Pack list opinions

[Timberghost]

Hey guys, would love to hear your opinions on where I should cut weight or if you think it's pretty good.
Me and my partner are headed in for the sheep opener in Alberta. I am carrying the tipi and stove to offset him carrying the rifle. Let me hear your thoughts.
Keep it together, rob.
Kuiu icon 7000​​​​ ​96 oz

Kuiu guide glove and Yukon glove​​ 7 oz

Kuiu super down hooded puffy​​​11 oz

Kuiu guide jacket​​​ ​24 oz

Kuiu chugach jacket ​​​​ 18 oz

Kuiu chugach pant​​​​ 13.5 oz

Kuiu guide and merino beanie​​​1.9 oz

Kuiu Yukon gaiters ​​​​ 12 oz

Smartwool merino sweater​​​ 16 oz

2 pair merino socks​​​​ 5 oz

Icebreaker 200 weight long underwear​​ 6.9 oz

Vivo barefoot ultra (camp shoes)​​ 8 oz

2 doo rags ​​​​​ 2.1 oz

Camp towel ​​​​​ 5 oz

Kuiu attack pants. 19oz

​​​Total above​​ 245.4 oz or 15.3 pounds



Western mountaineering antelope/overfill ​ 49 oz

Integral designs socal bivy ​​​ 30 oz

Thermarest neoair xtherm​​​ 21 oz

Cocoon pillow ​​​​​ 2.7 oz



​​​Total above​​ 102.7 oz or 6.4 pounds



Kuiu bino harness and swaro 8.5 by 42​ ​37.4 oz

Summit ss tripod​​​​ 31 oz

Swarovski sts 65 spotter​​​ 48 oz

Seek outside breakaway tarp​​​ 15 oz

Sil pack cover​​​​​ 4.4 oz

Platypus big zip 3 liter (2)​​​ 11.2 oz

Titanium pot, pan, spoon, fork, stove​​ 37.5 oz

Fuel bottle full​​​​​ 17.3 oz

​​​Total above​​ 201.8 oz or 12.6 pounds



Zebra headlamp (2) including batteries​​ 7.2 oz

2 spare 18650 batteries​​​​ 3.3 oz

4 spare AA batteries​​​​
3 oz

Garmin 60 csx including batteries​​
8 oz

Leupold rx-1000i​​​
​9 oz

Kuiu drybag XL for boned meat​​​2.1 oz

Bomb tags bags ​ ​​​10 oz

4 pairs rubber gloves​​​​ 2 oz

Havalon torch and blades​​​ 3.8 oz

Loctite super glue​​​​ 1.95 oz

Spare Kevlar boot laces​​​
​1 oz

Mora knife and sheath​​​​
4.16 oz

Sol survival bivy​​​​​
3.77 oz

2 tensor bandages​​
​​2.1 oz

Strike force flint​​
​​​3.6 oz

Medical kit​​​​​
3.8 oz

Diamond steel ​​​​​
2.8 oz



200 feet iron wire and guy line​​
​6 oz

Snare wire​​​
​​.5 oz

Fire starter
​​​​​2 oz

Mountain money in Ziploc​
​​4 oz

Baby wipes ​​​​​
6 oz

Pills in a bottle, tums​​​​
3 oz

Duct tape around credit card​​​1.5 oz

Camptek microburst​​​​
3 oz

Crazy creek hex 2.0​​​​
24 oz

Sawyer squeeze(2 bags). 6 oz



​​​Total above​ ​127.6 oz or 8 pounds



Seek outside 6 man tipi and carbon pole​​
77.8 oz

20 stakes ​
​​​​9.8 oz

Large wifi stove and pipe ​​​
48 oz



​​​Total above. ​​135.6 oz or 8.5 pounds



Hiking poles​
​​​​16 oz

Ball cap and sunglasses​​



Total total is 50.8 pounds above.



Food weights.

Mountain house

Mac and cheese 7.9 oz

Chicken Alfredo 7.0 oz

Beef stroganoff with noodle 5.9 oz
Turkey tetrazzini. 5.2 oz.

Pantry cheesecake 5.4 oz

Quaker porridge(2) 3.3 oz







​​​

​​​

 

[snowcamoman]

Are you carrying all of that in your pack, or are you going to subtract out items like Attack Pants that you wear? Here's what I'd leave off the list if it were me: Large WiFi stove and pipe, Only take 1 extra Zebralight battery and headlamp (1 will be sufficient and Zebralights has a good track record), Leave the Titanium Pan behind unless you plan to do fancier cooking in the field, Survival Bivy (You have the ID bivy listed too), Snare Wire, Seek Tarp. That will shed some weight for you and shouldn't sacrifice safety for you and your partner. I'm not sure if you are going in early season or later in the season when weather can get cooler? Good luck.

 

[Timberghost]

Thanks for the reply boss.
Attack pants and hiking poles will be used And depending on temp one jacket or just a base layer.
I guess the sol bivy is not necessary. We plan to take our sleeping bags and bivy sacks and spike out from the tipi. The seek tarp was to shelter incase we got a storm while away from the tipi.
Will drop one light and pan. Was just hoping to fry up some sheep meat. But the pot could work in a pinch.

 

[squeekieslayer]

Im personally dropping the softshell and just using baselayers/puffy/rain gear. seems like the guide jacket could be ditched that way.

 

[Rizzy]

If it was me this is what I would cut weight with:

Camp towel; not needed, it will be cold most the time anyway

Guide Jacket; not needed, the sweater, base layers, puffy, and rain gear make up for it

Spare bootlaces; use your extra paracord if need be

Snare wire; not needed

Spoon, fork; you only need a spoon

Pan; not used

Camptek microburst; not needed, the neoair is easy to blow up

Crazey creek hex; to heavy and your still sitting on the ground. I've tried taking those types of chairs a few times and they are too cumbersome and readily soak up water. For the weight there are better alternatives, including rigging up your pack to do the same thing

Hiking poles; I never use them, they're cumbersome and can't be used busting brush or climbing through the rough stuff where you need to use your hands. If anything I prefer to have my weapon or binos in my hand.

I'm not much of a base camper and find myself on the move most the time until I find game. My gear choices reflect this and may not be pertinent to how you plan to do this hunt. When cutting and consolidating my gear I consider what the consequences will be. Some forms of weight savings have more profound consequences than others.

 

[fillthefreezer]

i have not been in the area you speak of, so maybe thats where some of your particulars come in.
personally i would cut 2 AA, 1 zebra lamp(possibly replace with something like petzl e lite if you want a spare), 1 zebra batt., guide jacket, spare laces, crazy creek, and possibly the emergency bivy if you plan to have gear with you to spike out. my .02

 

[Timberghost]

Thanks guys. Gives me more to think on. Dropping the guide jacket and chair is 3 pounds.
Won't go without poles. The downhills are murder without them.
Found a camp towel that is only .8 of an ounce.

I

 

[snowcamoman]

Check out the ZPack towels, they're .5 to .6 ounces. I agree with the items Rizzy said to drop as well. I have a 10 day hunt in my Kifaru Bikini/Highcamp 7000, with bow and food coming in at 43 pounds. That includes my heaviest item, the 80mm Swarovski spotter. I'm down to splitting hairs on how to shed much more weight short of going to a slightly lighter pack, which I'm not going to do this season.

 

[Timberghost]

Snow, that is damn impressive. What kind of food weights you allowing? Plus your pack is probably 2 pounds lighter than mine.

 

[snowcamoman]

I'm at 1.2 pounds a day at the moment. Might bump that to 1.3 or so. Flying in for sheep, I'll max it out to 50 pounds with more food and some jetboil fuel. I'll stash food at the landing area and hike out with the 43 pounds....at least that's my plan at the moment.

 

[Yellowknife]

I have a hard time picking through lists of brand names and really figuring out what a guy is missing/overpacking. The other guys look like they have given you good comments, so I'll leave it at that.

What I have done is developed a generalized sheep/backpack hunting list that I've used for quite a while. This is the basic list I send to my hunting partners to make sure we are all on the same page. Just substitute in the specific gear you happen to own. Exact brands aren't that critical, as long as most things are checked off the list in some fashion and not too much is added. With a partner, obviously a number of things can be split.



I usually take only 1-2 things off the "Optional" portion (if any) for a sheep hunt. I also rarely double up on anything. i.e. I only bring one hat, one jacket and one set of gloves. Works for me.

My pack weight with this list currently works out to the low 40 lb range including 7+ days of food @ 1.8 lbs/day.

Yk

 

[DaveC]

There's a ton of fat on this list. I reckon you can cut out a third of the weight with little effort and no impinging on comfort or safety.

Ditch all the duplicate items, except extra socks and maybe two hats.

Pack is heavy.

Too many clothes, too many extras. Replace the Guide with a 4-7 ounce wind jacket. Replace merino sweater with a fleece vest. Same warmth, better when it gets wet.

Ditch the pillow and use your clothes.

No need for a bivy in a tipi, or with a sleeping bag at all for that matter. You have two bivys, a burly sleeping bag, a tarp, and a tipi. Pick two of the five.

Cooking stuff is way heavy (this is the LW forum). Pick a 900ml pot, spoon, and stove which total no more than 8 oz. The wood stove will heat the tipi enough that you can run a upright canister stove below freezing.

 

[Timberghost]

Ok. I hear you on most of the choices. What I had to do is get most of the stuff geared toward late season end of October in Alberta.
I can't afford to rig up for both. I know my bag is burly as you said. Lol. But it had to be dual purpose.
I have dropped the sol bivy, camp towel, chair, one zebra light. And am down to a hair over 46 pounds.
I know my brunton Optimus nova stove is heavy but not sure what to replace it with to save weight.
The pot holds exactly 4 cups of water for me and my partners mountain house meal.
Does it make sense to go to a smaller pot and boil twice?

I know I can probably cut my bivy weight in half but not sure I can swing that this year.

I packed in 72 pounds last year cause I took way to much crap.
Keep it coming. Helps me learn where I need to get to. Keep it together, rob.

 

[Floorguy]

Here is what I would probably change

Kuiu guide jacket​​​ ​24 oz have rain coat 24oz savings

Smartwool merino sweater​​​ 16 oz have puffy coat already 16oz savings

2 doo rags ​​​​​ 2.1 oz have 2 beanies already 2.1 oz savings

Camp towel ​​​​​ 5 oz 5oz savings

Integral designs socal bivy ​​​ 30 oz I would find a lighter bivy easily 20oz savings

Thermarest neoair xtherm​​​ 21 oz personally I plan on moving to a torso length pad 6-10oz savings

Seek outside breakaway tarp​​​ 15 oz 15oz savings

Titanium pot, pan, spoon, fork, stove​​ 37.5 oz I would take a jetboil sol and boil twice for 20oz savings or check out the jetboil joule for 10oz savings or some lighter stove combo

Fuel bottle full​​​​​ 17.3 oz see above 17.3 oz savings

Zebra headlamp (2) including batteries​​ 7.2 oz I would take one zebralight and spare battery 3.6oz savings

4 pairs rubber gloves​​​​ 2 oz 2 pairs 1oz savings

Sol survival bivy​​​​​ 3.77 oz already have other bivy 3.77oz savings

Snare wire​​​ ​​.5 oz are you planning on snaring while sheep hunting? .5oz savings

Crazy creek hex 2.0​​​​ 24 oz different lighter camp chair up to 24oz savings

Large wifi stove and pipe ​​​48 oz leave at home 48oz savings

That would add up to a 13 lb reduction in weight

 

[Mad Mountain Mike]

There is some great advise here from some very knowledgable guys. Every bodies priorities are going to be a little different, the best thing you can do is take the advise, mix it with your own needs then get out for a few scouting trips and put your kit to the test. After a few trips if something isn't getting used or have multiple uses leave it at home.

 

[luke moffat]

I have a hard time picking through lists of brand names and really figuring out what a guy is missing/overpacking. The other guys look like they have given you good comments, so I'll leave it at that.

What I have done is developed a generalized sheep/backpack hunting list that I've used for quite a while. This is the basic list I send to my hunting partners to make sure we are all on the same page. Just substitute in the specific gear you happen to own. Exact brands aren't that critical, as long as most things are checked off the list in some fashion and not too much is added. With a partner, obviously a number of things can be split.



I usually take only 1-2 things off the "Optional" portion (if any) for a sheep hunt. I also rarely double up on anything. i.e. I only bring one hat, one jacket and one set of gloves. Works for me.

My pack weight with this list currently works out to the low 40 lb range including 7+ days of food @ 1.8 lbs/day.

Yk

Thanks for posting this YK. Anymore if someone wants to see my gear list I send them my general gear list as well. Unless asked specifically about which brand of an item I use rarely state it. I am in the 1.5 pounds per day food range. I find that works well enough to keep me from bonking out on the back to back trips for 6 weeks straight. I could likely "get by" on 1-1.25 pounds per day if just doing one 7-10 day hunt a year, but why? Food=Fuel...you can have the lightest pack in the world but if you aren't fueled to pack it...those extra ozs you saved by hauling less food is completely negated.

 

[luke moffat]

There's a ton of fat on this list. I reckon you can cut out a third of the weight with little effort and no impinging on comfort or safety.

Ditch all the duplicate items, except extra socks and maybe two hats.

Pack is heavy.

Too many clothes, too many extras. Replace the Guide with a 4-7 ounce wind jacket. Replace merino sweater with a fleece vest. Same warmth, better when it gets wet.

Ditch the pillow and use your clothes.

No need for a bivy in a tipi, or with a sleeping bag at all for that matter. You have two bivys, a burly sleeping bag, a tarp, and a tipi. Pick two of the five.

Cooking stuff is way heavy (this is the LW forum). Pick a 900ml pot, spoon, and stove which total no more than 8 oz. The wood stove will heat the tipi enough that you can run a upright canister stove below freezing.

Thanks Dave....if anyone knows lightweight gear it would be you. Just watched some more Alaska Mountain Wilderness Classic stuff and saw your name in there.....animal is all I can say...not sure I'm ready to hate life for a solid 3-5 days to go do that race...especially now that its in the Wrangles!

Appreciate your input as always.

 

[DaveC]

Thanks Dave....if anyone knows lightweight gear it would be you. Just watched some more Alaska Mountain Wilderness Classic stuff and saw your name in there.....animal is all I can say...not sure I'm ready to hate life for a solid 3-5 days to go do that race...especially now that its in the Wrangles!

Appreciate your input as always.

The bushwack upriver from the dunes to the Little Bremner is quite impressive, in a nightmarish way. The Black Rapids to McKinley route, on the other hand, I'd do again in a heartbeat.

 

[charvey9]

There is some considerable weight to be saved with some of the burlier items on your list like the pack and sleeping bag, but I'm going to assume you aren't down for buying a whole new kit before the hunt. Great info in several of the posts above on what to leave behind/replace, so I'll just leave a few of my general weight shaving tips. I'm now sub 30lbs without food and water. In general, just take a look at every item and see if there is a way to cut weight by removing items/material or replacing something with a lighter material.

Leave behind all covers, cases, sheaths. Scope covers on a rifle would be an exception, but I take everything out of its case like my range finder, leatherman, gps, havalon. They don't really serve a purpose. I don't even run bino covers or caps, they just get in the way and your lenses get wet the first time you take them off to glass anyway. I do carry a little cloth to clean/dry the lens as needed.

The only item I take with a hood is my rain jacket. If it is cold, I'm wearing a hat anyway. Hoods are difficult to layer and just add extra weight.

Water bladders work well as pillows. So do unused game bags or stuff sacks filled with spare clothes.

Masking tape works well for holding items together, like your extra havalon blades wrapped around the handle and taped together. (since you don't have the sheath)

Cut back any excess on straps, laces, cords, etc. Every little bit adds up.

Remove zipper pulls where they aren't really needed, or replace with lightweight cord like Z-packs spectra cord or liteline.

Make your own first-aid kit, or atleast tear down the store bought kit and leave behind what you don't need. MLD cuben fiber pouches are excellent lightweight options for keeping your own kit. Mine fits in a the small pouch.

 

[Timberghost]

Thanks guys. Some great tips.
Well upgraded to a jetboil flash, dropped a few items you guys recommended and have it down to 52.5 pounds with food for 6 days. That's 1.4 pounds per day at 2500 calories.
That's still taking the breakaway tarp, guide jacket, and stove for the tipi. If I drop those I am down almost 6 pounds.
Considering I carried in 72 last year, anything 55 pounds or less will be a dream.

On the upgrade list for next year I will upgrade my bivy shaving at least 10 maybe 15 oz. lighter early season pad, probably 5-6 oz. maybe a lighter early season sleeping bag for another 16 oz. and lastly a new pack for 2 pound saving.
That will drop me 4 pounds for next year but big dollars to spend.
Any other suggestions I would like to hear them. Thanks, rob