I just packed for a three day turkey hunt. 76 pounds is WAYYY too heavy.
. But that is my skin out weight, including my shotgun and clothing. Where I am going I have hunted before, and there are no creeks, streams, or spings. Those that are on the map are labeled seasonal, and I have never found one with water in it. So 25 pounds of that weight is water and assorted carrying containers. This will also be my first year backpack hunting, so NONE of my stuff is lightweight. I am prioritizing purchases for this year, and can pull 10-15 pounds off easy by dropping the Walmart Poly tarp for a Mega Tarp, a Backcountry Boiler for my Basecamp Steel Kelly Kettle, and getting rid of the not quite four pound synthetic Slumberjack sleeping bag. My camp sandals are heavy, too, and I will likely get a pair of Crocs for that. My GI Joe range finder is insanely heavy, too, for what it does.These changes right here will drop about 8 pounds. Re- packaging my food will help, too. Getting rid of the decoy and Primos ground blind will save another 2 pounds+.
One thing that I just learned this morning. every time I sit down and pack for a trip, I need to have a three day trip in mind. Once packed for that, I can add food for each additional day. That way I am not tempted into taking extra clothes, and other useless weight. The unit I got drawn in for deer this year has a few more streams and tanks, so my loadout for a five day deer hunt should be right at about 48-50 pounds.
pat