Target pack weight

[ohhiitznik]

What is your target weight with all your gear + bow + water for say.... Bivy/backpack hunt

3 day
7 day
10 day

This year I'm going for 40 lbs for a 7 day and under 50 for a 10 day.

 

[Lawnboi]

Depends on the time of the year and what im hunting

As light as I can while still getting the job done!

Fishing or scouting for 3 days my pack will be light!

Hunting mulies in November for 3 days on the plains, quite a bit heavier.

 

[Above Timber]

September archery elk in Colorado I like to keep weight as close to the following as possible.
3 days: 36 lbs.
5 days: 38 lbs.
7 days: 41 lbs.
Food is easily the heaviest at about 1-1/2 lbs per day.

 

[unm1136]

The area I got drawn for.this year had water when I scouted, but none when I hunted, as I was warned. I had to pack in my water, and I have little to no lightweight gear. My 3-5 day setup was almost 70 pounds. I want to see it down to 40, if I can. I am upgrading a couple of of small items a year until I get there. I just grabbed a Kifaru pack., which is 10 pounds, but there are ways I can lighten it, and it will make the weight easier to manage until I get it down. I plan to use the packbag to pack in,then pull it off and use KU pods, lock and loads, and long pockets/top lids on the pack frame for hunting.

pat

 

[armyjoe]

3 Day - 38lbs
7 Day - 42lbs
10 Day - 47lbs

Weather, terrain/area will dictate some of my gear choices but I'm usually around these weights.

 

[fillthefreezer]

7 day solo mule deer im at 54.85lb

 

[a3dhunter]

3 day= 34 lbs
5 day= 38 lbs
7 day= 42 lbs
10 day = 48 lbs

 

[fillthefreezer]

idk how you guys do it so light? i have good lightweight gear and dont think i bring extra anything

 

[RosinBag]

I think these weights are pretty low, with the exception of Fillthe freezer. If you are talking about everything in your pack for a 7 day hunt to include, food, water, weapon and all neccessary gear and come in at 40 pounds, that would be incredible. I think if you come in at 50 you are doing well. My pack weight excluding food is the same regardless of duration. The only difference is in food, whether I take food for 3, 5 or 7 days.

We have had this thread several times and people posted "everything" they carried and it rarely had everything, but always had the "except" word in it.

If you can go 7 days with 50 pounds including everything and be self sufficient, you are doing great.

Optics and tripod at 7 -8 pounds, pack at 5 -7 pounds, water at 5 - 7 pounds, weapon at 7 - 8 pounds. That stuff alone is about 25 plus pounds.

Overall, I don't think it matters much. I don't know many people who can tell me the felt difference between a t 48 and 50 pound pack.

 

[fillthefreezer]

i can tell the diff between sept muley hunt and halloween elk hunt for sure, its about 10lbs for me.
i can also tell the difference when i split gear with the wife, vs a buddy vs solo. havent done the math but i would say i could shed 5 lbs when splitting gear with a buddy

 

[dotman]

12 day complete weight (everything but me) for this past year was 71lbs, pack was 48.31lbs. This will change this year since I nolonger am running a ku5200 but a T1. So for shorter trips the main reduction will be food.

Edit: looks like total 2013 weight will be 74.47lbs and total pack weight will be 53.53lbs for 12 days.

 

[loner]

For 7 days out 55lbs. For everyday after that add 2lbs.

 

[HellsCanyon]

My base pack weight INCLUDING rifle is around 41 lbs. I say base weight as that is what I consider enough for a 3 day backpack hunt. Depending on time of year it could vary 2 lbs or so. Every day after that add about 1.5 - 2 lbs for food. My pack doesn't change except for food from a 3 to 5 day hunt. Never had the opportunity to go past 5 days in a row out of a pack...

For a 2.5 day mid Sept muley hunt this year I was at 29 lbs + 12 lb rifle. That was splitting some gear with the GF as I hauled the rifle and she hauled the tag... She also took the tent I believe.

October 20th at 8k' for 3 days I was at 41 lbs with water + 12 lb rifle for 53 lbs.

I feel pretty confident in my gear list. Only way I see myself getting lighter is going floorless, with bivy, pad, and quality quilt. I could probably shave another 2-3 lbs off by upgrading some clothes and little knick knacks but I'll make do for now.

Mike

 

[luke moffat]

idk how you guys do it so light? i have good lightweight gear and dont think i bring extra anything

I hear ya, between tossing in a sat phone, and adding an extra tarp/shelter, having a 4+ pound spotting scope, and also weighing my pack with 3 liters of water I'm up near 60 pounds if I'm doing a 10 day backpack hunt. 1.5 pounds of food per day is 15 pounds, 7 pounds for a backpack, 7 pounds for spotting scope/tripod, 7 pounds for a rifle, 6.5 pounds for 3 liters of water. Boom all of a sudden I'm up to nearly 43 pounds and I haven't even put anything in my pack really.

I have some pretty decent gear but if I am being flown out and STHF some extra items are a must for me. Personally, I don't get too hung up on the weight thing. Folks are comfortable with different weights and as you can see above it varies a lot based on what you need to take for different hunts in different locales. I have what I know I need pretty well dialed in and while its fun to see what I am leaving the trailhead with, fact of the matter is it really doesn't matter what it is as I have what I think I need and nothing more. Sure I try to cut the pack weight some each year, but I don't get too wrapped up on the actual number.

Lots of guys list their pack weight saying its all up except the rifle, or all up except rifle and water, or all up except whatever. Like I said lots of variables, but I'd be more concerned with making sure you have all you need and nothing more, some arbitrary number isn't all that helpful for me to set a target at. What I take on a 10 day summer backpacking trip is entirely different than what I might take on a 10 fly out on Kodiak island.

 

[les welch]

I think these weights are pretty low, with the exception of Fillthe freezer. If you are talking about everything in your pack for a 7 day hunt to include, food, water, weapon and all neccessary gear and come in at 40 pounds, that would be incredible. I think if you come in at 50 you are doing well. My pack weight excluding food is the same regardless of duration. The only difference is in food, whether I take food for 3, 5 or 7 days.

We have had this thread several times and people posted "everything" they carried and it rarely had everything, but always had the "except" word in it.

If you can go 7 days with 50 pounds including everything and be self sufficient, you are doing great.

Optics and tripod at 7 -8 pounds, pack at 5 -7 pounds, water at 5 - 7 pounds, weapon at 7 - 8 pounds. That stuff alone is about 25 plus pounds.

Overall, I don't think it matters much. I don't know many people who can tell me the felt difference between a t 48 and 50 pound pack.

Agreed. I Spreadsheet everything to the nearest .01 of an oz, and mark it off when it goes in my pack. Nothing more or nothing less. I know exactly what is in my pack for each hunt, and it is never the same. Everyone who claims they are "x" amount for "x" days, generally has a "but" or an "except" in their description, sometimes a few times. I thought I was doing good for 60# range for 8 or so days...I guess I gotta see how you 40# for 7-10 day guys do it.....

 

[les welch]

I hear ya, between tossing in a sat phone, and adding an extra tarp/shelter, having a 4+ pound spotting scope, and also weighing my pack with 3 liters of water I'm up near 60 pounds if I'm doing a 10 day backpack hunt. 1.5 pounds of food per day is 15 pounds, 6 pounds for a backpack, 6.5-7 pounds for spotting scope/tripod, 6.5 pounds for 3 liters of water. Boom all of a sudden I'm up to nearly 35 pounds and I haven't even put anything in my pack really.

I have some pretty decent gear but if I am being flown out and STHF some extra items are a must for me. Personally, I don't get too hung up on the weight thing. Folks are comfortable with different weights and as you can see above it varies a lot based on what you need to take for different hunts in different locales. I have what I know I need pretty well dialed in and while its fun to see what I am leaving the trailhead with, fact of the matter is it really doesn't matter what it is as I have what I think I need and nothing more. Sure I try to cut the pack weight some each year, but I don't get too wrapped up on the actual number.

Lots of guys list their pack weight saying its all up except the rifle, or all up except rifle and water, or all up except whatever. Like I said lots of variables, but I'd be more concerned with making sure you have all you need and nothing more, some arbitrary number isn't all that helpful for me to set a target at. What I take on a 10 day summer backpacking trip is entirely different than what I might take on a 10 fly out on Kodiak island.

Beat me to it, but my sentiments EXACTLY.

 

[BuckSnort]

August-Sept I am between 50-52 lbs for 7 days... All I pack is 2 quarts of water which is twice as much as it takes to get me from water source to water source on the hike in...

 

[ohhiitznik]

For 7 days in the backcountry I come in right at the 45.8lb mark loaded. This is solo gear, without splitting up the weight with a partner. If I split with a partner I could get down in the 40-42 lb range. I don't include my bino's and rangefinder as I wear those on my body, along with not including the clothes I wear in. Only good thing about it is that it gets lighter the longer I hike and suck down water! Next year I'll have my buddy going so he might be packing the filter and spotter/tripod

Kifaru DT1 customized (no snow collar/sleepingbag divider/trimmed XTL lid this includes my grab it, medium belt pouch) 7lbs
6 days of food 9 lbs
Ground sheet .25 lb
Sleeping Bag- Mont bell 1.5 lbs
Sleeping Pad- Klymit Static V 1 lb
Tent- paratipi 2.5 lbs
Kill kit- 1.4 lbs
Hygiene kit 1 lb
Strother bow 7lb
Water 3L 7.5 lbs
Spindrift jacket in pack .6 lb
Survival/first aid kit 1.5 lbs
Rain Jacket/extra socks/underwear 2 lb
Trekking poles 1 lb
Five fingers .5 lb
Nalgene bottle .25
MSR Miniworks 1 lb
Primus ETA express with fuel 1.5 lb
MSR drom bag .3


I only take 6 days of food for 7 days, as I eat a huge meal before I head in and I find myself not eating that much in the backcountry anyway.

 

[stephen b]

There is a big difference to me on whether you are talking pack in backpack/ spike camp hunt where you are dropping most of camp and hunting from there. Then I can see carrying more. Those hunts I do not mind carrying a few more comfort items and then a 50-55 lbs pack wt would be OK.

But if you are truly bivy hunting- where your pack is on your back all the time as you hunt and move through out the day and drop camp where nightfall finds you, that is a totally different deal. When I tried to hunt like that ( bivy) with what would normally for me be a backpack type/ spike camp gear and the pack wt. is up to 55lb. or so; well.... it sucks and I do not find I hunt as far or move as efficiently. Especially chasing bulls in hot september weather. And alot depends on how much H2O you are carrying etc.

So after a while, I started really evaluating what needs to REALLY go and what does not. I personally prefer to get my pack weight under 40lbs. max. for a true bivy hunt ( in Sept/ early fall) where I am carrying a pack all the time. And for true essentials 40lbs is not a tough goal. But some "comfort" items may have to go. This weight would be for 5 days or so. Longer than that I would probably cycle back and re-supply. But in order to do this, you have to get the major items down in weight. This Sept I had a 3 day bivy with H2O ( 4 liters to start) right around 33 lbs ( with bow it was about 38). And that was with a 6.5 lbs. pack only weight.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

10 day wintertime hunt my pack generally runs 53lbs or slightly less, that includes everything except the clothes I wear.