Sand bags to simulate weight in pack?

[NYSKIER]

Hi all,

Just got a new pack which I'm really pumped about. Looking to hike stairs with my packs to get ready to put lots of mile under my feet in search of game. I was thinking of just throwing a 40 or 50lb sand bag in my pack. Do you guys think this would be the easiest way to simulate pack weight without having to load it with all my gear plus a random objects?

 

[Ridge Ghost]

Yep, sand bags work well, and are pretty cheap. There are plenty of other options too. Anything heavy that fills up space. Sand bags, wood pellets, water, concrete mix bags, rock salt, etc.

Dumbbells and kettlebells are fine, too, but they concentrate the weight in one smaller space. I do like how sand bags and the other items I mentioned spread the weight out a bit, and more closely simulate a bag of meat.

 

[Ridge Runner]

Just make sure you wrap it up tight. Sand tends to flow like water and will get all over your pack. I have mine in a double bag and still leaks a little. Will duct tape the bag this year to add another layer of protection. I bought a 50 lb bag of playground sand and have been using it for years. cheap and easy and settles in so won't move around.

 

[mathews8pt]

You can also use water jugs. They let you vary the weight a little easier and you can dump them out if needed after a strain or something unexpected happens. I prefer them over a sand bag and usually wrap them in a couple blankets to pack them in tightly and replicate a full pack. Just another option to think about.

 

[elkyinzer]

That's mostly what I like to use. I have a 50 pounder I use to workout as well (squats, weighted pushups and pullups, etc)

Sometimes I like water because I can carry it uphill, then dump it before going descending to save unnecessary wear on the knees.

 

[NYSKIER]

Thanks for all the input guys I think I'm going to go with the sandbag for now but I do like the idea of using water and being able to dumb it out for the way down.

 

[Jason Snyder]

I use a bag of rock salt. Sand is fine, so are wood pellets. Salt and sand are cheaper and I wouldn't hesitate to dump them out if I need to for some emergent reason.

 

[Daniel_M]

I like to use wood pellets, personally. They're less hard/abrasive on the gear and density allows you to fill the pack with more volume to achieve the same weight.


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[MIKEYB]

I use salt from home depot, Throw in a large OR dry sack and go. If I need more protection I'll wrap the Salt in Shrink wrap before putting into a dry sack. Also have been know to grab large rocks and throw them in the load shelf, that way if become a pansy along the way I can abort. I feel like if I take the salt I'm committed.

 

[AKMAN]

Water sloshes no matter how well you burp the bottle.
I mostly use ruck plates from goruck in a GR1 for training around town. A very streamlined way to add weight.
Obviously the plates don't ride as nice in the bottom of a regular hunting pack. for that I like to put sand in protein/fiber/etc. cans (think mtn ops magnum) full of sand. Easy to go up and down in weight and they sit relatively close to your back.

 

[D_Eightch]

I used a bag of play sand. Wrapped it up in duct tape, put my sleeping bag in, then sand bag on top. carried great.

 

[sdfuller]

I was just about to ask this question. I've been using a bag of sand for the last few months and it always seems to settle down on the bottom of my pack (it's in the sandbag and a dry bag). It ends up sliding down and pushing on my butt. I'm going to try what D_Eightch does and put a sleeping bag or blankets or something at the bottom to keep the weight more in the middle of the pack. That's the only downfall I see to sandbags.

 

[Ruskin]

I used the 2.5 gallon jugs of water. 1,2 or 3. Worked good.

 

[paleraider]

I use a sandbag. As mentioned to get it to carry well you should wrap it up in duct tap to give it a more solid form so it won't all drop down to the bottom of your bag. I take my air mattress and rain gear and put them in the bottom of the pack and then put the bag on top of them to raise it up a bit. It seems to work well over all.

 

[justinspicher]

Just remember that a bag of sand or water doesn't accurately account for the volume your gear takes up in your pack. I've never understood why you'd train with anything other than what you planned to carry on a hunt, to each their own.

 

[Ashy Larry]

@justinspicher bc a lot of us want to train with heavier than expected loads. Or sometimes lighter than normal loads. Your back shouldnt be able to differentiate between a volume of rock salt or a weeks worth of gear.

 

[sdfuller]

Just remember that a bag of sand or water doesn't accurately account for the volume your gear takes up in your pack. I've never understood why you'd train with anything other than what you planned to carry on a hunt, to each their own.

Cause It's a lot faster to load up a sandbag and go versus breaking into the safe for my optics and pulling gear off hangers & out of storage every time I want to train. I guess I'm just lazy

Plus I like to train with more weight than what I take with me so I'm over prepared.


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[COlineman78]

David at Native Textiles (ntcolorado.com) sent me some great weight bags. They fit perfectly in my 22 mag. I have 2, one filled with wood pellets and the other filled with pea gravel. They weight approx 28 and 40lbs respectively, which once you add the weight of the bag is roughly 40lb and 50lb setups.

 

[mtnrunner260]

For sand I filled up the legs of an old pair or jeans.
Cut them off, sew the bottom closed with a double stitch, put sand in garbage bag, twist top of leg and wrap with duct tape.
I also like water in a dry bag, sure its not perfectly "stable" but sometimes camp, meat and a head aren't the most stable load either.

Congrats on the pack btw, what did you get?

 

[larryschwartz]

I use the 25# bags of de-icing salt they sell for getting ice off of your sidewalk. The smaller size makes it easy to go for 25 or 50 pounds and you can use it when winter comes around and you don't need it for training anymore. Plus, I know I have it on hand when that first unexpected snowstorm blows into town.

The bag keeps it shape, fits nicely into a backpack, and it doesn't leak.

Just my two cents, but it works well for me.

Larry