Your "must haves" in your sheep pack for 10-12 days in

[AKjon]

Extra toilet paper and nice sized bottom wipes.
Extra gloves
Round ceramic rod for touchups on your knife if needed.
Extra fire starter just in case.
Extra ammo & batteries. I'd take 2 headlamps just in case. Two is one, one is none.

I wouldn’t bring any of this, it’s all dead weight.

I dont mind a little extra TP... it doesnt weigh much and running out one time is far worse than carrying too much everytime
Extra ammo depends on your definition of "extra"... i'm not carrying a extra box in my pack, but i'm taking more than the 3-4 rounds that are in the rifle.
I use to carry extra batteries (and still do when weight isnt an issue) but on backpack hunts, I just put fresh batteries in everything before heading out.

 

[Grassymike]

I wrap a short length of electrical tape and duct tape around my trekking poles. Used both this year.

 

[Molon Labe]

Must haves:
-At least two 1oz bags of flamin hot Cheetos.
-32oz Gatorade bottle for peeing in shelter
-foam pillow

Anything else is just bare necessities.

 

[AKjon]

Must haves:
-At least two 1oz bags of flamin hot Cheetos.
-32oz Gatorade bottle for peeing in shelter
-foam pillow

Anything else is just bare necessities.

+1 on the pee bottle.

 

[Grassymike]

Yep the whizzer bottle... Only issue I had was I need a bigger one. All my other gear worked but this was definitely in the "game changer " category. My partner and myself also spent more than 3/4 of a day under his tarp with a fire waiting to see if rain /clouds would leave. I personally have a tarp/poncho that has a permanent spot in my pack now.

 

[casey.sonora]

I just got off an 8 day unlimited trip this year and did a 17 day sheep hunt in the frank last year. Planning on 10-12 next year as well. I can say having your sleep system perfect and light is of the utmost importance. NeoAir Nxt long wide, WM badger 20, argali rincon, thermarest inflatable pillow. Will be going back to a freestanding tent this year. Recharging the batteries is what keeps your head in the game. I sleep like a baby in the backcountry and it keeps me fresh. Use your system multiple trips before you go so you know exactly what works and what doesn’t. Adjust/upgrade accordingly, you’ll regret if you don’t. Also switch up your food daily. Don’t pack the same bars/snacks each day. I call it bar fatigue. Day 10 I hated all my bars on my last big trip and wished I had bought 10 different kinds of everything so I wasn’t tired of my food. Dried fruit is awesome. Also know your needed food weight per day and have it dialed. Food weight/bulk is ALOT on a 12 day hunt. Those mountains will test you, balanced timely calorie intake keeps your brain working correctly. Lots of bears. We saw one or more in almost every camp. Be aware and take all precautions. The Beartooth’s were one of the most challenging and incredibly rewarding hunts I’ve ever been on. Train hard. Hunt hard.

Why are you going back to a freestanding?

 

[buffybr]

I did about 10 Unlimited Sheep hunts from the late '70 to 1999. There was a HUGE difference in the number of sheep hunters in the early '80s vs 1999.

For most of my hunts I packed in on my horses, so weight wasn't as critical as backpacking.

All of my hunts were just long weekends. I didn't take sheep hunting as seriously as I should have.

On one hunt, 3 of us went in to the head of the Boulder River. We had 4 horses. I forgot my sleeping bag, so I piled a lot of horse blankets on top of me at night.

I've never carried or even owned bear spray...

I was able to hang 3 Unlimited Unit rams on my wall...

 

[redchinviking]

Why are you going back to a freestanding?

A lot of reasons. Biggest being I am a big guy. 6’3” with broad shoulders. The single wall rincon was always too close to my feet or head which had condensation building up all the time. Especially on uneven ground. Having to be so careful to not touch walls that are so close to you kinda sucks on a long hunt. Then always had to find time to make sure and dry it before bed every night or during the day if we had camp close or on our backs. I was all too often jealous of my buddy in a double wall. Also sheep hunting you find yourself wanting to stay high up on rocky ridges, even small footprints can be hard to find let alone med/large with enough soil to effectively stake. Rock staking doesn’t instill confidence in real weather. (I know) Also center poles suck so close to you all night. All of those issues alleviated with a double wall freestanding, with a minor weight penalty depending on the model. 2 lbs is doable. That being said in decent weather I prefer to sleep under the stars or bivy still but the last two years the weather beat us down in the high country demanding a little more from our shelter systems. The redcliff/cimarron still are in my quiver for later season hunts that don’t bring my camp into the upper alpine. But for sheep hunting deep I’m going UL freestanding again. Should maybe start a sheep shelter thread…

 

[casey.sonora]

A lot of reasons. Biggest being I am a big guy. 6’3” with broad shoulders. The single wall rincon was always too close to my feet or head which had condensation building up on my feet or head all the time. Especially on uneven ground. Having to be so careful to not touch walls that are so close to you kinda sucks on a long hunt. Then always had to find time to make sure and dry it before bed every night or during the day if we had camp close or on our backs. I was all too often jealous of my buddy in a double wall. Also sheep hunting you find yourself wanting to stay high up on rocky ridges, even small footprints can be hard to find let alone med/large with enough soil to effectively stake. Rock staking doesn’t instill confidence in real weather. (I know) Also center poles suck so close to you all night. All of those issues alleviated with a double wall freestanding, with a minor weight penalty depending on the model. 2 lbs is doable. That being said in decent weather I prefer to sleep under the stars or bivy still but the last two years the weather beat us down in the high country demanding a little more from our shelter systems. The redcliff/cimarron still are in my quiver for later season hunts that don’t bring my camp into the upper alpine. But for sheep hunting deep I’m going UL freestanding.

Ive been in the same boat regarding the reliability in similar conditions. Took a LBO on an early moose hunt. We were on a ridge to glass….A three day storm forced us to use our tripods for center poles after ours snapped. Ive gotten better components and learned the tricks to make them more reliable. Had another AK trip up on a ridge with storms and no issues. Im in the kicking the tire phase of a later caribou backpack hunt in the mountains. My gut tells me to take a Nallo 2. But would have to purchase the Nallo. Thanks for the details.

 

[redchinviking]

Ya I was actually continually impressed how well that style (pyramid tipi) did in high winds. Many times I’ve fallen asleep staring at my stakes wondering if they were going to make it through the night but it was never a problem. Even on exposed ridge lines above tree line. It actually performed very well for me. If I was 6” shorter I’d prob stick with it.

 

[StopMakingSense]

Coffee, good glass, crocs ... keeps me glassing for hours. Coffee has a very comforting feel to it for me and letting the feet breathe is wonderful after hard miles.

Lots of books on my phone for the weather days. I've probably read Lord of the Rings a few times now. The best advice from my wife for sheep hunting was to bring books that weren't about hunting. It helps refresh my mind and brings better clarity when I need to concentrate. 12-14 days is more of a mental battle if you are physically prepared.

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