depends where and how your hunting.
The last time I weighed my pack I was just under 70 lbs for an 8 day solo hunt, including everything but the clothes on my back. It gets expensive obsessing over pack weight. I found it alot cheaper to lose 15 pounds off my weight than 5 pounds off my pack.
The last time that I weighed my pack I was just under 70lbs for an 8 day solo hunt, that’s including everything but the clothes on my back. Obsessing over pack weight gets expensive, I found it much cheaper to drop 15 pounds off of me than 5 pounds off my pack.I'll be sheep hunting this fall, the first time in a long time, and am going through the gear I have, what to take, what to leave, what I need to buy, etc. Pure joy in anticipation of a great hunt.
How much weight do you realistically expect to carry going in? I'm looking at about 8-10 miles to set up camp.
This is an extremely subjective question due to unique physique, strength, etc, but I'm curious.
I hope I'm not asking something that has ready been hammered to oblivion here, but I'm new to the forum and technologically challenged.
Very good stuff Larry.Every ounce matters. I'd say the greatest gains you'll make in shedding weight off anyone's pack list is your food kit.
Science colleagues and I have spent the last three years identifying the caloric requirements of hunters in Alaska to help us truly understand caloric deficiency as it relates to skeletal muscle preservation.
The jest of how these field studies have helped me as an expedition hunter is by revealing the facts about minimalistic field nutrition.
We learned it's actually metabolically positive to operate in a 50% caloric deficit as long as you consume 1gm protein/kg/day but the threshold for muscle loss could be closer to 0.7gm protein/kg/day. I shoot for .8gm protein/kg/day and have preserved skeletal muscle on these studies.
This way you'll lose weight but preserve skeletal muscle. Our data suggests float hunters and sheep hunters burn around 4000-4300 cals per day on moderately difficult scales. If we aim for 50% of the expected caloric demand our target is around 2000 cals per day with insurance of at least 0.8gm protein/kg/day (190 lb hunter = 86 kg = 80gm protein intake/day). Of I need 90 gm protein/day I add a large handful of cashews or almonds (320 cals/10gm protein) This is bare bones strategy but will help you create a lightweight science-based food kit for any weight restricted hunt.
lb
P.S. Here's some food science for thought if you haven't read this yet:
Backcountry Hunting Nutrition: Calorie Counts - Hunt Alaska Magazine
What is a high-quality protein for backcountry hunting? Generally, one that contains all 9 essential amino acids in proportion to the needs of our body.www.huntalaskamagazine.com
I have a BA copper spur 3 for 2 man hunts. weighs about 4.5lbs. Its 10yrs old now, going to get the newer UL version that's like 3.5lbs. For a solo i use mountain hardwear Supermega UL, its 2.5lbs +/-. Sweet little tent, basically the Fly Creek clone.
I have a video somewhere in some pretty serious winds inside the tent. It was gusting over 40, easy. Probably the worst winds I've camped in. It didn't flatten it, but it pushed it in pretty good. Have also had some terrible wind storms in the BA and it came out fine.
Every ounce matters. I'd say the greatest gains you'll make in shedding weight off anyone's pack list is your food kit.
Science colleagues and I have spent the last three years identifying the caloric requirements of hunters in Alaska to help us truly understand caloric deficiency as it relates to skeletal muscle preservation.
The jest of how these field studies have helped me as an expedition hunter is by revealing the facts about minimalistic field nutrition.
We learned it's actually metabolically positive to operate in a 50% caloric deficit as long as you consume 1gm protein/kg/day but the threshold for muscle loss could be closer to 0.7gm protein/kg/day. I shoot for .8gm protein/kg/day and have preserved skeletal muscle on these studies.
This way you'll lose weight but preserve skeletal muscle. Our data suggests float hunters and sheep hunters burn around 4000-4300 cals per day on moderately difficult scales. If we aim for 50% of the expected caloric demand our target is around 2000 cals per day with insurance of at least 0.8gm protein/kg/day (190 lb hunter = 86 kg = 80gm protein intake/day). Of I need 90 gm protein/day I add a large handful of cashews or almonds (320 cals/10gm protein) This is bare bones strategy but will help you create a lightweight science-based food kit for any weight restricted hunt.
lb
P.S. Here's some food science for thought if you haven't read this yet:
Backcountry Hunting Nutrition: Calorie Counts - Hunt Alaska Magazine
What is a high-quality protein for backcountry hunting? Generally, one that contains all 9 essential amino acids in proportion to the needs of our body.
