Only advice I have is relevant for any kind of hunting trip, but whatever clothing you are planning to take, I can tell you right now it's too much. 3 days I'd be wearing the same clothes everyday. Have a packable parka, wear a base layer top and bottom and a sweatshirt. Obviously that's not going to cover every weather situation, but look at the weather forecast and base it off what the weather is calling for. Every trip I have taken, horse back trips, cabin or hotel trip I take about half of what I did the trip prior and still end up with to much stuff I never wear. I guess it's better to be over prepared but when you only have a small amount of space something has to give and food should never be one of them
Pack size?
- Thread starter Taylorbok
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This is what I did, Food in the load sling in day separated bags.
I basically only took what I needed for clothes. Next time I need to take a set of socks for each day because my feet sweat so bad during hiking and that makes for cold feet during the night.
I actually made a post here if someone is searching looking for tips.
What I learned on my first backpack hunt. (Cold weather)
Had a great time, didn't harvest an Elk but saw a ton just nothing that met the size requirement. We had temps from -7 to -18*c 1) I need more space, I managed to get all the necessities in/on my ALPS 3800 CI pack plus a few extra layers I didn't use, I would ditch those but there are some...
I would say take 2 pairs of socks, make sure they're good merino wool though. I typically swap out every day, back and forth so that a pair has some time to dry. Also you can put your socks under or in your sleeping bag so that your body heat will help to dry them out. Your initial post sounded to me like you had too much/ or too big of stuff. for my food I will pack each individual day into a gallon ziploc bag and kind of just stuff then in all over wherever there is room. Taking a dry bag or something that you can hang all of your food with at night is a good idea too. I'll go read your other post but the best way to learn is just by doing.
In the end I did have a bit much food which was in the load sling so NBD, and then there was one set of mid layer pants I didn't need but could have used if temp dropped any more. For those temps I just need more space because there are a few items I'd like to add also.
My socks were merino but my feet still sweat, best option I've found so far are MATCO Tools makes a set of bamboo socks, they really help with sweat but they aren't thick for warmth so maybe double them up.
I did have 2 pairs of socks but I'd take 3 next time
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Good to know my feet sweat a lot too. It makes it worse when it's cold because my feet are getting wet but there's nothing I can do to stop it.
dfanonymous
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That's what I do. I leave a pair hanging in my tent to dry out completely, and wear the other pair out for that day. On colder hunts, I carry a 3rd pair of socks, that are thick wool socks for sleeping only…they do not go in boots.
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Yeah, during archery season I can usually go quite a few days in one pair of socks, so long as I can dry them out at night I will keep wearing them.
dfanonymous
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Same. I only go with the clothes I'm wearing hunting, some layers, and a few pairs of underwear, which I rotate as well. Try to stay clean with baby wipes.
Usually 5-7 days is when we start to get pretty rank, but I've done plenty of 10+ dayers on some good tags.
It's usually something that grows on me, the stink, I never notice then I get home and my wife tells me I stink. I've started to dry the baby wipes out and then stuff them in a ziploc, wet them as needed. It's nice when we have a baby in the house because I can just steal some of those.
I'll pretty much just have an extra layer of merino in my pack (maybe, this could also be an early morning layer that gets shed later.), then a puffy jacket and rain gear in the earlier season I can stay plenty warm on that, then one extra set of underwear and socks. All of my clothes get stuffed in the voids that are created from my sleeping bag, tent, and other camp essentials. I use a 6400 and I've never thought I needed more room. Maybe if I did a 10+ dayer I might.
dfanonymous
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Yep. Looks like we both hunt as true backpackers. That's pretty much what I do. Only some exceptions for like 14,000 footers in storms or late season, but usually a Merino hoodie and puffy compressed to about a softball in my pack.
I use the Mystery Ranch marshal, I thinks it's also 6400 or close to it too. Does fine for 5 days in most cases.
I have a stone glacier sky 7900. You know how packing food can be, especially for 10 days.
Bucklowery
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Check out this exo mountain gear packs. Their podcast is hunt backcountry. Lots of good information and they give great reviews of what works and don't. They don't have industry sponsors
Thanks
Buck
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Buck
Husky user
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On a Dall Sheep hunt I had a 4500 and all the spike camps were set up by the outfitter ahead of time.
The tent and stove were there so all I had to pack was my personal gear (,sleeping bag,pad ) got dropped once at the camp.
We pack freeze dried food & snacks and drank out of the creeks.
That 4500 was tight real tight for room,because we walked in the creek in hip boots so the mountain boots were in the pack.
If we went up the hip boots went in the pack and out came the hunting boots!
OH and it was Aug. so as cold as it got was about 25F some nights.
The tent and stove were there so all I had to pack was my personal gear (,sleeping bag,pad ) got dropped once at the camp.
We pack freeze dried food & snacks and drank out of the creeks.
That 4500 was tight real tight for room,because we walked in the creek in hip boots so the mountain boots were in the pack.
If we went up the hip boots went in the pack and out came the hunting boots!
OH and it was Aug. so as cold as it got was about 25F some nights.
With all the right gear 3800cu in is enough space for 2 nights without using the load shelf. Don't take an extra set of clothes other than socks and underwear.
I find drying out wet wipes a waist, unless you always take a dump next to a stream. You can either carry hydrated wipes, or carry dehydrated wipes and "extra" water in your pack to re hydrate wipes, water that is very valuable drinking water. Water that you end up wasting bc you spill some while re hydrating wipes.
I find drying out wet wipes a waist, unless you always take a dump next to a stream. You can either carry hydrated wipes, or carry dehydrated wipes and "extra" water in your pack to re hydrate wipes, water that is very valuable drinking water. Water that you end up wasting bc you spill some while re hydrating wipes.
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Husky user
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I took the same clothes to BC on a Stone Sheep hunt the next year.
It was horse back hunt so I did not take the 4500 pack.
Had good weather,but had it been just a bit colder I would have suffered.
One of the wranglers said I was the lightest packed hunter he had seen!(dumb on my part)
It was horse back hunt so I did not take the 4500 pack.
Had good weather,but had it been just a bit colder I would have suffered.
One of the wranglers said I was the lightest packed hunter he had seen!(dumb on my part)
