put that much on my back, especially in the woods where their are no sidewalks,, i'd make a second and third trip if i had to...

 

[freediver111]

I packed my bull and a buddies bull this year so this is just for a quick reference.
Both were 5x5's. Mine was a 1/2 mile to the truck, half up hill and the rest relatively flat on a ridge top. His bull was a little bigger and it was all downhill about a mile to the truck.

We did mine in two trips (2 guys). With my buddies it was a really bad/steep uphill climb for half so we ended up doing 2 trips to get the bull to an easier spot, then went back for 2 trips to get it to the truck, also 2 guys.

We usually each take a hind quarter and neck meat/trimmings in one round, then go back and take the front quarter, straps, head, etc. on the second round. We try and evenly distribute the loads, but the guy whose carrying the head on the last round usually has to carry more for that round obviously. General rule of thumb is the one who kills it carries the head!

I truly have no idea how much the packs weigh. I can tell you my buddy took his bull to a butcher and the total weight of the meat and bones came in around 230-240 lbs IIRC. We do the gutless method and cut off the legs at the knuckle. Anything further than 1 mile and I would seriously consider boning the meat out.

So, in the case of my buddies bull, we each packed around 60-70 lbs of meat/bone on each trip, not including the round with the head since that was not weighed at the butchers obviously. Also keep in mind we had gear in the packs so easily factor in some added with there, weight of the packs, etc.....so let's just say for estimates we had around 90 pounds on our backs each trip. It was not fun, but easily doable. We started packing at around 10am and we hit camp at 4pm. Total distance between all the trips came out to 3 miles, even though we were only 1 mile from the truck. 2 miles with heavy packs, 1 mile empty going back for staged meat.

That was one of the more difficult packs out in recent memory, not for total miles but just the very steep terrain, although the heaviest portions were downhill thankfully! If I had to do it again, I would estimate that if we were double the distance (2 miles) from the truck I wouldn't have issues, the suck factor would just be added. Now if that pack was mostly uphill with heavy packs, I would cry like a baby! I'd still do it because I'm dumb that way, but I'd be a hurting fool.

I don't know how I would be able to do more than 100 lbs on my back in anything but relatively flat terrain. 80-90 is tough enough as it is.
That's just my observations. I'm no Hercules, but I'm a big guy (6'1 and 210 lbs) that trains year round. I do some training with weighted packs in the summer, but all the gym time and running I do year round can never equal a real pack out. That's just me. Maybe I just need to ditch all of my training regimen and just do steep/heavy packs all year!