Minimum pack size

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

What is the minimum pack size for a 3 day hunt? And 7 day?

 

[ohhiitznik]

I'd say I could get by with 2800 CI for 3 days, and 6000 CI for 7 days. But I have lightweight not bulky gear.

 

[JP100]

depends on the season and what im hunting. whether there is natural shelter(rock biv), a hut, take a fly or tent.
in the summer I could get away with a 2800 for a week. depends alot on what and where Im hunting though.
easy of you have no shelter or just a fly and take minimal food, hunt to eat.

Easiest way to save weight is have a smaller pack then you pack all the shit you dont need.

I just got a 6000 Kuiu pack and am amazed at how big it is. its freakin huge. Id never fill it up

 

[MuleyFever]

I had a 3000ci pack I could easily do a week with in the eary season. Cold weather would need more space.

 

[Justin Crossley]

What is the minimum pack size for a 3 day hunt? And 7 day?

For me it would depend on what I was hunting.

For deer in September, I can get away with about 3500-4000 c.i. If I'm hunting later in the year I may need a little more space for a bigger tent and more clothes.

For elk, I use at least 6000 c.i. because I don't want to take a bunch of extra trips packing out.

Honestly I prefer to just take a big pack all the time (at least 6000 c.i.) so I don't have to fight with loading it. The only time I prefer a smaller pack is when I'm scouting and I know I won't be packing meat.

 

[luke moffat]

What is the minimum pack size for a 3 day hunt? And 7 day?

Depends on how, when, where, and what you are hunting. How much of that animal you plan to take (bear just the hide or hide and meat), ungulate just the meat, or antlers and meat, or hide horns and meat.

Ones need for 3 day alpine deer hunt on Kodiak in August is much different than a 7 day sheep hunt with packrafts in the Brooks range in September. If I was just hunting black bears and planning on only taking the hide out and putting the hide in a meat shelf portion of the pack (between pack and frame), then one could easily get by with a 3000 cu in pack.

All that said most quality large cubic inch packbags compress down so small and compact when not using all the space and the weight savings between a 2000 cubic inch pack and a 7000 cubic in pack is less then a pound. Just buy the large pack and save the money to shave a pound of weight elsewhere. Extra space in your pack is a non-issue if you just only pack what you need anyways and it compresses down to avoid a shifting load.

 

[R Miller]

Depends on how, when, where, and what you are hunting. How much of that animal you plan to take (bear just the hide or hide and meat), ungulate just the meat, or antlers and meat, or hide horns and meat.

Ones need for 3 day alpine deer hunt on Kodiak in August is much different than a 7 day sheep hunt with packrafts in the Brooks range in September. If I was just hunting black bears and planning on only taking the hide out and putting the hide in a meat shelf portion of the pack (between pack and frame), then one could easily get by with a 3000 cu in pack.

All that said most quality large cubic inch packbags compress down so small and compact when not using all the space and the weight savings between a 2000 cubic inch pack and a 7000 cubic in pack is less then a pound. Just buy the large pack and save the money to shave a pound of weight elsewhere. Extra space in your pack is a non-issue if you just only pack what you need anyways and it compresses down to avoid a shifting load.

Luke is wise, the answer is 7000...for me

 

[chippewawarrior]

I totally agree with Luke, always the advocate for a large bag! He has convinced me to go big or go home. So, it's a Kifaru BHC7000 for me. It's the, "you can't make your bag bigger" theory, but smaller is no problem? Compressed you wouldn't be able to tell me the difference between mine and a smaller bag. I use it whether I'm hunting whitetails here in WI, or chasing elk in CO...

 

[Buster]

I totally agree with Luke, always the advocate for a large bag! He has convinced me to go big or go home. So, it's a Kifaru BHC7000 for me. It's the, "you can't make your bag bigger" theory, but smaller is no problem? Compressed you wouldn't be able to tell me the difference between mine and a smaller bag. I use it whether I'm hunting whitetails here in WI, or chasing elk in CO...

Luke got to me too. I run the same set up, even on a day hunt. I'm a little over optimistic, but the plan is to fill it by the time I'm on my way home.

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

Good advice. I tend to subscribe to Luke's bigger is better logic too I was just curious where the rest of you are at on it.

 

[amp713]

Im on the line of want an EMR but can afford an EMR so ill use my HC4800 with pockets and pouches....

 

[marc]

I am hoping that the EXO 3500 will bet me by for all my elk bowhunting. I always plan for 7 days then a walk back out to the truck to get another 7 days of food and a shower. If this pack works out I will be adding the 5500 bag for colder weather hunts.

 

[MuleyFever]

After using a 3000 for a couple seasons I have to say the DT1 is way easier to load. On short trips it is nice to be able to just toss stuff in and not worry about space at all. On hunts I know now that I will have the room to be able to get my meat back with my gear. I know some people say they take too much if they have too much space but I lay out only what I need and then throw it in and go.

 

[larryschwartz]

live2hunt,

I know that several have already given you insight into what they use but the real answer is WE CAN'T TELL YOU, and here is why.

Everyones gear is different due to their size and what they use. Clothing alone for an XL could be 200-500 ci more than for someone who is a size L or M. Sleeping bags and shelters are another example of wide ranges in volume and weight. The best way for you to answer your question is to lay out your gear (day hunt and camp setup) in cube and measure its volume. You now know how much the gear you always take will require. Do the same for your food and other consumables for three days and then for seven days. Add together the always take number with the consumables number and you will have your answer. Add 10-15% extra for the unexpected and you have a number to work with.

Larry

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

Thanks Larry. I'm not trying to copy someone else, I'm mostly curious to see if the ballpark figures are fairly consistent.

 

[Sawtoothsteve]

When answering this question (especially those of you using the smaller packs) are you putting everything inside your pack, or lashing items to the outside (eg. sleeping back, shelter, etc.)?

 

[MuleyFever]

When using a 3000ci pack I would carry my tent and pad on the outside of the bag.

 

[Sawtoothsteve]

Thanks Muley

 

[tttoadman]

I have a SG 3300. I found I could run 4 days for deer in Oct with everything in the bag. When I stepped up to elk in Nov, I had to move the tent outside in a dry bag. For anything around 7 days and up, I look like the Beverly Hillbillys. I could open the pack and use the load shelf, but I can keep it a little tighter on my back with bags on the side.

 

[Hunt'nFish]

Like others have said, there are many variables that would make it hard to recommend a particular size pack. How, what & where you hunt, not to mention others.

Normally for most of us in the lower 48, food is the only difference between a 3day hunt & a 7day hunt.
Factors like gear bulk... size of kill kit, spotter & tripod or not, chosen sleep system & shelter (goose down vs synthetic bag), type of rain gear, preferences on clothes (spare change or not), water availability, all have a huge impact on required pack space.
The only safe recommendation is "larger will always get the job done".

I personally subscribe to the modular pack setup, and will add or subtract pack components to meet the needs of the hunt, as the hunt changes. I don't tend to put meat inside my pack but rather on the back, so I don't need a huge pack body to put meat into. I don't like hunting w/ a tall frame on my back impeding my head clearance, so many times I tend to leave the frame in camp, preferring to hunt w/ just a glorified suspension harness & a small lumbar pack. I do however have a very strong desire & need to get a first load back to camp and employ what I call "meat straps" that buckle on the back of the suspension harness to get that first load out, adding the frame for subsequent loads.

I know this pack style is not your typical setup, but it's what I prefer.
Hunt'nFish