Pack weight for broke newbie

[Tcatt]

What’s a pack weight I should expect starting with 0 gear and not a ton of money to spend? Obviously I noticed the lighter the weight the more expensive! I’m planning a 4-6 night backpacking archery hunt in September.

 

[92xj]

Just buy whatever you can afford, don’t worry about weight and go have fun hunting.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

Hunt from the truck, don't backpack in to camp until you can afford the lightweight stuff that can actually stay on your back all day

 

[Northpark]

Don’t pack your fears! Took me several years of hunting from the truck without packing in for multiple days to start getting my gear dialed. So if you happen to be new to western hunting you may think about trying truck camping first as that is a cheaper option. Not to discourage you from backpack hunting though. So if you’re gonna try it remember you don’t need a lot. Aside from your basic hunting gear like bow, binos, tags, knife, game bags, basic first aid kit, and headlamp you’ll have to add some stuff. That stuff would be a sleeping bag and pad, a tent, a water filter or drops, food and extra clothing layers.

Having spent more money than I should have my pack weight for a early season hunt if there is water available where I’m going is down to about 30lbs all in with 5 days of food and 1.5l of water. And that doesn’t count a weapon.

I think my first attempt at backpack hunting which ended rather quickly my pack weighed about 60lbs and I had cheap gear because I a.) didn’t know what I really needed and b.) couldn’t have afforded it if knew what I needed anyways.

 

[A.hol1]

Buy the basics for the first few years and then lowly replace with better/lighter gear as you go along. That’s how I started and still was able to get in the woods for 6-9 day elk hunts my first few years. Do early hikes with weighted pack during summer to help be in shape


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[Maverick1]

@Tcatt First four replies LOL. 3 gave you an opinion but not an answer the question you asked. 6 day pack pack hunt. Completely ballpark numbers: 50-60 pounds for heavier, less costly equipment. 40-50 pounds for lighter, more expensive equipment. Most of that weight savings could be realized in the “big three” - backpack, sleeping bag, shelter (tent/tarp/bivy). Again, completely ballpark numbers (for others to give an opinion on, LOL) but figure roughly spending $100 per pound saved/eliminated/reduced.
Sleeping bag weight savings potential 3-4 pounds.
Backpack weight savings potential 3-4 pounds.
Shelter weight savings depends on the type of shelter you choose. Tent savings potential 3-4 pounds. Tarp savings potential 1 pound maybe. Going from a tent to a tarp 3-4 pounds.

Also, keep in mind there are two elements to the learning curve associated with first time backpack hunting. The first, and maybe most obvious is the weight and quality of the gear you take with, as mentioned above. Spending more money can result in lighter gear. The second, perhaps less obvious, is the amount of gear you take with you. Many first timers simply take too much crap with them into the woods they don’t need, myself included when I was at that point. (GIF: Good idea Fairy, use the search function). That extra crap that doesn’t get used can “outweigh” the more expensive gear, pun intended. (And I do see it every year: guys with super expensive backpacks stacked waaaay above their heads, with 7000 cubic inches stuffed to the gills. Always makes me chuckle when they say their pack weighs 75 pounds for a 6 day hunt in September. Decked out in the most expensive camo, boots, backpack….What are they doing? Hunting preparation and planning turned into an exercise of expensive gear accumulation because buying gear is so much fun and a variable that can be controlled. SMH!)

Anyhow, good luck with your preparations , enjoy the journey!!!

 

[Jeremyc_1999]

@Tcatt First four replies LOL. 3 gave you an opinion but not an answer the question you asked. 6 day pack pack hunt. Completely ballpark numbers: 50-60 pounds for heavier, less costly equipment. 40-50 pounds for lighter, more expensive equipment. Most of that weight savings could be realized in the “big three” - backpack, sleeping bag, shelter (tent/tarp/bivy). Again, completely ballpark numbers (for others to give an opinion on, LOL) but figure roughly spending $100 per pound saved/eliminated/reduced.
Sleeping bag weight savings potential 3-4 pounds.
Backpack weight savings potential 3-4 pounds.
Shelter weight savings depends on the type of shelter you choose. Tent savings potential 3-4 pounds. Tarp savings potential 1 pound maybe. Going from a tent to a tarp 3-4 pounds.

Also, keep in mind there are two elements to the learning curve associated with first time backpack hunting. The first, and maybe most obvious is the weight and quality of the gear you take with, as mentioned above. Spending more money can result in lighter gear. The second, perhaps less obvious, is the amount of gear you take with you. Many first timers simply take too much crap with them into the woods they don’t need, myself included when I was at that point. (GIF: Good idea Fairy, use the search function). That extra crap that doesn’t get used can “outweigh” the more expensive gear, pun intended. (And I do see it every year: guys with super expensive backpacks stacked waaaay above their heads, with 7000 cubic inches stuffed to the gills. Always makes me chuckle when they say their pack weighs 75 pounds for a 6 day hunt in September. Decked out in the most expensive camo, boots, backpack….What are they doing? Hunting preparation and planning turned into an exercise of expensive gear accumulation because buying gear is so much fun and a variable that can be controlled. SMH!)

Anyhow, good luck with your preparations , enjoy the journey!!!

Much wisdom in this post. Also, I will add buying used gear saves lots of money. I am not afraid to buy anything backpacking related used (except for a fart sack and that's just mental on my end). Also, there are a ton of great companies that make backpacking gear that is non hunting that is much less expensive than the equivalent gear from a hunting brand and sometimes better. The exception is a backpack. You don't get a meat shelf in a backpacking backpack and you do in a hunting backpack, but a contractors bag solves that problem but it sometimes leads to an extra trip. I would encourage you to use a backpacking backpack on your first trip and then you can see if you like and also the odds of killing something are pretty low on your first trip.

One thing I do on all backpacking trips is make sure I have a pencil and paper. I make a list of gear I wish I had brought and a list of gear that I didn't use. I pull that out before packing for the next trip and I re-evaluate and pack accordingly.

 

[Bull_n_heat]

Are you talking the weight of the backpack loaded up, or the weight of the backpack without the gear? If the latter, I would figure 5-7 pounds. If loaded, look at the other posts, they seem about right.

If you are looking for a pack to select on a budget, I would buy a used backpackers pack (Osprey, Gregory, (gasp!) REI). They are way cheaper, pretty light, and will tell you if you actually like backpack hunting without an arm and a leg.

 

[nobody]

@Tcatt First four replies LOL. 3 gave you an opinion but not an answer the question you asked. 6 day pack pack hunt. Completely ballpark numbers: 50-60 pounds for heavier, less costly equipment. 40-50 pounds for lighter, more expensive equipment. Most of that weight savings could be realized in the “big three” - backpack, sleeping bag, shelter (tent/tarp/bivy). Again, completely ballpark numbers (for others to give an opinion on, LOL) but figure roughly spending $100 per pound saved/eliminated/reduced.
Sleeping bag weight savings potential 3-4 pounds.
Backpack weight savings potential 3-4 pounds.
Shelter weight savings depends on the type of shelter you choose. Tent savings potential 3-4 pounds. Tarp savings potential 1 pound maybe. Going from a tent to a tarp 3-4 pounds.

Also, keep in mind there are two elements to the learning curve associated with first time backpack hunting. The first, and maybe most obvious is the weight and quality of the gear you take with, as mentioned above. Spending more money can result in lighter gear. The second, perhaps less obvious, is the amount of gear you take with you. Many first timers simply take too much crap with them into the woods they don’t need, myself included when I was at that point. (GIF: Good idea Fairy, use the search function). That extra crap that doesn’t get used can “outweigh” the more expensive gear, pun intended. (And I do see it every year: guys with super expensive backpacks stacked waaaay above their heads, with 7000 cubic inches stuffed to the gills. Always makes me chuckle when they say their pack weighs 75 pounds for a 6 day hunt in September. Decked out in the most expensive camo, boots, backpack….What are they doing? Hunting preparation and planning turned into an exercise of expensive gear accumulation because buying gear is so much fun and a variable that can be controlled. SMH!)

Anyhow, good luck with your preparations , enjoy the journey!!!

I'll second this answer. You'll pay a TON of money to drop those last 10-ish pounds to get under 50, so just get what you can for now and slowly replace things when stuff goes on sale or you find a deal.

Also, be warned that your weight increase and decrease is not linear depending on the days. I know that sounds obvious, but it wasn't to me when I started. When I started doing just overnight stuff, I couldn't figure out why my 4 day pack weighed almost the same as my overnight pack. There are things that will be packed with you whether you're out for one day or 5, like a sleeping bag and pad and tent. Those things weigh the same no matter how many days you're out. Basically, the only thing that will fluctuate your weight once you have everything is your food quantity. Again, this may seem obvious to some, but it wasn't to me and hasn't been to several guys I know. So really, once you hit 50 lbs for your gear, you'll add +/- 2 lbs of food per day. So your two day pack is 54 lbs, and your 5 day pack is 60. Not a huge difference, and it's because all the gear is the same no matter the day count.

One trick to saving some money on ultralight hunting gear is to not buy hunting gear at all. Lots of us have a tendency to go to companies like Stone Glacier or Kuiu or Sitka first. Don't get me wrong, they make some good stuff, but you can get a good sleeping bag from REI or somewhere similar that's comparable to some of the mainstream hunting companies' bags, and you'll pay less because it doesn't have the Ram logo on the front (this coming from an admitted SG fanboy of sorts). Same with tents and such. It's not as "cool," but it's a good way to save some money. I have a backpacking sleeping bag from Amazon that's fairly lightweight (+/- 2.75 lbs), I paid 60 bucks for it, and it's a 15 degree bag. It works great! It's not as high speed, low drag as the hunting gear brands, but it's 10% the cost of the Stone Glacier bag. Just one trick for you!

 

[cjdewese]

I had a very budget pack and borrowed some gear from a friend this year for my 1st few nights in the woods. For a 4 day 3 night hunt my pack came in AT 53 lbs but I was carrying 5 liters of water as well.

I would say 45-55 lbs without water is probably a good weight to shoot for.

Biggest thing is to make sure you will want or use everything in your pack. You will learn a lot of what you need/want after your 1st trip.

 

[farmermail]

After quite a few backpack hunts, multiple days in, I have learned that a pound or two on the actual pack isn't a relevant issue. It is the accumulation of weight from all the other stuff (bow, arrows, knife(s), bag, boots, etc, etc, etc, and, and, and). Then, if lucky, all of the sudden you have an extra 100 to 200 pounds of meat/cape/horns to pack out. 5 pound pack? 8 pound pack? In my humble opinion, not relevant. Fit is the single most important thing to me. I am currently going through "time to get a new pack" effort myself. Had the same pack for over 20 years. Why? Fits like a glove, so comfortable it is difficult to give up. Heavy? Yup. Weight isn't my top priority.

 

[ProbablyHunting]

You don't need to spend a lot of money to have a lightweight pack. Paradoxically, the main thing you need to do is not spend money on things you don't need. Also avoid anything marketed towards hunting.

• Good, light sleeping bags are expensive. No way around it. Down can be bought used without issue
• Use a tarp for camping. Amazon for cheapest, Borah Gear for best $/oz value
• Polycryo or Tyvek Groundsheet
• Closed Cell Foam sleeping pad. Thermarest Z Lite or Nemo Switchback. Knock offs available for even cheaper.
• Uniqlo or 32 Degrees brand Down Jacket - as low as $40 on sale
• 32 Degrees base layers - $8
• Walmart pants
• Any cheap fleece
• Frog toggs rain gear
• Toaks + BRS3000 cook system
• Sawyer water filter or drops

You really don't need much else. Sleeping in the woods isn't rocket science, despite what the marketing tries to tell you. You just need to stay warm and dry.

To answer you actual question: Assuming you spend some money on your sleeping bag, you can EASILY keep your camping gear under 10 pounds, not counting the pack itself or your hunting gear.

 

[CCH]

To add on, the last place to lose weight is your pack. Until you get everything ultralight, you need a fairly stout pack to carry it all in. There are lots of older non-hunting packs that can be had for a song (a quick search of my local Craigslist found an Arc 'tyrx Bora 80 for $100 and a vintage Mountainsmith -- similar to early Kifarus -- for $80 - there are many more options across the mountains in Denver) and will carry loads comfortably. Just make sure they fit you properly.

As mentioned, a tarp will really cut down on your shelter weight, but on the other hand they aren't necessarily the best gear to try your first time out. I'd look for a really light one to two man tent. REI has their Quarterdome on clearance now for what is a good price -- but it still may be out of your price range.

Check out an ultralight backpacking forum and you will get lots of cheap ways to cut weight on the non-hunting specific stuff. Not everything takes lots of money. Also, don't get starstruck by titanium. Much of the, much cheaper, aluminum gear is very close to the same weight. GSI Halulite comes to mind. Tent, sleeping bag, firearm, clothing and optics are where you will see the real pounds and ounces come off. I think archery gear is going to a bit more standardized in weight than rifle, but the same thought applies.

I found that the best investment I ever made was a digital postal scale combined with a spreadsheet. I weighed all my gear including what I carry and weigh (don't forget water, food, ammo/arrows, etc.). That really keeps me honest with what I pack. I throw in a lot less "just in case" stuff. I echo the suggestions to start truck camping, but you can combine that with just enough gear for an overnight if the hunt warrants it and/or you want to gain experience.

Good sources for bargain gear include Craigslist, some Goodwill stores, Sierra Trading Post, Steep and Cheap (be careful -- they had some long underwear I bought that was on clearance for $75 but available for $50 normal price from the manufacturer) and the REI Outlet or their garage sale (again be careful on pricing.)

 

[Jeremyc_1999]

Also, I've found losing 10 lbs around my mid section does far more for my ability to hunt hard than spending $1000 to lose 10 lbs in gear. Now, I know I want to buy skill, so I admit to having some of the lightweight hunting stuff.

 

[S.Clancy]

What’s a pack weight I should expect starting with 0 gear and not a ton of money to spend? Obviously I noticed the lighter the weight the more expensive! I’m planning a 4-6 night backpacking archery hunt in September.

You need everything? Tent, all that stuff? Base weight you should be around 25-27 lbs. The key is to not bring a bunch of crap. Figure 7 lbs pack + 5 lb tent + 4 lbs for sleeping bag/pad combo + 3 lb rain gear + 2 lb puff/second layer + 2 lb cook kit + 2 lb for knives/game bags/batteries/compass/headlamp. You can get stuff that will cover that for a reasonable cost. Then figure 2 lb/day for food and your weapon weight, plus maybe some trekking poles.

 

[Dos Perros]

I have the good/light stuff, but I still end up punishing myself hunting areas where water isn't as available. That means hauling lots of water, or dropping lots of elevation to grab lots of water. You can do yourself a favor with a heavier pack to stick to hunting areas in more middle type elevations where water is plentiful.

 

[Tcatt]

I’m reading and taking all this information in, I really appreciate all the info you guys are giving! I’m just a whitetail hunter, new to all this backpacking diy elk stuff! I want to have as much knowledge as I can before I head out!

 

[Elkfitness]

This is down the road, but once you have your gear, pack it all up and do a few hikes. You may realize you don’t have the space, or need to strap something on the outside, or pack differently. Plus you will get a real feel for the weight. Don’t forget you will have water, food and your weapon and that can add some weight and volume on top of your main gear. When I first started backpacking in for elk I didn’t have a lot of spare money so I piece mealed things together so I know where you are coming from. As I got my gear more set I was able to get back farther and be a little more comfortable.


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[Jeremyc_1999]

Definitely try to do what @Elkfitness said and do a few hikes, especially if you can spend the night. I'm lucky that I grew up backpacking long before I started backpack hunting (not hunting mind you, I just wasn't that good of an elk hunter) and I had my gear straightened out so all I had to do was strap on what I would typically day hunt in.

 

[Dos Perros]

#1 thing you can do to stay light and cheap and not lose a ton of performance is buy a backpacking backpack. Like a REI brand thing, Gregory, Deuter, there's a ton of them. Heck buy one off FB marketplace. They are cheap! And light! And they'll haul your 40 or 50 pounds of gear no problem. You'll suffer if you get lucky enough to kill something, but who cares man, that's what we sign up for!