What do you carry in that backpack??

rgroves79

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Sep 1, 2016
Messages
164
Location
Virginia
I cant stand to have my pockets full of crap. I like all my gear in a pack.
Same here. Typically the only thing in my pockets is a can of dip in each cargo pocket. Why two you ask? When you accidentally drop one from the climber you don’t have to shuffle all the way back down to get it.

I have started carrying my frame with just a Sherman pocket for bow season. Fits the essentials for morning or evening sits. It usually contains:
Drag rope
Kill kit
Really basic first aid kit
Bow hanger
Pruners/ saw (if going to a new location)
Headlamp
TP

I’ll throw a dry bag between it and the frame for all day sits. Dry bag holds jacket, food, extra water, etc depending on the weather. I used to think carrying the frame was overkill but it’s a lot more comfortable and has better structure than an ordinary backpack.
 

Hamweena

FNG
Joined
Nov 18, 2022
Messages
6
Mine typicalyy starts of nice and organized, but as the season goes on it gets lighter and messy. As the years go on I bring less and less in with me. I do a lot of public archery, i do like to have a few small pull out bags to help keep everthing organized.
 

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hawkman71

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Nov 5, 2021
Messages
223
I'm not too far from my truck in the gameland I hunt, maybe 6/10ths of a mile. (It's a small game land and my spot has been successful, so...) I don't carry enough to pack out the deer but enough to gut and drag.

I'm in eastern NC. It's usually not too cold - certainly not what many of you deal with.

Otherwise:
  • snacks
  • drink
  • battery charger for phone with cord
  • spare reading glasses
  • spare knife
  • extra ammo
  • more snacks
 

Tex68w

WKR
Joined
Jan 1, 2017
Messages
576
Location
Texas
  • Range finder
  • Binos/monocular
  • Med kit (usually a separate smaller pack)
  • Fix It Sticks (gun/optic multi-tool)
  • Spare Batteries
  • Knives
  • Extra Layers/gloves/shemaugh/hat
  • Headlamp(s)
  • Gun rest/shooting bag
  • Kill kit
  • Pen/Marker/Zip-ties (for tags)
  • Snacks/drinks
  • Tripod/shooting sticks
  • Micro camping stool
  • Toilet paper/wipes (extremely important)
  • Water filter/Life Straw
  • Battery charger and power cords

Other items as well depending on the type of hunting and location.
 

Macchina

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 16, 2015
Messages
121
I'm trying to downsize for years, but tend to go out for a full day of hunting and need a lot of stuff. I've used everything in my pack this year aside from the tourniquet. I know it's a lot but whenever I head out with a minimal load I end up going back early, especially if I don't bring a sitting pad or coffee. I hunt with a Kuiu Venture Backpack and love the large hip pockets. Weighs about 12 pounds of gear/backpack without water and coffee. I carry:

  • Water in a bladder (I blow the water back in when it's freezing to prevent an ice plug).
  • 25oz Thermos with coffee or tea.
  • Extra wool gloves and hat.
  • Wet wipes (Dude wipes are 100% biodegradable (made from wood pulp) and can be buried)
  • Falkniven F1 knife
  • Silnylon camo MEST Tarp (weighs 6oz and the size of a wallet. I've set up a rain shelter many times with it to wait out a storm).
  • Small Diamond sharpener.
  • Zip ties
  • Paracord (for dragging).
  • Zebralight AA Headlamp with extra battery.
  • Inflatable seat pad and/or 3-leg stool if it's snowing. One or the other is essential.
  • Food (a few granola bars, tub of peaches, pumpkin seeds, etc)
  • Tourniquet (was on a hunt a few years back where someone's life was saved with a tourniquet after he sliced his arm popping a joint on a deer, severing all the arteries).
  • Extra compass
  • Small Garmin GPS
  • Lighter
  • A stick of hot glue (you can repair inflatables and a lot of gear with a lighter and a glue stick)
  • Life Straw (I've drank from more than one puddle after running out of water on hot days)-
  • 8x Monocular
  • A couple pieces of Tenacious Tape
  • Chapstik
  • A small medkit I made with bandaids, Tylenol, super glue, Pepto
  • Extra ammo/crossbow bolts
  • Grunt Tube (around my neck)



I evaluated what I carried over the years and took out the following items after not using them:
  • Leatherman (I'm still debating this, as I use the saw and pliers from time to time)
  • Silky Pocket Boy Saw
  • Small repair kit (hot glue and Tenacious Tape replaced this)
  • Poncho (I'll bring rain gear if it's raining hard, otherwise a little wet isn't bad)
  • Handgun for rifle season (I still carry when bow hunting)
  • Extra water bottle (I finally trust my Source bladder enough)
  • Rattling antlers (hardly ever used them)
  • Extra Fixed Blade (I have a folder in my pocket, I used to carry an extra Mora)
  • Extra Mid layers (I have tuned what I wear to a point where all I need to carry for a sit is a Sitka Kelvin WS Down coat down to about 10 degrees. I used to carry multiple layers and a thinner coat and fuss with them all day)
 
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hh76

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Aug 2, 2021
Messages
232
My backpack is comfortable, so I usually carry it, even if I'm not bringing much with me. What really expands it is extra clothes. Unless it's hot, I always throw a puffy set in, and possibly more clothes. The rest of the gear is dependent on what type of day I anticipate.
 

brandr67

FNG
Joined
Nov 12, 2022
Messages
23
My backpack is comfortable, so I usually carry it, even if I'm not bringing much with me. What really expands it is extra clothes. Unless it's hot, I always throw a puffy set in, and possibly more clothes. The rest of the gear is dependent on what type of day I anticipate.
Same on the extra clothes. It's nice to have extra room for layers if you need to tuck them away or carry them in without wearing them. The rest of the backpack is filled up with the same stuff everyone else on this thread has mentioned.
 

SnowCult

FNG
Joined
Nov 22, 2022
Messages
15
I am currently using a Tenzing 11.4 sling pack that has a gutting knife, first aid kit, some sort of food, water, spare socks, gloves, rangefinder and a head lamp.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

AaronL50

FNG
Joined
May 19, 2022
Messages
18
I have used both a fanny pack and a backpack. I prefer using a backpack. I hunt out of a saddle and I have found that it is easier to strap climbing sticks and a platform to a backpack compared to the fanny pack I was using. If I don't plan on saddle hunting then I leave the sticks, platform and saddle, but still bring the pack. One other bonus of the having a pack is it gives you something softer than a tree to lean against if ground hunting.

The other things I carry in my pack are the following:
Extra layers - (usually walk in with just my base layers on)
Gloves
Sock cap
Grunt call
Retractable gear hoist
Glassing Pad (This may get left in the truck depending on if I am saddle hunting or ground hunting)
Saddle (sometimes I wear this in, or I put it in the pack.)
Water (hardside hydration 48oz swig rig)
yeti 18oz rambler for coffee
snacks
Binoculars and rangefinder (might go on my chest or in the pack just depends)
wind checker
Kill kit (knife, a few zip ties, tags, license, knife sharpener, pen)
med kit
Game bags - I only bring these if going far from the truck and anticipate quartering out my deer and packing it out rather than dragging.
Headlamp
Rain jacket

The pack I use is a Kuiu pro 1800
 
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Messages
2,723
Location
Tijeras NM
My pack is my lifeline. Whether hunting elk, mule deer or Coues whitetail. Nothing really changes in what I carry other than the size of the game bags. Cmon January!
 
Joined
Feb 3, 2022
Messages
373
Depending if I'm day hunting or making a trip out of it:

Day trip (20 some odd pounds pending weather gear):
Hardshell jacket
Stove/ fuel/canister
Food
Tarp
Stakes and paracord
Hardshell pants
Spare socks

Spending time/dropcamping (bumps me into low 30s for weight):
More food
20*bag
pad
bag liner
Nalgene bottle.

Always in/on my bag is first aid kit, kill kit(game shears, hide knife, woodsaw) fire kit (duct tape doubledover on itself-lighter), repair kit for sleeping pad, 3l water, game bags, trekking poles and baskets, headlamp. Extra ammo game dependent.

Bino harness has 1 round each side, game knife, knife sharpener, strip of duct tape, super small Bic, lens cloth, binos.

Hunting is anything from walking 100 acres, spot and stalk 5k acres, cruising up/down the river to tributaries, navigating to the backsides of public land/ river access only land, creek crossings, tree "bridges" over creeks/small rivers.

I like to be ready, and 20-30#s hardly gets in the way load wise.
 
Joined
Nov 10, 2021
Messages
32
I have a GamePlan Gear Leach Pack

Flashlight
Wind checker
Range Finder
Hand Saw
Grunt Call
Bleet
Pack Rack
Scents
Binos
Thernacell
Safety Harness
Tree Teather
 
Joined
Jun 23, 2019
Messages
1,322
Location
Florida,Dwneast Me,Catskills
I try to remain pretty minimalist. For the vast majority of my NE woods stillhunting, what I need, I can fit in my coat, vest and hand muff pockets. Extra shells, knife, drag, flashlight, compass... maybe some jerky or a candy bar.

If I intend to cover 4-6 miles (or more) in big woods, like the Adirondacks, I'll put some extra clothes, food and safety gear in a MR Pop Up 28.
All of the above plus, First aid kit, survival blanket, fire starter, puffy jacket, wool jac/shirt, pair of thick wool socks, wool lined chopper mitts, game bags, TP and some water.
 
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KM5019

FNG
Joined
Jan 2, 2023
Messages
19
It depends on where I’m hunting but when I’m big woods I typically have;
GPS
Map compass
Lapel compass
Two small flashlights
Extra batteries
Butane torch lighter
WP matches
Garmin knife with interchangeable saw blade
Lens cloth
Rope bore cleaner
Drag rope
Grunt call
Water
Survival blanket
Extra layer
Twine
 
Joined
Dec 29, 2019
Messages
8
I see so many of these hunters on T.V. carrying a backpack while hunting whitetails and I can't figure out what all they need to make it through the day that they would have to have a backpack to carry it in. I always have a extra release,flashlight,grunt call,can call, gutting knife,gloves and facemask,limb saw, rangefinder and all of that fits into a 7 pocket fannypack. So I'm wondering if you guys wear a fannypack or backpack? And if you wear a backpack what all is in it?
I always carry a pack. Usually has my amplified hearing protection, extra set of gloves, beanie, my seat pad and small trauma kit just in case. Almost forgot the most important toilet paper for those coffee induced pit stops.
 

Coldtrail

WKR
Joined
Dec 9, 2019
Messages
359
I carry a backpack virtually everytime I leave my truck and head out that contains enough to survive an overnight in the woods......I figure there is a point in a man's life when you cant predict when the ol' check engine light is going to come on.
 

RainmanOK

FNG
Joined
Jul 15, 2022
Messages
11
Knife, snacks, water bladder, sticks/platform, keys/wallet, headlamp, Dude wipes (resealed, and small pack), and mostly for room for shedding clothing (Oklahoma weather fluctuations can be crazy, wet 30deg to dry sunny 70+ and back). KISS method, I live by it.
 
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