Some good points above here
- saw - I just had to use one to remove trees as they were easier to move than the elk was
I also used the saw to cut the head off the elk
-head lamp with extra btty is how I pack
I just broke down a bull after dark and was out there, on a steep side of a ridge , for 3 hrs.
- I needed over 40' para-cord. I literally had to tie the head of the elk to a tree so its body wouldn't roll down while cutting it up.
I almost spent the night out there- I would've if I wasn't soaking wet- It rained the whole time I was processing the elk. I had rain top on. My clothes were still wet, not from rain, but from sweat. I was cold once I stopped the work, and decided to hike to my ATV and drive the 6 miles back to camp. It took 2 hrs for me to warm up.
Even though its a day pack, if youre hunting from it- treat it like its going to have to also be a night pack.
My phone died, but I had a small pack to charge it once- great for that emergency
Everyone wants their day packs to be 15-20 lbs, and I get that, but if you are hunting out of it, you better be prepared for what ever might come. If you only hunt a short ways from your truck - then yea- leave most of the stuff in that.
I was in bear country and the last thing I needed at midnight was my head lamp going out
lol
I also carry a hand gun.
The out door edge type knives are great, but I am always twisting mine and popping the blade off- so I carry a micro leatherman type multi tool, cause when your hands are cold, bloody and cramped from skinning and cutting, its much safer working around those blades with that multi tool than your bare hand.
Build your set, modify it, and enjoy what you do
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