Make My Pack More Efficient

[gexpro]

What app or format did you use to make this list?

Excel, google docs, or numbers for mac work very well

 

[tdot]

As others have said. It's a solid list. You're definitely getting into the finer details to drop weight. But there's always room to cut!

Things I'd consider.

- Lose the Suunto watch, iPhone has a compass and clock on it.
- consider another battery pack, for 10,000mAh, you could be closer to 6oz. I make my own from a Nitecore F2 and two 21700 batteries (this makes a larger difference if you need two battery packs)
- take Kestrel Ovis and strip the handle off of it, wrap it in paracord and save 2oz. I field prepped my elk and one of my bears this year with the same knife. I didn't miss the scales. Kestrel also makes a lighter sheath, which saves roughly an ounce
- swap out the VA5 head for an RRS BPC-16, save a bunch of oz for $150ish
- swap headlamp to a Nightforce NU25 with a lightweight headstrap from Lightsmith, saves about 1.5oz
- swap Nalgene for a Smart water bottle and swap the Steripen for a gravity filter and the water bladder for a source 2l, you'll save close to half a pound.
- lose the rifle cover
- lose the ammo case, wrap the spare bullets in an elastic band or hair tie.
- do you need a windchecker? You're rifle hunting.
- toothbrush cut down?

 

[FrankAbagnale]

What app or format did you use to make this list?

Yeah I just used excel. If you want the sheet, shoot me a message with your email and I'll send it over.

 

[FrankAbagnale]

As others have said. It's a solid list. You're definitely getting into the finer details to drop weight. But there's always room to cut!

Things I'd consider.

- Lose the Suunto watch, iPhone has a compass and clock on it.
- consider another battery pack, for 10,000mAh, you could be closer to 6oz. I make my own from a Nitecore F2 and two 21700 batteries (this makes a larger difference if you need two battery packs)
- take Kestrel Ovis and strip the handle off of it, wrap it in paracord and save 2oz. I field prepped my elk and one of my bears this year with the same knife. I didn't miss the scales. Kestrel also makes a lighter sheath, which saves roughly an ounce
- swap out the VA5 head for an RRS BPC-16, save a bunch of oz for $150ish
- swap headlamp to a Nightforce NU25 with a lightweight headstrap from Lightsmith, saves about 1.5oz
- swap Nalgene for a Smart water bottle and swap the Steripen for a gravity filter and the water bladder for a source 2l, you'll save close to half a pound.
- lose the rifle cover
- lose the ammo case, wrap the spare bullets in an elastic band or hair tie.
- do you need a windchecker? You're rifle hunting.
- toothbrush cut down?

All good ideas! I'll so some researching on these.

 

[FrankAbagnale]

I'm throwing around the idea of not bringing my spotting scope. We are going to be in a pretty thick area and I don't think we will have the option to glass much further than 1,000 yards. Never been there though so it's really hard to say.

Any thoughts on spotter for this hunt? Mine comes in at 2.7 lbs.

 

[gexpro]

I'm throwing around the idea of not bringing my spotting scope. We are going to be in a pretty thick area and I don't think we will have the option to glass much further than 1,000 yards. Never been there though so it's really hard to say.

Any thoughts on spotter for this hunt? Mine comes in at 2.7 lbs.

Hard to beat a KOWA 553, for its weight and size / glass quality. However the FOV is slightly narrow.

I’d say anything lightweight that’s 65mm and under for your application, given you have plenty of open country to glass.. if it’s too thick, stick with the bino’s.

 

[tdot]

I'm throwing around the idea of not bringing my spotting scope. We are going to be in a pretty thick area and I don't think we will have the option to glass much further than 1,000 yards. Never been there though so it's really hard to say.

Any thoughts on spotter for this hunt? Mine comes in at 2.7 lbs.

Anything beyond about 500 yards I'd consider a spotter, especially in steep country where you can't close the gap easily. Bears have a funny way of becoming black indistinguishable blobs at distance.

 

[FrankAbagnale]

Anything beyond about 500 yards I'd consider a spotter, especially in steep country where you can't close the gap easily. Bears have a funny way of becoming black indistinguishable blobs at distance.

Good point for sure. I think we may be glassing around 700ish yards at the furthest.

 

[Rokwiia]

Man yeah there are supposed to be grizz in the area. You definitely make a good point though. I'm not sure how quickly I could get my gun off my pack, a bullet loaded, and fire if a grizz was coming at me.

If I ditch the bear spray, gun cover, and pack cover that would save 19.58 oz. So that is a pretty big deal.

Excellent job compiling your gear and objectively evaluating it. If in grizzly territory, I would never ditch the bear spray.

 

[hikenhunt]

Good point for sure. I think we may be glassing around 700ish yards at the furthest.

Bears are usually pretty active when they are out and about. At 700 yards you will be able to tell if you're looking at a bear with most any binos. Now if you're looking for a certain size, then a spotter would definitely be helpful.

 

[prm]

Looks pretty good to me. I’ve spent years refining my pack and gear and most options I see are choices rather than needs.

• I would not take a spotter for viewing to only 700yds. 10x binos on a light tripod are very capable.
• I’d personally switch to Peak Refuel meals. Just taste much better to me. At least make it a variety.
• Absolutely add a second headlamp
• Have a compass, not phone.
• I love the R1 around the house, but for the mountains I much prefer something light, yet blocks wind. For me it’s the Kuiu Peleton 240
• No mention of trauma kit. Something to ease pain and something to stop bleeding.
• You mention fire and don’t know if that means a starter like Trioxane.
• For food, thats a lot of food. Though the weight seems appropriate. I get the caloric intake too, but my guess is you'll end up with a lot of left over food. Depends on level of effort each day too. I would say take three packages of Green Belly bars and eat one bar each day (there are two per pack). I pack similar to what you have, and I always end up with a lot of food left over.
• A couple of small powdered hydration/electrolyte packs can come in handy on warm pack outs.

 

[FrankAbagnale]

Looks pretty good to me. I’ve spent years refining my pack and gear and most options I see are choices rather than needs.

• I would not take a spotter for viewing to only 700yds. 10x binos on a light tripod are very capable.
• I’d personally switch to Peak Refuel meals. Just taste much better to me. At least make it a variety.
• Absolutely add a second headlamp
• Have a compass, not phone.
• I love the R1 around the house, but for the mountains I much prefer something light, yet blocks wind. For me it’s the Kuiu Peleton 240
• No mention of trauma kit. Something to ease pain and something to stop bleeding.
• You mention fire and don’t know if that means a starter like Trioxane.
• For food, thats a lot of food. Though the weight seems appropriate. I get the caloric intake too, but my guess is you'll end up with a lot of left over food. Depends on level of effort each day too. I would say take three packages of Green Belly bars and eat one bar each day (there are two per pack). I pack similar to what you have, and I always end up with a lot of food left over.
• A couple of small powdered hydration/electrolyte packs can come in handy on warm pack outs.

Really appreciate the advice.

I'm still definitely thinking of leaving the spotter. I hate the idea of a redundant headlamp but I'll put some thought into it.

I agree with the R1. I really do like it when I'm hiking but it does not stop the wind. I have a 240 vest but I may pick up the zip up jacket.

The biggest thing with food for me is being a type 1 diabetic. I just always fear not having something to eat if my blood sugar needs it.

 

[prm]

I had a very dark and rainy night in an area of the Rockies I was unfamiliar with. On my way back towards camp solo, maybe 3mi away, a massive rain/thunder storm rolled in. One headlamp failed in the rain and I didn't have a GPS. I knew the general direction towards camp. That extra light to see my way through downfalls, steep embankments, etc. and a compass to keep me headed in the right direction were critical. I now have a Silva compass tied into my pack and I always have two headlamps. It's also a pain to replace batteries in a headlamp on a zero moon night. But easy with a second light! Those were pre-cell phone. While a good cell offers some capability, and I do use the GPS/Maps, there is zero chance I am trusting one to get me out of a bind.

I hear you with the food. I just thought the two Green Belly's would be quite a bit. I knew not to reduce the periodic snacks.

 

[FrankAbagnale]

I had a very dark and rainy night in an area of the Rockies I was unfamiliar with. On my way back towards camp solo, maybe 3mi away, a massive rain/thunder storm rolled in. One headlamp failed in the rain and I didn't have a GPS. I knew the general direction towards camp. That extra light to see my way through downfalls, steep embankments, etc. and a compass to keep me headed in the right direction were critical. I now have a Silva compass tied into my pack and I always have two headlamps. It's also a pain to replace batteries in a headlamp on a zero moon night. But easy with a second light! Those were pre-cell phone. While a good cell offers some capability, and I do use the GPS/Maps, there is zero chance I am trusting one to get me out of a bind.

I hear you with the food. I just thought the two Green Belly's would be quite a bit. I knew not to reduce the periodic snacks.

Good point! I’m definitely leaning towards one bar per morning as well.

 

[Christian1556]

Going on an Idaho bear hunt the end of May and I'm trying to dial in my pack for 6 days out. Any suggestions are definitely appreciated. I'm still trying to figure out my food situation so I'll post that once I do the math.

Couple side notes--I'm going with my brother and he is carrying the tent and stakes. I'm carrying the tarp which we will use as a ground cloth/rain shelter. I'm also a type 1 diabetic so I have an extra almost pound in diabetic supplies. I also can't leave my battery pack because my insulin pump will probably need charged.

The thing that stands out to me the most would be my weapon weight. I use the Hatch Outwest Bipod which definitely has a weight penalty but came in clutch in MT last year.

What I'm Wearing In
Danner Boots
Darn Tough Socks
Exofficio Boxers
Sitka Timberline Pants
Icebreaker Merino T-Shirt
Patagonia Cap3 Long Sleeve Shirt
Patagonia R1 Hoodie
Hat
Suunto Core Watch
Marsupial Gear Bino Harness with Rangefinder Pouch
Zeiss Conquest HD 10x42 Bino
Sig Kilo 850 Rangefinder
Wind Checker
BD Alpine Carbon Cork Trekking Poles
Ear Protection

Pack
Mystery Ranch Metcalf	91.2	146.06
Mystery Ranch Rain Fly	3.67
Garmin inReach Mini	4
Bear Spray	11
Nalgene Water Bottle	3.99
1L of Water	32.2
Optics Carried in Pack
Siruui Tripod and VA5 Head	45.54	89.77
Leupold 12-40x60 with Adapter	44.23
Clothes Packed
Stone Glaciar Grumman Puffy Coat	11.8	49.78
Montbell Down Pants	14.1
Sitka Cloudburst Rain Jacket	17.6
Darn Tough Socks x 2	6.28
Sleep System
Thermarest NeoAir xTherm Sleeping Pad	15.91	46.05
Western Mountaineering Caribou	21
Exped Small Pillow	1.69
Borah Gear 6 x 9 Tarp	7.45
Medical/Random
Kifaru Medium Pouch	0.85	27.82
Med/Battery/Teeth/Aqua Mira/Fire	7.44
Diabetes Supplies	8.19
Glucose Tablets Tube x 3	5.7
Toilet Paper w/Ziploc	5.64
Kill Kit
Argali High Country Game Bags	9	16.34
Paracord	0.53
Latex Gloves x 2	0.95
Kestrel Ovis Hunter	3.7
Kestrel Mountain Scalpel	0.92
Pen with Electrical Tape	0.39
Kifaru Medium Pouch	0.85
Electronics
Dark Energy Posidon	8.96	13.05
Spot Headlamp	2.89
iPhone Charging Cord	0.7
Insulin Pump/inReach Charging Cord	0.5
Misc.
Z Pad Seat	2.1	9.74
SteriPen Ultra UV Purifier	4.94
HydraPak Seeker 2L	2.7
Cook Kit
Sea to Summit Long Spork	0.42	17.97
MSR Pocket Rocket	4.06
Snow Peak Ti-Solo Pot	5.68
4 oz Fuel Canister	7.4
Small Bic Lighter	0.41
Weapon
Tikka T3x Lite Veil Alpine	160.42	174.99
10 Bullets with Pouch	9.74
GoHunt Gun Cover	4.83

Total Gear (oz)	416.58	26.04	Pack Weight w/o Food Lbs)
Total Food (oz)			Food Weight (lbs)
Weapon Weight (oz)	174.99	10.94	Weapon Weight (Lbs)
Total Carry Weight (Lbs)	36.97

Looks pretty dialed in man. Good luck

 

[codyadams]

The best way I have found to drop weight on the weapon support system, is to ditch the bipod, get a small arca rail on the bottom of your stock, and then use your tripod for support, it is much more versatile for shooting positions and hard terrain, and takes away the weight of your bipod.

Other than that, looks good!

 

[codyadams]

Also, I know the struggle of type 1, my wife is type 1, we always take a solar battery pack, a little over a lb, plus all the extra supplies for the dexcom and tandem pump. Honey sticks bring her up fast and are light/small too, she hates the glucose tabs. I also always carry a couple of the emergency glucose pens in my pack too. It's ALWAYS a stress in the back country when your multiple hours from any help, so that is somewhere I allow excess, likely (and hopefully) unneeded weight.

 

[tdot]

Good point for sure. I think we may be glassing around 700ish yards at the furthest.

That's an awkward distance, so close to not needing a spotter. Here's a few other questions.

How's your eyesight? 20/20 or better, no need for a spotter, otherwise it's still a maybe.

Do you just want a bear? No spotter. Chasing something specific? Then take the spotter.

Are you an experienced bear hunter? If not, sometimes its worth having a spotter just for watching the Bears to learn how they move and getting a better judge of the size.

And props to you for getting out in the backcountry with diabetes. That's awesome.

 

[Samf333]

gear list looks solid man. really cant get much lighter unless you go very minimalistic for sleep systems, or a new rifle/optic to get you sub 7lbs.. but that's where financially; not really justifiable imo..

you can look into lighter alternative in spotter/tripod, like the new vortex summit carbon II, and a KOWA 553; which is what i will use this up coming season. Trust me, i love my sirui tripod with VA5.. however it is a bit of a tank.

Taking a look at your food menu, try to stay away from those high sugars; they'll jack your guts up after eating them every single day and cause bad inflammation in your joints. Look into more sustainable foods, dehydrator is your best friend at this point. start doing dehydrated fruits and bring nuts, proteins, cheeses, cooked bacon, etc. you'll thank yourself by day 4+ doing this. be mindful and keep that weight range per day for food around 1 - 1.5lbs

note - bring a spare headlamp. one is none, and two is one

Please dm me about the altitude knife I can’t send a em bc I just made my account

 

[Wyobohunter]

Why are you bringing bear spray on a rifle hunt? And ditch the gun cover. It's a Tikka. Other than that, you look dialed.

1- There will be a lot of times when the rifle isn’t handy. The spray can always be with him.
2- You don’t have to explain yourself in court if you spray a grizzly.
3- It’s way easier to use in a high stress, high stakes, split second situation than a rifle.

At least that’s how I roll.