What I learned on my first backpack hunt. (Cold weather)

[Nomad458]

I've been looking at Kuiu gear since my boss and his brothers went on a bow hunt last year. Good to hear more positives about it. What did you use for shelter?

I've got an EKA combi saw that's been great. I've used it for a couple years now. It has 3 blades that are for metal bone and wood.

 

[Taylorbok]

I've been looking at Kuiu gear since my boss and his brothers went on a bow hunt last year. Good to hear more positives about it. What did you use for shelter?

I've got an EKA combi saw that's been great. I've used it for a couple years now. It has 3 blades that are for metal bone and wood.

I can't say enough good stuff about that Kuiu gear, only problem is it's expensive. I've got my eye on a couple other pieces from them now.

For a tent I used a Eureka Midori 1 tent. I am happy with it, kept the snow and wind off me, The one night it was really windy. I honestly couldn't find anything lighter that I thought would provide adequate coverage.

 

[Wedgy]

Most people don't drink enough water especially when you have to melt snow to get it. Cold air is very dry and you can lose nearly a quart of water just in your sleep so hydrate accordingly. Propane and butane stoves/fuel cannisters can freeze in cold weather(the cannister will get even colder as it releases the compressed gas) so consider a liquid fuel stove if you are in prolonged cold.
The Hot Hands Super Warmer is king of the hand warmers and really do last ~18 hours.
An insulated sleeping pad will keep you away from the cold ground and cold air. Outdoor Gear Lab has some good gear reviews. www.outdoorgearlab.com/camping-and-hiking
Be sure to use seam sealer(Seam grip) on your tent fly at all the critical seams so they don't leak.

https://www.rei.com/c/treatments-and-washes?s_kwcid=PS_Google%7C401_&s_kwcid=PS_Google%7C21700000001699351_43700078084216998%7C58700008557744214%7CTOF%7C71700000114932675&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxu2pmbujggMVlzatBh0YyAv1EAAYASAAEgLlmvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[sp6x6]

Yes blow into your camelback,clears line of water.If you space out and freeze it you just unhook hose from bag and run around you neck and in coat for a bit 1/2 hr usually does it for me.I also have my puffy in pack over my bladder, may be helps some.I have double pouches on side so I do go to nalagen if real cold.

 

[mtnelkhunter]

IMO being able to melt snow in the Nalgene near the fire was key to getting water, it'd be risky with a disposable bottle. It would have been a long hike to a stream.

Warming up and sleeping with the bottles was more about keeping the water from freezing than it was about keeping me warm. I did have some hand warmers in my pack but never found I needed them.



I'll try the tip about blowing into the hose, Thanks.
We never sat super duper long but I will try and remember to untie my boots next time. Taking them off wasn't really an option with the amount of snow your socks would inevitably gotten wet.

I really like my Pack I just wish it was bigger. I actually messaged the company to say they should make a larger pack for the system. I feel like I'd get away with a 5000. The 7000 CI does seem over kill but it would save me from having to ever buy another pack and a guy can always under pack it and synch it down. I like the "wing" pockets on their bigger packs that look like would fit a spotter really well. The 7000LT is lighter than the 6000 PRO so I figure may as well go that route

Check out the exo packs - I used to have a kuiu and for my body the exo works much better for heavy loads.

 

[Idahank]

During the day, regularly blow air into your camelbak hose, it'll keep it from freezing. Sleep with it at night so it doesn't freeze, plus, as you said, you can heat it up and sleep with it.

When you hit a glassing spot, untie your boots and let them air out. I usually take mine completely off. It's cold but it's better than being wet and cold.

Lastly, I would recommend taking a look at Mystery Ranch packs if you're in the market for a larger one. I've carried around 90lbs in their packs for a lot of miles. They are great.

I have a couple Mystery Ranch packs with one frame to swap between them, a Sawtooth (45 L) and Beartooth (80 L). That guidelight frame is the best load hauler I've found, but it does creek a bit with every step. I finally got in touch with the warranty department and they said to send it in. They'll open the frame up, remove the stays, sand them down, hockey tape them, then sew everything back up for a nice quiet pack. I just wish it came that way from the factory rather than wait 4-6 weeks for the repair. Also, if I had it to do again, I'd go Pintler instead of Sawtooth for my single day/overnighter.

As for hydration packs, get a Hydrapack bladder/hose. They're the only ones I've had that have NEVER leaked. Blowing the water out of the hose back into the bladder is key too, but have a Nalgene for backup and something to measure for meals with. Cheap and light disposable bottles are fine when it's warm, but they can freeze pretty easily at the neck in the type of temps you were in.

 

[Idahank]

Also, get a Silky Bigboy saw with either the large or XL tooth blade. You won't find anything that cuts faster that doesn't weigh a bunch more. Learn the gutless method if you haven't already, and you won't need to use your saw on any animal you take. A full-tang knife with an 8+ inch blade is handy for batoning firewood too (no need for an axe), plus it's nice and strong for the joint separations of the animal.

 

[Wedgy]

Purge your water filter when done, if it freezes it with destroy the filter when the water expands into the crystal structure.

 

[mtnelkhunter]

I think some of the hollow fiber filters cannot/should not be purged ("dried") and if frozen will no longer filter out all the nasties - so you'll want to prevent these from freezing. The MSR guardian is a hollow fiber filter than can withstand freezing though you can't use it if it's frozen. Not sure about some of the other hollow fiber pump types. Steri pen doesn't have these issues but it's got batteries which don't love cold and sucks when your water source is less than ideal (got me sick last year).

If it's really cold I like to put some hand warmers inside my boots and cover the tops with something a few hours before I am gonna wake up so they aren't full frozen in the am. (I sleep poorly and wake up a fair bit no matter what so this is easy).

The cotton balls and Vaseline has been my favorite fire starter that I have tried so far. Lights much easier than pyro putty and costs nothing.

 

[FireFlyFishing]

2) Hydration pack was good and bad. It allowed me to take a quick sip during the hike in but on the second day eventually the hose froze which led me to trying to thaw it near the fire and an ash melted a hole in the bladder. I found a small company called One Bottle that allows hydration hose onto a Nalgene bottle so going to try that. We melted snow for water at night and that's just not possible in the bladder good thing I had another bottle.

6) Hand saw, buddy brought one and that was key for getting larger pieces of fire wood during the night. We only needed one but it is something I will be adding in.

8) Coghlan's Fire Lighters came in key. There was a wicked snow storm the night before we hiked in and any wood was coated in ice/ snow and these helped us to be able to melt that off and get a fire going. I also tried the cotton balls in Vaseline and that worked well also.

11) Warm up your water and sleep with it at night. Buddy had mentioned this to me but I forgot to put it in my sleep sack as I went to bed. In the morning part of the water flash froze when I took a sip, I had to thaw by the fire again.

I use a hydration pack on the regular. I use them for hunting and snowmobiling. Both very cold weather activities here in MT. I typically don't have issues with the bladder freezing. Overnight outside could be an issue though. That's where you need to bring it inside your sleeping quarters with you every night. Regarding the hose freezing…religiously, I blow the water back into the bladder after every time I drink. I'll shove the nozzle somewhere under my layers of clothing and never have problems.

I always carry a Wyoming saw with me. It's basically a collapsible hacksaw with a hacksaw blade for bone and a wood blade for wood.

I have no problems using the best possible fire starter to get things going. No sense rubbing sticks together out there!!! There are lots of products out there commercially and several DIY hacks. Another that comes to mind is lint from your clothes dryer packed into a cardboard egg crate cell with a flammable wax, Vaseline, or other viscus petroleum product.

As far as the wet wood goes, dead standing snags or any wood that's aerial will always have a lower fuel moisture than anything green and/or laying on the ground.

Sounds like it was a fun hunt!

 

[dfanonymous]

Definitely put your water filter in your sleeping bag at night. Hand warmers to unfreeze your boots in the morning, and keep dry use layers. I have thick wool socks I use for sleeping and rotate underwear and socks so the sweat can fully dry.

Just got back from a hunt, it was 7 degrees by 0500 at 10,000ft.

 

[Taylorbok]

The 100 cal/ounce rule is a good one for packing food.

I rebuilt a food pack and a days food came in right at 28oz and had roughly 2700 calories so I did decent in that respect.

 

[Noobie]

Butane stops working below about 30F, propane works down to almost -40F, but the cannisters are very heavy due to high pressures at normal temps. Isobutane (butane/propane mix) typically is an 80/20 mix and works down to maybe 5F. Some mixes (purportedly colman/primus) are up to 50% propane and work down to almost -15F. You can run a bit colder at higher altitudes.
Wind pretty much shuts down most of these stoves, the MSR windburner being an exception. Most are very tippy at best and a bit dicey with larger pots of water.
If you want a stable stove for all temperatures and larger pots, you can't beat the MSR whisperlite. The burner is wide and doesn't sit on top of the fuel, a big plus. It is setup for isobutane or propane, but can also burn white gas or kerosene with an optional liquid tank for any temperature. It has a wind shield as well.

 

[brant89]

I learn something new every trip. As mentioned previously, 100 calories per ounce is my general rule of thumb, and I also shoot for 2000-2500 per day. Uncrustables and freeze dried tortellini are great cheap options that fit this requirement. Another thing to consider that was a big concern for us this fall was the availability of water. You can't make oatmeal or pasta without it, so if water is scarce or unknown where you are going make sure you plan your food accordingly. As far as hydration bladders in cold weather, sleeping with your water at night is a must. An easy way to keep your hose from freezing while you hike is to blow the water back into the bladder so the hose is empty. Just don't blow too hard or it turns your hydration hose into a garden hose.