Pack weight for broke newbie

[roosterdown]

The lightest item is the one you leave at home.

As others have indicated, there's light gear, and then there's careful editing of your list.

I think my total starting weight (food, bow, shelter, everything) is about 38# for a week...but I started going lightweight many, many years ago, so have had some time to get dialed in.

 

[snowymtnwolf]

Shelter (find or take), warmth/weather protection clothing, ammo, weapon, food.

Last but not least WATER. Find a spring or source and save tons of weight. If not, expect to haul water on your back


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[Ferrulewax]

I’ll echo alot of the other guys here, use what you have and can afford. Tinkering with lightweight gear is a hobby all its own and can sometimes overshadow the goal.

Best way to lighten your pack is leave things behind. You’ll get a better feel for this after a few trips. If you don’t use something after a few trips, leave it behind (within reason). With backcountry hunting its’s a little different from a well accessed point of the AT for the normal backpacker. You DO probably need some redundancy of critical items. But don’t pack your fears. You don’t need a hand cannon or bear spray outside of griz country, and you don’t need a rambo knife for pretty much anything.

There are also tons of DIY and cheap ways to lighten your gear while paying less than simmilar heavier items. Imusa pots, alcohol stoves (where allowed), MYOG quilts, etc.

Get a good pack and boots. You can somewhat cheap out on the rest or use what you have, until you figure out what you want.

 

[highcountrymuley]

one thing no one has mentioned is type / style of pack. I use a slumberjack frame pack. put sleeping pad, bag, pillow case with extra clothes in it - all in a compression sack. tent in its sack (minus poles and stakes). everything else in REI 60 L stuff sack. gun in a contractor bag (i put cardboard sleeves around sights to protect them). tripod and tent poles along side gun. make sure it is all balanced and try a hike. search internet for info on how to pack the load for max stability, weight distribution.

I was at trailhead for first backpacking hunt next to a guide loading up his horses. he had a scale to distribute weight on horses... i asked him if i could weigh my pack. it was 60 something pounds! i have cut off a couple pounds on more expensive tent, sleeping bag and pad. dont pack much water as it is available in my area. after 5 years of backpack hunting i am down to what i feel is about as little weight as i can cut. i am used to the weight, don't feel i can cut any more without spending crazy amount of money. feels good to strap boned out quarters onto that pack. can haul out entire deer with cape and antlers, back to vehicle then return for camp and gun. have not packed an elk out of backcountry hunt. a couple car camping elk hunts with elk kill about 2 miles from camp. several loads in winter conditions with no worry about meat spoilage.

 

[USMC2378]

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.)

Don’t forget about OfferUp or Mercari I have been able to get some brand new Hanwag boots that cost almost 400 paid only around 100 for them. I also got my thermarest neoair uberlite which was used maybe once or twice and sells for around 250 for only 70.

 

[funkafied]

While there are important differences to backpack hunting vs backpack camping, there is lots to learn from the ultralight backpacking community. Youtube is a great resource for budget options to lightweight.

And don't forget to train! Dropping weight and increasing strength are the cheapest ways to increase your miles hunted.

 

[Brook.Trout]

I’m gonna guess 25-30 lbs base weight, no good or water. I always weigh my pack with food and water and never with the base stuff by itself, for 10-14 days I’m usually 70-80 lbs. how much water weight depends on a where I’m hiking in (ain’t no lightweight water anywhere I’ve found). But gear is always something to figure out, I’ve brought in junk and it’s been good (and heavy) and I’ve brought expensive lightweight gear and have it fail!

Don’t stress about gear and long as you got something to sleep in and keep your warm at night!

 

[cjdewese]

One thing I want to add as well is don't let the weight or lack of knowledge stop you from trying it with what you have currently locally before especially if you have someone to go with.

It will help you understand the weight, how to pack, what you might want to leave or take and if your list is sufficient enough all in a comfortable setting before getting somewhere completely new and unfamiliar.

 

[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.

If you are interested I have an Arc'teryx Bora 80 pack and a Eureka single man tent that weighs 3 lbs I would sell ya. PM me if interested.

 

[Professor]

Late to this discussion but don't worry about getting super lightweight. Get the gear you need. Surplus, Rokslide forum, Campsaver, whatever. The big deal is to train with that weight or a little more. If you can handle a 60 lb pack in the mountains for 6 days then you really don't need to be concerned with the last ten or so pounds. My advise though, is don't skimp on your boots or your pack. Buy real mountain hunting boots and a pack designed to carry weight. If you need to be cheap then go for an external frame pack. You can buy those very cheap and a good one will handle the weight and save your back.

 

[OKHunter84]

I accumulated stuff over several years. One thing is for sure, once you pack in 8 miles to 10k feet altitude, you'll really figure out exactly what is a need and what is a luxury. There are little things that you take at first that you figure out are useless: you don't need a whole bunch of knives, unless you're in grizzly country you don't really need a handgun, you don't need twenty bullets, only pack in a little water and filter once you get there, you don't need a ton of extra clothes if you have the right gear, don't go nuts on the food and it's usually easier and cheaper to lose weight off your body then your pack.

I ended up at about 45 - 50 pounds packing in for a week last time. I'll have to weigh it again in September. I've kinda stopped caring exactly what my pack weighs. I buy the best I can afford and don't bring extra crap.... Except lightweight camp shoes, airing out your feet at the end of the day and not walking around on the ground is a nicety I won't give up.

 

[Greenbelt]

Seems like everyone is telling you what goes inside pack. Most important is the pack itself. I've seen people who found a $60 metal framed pack off of offer up. It was a very very painful nightmare for him. Expensive packs are worth every penny. Stone glacier, or exo if you can.

 

[Holmes]

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.

Your fully loaded pack will weigh about 60-70lbs if you don't spend lots on super light gear.
But, you can get very high quality gear if you shop for closeouts or lightly-used things and (in my opinion) generally avoid things marketed at hunters. There's a lot more strong and lightweight used gear on the market from hikers/mountaineers than there is from hunters. Also, big name hiking brands have a lot more closeout sales and last season's stuff available online.

 

[Ty_wilson7]

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.

This is gold. The things you can find used will surprise you if you’re patient!

 

[Professor]

This is gold. The things you can find used will surprise you if you’re patient!

Agree, but I will point out that the ultralight backpacking packs are a no go for a hunting trip. You need a stout pack that can handle that much weight.

 

[Dalbec0331]

It's been said before but I'll say it again: don't pack your fears, and you really don't need extra clothes! Best of luck man

 

[BDRam16]

Older thread and you’re probably already set for this season but here is some last second advice…if you can’t get under 40lbs with the set up you have, I wouldn’t carry it all day. Do a spike camp and lose all that extra weight that you don’t need for the day. I’m not sure where you’re hunting, but my unit is VERY rugged and there is no way I could do that weight for days or weeks and hunt the way I want to. I like to be light and fast and cover ground.

Last season we attempted to backpack with less than ideal weights on our back and after the first day we abandoned that plan and went day hunting from the truck. We were able to cover more ground and be mobile. There were a lot of places we couldn’t check out that way, but it was what we had to do with the set up we had.

This season I knew I wanted to backpack so I watched used gear and sales for months and cut my pack weight in half (mostly by ditching stuff I didn’t use) and I will be able to check all the drainages I couldn’t get to last year. My goal is 30ish lbs pack weight (not bino harness/weapon) for 4-5 days including food and water.

 

[fatlander]

Crawl, walk, run.

Backpacking is hard. Hunting is hard. Backpack hunting is harder.

Packing into a basin with 6 days of food that has no game in it then hiking back out is harder than hiking in with a day pack to come to the same conclusion.

If you don’t like backpacking I wouldn’t take up backpack hunting.

To loosely quote Aron Snyder, there’s 3 phases of back packing: the poor phase, the ultralight phase, the having done it enough to know what you need phase. Enjoy the journey!

Edit: see the above post from [mention]BDRam16 [/mention]last year was the poor (too heavy and too much) phase. This year he’s in the ultralight phase.

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[Huntchic]

Tcatt,
I was once in your shoes. I had various pieces of hunting and camping gear but nothing specifically " Backpack hunting gear". good pocket knife n a few bic lighters, I used a old kitchen pot to cook in. Basic Coleman dome tent, blanket and cheap yoga mat. I got a basic 30 liter backpack on sale at Bass pro shop. Having served 10 years in USMC and growing up in country hunting I know most folks over pack. Think first aid, fire, water and shelter. It took me a few years of buying 1 or two "good" pieces every year but eventually you get there. don't sweat it just take what you actually need and get good quality and light gear as you can. Boots, socks and pack are probably what i consider first and foremost. Don't overlook regular backpacking gear, Just because its marketed as "hunting" doesn't mean its not great equipment. "Hunting" gear isn't necessarily better it is just more expensive in some cases. example, I use a Mystery Ranch Terraframe 80 backpack. its marketed as a hikers pack. However it has exact same layout of some of their hunting packs but just isn't camo color. Trust me deer wont care.

 

[CobraChicken]

I started with a slumberjack dead fall. Cost me 175 out the door. Took it on 6 days and it carried a bull out.

I think they make a few other packs. My wife uses that one now and it does what it's supposed to, carry things