Pack Size Recommendation for Guided Hunt

[Folically_Challenged]

Heading out for 12 day Stone Sheep hunt in August. The plan is to chat with the outfitter about it @ SCI show later this week, but figured I'd throw it out there for those who've been up the mountain more than myself.

In 2011 I did a 10 day Dall hunt, taking a 65L (85, if extended) pack. I'd been in contact with the guide beforehand, & he suggested that size. His thought was that an inexperienced client might well be tempted to fill-up whatever space he brought, so keeping the size down might be beneficial. Between his Barney's pack & mine, we got everywhere we needed to go, and got the meat out, too.

2017 found me on a goat hunt. This was a horseback deal out of a basecamp on fire roads: no packing-in. The same pack was stuffed to the brim with 1/2 a goat (including full hide), but it worked.

2024's bighorn hunt was again truck/horseback, and the 65L pack had plenty of room. Then again, there were 3 of us on the hill for the first part of the pack-out, & we were eventually 4. I believe I had the largest pack of all.

The August hunt will be by float plane, so I'm guessing I'll need to take all the stuff with me, then leave portions behind (sleep setup?) at spike camps. Should I stay with the pack I know, or look to move up in capacity?

Thanks in advance,

FC

 

[WV Mountaineer]

It sounds like you’ve got more experience than a good bit of us here. An 85 liter pack is a bigger one. But, only you know if it’s big enough to carry your stuff

 

[mtwarden]

12 days is a long hunt; I’d definitely want a 85-ish liter pack for that length. The weight between a 65 liter and a 85 liter is a couple of ounces, so no real weight savings to be had.

And most hunting bags cinch down a lot if needed, enough so you won’t notice a difference carrying them with the same load.

I get the sentiment of not loading it up if you still have volume left, but that just takes a little restraint.

When in doubt I always go bigger. I don’t want to spend an hour cramming in my gear because there’s no room or hang a bunch of crap off of the back.

85-ish for sure