This is my list for backpack hunting trips up to 10 days with 2 people: Your mileage may vary. It's aimed at alpine hunting in moderate to cold weather. This list ends up being around 55# on the way in, with around 1.5# of food per day.
GEAR:
HUNTING:
I hope this helps some people looking to compare their personal lists.
GEAR:
- Backpack: minimum 90L/5500in3: My preference is for packs with a wide hip belt and integrated rifle storage that will protect the scope during falls. My last hunt as we were going in two gentlemen were walking out with a rifle that had a broken scope after they fell with it slung on a shoulder. At a minimum I recommend some sort of rifle sling e.g. Kifaru Gunbearer where the barrel doesn't protrude far overhead and catch on brush as you're passing through. Some favorites would be Exos K4, Frontier Gear of Alaska, and Stone Glacier.
- Tent: Something that can handle the worst conditions possible in your hunt area comfortably. For me that's either a durable 4-Season like a Hilleberg or a center pole design like the Black Diamond Mega Snow, or Argali Absaroka
- Pad: I aim for a combined R-value around 5. There's several ways to do this. A thick insulated inflatable is simple and straightforward while offering plenty of insulation. An ultralight inflatable paired with a closed cell foam pad lets you have something to sit on while you glass and use for extra insulation while sleeping and also gives you a fallback minimum insulation should your inflatable fail. Lately I have been running the Big Agnes Rapide SL Insulated tent floor that covers the entire interior of the tent. This works well if you or your hunting partner shift in your sleep much and lets you share the work of warming the air in the pad so the 4.8 R-value is deceptively low relative to the perceived warmth.
- Sleeping bag: Water repellent treated down or synthetic are preferred anywhere rain is possible. I aim for a comfort level (not the rated survival temp of the bag) around the minimum temp possible in the hunt area or a little colder. This means generally using a 10 degree bag during fall hunts and a -30 bag in late fall winter in Alaska. I typically throw wet clothes in the foot of the bag to dry out overnight so having some surplus warmth to do so is very helpful.
- Water filter: One of the few items we double up on. I prefer a pump style filter for rapid filling while on the move and a backup stored in your partners pack, at least iodine tabs.
- Stove: Another duplicated item. We bring a Jetboil for the primary stove and an ultralight Snow Peak as a backup.
- Fuel: Enough for double the number of boils you expect to need. Boiling water to drink to warm up is helpful and you can use the stove to warm yourself in an emergency
- Lighters: One per person in a drybag on your pack and a backup flint stored with one hunter
- Trekking Poles: Lighter is better but if you're tall you should probably steer away from carbon options as they may snap if they get caught while moving through rocky terrain. I like the hybrid options a lot. Store upright overnight to prevent rodents from chewing the handles for salt.
- Lightweight Tarp: Can be used as a shelter with trekking poles to cook or glass under in rain, as extra rainproofing for a tent, something to process an animal on to keep dirt and vegetation off of your meat, and something to cache your meat under after a kill. I have one from Caribou Gear that works great.
- Rope (Optional): I bring 6mm accessory cord for float hunts and alpine hunts. Can be used to tie yourself off for emergency crossings of rough terrain, to tie off to packs while you cross unweighted then pull the pack across, to descent cliffs, or to haul an animal or pack out of a difficult location, or to repair gear in a pinch. For flatter hunts I bring paracord for the same purposes at a lighter weight.
- First Aid Kit: Self explanatory, make sure it has a tourniquet, gauze, wound closure strips, bandaids, topical antibiotics, and painkillers. Plus medical tape and/or moleskin for feet or fashioning splints.
- Headlamp: Lightweight and with a red light option for positioning yourself before sunrise without spooking game
- Phone: Preloaded with topo and satellit maps
- Satellite Communicator: We usually carry two just in case one fails
- Trash Bags: can be used to store stuff in your pack to keep it dry or clean when you're carrying meat. also waterproofs your food supply or other cached gear.
- Bear proof food container: I use an Ursack as the barrels are bulky and inconvenient for space/organization. I'm usually above treeline so can't hang meat but can usually tie the Ursack off to something substantial.
- Sundries: Toothpaste/brush, spare contacts/glasses, meds, chapstick (for windburn and dehydration)
- Charging pack: I like enough spare battery to charge my phone twice over. That gives me some leeway to use it, plus the option to charge the satellite communicator or headlamp as necessary. Bring short cords as neccessary for charging your various devices.
- Water bottles/bladder: I carry 3L with me as that's about enough to only have to refill once per day if conditions aren't too hot. If you're using a bladder as your primary, it's good to carry at least one water bottle as well in case it fails. 1L disposable bottles are very light and can be reused repeatedly.
- Long spoon (plastic or titanium): for getting at the bottom of dehydrated meal packs
- Pack Rain Cover (optional): I like to keep all my stuff inside the pack in lightweight dry bags or trash bags to keep them dry and between that and my bag being water resistant it's enough. You may want to keep your pack dry just to keep the weight down though.
- Deet/Picaradin (2oz): store DEET in a ziploc bag. It will absolutely eat rubber and damage waterproofing if spilled. Pretreat clothes with permethrin as necessary.
- Patch tape for tent/sleeping pad
- Rifle and Scope
- 10 rounds ammunition (in case scope is knocked and zero needs to be confirmed)
- Bipod: I bring up an Atlas, the 16oz hit is worth it to me for stability on longer shots, but the Javelin bipods are also quite stable and half the weight.
- Scope caps (nothing worse then going to take a shot and there being too much water on your scope to see)
- Binoculars: I spent hours behind my binoculars compared to minutes behind a riflescope. For me this is my most important piece of hunting equipment.
- Rangefinder: I like having one that ranges significant distances, even if I'm not shooting that far it's useful to know for planning approaches and estimating time to reach locations.
- Kestrel: Necessary (to me) for shots over 500. Some of you are certainly better at reading wind than I am but it's still nice to have more data and atmospheric information.
- Chest Harness: Having your binoculars right there means you're that much more likely to double check that little smudge that miiiight be a caribou butt. The easier it is to use your binos the more critters you'll see. Also doubles as a snack holder for tough hiking sections.
- Tripod (optional): I bring one on hunts that require or are aided by a spotting scope (moose, sheep, goat). Also doubles as a shooting platform where tall brush may prevent the use of a bipod.
- Spotting Scope (optional): Bring as much glass as you think is necessary. There's a tradeoff between weight and having to hike further to confirm that an animal is legal/the desired target.
- Game bags: Bags with a fine weave that can prevent flies from laying eggs through the fabric. That's a mistake I'll only make once...
- Knife: I usually bring two, a lightweight fixed blade and a Havalon. I tend not to use the Havalon when skinning hides I want to keep as it's very easy to cut through from the inside with the replaceable scalpels.
- Disposable Gloves: Keeps you somewhat cleaner while processing animals which in turn means your camp is less likely to smell like a snack to passing bears.
- Spare Batteries: One for each mission critical electronic, rangefinder, kestrel ect.
- Tags
- Barrel Covers: I like balloons to cover my muzzle brake. Finger cots work well for smaller barrels and rubber gloves work in a pinch. I still check my barrel for obstructions once per day and if possible prior to taking a shot. A word of warning, this will hold moisture against your barrel and make non-stainless steel more likely to rust.
- Wicking underwear x2: I like the ExOfficio stuff as it's easy to clean your unworn pair in whatever water body you can find and will dry quickly
- Wool long underwear x1: I prefer to avoid wearing it during the day if the temperatures allow but it's nice to have something clean to sleep in
- Wool Socks x3: One pair to wear while the second pair dries and a third for emergencies, sleep, or if your feet get dunked.
- Wicking top x1-2: Synthetic t-shirt
- Wool longsleeve x1: Smartwool ect.
- Hunting pants (camo) x1
- Rain Pants (preferably camo) x1: can be worn for extra insulation in a pinch. Goretex or rubber
- Gators x1: absolutely worth it for working in scree above treeline, protects your boots and laces and buys you an extra second of time before water infiltrates your boots while crossing streams
- Wool Midlayer x1: I bring a wool hoodie or sweater. Insulates even when wet
- Down layer x1: Varies in thickness depending on temperature of hunt area
- Camo Jacket x1: may be the same as my down layer or wool midlayer
- Rain Jacket x1: Goretex is great until you're in constant rain and/or wet vegetation then rubberized fabric is king. Plan your rain gear accordingly. I vary from hunt to hunt depending on expected elevation and conditions. Wet veg goes through goretex unbelievably fast
- Head Net (Optional): If you need it you need it
- Leather Gloves: great for maneuvering through spiky or poisonous vegetation, keeps your hands from getting cut up on rocks at higher elevations (especially if you slip) provides insulation.
- Wool Gloves (Optional)
- Boots: I can't stress enough how helpful a stiff, mountaineering sole is for high altitude hunting. It will save your feet if you have to side-hill or switchback any sigificant amount. Proper ankle support and grip are musts. Buying used is a recipe for blisters as they may be broken in to someone elses foot. Break them in according to manufactory specifications BEFORE the hunt. Pre-tape your feet as necessary, wear thin slip socks under your main ones, and change socks as they get wet. The health of your feet is one of the biggest determinators of whether you enjoy your hunt. I have liked Crispi, Salewa, La Sportiva, and Scarpa and I'm sure there's plenty of others.
- Dehydrated Meals 2x/day: One for breakfast, one for dinner. You can cut weight by removing some of your dehydrated meals from the packs and placing them in ziploc or other resealable bags. After eating the first one in its original packaging you can reuse the container repeatedly.
- Candy 8oz/day: There's no more efficient way to get energy into your system. Buy something that won't get damaged by moisture
- Endurance food items: I bring Gu and Cliff Bloks, one each per day of hunting.
- Water Additives: Some sort of electrolyte additive for your water helps maintain salt levels. Also helps keep you drinking when you're sick of consuming a gallon of water per day.
- Snacks: Dense and salty is the way to go. Nuts, dehydrated fruits, bars, peanut butter ect. Uncrustables sandwiches are my guilty pleasure. I'm always too busy for a hot lunch so enough snacks to hold you over.
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