Pack Volume for 3 Night Hunt

[Khos]

I currently run a MR Selway 60 (3700cu in) and find it too small for my backpack hunt kit during rifle season. I can and have squeezed all my gear in but it’s a real pain. Next step up going with MR is the beartooth 80 bag only option. Will this added volume really be enough or should I be looking more towards the Stone Glacier Sky Archer 5900?

 

[Carr5vols]

I used a selway in the past and could do a week long rifle backcountry hunt out of it...you may have a lot of what if items in it...have the exo now 5000 cubic inches and it is a lot of extra room...

 

[croben]

There are a lot of variables to this, including the size/packability of your gear, the season, and how much stuff you take with you. You should be able to do three days with a pack that size. I would start with seeing if there are things you can drop from your pack so you have less stuff. If not, just make sure you aren’t getting a bigger pack and filling it with more unnecessary gear.

 

[NickyD]

Have you looked into adding an extra external pouch? I can pack 3-5 days into my SG Solo (3600) with 800 cu-in external pouch pretty easily. And I’m overpacking food and bring some luxury/comfort items. None of my stuff is ultralight by any means. You could always pack your food in your meat shelf, though I’d only need to do this for extreme weather and/or 6+ day hunts.

 

[Khos]

Thanks for all the awesome feedback. I definitely have some gear review to do by the sounds of it.

Two things that do come to mind:
1. Do you guys use stuff sacks to really compress down clothes, etc
2. How big is your shelter? I may be oversized with my 2 man backpacking tent.

 

[NickyD]

Just one compression sack for my big puffy jacket and I put my sleeping bag on the bottom to allow everything to compress it.

I put my 2 person tent on the outside of my pack, that helps a lot.

Maybe post your gear list so others can make suggestions.

 

[Carr5vols]

Thanks for all the awesome feedback. I definitely have some gear review to do by the sounds of it.

Two things that do come to mind:
1. Do you guys use stuff sacks to really compress down clothes, etc
2. How big is your shelter? I may be oversized with my 2 man backpacking tent.

I do not use stuff sacks...pad on bottom then sleeping bag then tent on one and stuff the few other items I have around. My main shelter is mountainamith LT unless the weather is going to get wet/snowy then move into full 2 man tent.

 

[Khos]

Hey guys, thanks for all the great feedback. I’ve been doing some packing/unpacking and watching videos and I think my issue is honestly my sleeping bag. I’m using a cheaper 0° synthetic bag and although it is warm it is massive and does not compress. Rather than buy a bigger pack I think my money would be better spent on upgrading my sleeping bag. The rest of my kit is quality gear and dialled in from a lot of years of days hunts… just trying to find the sweet spot that keeps me from needing to head back to the truck after light.

Any reasonably priced recommendations for a 15° degree bag that compresses well?

 

[strongarm]

There are a lot of variables to this, including the size/packability of your gear, the season, and how much stuff you take with you.

@Khos
^ this. Weather/season is the huge variable. Colder weather gear is a massive cubic volume consumer.

Re: sleeping bag, have you tried a decent compression sack and see how small you can make it? I prefer ones that compress horizontally vs. a ‘ball’ compression sack.

Alternatively, stash the sleeping bag on the outside of the pack. Bet you have plenty of room then.