"Lightweight" backpack hunting is an exercise in frustration. Total weight?

[Fish N Chips]

Every winter I "upgrade" gear and refine my list to save weight. I would be ultra-light to light for just backpacking, but hunting is a different beast. Kill kit, weapon and optics are the main difference. I am sitting around 39 lbs with food and water for 3-4 days. Base weight is around 20 lbs with optics. I just got some upgrades this year in sleeping bag and pack, so should save a few more lbs.

I think my biggest weight savings is not carrying my fears as Andrew Skurka says. Learning to take just what I need. Even my farthest in, the truck is never a life threatening distance away. I would probably carry more backup gear on a float or fly-in trip.

My largest struggle is I am a gear junkie, I love toys. I have to work hard to avoid the last minute toss in. I find a gear list and weighing gear really helps to show what is excess and makes me pause to consider if an item is worth the weight.

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[rcrfc]

...My largest struggle is I am a gear junkie, I love toys. I have to work hard to avoid the last minute toss in.

That damn "last minute toss in"...gets me every time!

 

[SWOHTR]

The other end of the spectrum is to work to get stronger instead of solely paring weight down.


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[Hall256]

The other end of the spectrum is to work to get stronger instead of solely paring weight down.


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Now that's just crazy talk...

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[Akicita]

72 lbs - 10 Day Colorado High Country Load out with 8 days of food (20 lbs), rifle (12.5 lbs). 1.5 liters of water (3.3 lbs)

Net gear weight "36 lbs (+/- a few depending on what I am wearing on approach or egress)

 

[Owenst7]

The other end of the spectrum is to work to get stronger instead of solely paring weight down.


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I'm able to hunt deeper, faster, and with more concentration than I can when carrying a heavier backpack. I'd also rather be carrying 20 more lbs of meat on my way out than 20 lbs of shit I don't really need.

Being fat and weak is just as much a hinderance as carrying a dumb load. Not all that different from not having proper nutrition/hydration or using effective shelter and insulation. I scrutinize all of it because I want as few physical limitations on me out there as possible so I can focus on watching animals.

 

[Trial153]

I take what i need and dont worry about it....it is what it is. The only time weight may play a role is my analysis of the product pre purchase. Once i own it and if i need it with me i just take it....

 

[Gatorgrizz27]

I’m right there with you. Coming from a land where it doesn’t dip below freezing unexpectedly and having plenty of water, a 25 lb pack means you’re carrying luxury items like whiskey and a fresh steak.

Moving into the backpack hunting realm, getting a 7 day pack with optics and weapon below 40 lbs requires some serious work. There are a few tricks though where you don’t have to carry it all at once, or can find work arounds. Sort of like when we used to be young and broke and would write a check on the grocery store on Thursday because it wouldn’t clear until payday on Friday. A lot of it depends on your hunting style and distance from your spike camp or truck.

If you’re packing out an elk by yourself, that means multiple trips, so something like the KUIU Ultra 1800 or 3000 pack to hunt out of plus a boned out game bag is all you need to carry. First trip back to the truck is your hunting gear plus backstraps, tenderloins, and neck roasts. When you get to the truck, grab a freighter pack and game bags instead.

On the optics side of things, I’m currently working on a tripod system that utilizes a pair of trekking poles that I carry anyways, plus a monopod with a pan head. It should add less than 1.25 lbs to my pack weight, but be very functional. One thing I haven’t seen guys do is use something like the outdoorsman’s window mount attached to the top of their pack frame and glassing off that rather than carrying a separate tripod. The Kifaru frames have a horizontal piece of metal between the load lifters that would work perfectly.

Another piece of gear that seems like a game changer is the enlightened equipment 20 degree quilt. At 1.4 lbs, it weighs less that many jackets, and can replace your sleeping bag as well as double as an insulation layer while glassing.

Finally, I don’t really subscribe to the “weigh everything you wear” philosophy. A pair of binoculars around my neck or 5 lb boots compared to 1 lb trail runners, sure I can notice the difference. But a 2 oz knife in my back pocket, sunglasses on top of my hat, or wearing a 16 oz jacket compared to a 12 oz one aren’t noticeable enough to worry about if they are evenly distributed and not contributing to your pack weight.

 

[arwhntr]

I feel the pain. Lightweight hunting will never be as "light" as lightweight climbing. Hunters just have to accept that since there is SO much additional gear involved. Ultralight hunting is something I constantly try to improve on. I wrote up a gear list for an early season archery elk hunt this summer. You can see items, weights, totals here: Ultralight-Hunting-Pack-List . Total gear a little over 32 lbs but not including food and water.

It's definitely vital to eliminate all luxury items, I've now even cut my stove out and only pack in dry food. If you're at 45 lbs (although not sure how much food and water you are carrying) I would say you are ahead of most people and doing quite well.

I think there is a couple of pounds you could eliminate super easily by changing your pack. 7 pounds empty is really heavy.

 

[Gatorgrizz27]

I feel the pain. Lightweight hunting will never be as "light" as lightweight climbing. Hunters just have to accept that since there is SO much additional gear involved. Ultralight hunting is something I constantly try to improve on. I wrote up a gear list for an early season archery elk hunt this summer. You can see items, weights, totals here: Ultralight-Hunting-Pack-List . Total gear a little over 32 lbs but not including food and water.

It's definitely vital to eliminate all luxury items, I've now even cut my stove out and only pack in dry food. If you're at 45 lbs (although not sure how much food and water you are carrying) I would say you are ahead of most people and doing quite well.

I think there is a couple of pounds you could eliminate super easily by changing your pack. 7 pounds empty is really heavy.

Thanks for the gear list. I’ve seen quite a few, but yours is by far the most similar to mine, both in terms of specific items and overall strategy.

My goal is a 40 lb pack heading into camp, and 20 lb day hunting pack weight, both including a 6 lb muzzleloader and my binoculars.

One area where you could save 8 oz with no comfort compromise is switching the jetboil out for something like the BRS stove and Toaks 550 Titanium pot. The only caveat being if the jetboil is efficient enough that another stove would require an additional fuel canister for the same length trip.

My trekking pole tripod system seems to be working well so far and would also cut about 12 oz off of your current tripod. I’ll post a tutorial once I do a bit more testing on it if anyone is interested.

 

[PredatorX]

I'd definitely like to see how you rigged up that tripod!

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[RockWest]

Thanks for the gear list. I’ve seen quite a few, but yours is by far the most similar to mine, both in terms of specific items and overall strategy.

My goal is a 40 lb pack heading into camp, and 20 lb day hunting pack weight, both including a 6 lb muzzleloader and my binoculars.

One area where you could save 8 oz with no comfort compromise is switching the jetboil out for something like the BRS stove and Toaks 550 Titanium pot. The only caveat being if the jetboil is efficient enough that another stove would require an additional fuel canister for the same length trip.

My trekking pole tripod system seems to be working well so far and would also cut about 12 oz off of your current tripod. I’ll post a tutorial once I do a bit more testing on it if anyone is interested.

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I'd love to see some more pics of that trekking pole bipod adapter! Looks like a really slick concept.

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[chindits]

OP I don’t understand why your empty pack is so heavy. Lots of lighter framed options out there.

I like glass because i am looking at horns. Even so, I don’t carry what you carry. When scouting I will carry just a monocular and sometimes a spotter. When hunting I will carry a range finder and sometimes a spotter but never all 3.

The rest is just planning around what you need versus what you want.

 

[Kootenay Hunter]

out of curiosity, is there any gear in these said light weight kits related to hunting around large predators (grizzlies)? i'm thinking bear spray, gear to string up attractants, etc.

Everyone has different requirements. I would rather suffer with a few extra pounds hiking in/out to ensure a good nights sleep. Personally to me, a good sleep is paramount to good hunting performance. To each their own.

I do see value in rooting out redundant gear and over-the-top 'what if' stuff.

 

[ColeKira]

I've been training with a much heavier pack that what I will actually carry. Jedi mind tricks. Kind of like wearing 2 condoms all day then taking one off before you bag a skank.

 

[chindits]

Well I rarely weigh my pack but I did for this one just out of curiosity. 7 day pack a 5 day hunt. I think only one night will be below zero and the rest single digits. I cold camp but coffee and evening meals are hot so enough fuel for that.

42 pound pack including optics but not including rifle weight. I think food was 11 pounds. The only other thing I add when it’s really cold like sub zero would be bacon grease in my evening meals but that’s only a few grams I reckon.

As far as carrying a heavier pack because packing out an animal is a lot heavier. I disagree. I have trained hard most my life be it running, Nordic skiing or ruckmarches. At some age I realized that if I want to do what I like for as long as I can, I need to prioritize my activities and minimize the impacts to my joints and back.

 

[Burnt Reynolds]

I was at roughly 86lbs for a 12 day Alaska trip in '17. Many aspects of that hunt were made considerably worse because of two things: the weight of my kit and the weight of me. My poor feet suffered immensely and I lost 6 toenails. I'm planning on going back in '19 for 14 days.

While I've always been "fit" and could happily complete many demanding tasks (sprint triathlons, multiple 10k runs, 30 mile mtn. bike rides, etc) and have a great time doing so, my 2nd trip to Alaska revealed to me some major problems and I also had to face the fact that shit doesn't work quite as well as I age (I'm 41). While a guy can "tough" it out, particularly if he's younger - big trips can take a turn for the worse with a cavalier attitude for the details.

Since April of '17 I've lost 40 lbs, 22 lbs since my departure date for Alaska last year. When I reach my goal of 205 lbs I will have dropped about 65 lbs since 4/2017 and will weigh what I weighed in when I was an NCAA all american swimmer @ 20 years old.

With the weight loss thus far I've gotten to the minimum sizes for nearly all of my hunting apparel. So I've really started to scrutinize grams, ounces and pounds whenever I'm replacing something. Fortunately I've also got a fair amount of backcountry experience now and I'm able to cut out a lot of crap that just isn't necessary whereas I previously wasn't sure and my planning consisted of virtually every what-if scenario I could think of. If I were to do the same 12 day hunt tomorrow my pack (Mystery Ranch Marshall, gen 1) would be 58.6 lbs with water - ready to go. Between my fat loss and kit that I'm wearing weight loss I'd be 26 lbs lighter for a total weight loss of 53.4 lbs. My feet better thank me.

Some kit items will likely increase the overall weight (contemplating a move from Leica 18-48x62 spotter to 25-50x82), but that will be offset if I replace my NICE frame with a Guide Lite or get a new pack altogether. Further, I've got another 25 lbs to lose off my "fat belly" as my kids call it. I'm of the opinion of weigh everything. Even the tags you cut off your pack and so forth. It's amazing how quickly tenths of grams can add up and I allow myself to add back a luxury item like an extra coffee or two.

Realistically speaking I expect my pack to weigh 60lbs +/- for 14 days and me at 205 +/-. This would be a 73 lbs total difference than what I was prior to my '17 hunt. When I first calculated this out I practically crapped myself, it's like I was carrying a whole extra pack last year. In my opinion bulk is also important to control. While I haven't replaced the Marshall yet I probably should because I think I can fit everything into a 5500 inch bag which would yield even more weight savings. My elk hunt this year my pack was 43 lbs. for 5 days and was a dream to carry. Be prepared to smell at the end do without the snivel gear and light weight can be achieved. Will it be ultra light for hiking the PCT? No. Hunting equipment has weight, but it doesn't have to be too much weight. My 5 day pack was so much fun this year I felt like I could chase down elk on my feet lol. I was able to better hunt while in transit rather than just focusing on getting from point A to point B.

A good 15lbs scale is cheap. Buy one. Use it.

An additional point, the lions share of weight lost from my pack was achieved not by buying the best uber expensive stuff I could find but by leaving things behind altogether. While my budget allows for virtually anything I want, I scan the classified's daily because the thought of cutting up brand new high cost kit is difficult for me to swallow. Right now I've got less than $1k into various replacement items. That'll go way up if I replace my pack and get the bigger Leica spotter.

 

[JeffRaines]

Burnt hit the nail on the head - we should all be striving to reduce pack weight, and also reducing our weight as well as training.

You'll finally hit a point, however, that reducing the weight in your pack is going to cost more than its worth. Gear can only get so light.

I've found, for me, my 'diminishing returns' point is around 27-30 pounds. This is "base weight", not skin-out, so water and food not included. I can squeeze down to 25 in the early season, and it'll bulge up to 30-32 pounds in the late seasons with a heavier bag, pad, stove, clothing, etc. Also depends on optics - if I can get by without a spotter that saves quite a bit of weight.

 

[Jimss]

It's not too terribly hard to cut pack weight but a lot depends upon how comfortable you want to be. As an example, most hunters bring a stove plus fuel. If you think about it, it is possible to bring food that doesn't need cooking....especially if on short term trips. It's possible to leave a sleeping pad at home. My Neoair only weighs a few ouces so is it really worth not having it along and possibly not sleeping as comfortable at night? You can go through your entire pack list and figure out what items you actually use.

When I was cutting weight for my first sheep hunt I got a scale and weighed every item I considered bringing along. The items that were the heaviest were likely the items that were worth investing money to drop the most significant weight. You will likely find that your weapon of choice, tent, pack, optics (and tripod), and sleeping bags are the heaviest and bulkiest items on your list. It's getting tougher and tougher to refine this list as I've spent a lot of time researching and buying quality, light weight equipment.

As mentioned several times above, it definitely helps being in super shape for scouting and hunting trips. This becomes even more evident as you grow older!

 

[Gatorgrizz27]

It's not too terribly hard to cut pack weight but a lot depends upon how comfortable you want to be. As an example, most hunters bring a stove plus fuel. If you think about it, it is possible to bring food that doesn't need cooking....especially if on short term trips. It's possible to leave a sleeping pad at home. My Neoair only weighs a few ouces so is it really worth not having it along and possibly not sleeping as comfortable at night? You can go through your entire pack list and figure out what items you actually use.

When I was cutting weight for my first sheep hunt I got a scale and weighed every item I considered bringing along. The items that were the heaviest were likely the items that were worth investing money to drop the most significant weight. You will likely find that your weapon of choice, tent, pack, optics (and tripod), and sleeping bags are the heaviest and bulkiest items on your list. It's getting tougher and tougher to refine this list as I've spent a lot of time researching and buying quality, light weight equipment.

As mentioned several times above, it definitely helps being in super shape for scouting and hunting trips. This becomes even more evident as you grow older!

I know the “stoveless method” has become popular with thru hikers, but I’m not seeing the benefit assuming you dint have to carry the water for dehydrated meals. Mountain House Pro Paks come in at 4 oz for ~ 500 calories, easily bumped up by 250 calories with an oz of olive oil

A BRS stove at 0.9 oz plus a 4 oz MSR fuel canister at 8 oz totals 9 oz and will easily last 5+ days, even making coffee in addition to dinners.

All in, a 750 calorie dinner for sub 7 oz isn’t bad, not counting the benefits of a warm, filling meal. Sure, for a 2 day trip it makes sense to just eat a handful of trail mix and summer sausage for dinner, I could probably get away without a shelter or sleeping bag for a single night during archery season.

Not taking a sleeping pad works when it’s warm, but even at 40 degrees you’ll be better off taking a 1 lb pad than a heavier bag you’d need if you left the pad at home.

Hopefully guys concerned about weight to this degree have dialed in their gear to the point that everything is used except for survival equipment. That and my unused tag was the only “extra weight” this year, as I used my kill kit on my hunting partner’s bull.