How did my pack get so dang heavy???

[HellsCanyon]

I really don't see it getting much lighter for this kind of trip...
I leave tomorrow after lunch for the sunday opening day of archery mule deer here in WA. Going in about 6 miles to camp and I have to fill up on water the last mile. Seems like this happens every year when I'm upgrading gear to get my pack weight down and then get it all loaded and it's still heavy. Critique my list...

BA Q-core SL pad 17.5 oz
Draft Dodger 20* Quilt = 24 oz
GSI Cookpot 7.4 oz
MSR Pocket Rocket 3.4 oz
1/2 full Fuel cannister 7 oz
Little Bugout Shelter 17.6 oz
9 Tent stakes = 3 oz
Borah Bivy = 7 oz
Kifaru BT1 slightly modified = 89 oz
Havalon + 5 blades = 3 oz
Kifaru Small UL belt pouch= 1.6 oz
Leica CRF 1200 rangefinder + belt case = 8.9 oz
Sony HS Camera= 5 oz
Tines Up Digiscope adapter = 5 oz
Razor HD 12x50 binos + harness = 37.6 oz
Viper HD65 Spotting scope = 56.4 oz
Rocketfish tripod = 46.3 oz
MSR 6L Bladder (empty) = 6.2 oz
Sawyer Filter = 2.9 oz
Platy 3L BigZip Bladder = 5.5 oz
Bow + 5 arrows + release = 114 oz
Bino tripod adapter = 1.1 oz
Firstlite Rain Jacket = 20.4 oz
Firstlite Puffy = 19.3 oz
Firstlite Merino bottoms = 7.9 oz
Kuiu Gaitors = 11.8 oz
Russel Tundra pullover = 12.1 oz
2 Pairs socks = 4.8 oz
Kifaru Grab it = 4.4 oz
Merino Boxers = 4.4 oz
Neck Gaitor = 1.4 oz
C4E element beanie + Kryptek Beanie = 6 oz
FL Merino Gloves = 2 oz
Food; 32 oz * 4 days = 128 oz
Water for hike in: 80 oz
Brunton Weather station (also backup alarm clock): 2.4 oz
2 headlamps = 5.4 oz
Kifaru 5 string stuff sack (holds clothing) = 2.8 oz
Kifaru Gen 2 meat bag = 8.5 oz
Lash Kit = 3.3 oz
2 Alaska game bags = 5 oz?
Misc (Tape, 20' P-chord, 2 lighters, tags...etc) = 8 oz?
Soap Sheets = 1 oz?

That puts me at 50.5 lbs total pack weight for the hike in... Which for this time of year I think is retarded lol The optics and bow alone add over 15 3/4 lbs of weight!
My food is decent at 2 lbs per day (1/2 day friday, 1/2 day tuesday, sat-mon are all full days) and 2800+ calories.

I'm wearing my Firstlite Llano top and Kryptek Valhalla pants in on the hike. Also going to be using my trekking poles so those aren't included.

Does this happen to anybody else? I really don't see much weight to cut out on... What say you?

Mike

 

[Ryan Avery]

I am not to far behind you. Pack is 48 pounds. Going bear/wolf hunting for the next 4 days in my moose hunting area that opens on the 15. This shit is just plain heavy on my back! I have repacked three times wondering where all this weight is coming from!!

 

[Matt W.]

Wear the gaiters... put gloves in pocket. No weight change but the pack will drop below 50lbs. I've been debating the KUIU dry down pull over. It's about 1/2 the weight of your puff jacket. Perhaps maybe ditch the Russell pull over? Good list otherwise...

 

[tstowater]

HC, bet someone is going to say to scrap some of the clothes. Nice setup.

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

With the spotting scope, it seems redundant to use anything over 8x42 for binoculars. Also, ditch the wheels and go traditional! My longbow is feather light in the hand. Is there any way to drill out the tripod and cut the weight down a ways? The pack is adding a good chunk of weight, but you probably bought the Kifaru for its ability to carry 50 lbs comfortably anyways.

 

[TJ]

I don't see a lot of extras in your list.

Seems this crap just adds up!!

 

[Ironman8]

I don't see alot of extras either. I also thought that you had pretty big binos for use with a spotter, but you have what you have so can't change that now.

Sidenote: Did the LBO come out a little heavy? Thought it was 16oz? I'm really interested in that shelter for the modularity.

 

[HellsCanyon]

Wear the gaiters... put gloves in pocket. No weight change but the pack will drop below 50lbs. I've been debating the KUIU dry down pull over. It's about 1/2 the weight of your puff jacket. Perhaps maybe ditch the Russell pull over? Good list otherwise...

Ha now we're talking!
I could probably get by with 1 1/2 lbs of food per day but that has a direct relationship with how hard I hunt and the weight is usually gone on the hike out so food is staying.

I doubt I'll ever ditch my compound. Again it could mean the difference between a notched tag or not and the extra weight is worth it to be good to 60 yards. I have a 70 yard pin and usually average about 8" group at that distance but unless I already got an arrow in him I will hold myself to 60 yards.

Going with the superdown would be a good way to drop some weight, but that firstlite puffy is just dang tough and I wear it as my outer layer a LOT. Don't mind if it soaks through as it dries quickly.

The Tundra pullover I'm keeping as it layered over my Llano top is still cool enough to hunt/hike in, while I'd never hunt in my puffy. I'm debating leaving the rain jacket but I know storm are predicted 20-30% throughout the weekend and if I don't have a good rain jacket I'll likely not be out glassing as often as I could.

Tripod could definitely be a bit lighter. I might cut down the center pole extender to see if that drops a few oz.

Optics, I know lots of guys prefer a 8-10x bino but after using my 12x50's all summer scouting I doubt I'll ever go back for hunting this wilderness. The 12x50s are 4 oz heavier than the 10x42's, and they are just awesome.

Like I said I really don't see it getting much lighter other than stuffing my pockets and wearing the gaitors lol I'd even though of leaving my ball cap behind but it's nice as I'll be glassing into the sun during some times of the day.

I guess my bino's technically won't be in my pack by I'll still have the harness on my shoulders so I'm leaving it in the pack weight.

Mike

 

[ozyclint]

we all hunt differently but there's a few things i'd be going without.

bino tripod adapter
digiscope adapter
one of the bladders, you must need two on this trip though do you?
bug out shelter and a bivy?
also 2lbs of food a day? i'm at a little over a pound a day. 500gm
i'm a trad bowhunter so the rangefinder isn't in my kit. even in NZ chasing tahr i don't take a spotting scope. if you need a spotting scope to see them they're too far away to stalk in time before dark. mind you the terrain over there is crazy slow going.
i know what you mean with being heavier than you want. you upgrade stuff and it doesn't seem to get lighter. i was at 66 pounds for a 13day hunt in New Zealand. this includes recurve bow, arrows, binos, crampons and sharing a tent. if you want to be really light you have to do without things, simple as that.

 

[HellsCanyon]

I don't see alot of extras either. I also thought that you had pretty big binos for use with a spotter, but you have what you have so can't change that now.

Sidenote: Did the LBO come out a little heavy? Thought it was 16oz? I'm really interested in that shelter for the modularity.

That extra 1.5 oz comes with the guy lines I added I think. I really dig the shelter got 10+ nights under it this summer....

Mike

 

[Craig4791]

I'm usually in the 48-50 lb range too so don't feel bad.

 

[HellsCanyon]

we all hunt differently but there's a few things i'd be going without.

bino tripod adapter
digiscope adapter
one of the bladders, you must need two on this trip though do you?
bug out shelter and a bivy?
also 2lbs of food a day? i'm at a little over a pound a day. 500gm
i'm a trad bowhunter so the rangefinder isn't in my kit. even in NZ chasing tahr i don't take a spotting scope. if you need a spotting scope to see them they're too far away to stalk in time before dark. mind you the terrain over there is crazy slow going.
i know what you mean with being heavier than you want. you upgrade stuff and it doesn't seem to get lighter. i was at 66 pounds for a 13day hunt in New Zealand. this includes recurve bow, arrows, binos, crampons and sharing a tent. if you want to be really light you have to do without things, simple as that.

I've been debating on whether to ditch the tines up adapter or not. It does serve a single good purpose though, and that's allowing me the mental satisfaction of taking home pictures/videos of bucks that I saw and passed up. This seems to make it easier for me to pass the smaller bucks and keep hunting.

Bugout shelter is floorless and so I prefer to keep the bivy to protect my pad/quilt.

I do need the two bladders. Water will be about 1 mile away in the opposite direction from where I'm camping so I'll fill up the 6L bladder before heading to camp. Should get me 2 days and I might find another water source closer by.

Tripod adapter, I could definitely leave... (you know this is coming) but it's ONLY 1 OZ... lol

What food and how many calories are you taking per day? I've hunted on 2K calories per day before and I seem to really start dragging ass after day 2. I could leave the fruit cups at home and only lose 60 calories per day but cut 1/2 lb off the pack weight.

Mike

 

[Brock A]

I am 48 lbs and that includes water, 4 days worth of food, spotter and bow...Last I checked my pack was 35 lbs for scouting trips. Where the hell did it come from!!!!

 

[HellsCanyon]

I am 48 lbs and that includes water, 4 days worth of food, spotter and bow...Last I checked my pack was 35 lbs for scouting trips. Where the hell did it come from!!!!

Exactly! lol though I usually just did quick overnight trips so that cut down a lot on food and I only packed maybe 1500 calories per day cause of the short duration. Oh well it is what it is...

Mike

 

[Ironman8]

That extra 1.5 oz comes with the guy lines I added I think. I really dig the shelter got 10+ nights under it this summer....

Mike

Nice. I missed the bivy on the first read thru...do you feel it's needed under the LBO? Or are you leaving your LBO behind at a "base camp" and taking the bivy as an emergency shelter?

ETA: Just saw your reasoning for the bivy...if it's just for protection, why not use tyvek or similar ground cloth big enough just for your sleep gear? It would probably save 5-6 oz

 

[fillthefreezer]

im with ya guys, for 10 days im quickly approaching 60

 

[fillthefreezer]

although my pack for scouting trips is never light either as i end up doing things like cacheing whisky for the season

 

[littlebuf]

funny, I loaded mine up and it ended up 5 pounds lighter than what I had calced out. double checked and nope I didn't forget anything

 

[HellsCanyon]

Nice. I missed the bivy on the first read thru...do you feel it's needed under the LBO? Or are you leaving your LBO behind at a "base camp" and taking the bivy as an emergency shelter?

ETA: Just saw your reasoning for the bivy...if it's just for protection, why not use tyvek or similar ground cloth big enough just for your sleep gear? It would probably save 5-6 oz

Bugs... haha actually I like the bivy combination because it keeps me from having to bring my quilt straps to hold it on my sleeping pad. But it is only supposed to get down to about 40* where I'm at so I may leave it behind and try the ground sheet!

And aren't you special LittleBuff!

Mike

 

[littlebuf]

sitting at 45 pounds bow and everything included for 7 days. I was thinking id be right at 50