Longest, hardest, most logistically difficult solo packout?

[Poser]

I did 9.5 miles solo one way, from 11k feet, with a 45 lb gear layout at the start (packed out on day 3). Raghorn bull. It was mostly on trail, but it was a rough trail. Probably a thousand feet of vert over that 9.5mi with a net loss. I packed it plus my gear out in about 15 hours. The meat was bone in. I didn't pack the hide.

Probably one of the hardest things I've endured for that amount of time on feet.

With it being that fast, overnight low of 40s and daytime high of 60, starting the packout at 7:30AM, I had no issues with meat spoilage.

Planning on hitting an area that is around 15 in at some point.... But I'll have to get in better shape for that.

You did 2 trips with the meat?


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[5MilesBack]

Packing and even hunting in October can be a heck of a lot more difficult than doing it in September, regardless of the distance and elevation changes. Everything is more difficult when it's colder and there's snow involved. Good luck.

 

[Poser]

Packing and even hunting in October can be a heck of a lot more difficult than doing it in September, regardless of the distance and elevation changes. Everything is more difficult when it's colder and there's snow involved. Good luck.

Packing and even hunting in October can be a heck of a lot more difficult than doing it in September, regardless of the distance and elevation changes. Everything is more difficult when it's colder and there's snow involved. Good luck.

This is true. In the Southwest, it’s just as likley to be warm and dry in Oct as it is to be gaiter- worthy snow. However, it’s Snowed in the high country every day for the last week with the shortest summer in recent history, just 2 months without snow and still large snowfields From last winter on north facing slopes.


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[Idaboy]

Ask this guy, OregonSteeler

Pack-out photos.

rokslide.com

Great photo

 

[Ucsdryder]

I just don’t see 2 trips with an elk. It always seems do-able on paper, but with a pack full of stuff (water, food, kill kit, optics, weapon, first aid, extra clothes, misc gear) adding a front quarter, hind quarter, trim meat for load 1, then 2 quarters and head for load 2, just doesn’t paper. I’ve done 2 fronts and a hind on a cow along with day hunt gear and about gave up on life. So figure 3 trips. Then start adding miles. Down hill, trail, etc make a big difference. Any kind of deadfall makes it suck fast.

 

[HighUintas]

You did 2 trips with the meat?


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Shuttled it in 2 loads so that all my meat and gear was in a cooler/closer spot at 6-6.5mi out, and then did 2 loads back to the vehicle. but yea it was all done in 2 loads. It was the most painful thing I've experienced on my hips and shoulders for sure.

I have an exo 6400... But I truthfully don't remember how exactly I packed it all in my pack for 2 loads. It was very tight and awkward.

I hope to get a repeat this October! But I may do 3 loads instead.

 

[tkhuntsman]

How far, how much elevation, % off trail, number of days? Difficulty on a scale of 1-10 and could you do harder?

Attempting to reconcile with my solo elk hunt plans next month. In the past, I’ve always had a 2-3 partners with me and packouts in the area we hunt have been absolutely brutal, multiday affairs with lots of logistics. I have a plan to execute this solo, but a pack out will take me to the absolute limit.

My worst solo pack out was mostly uphill 1.25 miles on a north slope in the rain in Oct. Lots of blow down no trail in the dark did it in 3 trips. Honestly the logistics depend on your conditioning and mental fortitude. I've done as far as 7 miles in a single trip with 2 friends and 4 miles with 1 in 2 trips. Get acclimated, stay in shape and don't let your body talk your brain out of it. If it takes 2 days and a dozen trips so be it that's elk hunting and part of the experience enjoy every minute and revel in your success because your a 10%er.

 

[tkhuntsman]

I just don’t see 2 trips with an elk. It always seems do-able on paper, but with a pack full of stuff (water, food, kill kit, optics, weapon, first aid, extra clothes, misc gear) adding a front quarter, hind quarter, trim meat for load 1, then 2 quarters and head for load 2, just doesn’t paper. I’ve done 2 fronts and a hind on a cow along with day hunt gear and about gave up on life. So figure 3 trips. Then start adding miles. Down hill, trail, etc make a big difference. Any kind of deadfall makes it suck fast.

Yeah solo it's at least 3 no matter how far your going.

 

[Geewhiz]

These threads always end up as a weiner measuring contest but I suppose ill contribute anyway since I think my weiner is longer.

My worst solo pack was a bull killed at 7:39 in the evening. A big body sonofagun. I packed all night and got the last of it to the truck at about 6:30 AM. I carried 288lbs of elk split between 3 loads in addition to my weapon and base pack weight. I walked 15.2 miles that day. No, I do not think I could do harder. I did not think I could do that, but I was hours from service and the weather was forecast to be 84* the following day so I felt that I didnt have a choice. All off trail. Almost all down hill on the out trip. Almost exactly 1000 ft elevation gain going back in.

Shear exhaustion.

 

[InkedElkSlayer]

These threads always end up as a weiner measuring contest but I suppose ill contribute anyway since I think my weiner is longer.

My worst solo pack was a bull killed at 7:39 in the evening. A big body sonofagun. I packed all night and got the last of it to the truck at about 6:30 AM. I carried 288lbs of elk split between 3 loads in addition to my weapon and base pack weight. I walked 15.2 miles that day. No, I do not think I could do harder. I did not think I could do that, but I was hours from service and the weather was forecast to be 84* the following day so I felt that I didnt have a choice. All off trail. Almost all down hill on the out trip. Almost exactly 1000 ft elevation gain going back in.

 

[Geewhiz]

Well, that’s the thing. Previous packouts with 2 people have taken 3 full days. Three 9 hour days where we were wrecked, + an another part of a day to get meat out on a trail.

Previous (one bull) packouts with 3 people, took 2 full days + part of another day to get down a trail. We went in one year with 4 guys, 2 tags, but weren’t successful that year. It wasn’t the mileage so much as the off piste terrain with one 1.5 mile section in particular taking 4 hours.

So for me, I need to manage roughly that same timeline solo and carry twice the weight. If I use previous packouts with 2 people as a metric, then I’m looking at 6 days. We went a bit on the light side due to the technical nature of the terrain and then hauled the trail portion carrying 1/2 an elk each. I’m gonna have to suck it up on that technical terrain and carry heavier loads even if it means 12 hour days.

Since we’ve first started hunting back in there, I’ve been in and out 30+ times at this point, so I’d like to think familiarity is an advantage over the earlier years packing out, but I also know I’ve hit some DEEP pain cave moments on those 2 and 3 man packouts in the past. Part of me wants to know if I can pull it off. Part of me hopes I don’t find out…. One area in there requires a 1800 foot climb to get out and crosses over 12,500. There’s no easier way to get out out by going down. I’m sure there are people who have done harder packouts, but I’m also sure I won’t ever do a harder packout.

I will speak for myself here along with anybody else who wants to be honest and say that humping an elk up 1800 ft, solo, on any kind of a timeline, would be dang near impossible.

If you can do it, you're far more of a man that me.

 

[kodyshriver]

Worst one for me was in the bottom of a canyon, 2k to the top & then 4 rolling miles back to the truck. 4 loads to get to the top, then two loads along the ridge line. The bull also died in the creek in the bottom, and sometime mid-packout I developed terrible trench foot. I was training to be a rescue swimmer in the USCG at the time & in great shape—but I was in tears from pain on the way out. I focus on mule deer now!

 

[Ridge Runner]

I've done lots of heavy long ones the greatest being 12 miles but all on a trail which wasn't a big deal. By far the most challenging was 1/3 of my buddies elk (104 lbs weighed) for 4 miles down hill. Lots of big blow down and so steep couldn't stop on my feet or they would shoot out from under me. Had a bull on the pack out walk in to 8 yds and my hunting buddies begged me not to shoot it (i didn't). Terrain is much more an issue than distance. And nothing sucks much more than blow down.

 

[Sawtoothsteve]

Longest was 6 miles out 3000k vertical downhill.
Toughest was starting at 5:00AM going 3000k vertical up, hunting all day and then taking bull just before dark. First load out in the dark, cliffed out multiple times, arrived back to camp at 4:14AM next day. Did that one at 50 year old. Age made that one the worst!

 

[Idaboy]

How far, how much elevation, % off trail, number of days? Difficulty on a scale of 1-10 and could you do harder?

Attempting to reconcile with my solo elk hunt plans next month. In the past, I’ve always had a 2-3 partners with me and packouts in the area we hunt have been absolutely brutal, multiday affairs with lots of logistics. I have a plan to execute this solo, but a pack out will take me to the absolute limit.

This is not a question anyone can answer except you. Weather, location, blow-down vs open mature forest, scree rock, water nearby, can meat stay there cool for a few days vs need to get off the mountain, timeframe for your hunt, heat, rain/snow slick mtn, personal fitness, personal safety, day 1 vs last day of hunt etc, etc.
One needs to know whats they can personally and reasonably do. If you had never packed elk before then would take pause on solo, but it appears you are familiar with the process, so just have an honest discussion with yourself and "a plan" for various locations and scenarios, and you "will know".....it's really doesn't matter what anyone else has done or not done, it's what you feel you can reasonably do.

 

[MJB]

Take it one trip at a time!

That's what gets me motivated.......I like to make two trips out with meat then the last one for the rack or camp.

If you have done this hunt before you already know that plan just suck it up and get it done!