Where to start (equipment)?

[Cdpp880]

I am starting to accumulate gear for backpack style hunting and don't know where is the best to start. I have hunted my whole life but it has been primarily WT and pig Hunting in TX so all my clothes are for pretty warm weather. I will be going to Utah on an elk hunt the beginning of October, and plain on doing at least one long(10-14 days) western hunt for elk,mule deer, bear every year after... We will be base camping but I would like to spend a night or two farther in to help increase odds.
I was thinking of starting with a good pack first (probably kifaru). I have a 2 man tent that will work for now. I also have a decent pair of boots and optics. So what do y'all sugest to start if I had around $5-700 may be able to pull a little more? I believe in buying quality first but know I cannot afford to buy everything quality for this year. So where would you start. Good clothing, sleep system, clothing.........

 

[Vids]

What are your "good" boots? The good ones I used in MN weren't up to the task in the mountains, so keep that in mind.

I would get clothing before a pack. I hauled out a lot of elk with a $150 Black's Creek pack before I upgraded to a better pack. Just make sure you have a pack strong/big enough to haul a quarter, there are plenty of options that don't cost $700.

For clothing, you don't have to buy Sitka or Kuiu everything, but I will admit it's nice now that I have it. Wool base layers, a thicker insulating layer, and a wind proof/resistant shell will work. After living out here 12 years I still wear a Redhead jacket because it is water/windproof and I can't bring myself to get rid of it and spend $300 on a Sitka jacket. Just avoid cotton. If you have Under Armour type stuff it will work but it gets stinky after a few days. Good wool socks are a big one too, I like Darn Tough brand.

 

[Cdpp880]

My boots are lowa combat boots gtx. I have worn these everyday at work and have carried loads up to 60lbs comfortably. Optics are Nikon monarch 10x42's, clothes wise I have plenty of synthetic base layers, no insulation jacket anymore, I have rain gear just not light weight. I have an old synthetic sleeping bag but it is so old it probably would not work to well.

 

[fngTony]

You can find deals on good wool on camofire and amazon. Ice breaker, minus 33, ibex, smart wool. The sitka stuff with polygeine anti odor is about the best synthetic for odor control, have seen it well priced on amazon.



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[Felix40]

Assuming you will be rifle hunting mostly?

I have been going through this process of getting decent gear over the last 4-5 years. My priorities on your budget(mine is actually a little smaller every year) would be.
1. A GPS or an external charger for your phone if you don't have either of those yet.

2. Getting rid of cotton clothes has to be the cheapest way to stay more comfortable when backpacking. Decent hiking pants (prana zions, kuhl renegades, kuiu attacks). Fast drying T-shirt. Merino top and maybe bottoms (first lite chama top and kuiu bottoms would be my choice). Then you will need an insulating jacket too but you can get by with about anything here. You will just have to carry extra weight if you go cheap. Also a good rain jacket is a good idea. At least where I hunt.

3. Meat bags. Either make some of your own out of pillow cases or buy some BOMB bags but don't try to carry elk quarters unless your are close to the truck. And don't try to use those stretchy cheese cloth bags. Take the time to debone and it makes packing out an easy task.

4. Honestly if you do the above you wont have the budget left for a kifaru so I would go with a sleep system. Hi R value pad and a quality bag or quilt. If you are staying at the truck for the most part you wont be packing around a bunch of crap but you will have to sleep in the tent in the cold every night. Plus if you get a good sleep system it will decrease your weight for the one or two days you may want to pack in.

5. Kifaru pack. Id say if it was me doing what you want to do I would buy the other stuff which you will be using every day and will make your pack lighter and hold off on the kifaru until next year. Even if you kill an elk(10% chance based on averages) you can struggle through the pack out with a cheap pack. I've done it and my buddies have done it. The other up side is that once you do get a kifaru the next year you will appreciate it so much more.

 

[Cdpp880]

I have a gps.
I will be gun hunting this year but the vast majority of my hunting will ne archery.
So I am going to have to buy a backpack anyway so what should I be looking at for a backpack untill droping the coin on an expensive one?
I just don't want to throw money at a pack and then turnaround and throw money at another one next year.

 

[fngTony]

I have a gps.
I will be gun hunting this year but the vast majority of my hunting will ne archery.
So I am going to have to buy a backpack anyway so what should I be looking at for a backpack untill droping the coin on an expensive one?
I just don't want to throw money at a pack and then turnaround and throw money at another one next year.

In the same boat, I got into backpacking before backpack hunting so I'm still running a kelty coyote. It works and has some resale value. Next year I'm leaning towards an exo mountain pack a bit cheaper than kifaru and bit more than a badlands pack. I ruled out Badlands since they don't make anything for my torso length but may fit you and your budget.

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[Schnagelbagel]

I would try to network a bit and find some fellow sliders that may live in your area thay have some of the packs you are interested in. I dont think you can go wrong with EXO, Kifaru, Stone Glacier. I liked the eberlestock pack i had too but it was heavy! Now i run a SG sky5100

 

[twall13]

I personally wouldn't waste money on a cheap pack if you plan on upgrading again next year. I'm just guessing here but I bet a bunch of slightly used 2015 exo packs come on the classifieds over the next few months. With the release of the new frame and day pack I think some guys will dump and upgrade so you may be able to find a decent deal on one. They are fantastic packs; I've been very pleased with my 3500 but I think I'll end up dumping it to get a 5500 and a daypack from them at some point (not this year, I've already blown too much on optics/accessories).

You've been given some pretty good advice on clothing, and if you don't need camo (not important on a rifle hunt), you can get some quality stuff for a lot less money. Honestly though, if it were me I'd put my money into the sleep system before clothes. If you don't sleep well, you won't hunt as hard or smart. It sounds like you have some decent clothes already, though not necessarily set up for backpacking. Carry that extra couple of pounds in clothing this year and upgrade clothing next year if you have to. I hunted for years in cotton jeans. Will I be hunting in them again? No, but the point is it can be done and your existing clothing sounds like it will be better than jeans anyway. If you really need to, clothing can be found on sales here and there and you can piece a system together for pretty good prices. Especially if you don't insist on using camo. Kuhl Renegade Pants, Minus33 merino base layers, any decent earth tone puffy and rain gear, etc. Good luck.

 

[Vids]

Lots of good advice here, the only thing I would disagree with is buying BOMB meat bags. I have always used the cheap, cheesecloth bags and they've worked fine for me. I buy Remington brand at Walmart, not sure what brands others have had issues with, or maybe I've just gotten lucky.

Sounds like you're good on boots, those are better than the Rockys I had when I came out from MN.

Sleep system - What is your base camp going to consist of? Wall tent? Stove? Vehicle camping or packing in? I personally have two sleeping bags - a $50 zero degree bag that weighs a ton, and a $250 Big Agnes zero degree that is lightweight. I usually end up using the cheap one because we camp next to the vehicles and I don't have to pack it in, and it's more comfortable anyways. If you are vehicle camping that is another way to save money, a warm sleeping bag doesn't have to break the bank. Also, if you have a stove in your tent it doesn't have to be as warm. A decent pad is worth the investment too, but again mine is a $60 pad from Sportsman's Warehouse and it works great.

On the pack - If you know you're going to upgrade to a $700 pack next year anyways then just do it now. Buy once, cry once. However, I think the importance of a high end pack gets overstated a lot, never once has it made or broken my hunt. Plenty of good options out there that are $400 or under. The advice about looking for a used pack is sound, spend time looking through the classifieds here as a lot of people upgrade regularly.

Overall, the advice I would give is upgrade a few things that you know are your weak links right now and then go hunt this year. Over 10 years of elk hunting I'm still upgrading things year to year, but usually it's something I wouldn't have thought of beforehand.

 

[COlineman78]

IMO the Pack is the most important aspect after boots. I am having trouble with boots and it can be miserable. A good pack allows you to cut corners in other places as the difference between 40 and 50lbs on a Kifaru is way different (hardly noticeable) than any other pack I've had. As far as clothing goes; I agree that for rifle the priorities change. Watch Sierra Trading Post and Camofire for good deals. As others have stated the next most important thing is a sleep system. The most miserable time I have spent in the woods is when I have gone in with too light of a sleep system to save weight. You can usually sacrifice a little weight here in order to save A LOT of money. That last 1lb can get very expensive. Same goes for tents. The other must-have are at a minimum 10x42 binos. If you don't have any, I use some Nikon Pro-Staff that I got on sale for $140 that work good enough. The only time you need better glass is if trying to count inches or pick apart a hillside from a mile away. If you aren't someone who's going to be pissed that it's a 320 bull instead of 340 once you get closer than no need for better.

I think the other thing you should think about is what you will use the next trips vs what will be just for this trip. For example, if you plan on doing archery primarily for future trips you probably don't need to spend much on cold weather gear.

Also, trekking poles are a must; especially when packing out a heavy load. You can get crazy here, but I don't get the ounce counting on trekking poles, so I have some $80 Komperdell Aluminum Flip Locks (Check STP). I also have some $25 Mountain Smith ones that work good enough.

 

[tyeager2964]

From a gritty bowmen podcast with aron snyder "get the best you can afford and go hunt"

Quality camo can be had on camofire every day. Quality outdoor clothing (read hunting clothes in solid colors) and sleeping bags and pads can be had from steepandcheap every day. Look at a Gregory baltoro from previous years for 200-250 will haul 30-40 pounds like a dream and 100 lbs not so much. I went for a 3 mile hike with 135 lbs in an REI crest-trail the other day and it was miserable but if it's meat i probably won't mind so much.

Once you have some experience you should be able to decide where to spend your money each year a little better

 

[Mike7]

If it was me, especially with day hunts out of a base camp, I would get a cheap non-hunting pack for this year (Kelty, REI, etc. that are mentioned here often and can be picked up cheap). I would focus on clothing and the sleep sytem. Rain pants are not necessarily needed, but I would get some OR Croccodile or Verglas gaiters (Verglas are thinner over the top 1/2 only so where under your pants). I would get a cheap packable rain jacket that works well...like a Mountain Hardwear Plasmic Ion jacket (at sunnysports.com for $69 sometimes). Get a couple of camo merino tops on sale (that is all you will need). Get a puffy jacket if you don't have one (lots of good deals). And I would get an Enlightened Equipment Quilt. Then if you have money, get a Thermarest Xtherm air pad.

 

[Cdpp880]

Our base camp will be at the trucks, but I plain on going out away from base camp for a night or two at a time depending on weather. Base camp will be wall tents, possible with a stove. I am not worried about sleeping bag for base camp but will need a bag to carry in.
What would you reccamend for a cheaper bag. I have a quilt that can help for the temp of the bag. it is just a cheep one I picked up on camo fire but has worked great in the deer blind. I was looking at one of the slumberjack, neo, or kelty bags bc I get a deal on them off of promotive but am open to others. What do you think about klymit pads? I was looking at the static v insulated. I know I am going to get a stove which will probably be a msr pocket rocket and whatever pot I can get a good deal on.

 

[LaHunter]

Boots would be my #1. I've never read any reviews of anyone using the Lowa Combat boots for hunting in rugged mountain terrain. That would be a concern for me. The Lowa Tibets get great reviews as do many other brands and models. Inadequate boots will sideline you very quickly.
Merino wool base layers would be high on my list. You mention that you have synthetic base layers and they will probably do fine, but if you try some high quality merino wool, you will probably throw your synthetics away. The merino is great at regulating body temp, whether you are working hard or sitting still glassing. I tend to heat up too quickly with synthetics. The same goes for socks, get quality merino wool, but not too thick.
If you can afford a quality hunting pack, go for it. There are lots of great options available. A low quality pack will wear you out while climbing the hills.
Get in great physical condition. This will have a bigger impact on your hunt than any gear will have. If your wore out and sore, you will find a dozen reasons to hang out a base camp instead of hunting hard.
Good Luck

 

[Dameon]

I have a Klymit insulated static v and a Slumberjack 20 degree Sojourn bag. I like them both.

The pad is a great cheaper alternative to BA and Thermarest pads. It packs up small and weighs little for its size. I can fill it up fairly easily in 10 breaths.

The bag uses lower quality 500 wt down and synthetic baffles, so it weighs more than the higher end down bags, but it makes up for it in roominess and features. The foot box is very roomy. I really like the arms out dual zippers and have even contemplated getting a Slumberjack bivy sack to go with it. I haven't tested the lower limit of the bag yet, but I would venture to say the true comfort rating is closer to 30 degrees rather than 20.


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[archer wapiti]

Just like people have been saying your boots might not be adequate (because THEY have tender feet), the same goes with packs. You've got to know your body. If you can grunt your way through several miles of packing out an animal on a sub-par pack, do it. If you're like me and are prone to back issues, you're going to need to reassess. That does not mean that you need to spend $800 though.
I've never rifle hunted, but i did buy a super-cheap ($8?) camouflage poncho from Wal-Mart that worked just fine for a season of bow hunting elk. Put some rain pants or just gaiters on beneath those and you're set. Put it on over your pack and it'll keep everything dry.
Most of what you have will probably work well enough, except for staying warm. I'd worry most about staying warm at night. Don't underestimate how cold those mountains get (I pack a layer of synthetic long underwear even in September in the mountains of New Mexico). I sleep in a zero degree bag year-round above 9,000 feet. It's getting old, so I wouldn't say it would rate that any more, but it's still pretty warm. Got it off of Campmor for $100.
If you're going to be doing a lot of glassing, you'll want warmer stuff for sitting and glassing than if you're more active.
I have some sort of Big Agnes sleeping pad that looks like a heavy-duty version of a pool mattress. NOT self-inflating. I like that because it's compact, and I used a Badlands 2800 pack for 5 nights at a time. I needed the most compact gear I could get. I found out in February that it's not adequate for sleeping on really cold ground because your body can't heat the air in it as well as the snow that it's on cools it.
Gloves and a stocking cap are a given.
I use a beer can stove for boiling water for rehydrating meals. I haven't camped above 11,000 feet though. Mostly 8,000 to 10,500 ft. The first year I used this stove, I left my MSR Dragonfly in the truck in case I needed it. Now I don't even put it in the truck.
Google ultralight backpacking on a budget and you'll find some ideas that can save you a lot of money (i.e., no titanium pots!)

 

[Cdpp880]

I would compare the lowa boots I have to the Solomon ultra tech bc I have wore both (the lowa' to me have more support). My boots are one of the few things I feel I can trust the most out of the equipment I have. I wore these on a mule deer hunt last year in the Davis mountains I west Texas and they did great. These mountains are not very high elevation wise but where I was they were very steep and covered in looks rocks.
Keep up the suggestion I really appreciate them.

 

[archer wapiti]

Once you have some experience you should be able to decide where to spend your money each year a little better

Sage advice. This will be my sixth year and I finally feel like my gear is getting dialed in.

The Davis are legit mountains as far as topography goes. You're lucky to have been able to hunt there. Not the highest, but pretty rugged. If you're happy with those boots after that, I think you're in good shape for footwear.

 

[fngTony]

Our base camp will be at the trucks, but I plain on going out away from base camp for a night or two at a time depending on weather. Base camp will be wall tents, possible with a stove. I am not worried about sleeping bag for base camp but will need a bag to carry in.
What would you reccamend for a cheaper bag. I have a quilt that can help for the temp of the bag. it is just a cheep one I picked up on camo fire but has worked great in the deer blind. I was looking at one of the slumberjack, neo, or kelty bags bc I get a deal on them off of promotive but am open to others. What do you think about klymit pads? I was looking at the static v insulated. I know I am going to get a stove which will probably be a msr pocket rocket and whatever pot I can get a good deal on.

For a cheaper bag I really like my Kelty tuck 20 degree. Its very close to a 600 fill down bag for weight and packability. Weighs in at 3lbs with stuff sack. Stuffed measures 8x12 can compress some more. Cost about $100. You can't find many better bags with out paying twice as much.

I just got the klymit static v lite insulated pad. Its a bit more $ than the heavier version but 5 ounces lighter. This weekend will be its first time in the field, but initial impressions of it are great. Good balance of quality, cost, size and weight.

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