Kill Kit

[Desk Jockey]

anyone every use a light hatchet instead of a saw to chop threw bones? Im thinking somthing like a fiskars hatchet could chop through bones plus be used for firewood/Kindleing/Emergencys. and it wouldnt weigh much more, if anything more.

I have chopped some whitetail ribs with a fiskars hatchet. I can't say it is the most efficient means or necessary but I like having a hatchet in the woods. If you go that route look at the Gerber gator hatchet. 20oz. $35. Made by fiskars. Has a 6 inch saw in the handle. Better blade cover than the plastic case of the fiskars.

 

[Whip]

Whip, what kind of tarp are you packing? I can't see how you got to three pounds even with the pulleys.

Your question got me curious so I went back and reweighed everything separately.
Tag Bags - 1#3oz
Tarp - 6oz.
Pulleys/carabiners - 10oz.
Rope/stuff sack- 10oz.
Knife & blades - 3oz.

It all adds up. I know that the pulleys/ rope are what throw me over what most people carry. The story behind it is that my largest bull died on a slope with his legs wedged under a large log. I was alone and worked for hours struggling to try to take him apart. I had no pulleys and not enough rope to rig up a system to move him. I was unable to turn him to get the cape off in one piece, so I sacrificed that. Not a huge deal, it was a struggle, but I was still able to get to the front quarters. The worst part was that I couldn't get his hind legs free from the log to remove the quarters properly. I ended up having to cut the hind quarter meat off in chunks and pieces as best I could. I know I wasted some precious meat, but it was all I could do. It still bothers me and I vowed that day I would always carry what I need to make sure it never happens again. An extra pound won't kill me.

 

[ArrowForester]

Good topic Whip. I have been thinking about my kill kit the last few days, particularly thinking of a saw because of the scenario you describe. Going solo in an area with a lot of blowdown poses a high risk of facing an animal that you need to move out of a log jumble before being able to harvest the meat.
Are you working with hardware store pulleys or Petzl equipment?
What saw are you carrying? I am considering a Destrude folder for the stroke length and "bow" depth in case a big log needs cut. A little hesitant due to the weight and length in the pack.

Another concern I have is heat and bugs due to possible distance from coolers. The heat is manageable and the shade tarp is also in my kit but I added citric acid for bug and spoilage protection. I put one dose of citric in a small Platypus bottle and replaced the cap with a small spray top. Two more doses of citric measured out in ZipLoc snack bags. My plan would be to add H2O before starting to remove the hide if temps are up and bugs are bad.

Hopefully one day I will kill an elk and be able to use all the stuff I carry around. Until then it is all speculation in my world.

 

[Whip]

My saw right now is one of the Gerber folders. Thinking about an upgrade to a Sven saw.
I am carrying Petzl pulleys and biners - very good function for minimal weight.

Good point on the citric acid. I forgot to list that but do have it in my pack. I carry it dry with an empty spray bottle and fill it with water from my hydration bladder when bagging meat. Water was another issue that I had on the elk that got hung up - I sure could have used more water that day with all the struggling I did! Make sure to have enough with you.

 

[fngTony]

Whip, look into some iron wire from Lawson equipment it's 3.5 oz for 50'. Ironwire Spectra Fusion at LawsonEquipment.com. Not sure how much of that 10 oz is rope and how much is stuff sack. I think my 50' of paracord is 5oz. Stuff sack should only be 1 or 2 for a nylon type material.

6oz for a tarp isn't bad if considering it as an emergency shelter. I have one but it's not part of my kill kit. A simple trash bag or small painters plastic for about 2oz in the kill kit if just using as a ground cloth to lay meat on.

I had a simler steep slope kill site last year. Using 2 large trash bags to lay meat on was handy as there wasn't enough flat ground in one spot for a large ground cloth.

Overall just replacing some items with lighter alternatives could save you 8 ish ounces. Your pully system is a personal preference so if comparing your kit to others don't count the pulleys.

 

[ArrowForester]

Whip, take a look at the Destrude saw and compare it to the Sven. The specs I have seen show the 21" equal weight or lighter than the 15" Sven and an inch shorter than the 21" Sven when folded. The log clearance is also greater allowing for a longer stroke and cutting a thicker log. It is more expensive but probably worth it. I'll be ordering one this week.

 

[Napperm4]

I ordered one of these to replace the saw in my kit.

BOREAL21 – agawacanyoninc.ca

Lighter than either the Sven or Dustrude saw and I like that I can carry a clean dedicated blade for meat if the log clearance is too much and I have to cut down the leg instead or to breeze through a skull cap.

For hoisting meat bags solo or pulling a carcass around I have 3 very lightweight black diamond carabiners (.5oz each) that make a 2:1 load reduction system without the extra weight of pulleys and have a greatly reduced coefficient of friction when compared to using just knots to make pulling really easy.

I think it's a great compromise on weight vs function and since I use the biners to dry laundry on my pack or in general around camp they fit my rule of multi use gear.


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[ArrowForester]

Napperm4 - I was looking at that saw as well and it seems like a good choice. Have you received it and used it yet? Any hands-on opinions? It looks to be about equal to the Destrude for practical purposes but I was leaning to the Destrude because the specs and prices I found showed it to be three ounces lighter and a few bucks less expensive.

 

[Napperm4]

No hands on as of yet. It's on backorder and expected to ship out soon.

The Destrude is a loonie cheaper for me in the great white north.

My Monopoly money isn't doing so great against the greenback at the moment.

As for specs from what I saw weight wise the Boreal 21 is advertised at 1.5 oz lighter than the Destrude. So it saves me an extra oz even with a spare blade.

I'll weigh it when I get hands on since most advertised specs always leave something out and I am a gram weenine. If it's true and I saved an ounce for a loonie extra then it's a smoking deal for a scale nerd.

The last deciding factor for me was warranty. Doing research I couldn't find anything on the Dustrude saw but I'm sure they stand behind it. The Boreal is advertised as 3 years on everything but the blades.

Just my 2 cents


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[ArrowForester]

Thanks for the reply. Will be interested in the actual weight when you get a chance to measure it. The listings I saw had the Destrude21 at 14.6 oz. and the Boreal21 at 17.6 oz. I do like the Boreal21 construction and blade selection. Decisions, decisions.....

 

[Napperm4]

Hmmm. The stuff I saw on the Destrude showed 19.7 oz but maybe that includes the sheath.

My other sway factor was the blade availability. I ordered the super aggressive one for wood and the hunter blade for meat.

Maybe just marketing but even if it does weigh a little more, theoretically the aggressive blade should make work easier or faster so I can save weight burning less calories and packing less food.

And this classic over thinking is why I love the Rokslide forums hahaha.

I'll flag this for an update when I can actually scale the thing and let you know how it stacks up in real life.


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[ArrowForester]

Classic overthinking....guilty as charged...

Yes, the blade selection for the Boreal is nice. Would like to know how "standard" their blades are. I like the idea of stopping into a hardware store and getting a new blade for the Destrude. That may be possible with your choice as well.

I'll make a decision, place an order, and report back as well. Thanks again.

 

[Whip]

Whip, look into some iron wire from Lawson equipment it's 3.5 oz for 50'. Ironwire Spectra Fusion at LawsonEquipment.com. Not sure how much of that 10 oz is rope and how much is stuff sack. I think my 50' of paracord is 5oz. Stuff sack should only be 1 or 2 for a nylon type material.

6oz for a tarp isn't bad if considering it as an emergency shelter. I have one but it's not part of my kill kit. A simple trash bag or small painters plastic for about 2oz in the kill kit if just using as a ground cloth to lay meat on.

I had a simler steep slope kill site last year. Using 2 large trash bags to lay meat on was handy as there wasn't enough flat ground in one spot for a large ground cloth.

Overall just replacing some items with lighter alternatives could save you 8 ish ounces. Your pully system is a personal preference so if comparing your kit to others don't count the pulleys.

That Ironwire would be a lighter option. Plenty strong, and a little less than half the weight of my current rope. But since I already have mine, probably won't spend the $$$ to upgrade at this point. Also, I do kind of like the 5mm diameter of my rope for ease of handling and tying knots. But I were ordering again would likely opt for the lighter weight.

My tarp does double as an emergency shelter, so I'll keep that. It's also orange, so would make a good emergency beacon for flagging help. I've never needed that, and hope I never do, but will always have something with me.

Like you said, I can probably save a half pound or so if I want to upgrade some of the components of my kit. Just a matter of $$$.

 

[Whip]

Whip, take a look at the Destrude saw and compare it to the Sven. The specs I have seen show the 21" equal weight or lighter than the 15" Sven and an inch shorter than the 21" Sven when folded. The log clearance is also greater allowing for a longer stroke and cutting a thicker log. It is more expensive but probably worth it. I'll be ordering one this week.

That's a nice looking saw! If making firewood is a big consideration it probably would be worth the extra $$$.

And now Napper throws in even another option! Both of them look great.

 

[efnm]

Nice idea about the tent stake if you hunt in areas without trees.

 

[nazca]

I'm a big fan of having pulleys with you while hunting solo.

It might not make sense for you to re-buy, but for others who are looking: You can shave a few oz off your pulleys carabiners, and cord. I use two pulleys by SMC that weight 1.8oz each. You can run the cord through them multiple times to get higher mechanical advantage.
CRx Pulley, Blue

Also, not all carabiners are created equal. I have some small 'biners with a high weight rating that are only 0.8oz each.

And finally, I use some small kevlar cord that is 900lbs test but only weighs 4.15oz for 100ft. Its still thick enough diameter to get a good hold of (though it is noticeably thinner than your 5mm cord).
Amazon.com : 900lb 100% Dupont Kevlar Braided Line, 3mm Dia, HeavyDuty Speargun Shooting Line, Cut&Abrasion Resistant (large model rocket paracord, heat tolerant to 900f, survival/tactical, high strength/weight) : Ice Fishing Spearing Equipment : Sports & Outdoors

I've broken by kill kit into three:
1) The essentials: knife, tags, 3 ft of kite string or a couple zip ties, a cheap cut resistant glove and a couple nitrile gloves. --> I put this in my bino harness so I always have it with me (a lesson I learned the hard way after ending up miles away from my pack with a dead caribou and no knife).
2) Bags: Game bags, and drum liners, and 25ft of kevlar cord. I leave this in my pack.
3) My luxury kit: 2 pulleys, 3 carabiners, and 75ft of kevlar cord. I don't always bring this with me due to weight... but when something hits the ground it sure is nice to have.

 

[fishslap]

Here's what I run:

Two knives: One for skinning work and one for breaking down the carcass. I know I could get by with one but I like two on hand. I use them both. Both are simple buck knives with rubber/plastic handles. One is more like a clip point and the other is like a drop point skinner I think. Small and light. I take a small pull through sharper as backup but never used it. I did take a small stone but not worth the weight since it's only backup and the pull through is lighter.

Folding bone saw: I've been using a gerber but picked up the havalon bone saw this year. Again, I could get by without it but I've used it for taking off the scull cap if not doing a euro, or sometimes I just cut the backbone behind the ribs and lift up for easier access to the tenderloins after gutless method. Guys have different ways of doing this and I've also done it several ways from reaching in behind the ribs to just opening up the paunch when I'm done and rolling the guts out or the way.

Two pairs of nitrile gloves: I use to not use them but now I do. I usually tear one pair up part way through and put the others on. I also use the individually packed wet wipes out of my bathroom kit to clean up at the end since even with gloves I tend to get pretty messy. I might also use them to wipe my knife down if it gets dirty or touches hide that's near tarsals or pissed on. Those individual wipes are good to have IMO.

Cordage: I usually take 7-8 5' long pieces in a small sandwich baggie. 4 for hanging the quarters, 2 in case I need to tie up a meat pole or leaning tree. I normally try to find a leaning tree to hang from though. Sometimes I cut a small notch to keep the rope from slipping down. 1-2 extra if I choose to not pack out all of the loose meat first trip.

Flagging tape. I usually don't take the whole roll, maybe half or less. I carry a GPS now but I killed a few bulls down in the timber with not very good landmarks. One year my GPS died on me. In those cases, I like to flag a path. Not every ten feet but something to get me back to the meat. Always remove the tape on the last trip out.

Game Bags: I use the normal TAG bags sized for elk. I picked up the BOMB TAG bags this year and plan to take a mix. Some kind of pack liner might be a good idea but I haven't used one yet.

I don't take a tarp. I put the meat straight into the game bags and lay them on some pine branches or downed logs until I hang them. I've never had a use for a pulley system or hatchet. I took pulleys on my fist elk hunt and not since. I also have a small light hatchet head that my grandfather gave me. You carve your own handle in the field. I leave it at home.

 

[mfllood3800]

I swapped out my tarp for Tyvek. If you have a partner you don't even need the Tyvek. I don't carry a saw or a hatchet, on some hunts just a havalon. I have a camp knife on me elsewhere for the ivory.
If I am bull hunting I will add the folding saw from Gerber

I switched out pullies for caribaners. Much Lighter and I carry 5 total ( 1 beefy one and 4 smaller ones) and 1- 50' of 550 paracord, and 4- 25' lengths of 550, and rig it up that way. I think I did see some really cool micro pullies Id like to try out but haven't pulled the trigger on the $$ spending yet.

I have one glow stick for hanging high at proximity if retrieving at night and the location justifies it.

Tag Bomb kit.
Flag tape

I might be missing something but I am only at a bit over 2 lbs due to the rope and tarp

If I hunt here in Utah, I wont usually carry as much 550 cord or the caribaners as I don't have too far to haul and not worried about bears ( meaning I can just hang them high enough to cool them down and not have to be above grizzlys reach) and my kit is barely over a lb.

Every scenario I do is slightly modified differently, not a lot but some.

Some guys would have the same kill kit no matter what, and then add other items in a separate pull out for other requirements, yet their basic kill kit remains basic.

 

[RoJo]

My current kit, nothing unusual here:

- TAG BOMB kit
- Contractor bag
- 50 ft. ironwire
- Havalon & blades
- Nitrile gloves
- Flagging tape

All in a cuben fiber stuff sack.

 

[Napperm4]

Thanks for the reply. Will be interested in the actual weight when you get a chance to measure it. The listings I saw had the Destrude21 at 14.6 oz. and the Boreal21 at 17.6 oz. I do like the Boreal21 construction and blade selection. Decisions, decisions.....

Got the Boreal today. 17.1 OZ on my scale with 2 blades and no sheath so pretty much as advertised. Quality on it seems awesome. I'm off to Indonesia for 10 days but I plan to abuse it when I get back.


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