Total gear weight

[fatlander]

Depending on how much water you’re boiling, you can probably get away with one can of fuel for 5 days. I only cook dinners so that would be 5 boils for me. I take caffeine pills over coffee on backpack hunts.


I’d completely forgo rain pants for archery elk. Gaiters if WX calls for it and you want them. In my experience you’re going to get your pants wet from rain or sweat with rain gear on. Pick your poison.

Not that it’ll save any meaningful weight, but I don’t see the need in bandaids. Wrap one lighter with electric tape and one with Leuko tape. That’ll fix more bleeding than a bandaid. Didn’t see a tourniquet on your list. While you hope to never need it, I’d hate to not have it.

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[Speaks]

ok so my gut reaction was that your pack is heavier than I would want. But you were including weapons as well as worn cloths which makes it not nearly so bad.

I just looked up the spreadsheet I use for BWCA canoe trips and my comfortable version of my kit is around 15lbs not including pack, food, water, or fuel.

This of course does not include weapons, kill kit, and has somewhat less cloths.

 

[CMF]

You and Jake bring up some good points thanks.
Any recommendations on some good lightweight game bags?

The first set I bought were just some homemade of ebay, search ul game bag I think.
I also won a set of Argali in the cold bow challenge and those are certainly nicer than the ebay bags, but they'll cost accordingly. Looks like 9oz for 5 bags.
I do skull mounts too, I cut all of the skin, eyes and lower jaw off in the field, so only weight is upper skull and misc. brain and scraps.

 

[fngTony]

Ok here's my gear list going to try and send a link. https://www.packwizard.com/s/FHNh2ul

Sir, your base weight is off by a few pounds. Separate your clothes into “worn” and “packed”. Currently you have all your clothing marked as worn. Only mark things that you always wear or minimal worn in the warmest part of the day.

 

[theycallmemud]

Sir, your base weight is off by a few pounds. Separate your clothes into “worn” and “packed”. Currently you have all your clothing marked as worn. Only mark things that you always wear or minimal worn in the warmest part of the day.

Thanks for looking. That puts my base weight at 36lb.
Removed a few items at the wise suggestion of a few awesome folks on here.

 

[theycallmemud]

Ditched the zip lantern, tripod, bone saw and nalgene and randy newberg ebs. Cut over 4lbs from my pack. Next easiest thing I can think to do is switch from my caribou meat on bone game bags to grakksaw or argali bone out bags. The caribou bags are way heavy, nice if im not hunting far from the truck. And replace the ebs with maybe with my havalon or gerber replaceable blade knives.

 

[Jake Larsen]

Ditched the zip lantern, tripod, bone saw and nalgene and randy newberg ebs. Cut over 4lbs from my pack. Next easiest thing I can think to do is switch from my caribou meat on bone game bags to grakksaw or argali bone out bags. The caribou bags are way heavy, nice if im not hunting far from the truck. And replace the ebs with maybe with my havalon or gerber replaceable blade knives.

For knives, check out the White River M:1 Backpacker Pro (3.2oz). It’s one of my favorites I’ve ever used, and much cheaper than other “premium” options. Available in a couple excellent steels.

I really like the MFC Blackfoot 2.0 as well, but it’s quite spendy.

I’ve tried a couple Argali knives. They weren’t for me, but others really like them.

Magnacut steel is incredible. I’ve now broken down 4 elk with a Magnacut knife, and was able to work through the entire animal without re-sharpening. This will depend on skill with a knife - not cutting unnecessarily against bone and against the grain of the hair while skinning. But with care, one knife is enough for a whole animal.

To supplement, I carry a Tyto finisher (.5oz). GOAT knives also makes a similar model. A couple #60 blades with this is a great supplement to the fixed blade. Excellent for deboning and other detail work


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[theycallmemud]

For knives, check out the White River M:1 Backpacker Pro (3.2oz). It’s one of my favorites I’ve ever used, and much cheaper than other “premium” options. Available in a couple premium steels.

I really like the MFC Blackfoot 2.0 as well, but it’s quite spendy.

I’ve tried a couple Argali knives. They weren’t for me, but others really like them.

Magnacut steel is incredible. I’ve now broken down 4 elk with a Magnacut knife, and was able to work through the entire animal without re-sharpening. This will depend on skill with a knife - not cutting unnecessarily against bone and against the grain of the hair while skinning. But with care, one knife is enough for a whole animal.

To supplement, I carry a Tyto finisher (.5oz). GOAT knives also makes a similar model. A couple #60 blades with this is a great supplement to the fixed blade. Excellent for deboning and other detail work


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I will definitely check those out. I have the carbon handle goat knife 1.5 oz, I qaurtered a elk this year with it, stayed wicked sharp the whole time I used it.

Might give the tyto finisher a try. O.5 ounces is crazy light. What about a scalpel instead? Maybe cheaper and just as light?

I have a gerber vital and a havalon piranta, they weigh around 1.5 ounces, but those blades break way too easy, usually use them on turkeys or ducks.

How easy is it to break a blade on that tyto finisher?

I knew a guy who was a taxidermist that broke down an entire elk with just razor blades.

 

[theycallmemud]

Depending on how much water you’re boiling, you can probably get away with one can of fuel for 5 days. I only cook dinners so that would be 5 boils for me. I take caffeine pills over coffee on backpack hunts.


I’d completely forgo rain pants for archery elk. Gaiters if WX calls for it and you want them. In my experience you’re going to get your pants wet from rain or sweat with rain gear on. Pick your poison.

Not that it’ll save any meaningful weight, but I don’t see the need in bandaids. Wrap one lighter with electric tape and one with Leuko tape. That’ll fix more bleeding than a bandaid. Didn’t see a tourniquet on your list. While you hope to never need it, I’d hate to not have it.

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Would you take a tarp inplace of rain gear and pack cover?

 

[Jake Larsen]

I will definitely check those out. I have the carbon handle goat knife 1.5 oz, I qaurtered a elk this year with it, stayed wicked sharp the whole time I used it.

Might give the tyto finisher a try. O.5 ounces is crazy light. What about a scalpel instead? Maybe cheaper and just as light?

I have a gerber vital and a havalon piranta, they weigh around 1.5 ounces, but those blades break way too easy, usually use them on turkeys or ducks.

How easy is it to break a blade on that tyto finisher?

I knew a guy who was a taxidermist that broke down an entire elk with just razor blades.

That carbon Goat looks nice. Haven’t had a chance to handle it.

They Tyto uses those scalpel blades. #22 blades are pretty flexible. Those #60A blades are pretty dang tough though. You definitely can break them, but you’ve gotta be getting pretty wild with them.

Another option. Those 60XT blades are even tougher.

Ibex Mini

The Ibex Mini The Ibex mini is an ultra-lightweight, ultra-sharp, and ultra-strong titanium replaceable blade knife. Weighing in just .634 or 18 grams this knife will be sure to make it into your kill kit. The Ibex Mini will accomdate 60A, 60XT blades. Pair this knife with our fleshing blade...

goatknives.com

I’d personally have no issue brining something like that Goat and the Tyto as my only knives. I’ve heard of guys using the scalpel knives for the whole animal, but honestly I wouldn’t do that. I want something with backbone when doing things like getting through the thicker skin of the neck/back and working inside that hip joint to pull quarters.


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[theycallmemud]

Ya, I'm not a butcher either, scalpel probaly would cut it. I just start hacking until it comes off lol

 

[Jake Larsen]

Would you take a tarp inplace of rain gear and pack cover?

No…depending on season dates/location, I’d leave rain pants and bring gaiters. Tarp comes on glassing centric hunts only.

Gaiters, rain jacket, and pack cover are non negotiable for me.


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[mtwarden]

Looks like you have your boots not marked as worn, guessing they'll be worn

You can also mark (move) on lighterpack.com food and water as consumable; that's typically how you arrive at a "base weight". Your pack weight is base weight + your consumables.

Consumable can vary widely on the length of the trip, availability of water, etc. A 3 day trip in a water rich environ is going to be much different than a week hunting in the desert. So comparing "base weight" to"base weight" is a lot more apples to apples that way.

So your base weight is ~ 24 lbs which is well within the range of most folks backpack hunting

 

[carsonkeys]

You could cut 11oz (over 1/2 pound!) by leaving the merino top at home since you already have a base layer and midlayer.

You could cut another 11oz by not bringing rain pants if the weather looks good. Another 4oz if you leave the pack cover at home.

You could cut another 7.5 oz by leaving the steripen and trailshot at home since you're already bringing tablets. My preference is the Katadyn Befree at 1.25 oz.

You could cut another ~4oz by ditching the nalgene in lieu of a Smartwater bottle (or similar)

Pending decent weather, that's over 2lbs (~37.5 oz) you could cut because you already have it covered.

 

[theycallmemud]

Great suggestions. Thank you.

 

[theycallmemud]

I've always been curious why everybody brings a rain jacket, but hates bringing rain pants. I get what thier saying if the forecast says it's going be good weather don't bring the rain pants, why not leave the rain jacket too??
Bring a tarp instead? Can a tarp be put up quick enough before you get soaked?
there's been a few times I got soaked because I didn't bring rain gear, nice weather can change in an instant at elevation.

If there's snow I always bring gators no matter what.

 

[Jake Larsen]

I've always been curious why everybody brings a rain jacket, but hates bringing rain pants. I get what thier saying if the forecast says it's going be good weather don't bring the rain pants, why not leave the rain jacket too??
Bring a tarp instead? Can a tarp be put up quick enough before you get soaked?
there's been a few times I got soaked because I didn't bring rain gear, nice weather can change in an instant at elevation.

If there's snow I always bring gators no matter what.

I bring rain pants most of the time. The only time I consider leaving it, is early hunts when rain comes in half hour or hour long squalls, and the temps are warm and dry enough to dry gear out in following days if the worst case scenario happens.

That being said, I’ve got Sitka Dewpoint pants that are so light and pack so small that I pretty much always just throw them in


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[theycallmemud]

I bring rain pants most of the time. The only time I consider leaving it, is early hunts when rain comes in half hour or hour long squalls, and the temps are warm and dry enough to dry gear out in following days if the worst case scenario happens.

That being said, I’ve got Sitka Dewpoint pants that are so light and pack so small that I pretty much always just throw them in


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Right. Just curious why bring a rain jacket but no pants? So you only get HALF wet?

 

[Jake Larsen]

Right. Just curious why bring a rain jacket but no pants? So you only get HALF wet?

Because a good jacket plus gaiters will get you through a pretty decent rain, especially if your pants have a decent dwr. If it’s just a light misting type rain, or something rolling through quickly in warm weather, I’m not taking the time to put on pants. There’s a point of diminishing returns also in terms of getting hot/sweaty because of the full suit of rain gear.

The lower leg brushing against wet vegetation is the worst. Gaiters fix that.


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[theycallmemud]

I'll definitely add gators