How do you run redundancy in your pack set up

[Desk Jockey]

I keep some essentials in a small pull out that goes in the back pocket or cargo pocket of my pants. Fire, basic survival, flash light, hand warmers, hunting license, cash.

I played with a belt pouch that I dropped below my pack hip belt on some long malice clips. It was OK but hard to access with the pack on.

My latest is a chest rig that holds a rangefinder, Binos and an admin pouch with a bunch of crap in it. Between that and what's in my pants, I have the necessities covered for a little side trip. Still playing with the concept. So far the biggest issue is that I hunt the east and don't use my Binos enough to carry them front and center. I like the chest rig idea but for that reason alone I am thinking about other options. Maybe a chest rig with admin and range finder with Binos on the pack belt.

http://www.rokslide.com/forums/gear/47088-chest-rig-hunting.html

 

[mfllood3800]

I guess I'll need a quick detach set up for the belt pouches though. It would be faster to mount the pack on than get the 3 bar sliders loose from the belt pouches and pack areas

Nick, yea sometimes most of this is over thought and commercialized. Sometimes its well thought out and efficient.
Pretty sure the whole "pack" idea started out to make the hunt more enjoyable. Now there is something for everyone, every thing and it is crazy.

Guess I am just looking to maximize my % of success based on what last years challenges brought. Problem is every year seems to be something new.

I look back over 30 yrs ago, it was just me, a dirt bike, knife, rope and 2x4 built tree stand and Wisc white tail. No need for much of anything. Deer got drug out, thrown over seat and driven home. hahaha

 

[justinspicher]

Due to the marketing schemes and such, we tend to overthink things and make everything more difficult in our pursuit of comfort and efficiency. I know I don't need 90% of the junk I take with me and I'm really working on cutting back on gear and what I take.

 

[Yellowknife]

All my redundant items are in my partners pack. Best method by far.

Truly, about the only thing I carry that is redundant are a couple lighters, and sometimes GPS + Compass. Otherwise, can't think of much I'd double up on?

 

[mfllood3800]

Justin - exactly.
- it was cold driving the ranger out 5 miles to where I would then start the hike, so I got a windshield for it. Then there was too much dust, so I got a back window- it never ends I guess until we say it does.

Yellow knife - I hunt solo, always have, so no buddy to utilize. But that was funny right there...

Guess I am just getting older and want to keep doing this, and modern day things certainly helps me a lot - for sure.

 

[Yellowknife]

Justin - exactly.

Yellow knife - I hunt solo, always have, so no buddy to utilize. But that was funny right there...

Guess I am just getting older and want to keep doing this, and modern day things certainly helps me a lot - for sure.

I hunt solo on a fairly regular basis myself. Also travel and work in remote Alaska quite a bit where "getting out of the woods" isn't an option. I still don't carry much redundant stuff, assuming we are defining "redundant" as more than one item that does the same task.

Very few things in my pack I can't live without if I needed too. At some point or another I've lost, forgotten, or broken most of them, and still managed to survive reasonably well. Sometimes I've improvised a solution, and sometimes I just suffered a little.

I do make sure to carry a few critical items on my person (fire, knife, map, spare ammo), but that is about it. Even if a guys carries some kind of pouch with additional stuff for that "look over the hill", I can't think of a reason to double anything up in my pack that I've already got on me?

 

[Tastybearmeat]

Never leave your pack. It's a golden rule for a reason.

 

[mfllood3800]

The more I look at the guide lid, the more I like that. I can either stuff it with necessary items and put it in the Tahr or leave it out side attached, and then drop the pack and sling that thing on and take off either wearing it or shouldering it. It can be my big organizing bag inside with qtr bags, kill kit, water, fire, then with the bino harness i'll be pretty set.

 

[307]

If I'm trying to outrun an elk, I need to reassess my strategy.

 

[justinspicher]

Due to this thread I relooked my Gear. On my way into the spot I was planning on ambushing some elk this morning, I cut a herd trying to cross the road. I stop the truck, shut it off, jumped out and grabbed my rifle loading as I ran after them. No pack. After about an hour of chasing them around they moved to private land I can't access and I thought about this thread. Did a quick check, had fire, had a knife, had a gun, had warm clothes on. There's snow everywhere so I've got water, but no chow. I'd be alright for a night. Got a chuckle out of it and walked the couple of miles back to my truck.

Once I got home I took a look at my gear and thought about how today's events played out. I don't think I would've changed anything. This is largely due to the fact that this area is relatively flat. Hard to get lost. I could literally see the truck from where I was. If I were in the mountains. I'd have kept my pack on me and chased them with it on.

 

[Felix40]

I just keep a lighter in one pocket, my knife and phone in the other and a headlamp in the cargo pocket of my pants. I can and have gone all day like that. It sounds like you are hunting off of an atv so you really shouldn't have much in a pack anyway. If you really need more stuff with you it's pretty easy to just put a pack on. You said you don't have time but I can put a backpack on while walking so I guess I don't understand.

 

[5MilesBack]

My pack pretty much stays on the entire day unless I need to get something out of it. I'm a bowhunter, and am almost always on the move. My day pack has just become an extension of my body, I hardly even notice it's there. But even if I were to drop it, I have my G20 on my hip, my GPS in my pants pocket, my windicator, watch, elk calls, bugle tube, rangefinder, and binos on me so they always go with me. Carrying my bow around is a bigger hassle than my pack.

Gotta have your GPS on you already, in case you drop your pack. Quick waypoint marking and go.

 

[mfllood3800]

I don't hunt off an ATV. It is parked in a secluded area and then I am hiking up into the ridges a couple miles and the elev change is close 1000'.
Maybe to some of you long hikers that is "hunting off the ATV". lol But for me it is not.

307,
if you haven't seen elk at a distance from you and hurried up to get them yet, one day you will, we all have.
We all read of this or that happening and think, "never happened to me". But eventually many things happen if youre out there long enough. Cant count on both hands the number of times Ive set up where I "thought" they would be, only to find out they were 50 yrds up higher or lower. In this timber, that's a non shot and the distance has to be closed and closed quickly.

When I get to my blind the pack is off. I'm ususally in there for 3-5 hrs. Things are laid out and set up for a quick split. There have been Times I have grabbed the packed and ruin while installing it, as I heard the rare pre rut bugle at the end of the archery season or faint chirps heading on the next ridge up from me and even one time what sounded like a bunch of dogs wimpering or barking which turned out to be a 3 spikes.
It just sucks when trying to still be quiet and move quickly, while also carrying a bow with an arrow nocked. yes I keep an arrow nocked at all times. You may not I DO. I am that guy.

I have started carrying on me my knife, small water, flagging tape, gps, calls, snack, matches, pistol and it works ok. My previous hunt pants have the big pockets, I just hate carrying all that weight in em. I did get my first pair of corrugate guides so will see how those are.
My normal kill kit has not changed but the location of the items has.....

I do have a water bladder in pack, but also a small bottle on me. My pistol is always on me. my gps is now on my bino case with a clip to harness. I have a belt pouch holding matches, calls,snack bar, that small water bottle and knife, flag tape.

Keep in mind if I shoot one from my ground blind, I usually just assess the shot and wait a bit, then pack up and head to start flagging its trail. I have never had one go further than 60 yrds in this scenario
But 2 yrs ago I had to go quite a ways and ended up adding around a mile total of back and forth to get equipment. To Normal guys that's not a big deal, with my back in middle to end of hunt, for me, it is huge. I don't recover well from too many miles. This is one reason I am spending $$ on the Kifaru. Hoping it helps my recovery time from each day so the next is as productive.
I just cant do that with my current back issues.

I want my day pack under 20 lbs
But I would like to not wear another belt with the pouch, and the extra items on it as I feel that is hurting my hip/back area as much as the load of the pack. But for now the extra belt and pouch set up works, just wonder if others do this or not

 

[mfllood3800]

I saw the guide lid with a set of straps that double as shoulder straps. It buckles to the pack, but can be "quick detached" and worn as a minimalist pack. I am planning on running key items in tat which will incl the qtr bags.

One hunt I was coming off the mountain and heading to town to pick up wife, as she was wanting to come up for a couple days to the elk camp.
I had in the truck my bow, belt pouch with hand gun, knife etc..

Then I saw a cow elk off the dirt road at 80 yrds.
Short story part- I got her, could dress her, but had no qtr bags to protect meat. I texted wife to come up, go to camp, get pack and park at where my truck was and honk. My meat was still good, just full of tree bark from where I laid out the qtrs. It created a mess even though I cleaned them when I got home, as time was running out and I needed to get them in the cooler.

So the guide lid for me seems to be an awesome option for a quick grab and go set up with what I need for dressing and hanging.
This is what I love about the Kifaru line, it has so many options of parts and packs, many if not all of us can set up what works for us.

 

[5MilesBack]

You keep an arrow nocked at all times?

Reading through your posts, I would say that you definitely hunt way more differently than I do.

There has only been one time that I left my pack behind. It was probably 34 years ago or so. It was a rifle hunt, and right at first light. We drove over a rise and there was a herd of elk crossing in front of us. I jumped off and forgot my pack. Took off after them. About a mile later I shot the bull and realized I didn't have my pack. Had to walk all the way back to the jeep to get it and then all the way back to the bull. I don't think I'll ever do that again. I did have my Buck 110 on my belt so was able to gut him, but it was pretty warm and would have preferred to have gotten him completely broken down and in meat bags right away.

 

[wyelkhunter]

My pack almost never comes off. If it is off it only takes a few seconds to put it on and go. I wan't everything with me at all times. Never know how far a way you will be.

 

[mfllood3800]

Keep in mind my hunt scenario... Hike up into a home made ground blind.
Wait for the elk to be pressured thru this ridge, and keep listening and try to cut them off if possible with pack on back. So yes while I'm in my blind, my arrow is nocked- yours would be too. When I see something heading above me, I'm walking towards them as quick as I can to get a shot before they dump off into the ravines and yes my arrow is nocked again- yours would be too. I don't nock it as I'm hiking in while dark - no, but as I'm hiking out it is nocked yes.

So yes I may hunt different, from a blind, and will have to run after them if they take a route above or below me instead of the place I set up for that day. I actually have blinds built in all 3 of the main runways. Picking the correct one is always the challenge. I've been successful 3 out of 3 years killing 4 elk. (cow tag)

But in those rare times I take off w/o the pack, I have learned it is best to keep some key items on me rather than in the pack. or have them in both places. Many of you probably carry 2 knives, 2 sets of fire starter, 2 water sources be it a bladder and a filter or a bottle. Maybe a compass and a GPS, or even flagging tape to mark spots. So in reality we all carry some sort of redundancy .

My question was how do you carry this efficiently so you have access to it if the pack is dropped. If all I did was stalk, it would be on all the time
If I hunted in a tree stand (which I have 2 up there as well) then it wouldn't be. I quit the tree stand, cause it took too long to get down and to the moving elk. I moved the stands and have shot from them, I just don't care for sitting in a tree. Its too thick any way not much of an advantage and the problems out weigh the advantages.

When I leave I hope to get pack on, but in my scenarios it isn't always the best option and still get to the elk in time

 

[406]

I generally never dump my pack. But.....

I run a frame with a smaller pack bag and a detachable lid (lid has a waist belt). Those weren't made for each other and the lid is clipped to the frame, not the small bag. Lid has my possibles in it, bag has food, kill kit, sometimes a stove, jacket & dry socks, etc...

I like this set up because I can just grab the lid if I want to, but more so because on the second& third haul out I can dump the bag and still have my little possibles pack attached to the frame. And every now and then, usually driving in or out, I see something I want to "check out" and can just grab the lid/but pack and my rifle and go. Rare but it happens. I also run a fhf chest rig but besides glass it just has wind checker, tags, and mouth Reed. Looking at a hpg rig with enough room for my phone (GPS), and a pistol instead but I love that fhf rig.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

 

[KMT]

I don't.

 

[mfllood3800]

Yep I just got the AGC bino harness and this with a hip belt and pouches offers me what I need. I'm also looking at a guide lid set up how Aron did in one of his vids with a set of shoulder straps for a dash and go.
I believe I got this figured out= thx for all the input.