Western Hunting Blaze Orange for Backpacks

Joined
Aug 25, 2022
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Location
Southeast, USA
I bought a fancy blaze orange panel for my backpack. Watching so many western hunt videos — is a blaze panel or flag on the backpack even necessary? I typically wear a blaze hat and blaze vest. Seems like some videos the only blaze I see is a hat. I’m guessing I’d more than likely be fine with no blaze on my pack.


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Mt Al

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Dec 16, 2017
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Montana
Not 'necessary' in terms of legally in Montana at least. Montana hunting regs call for 400 sq inches visible above the waist. IMHO, it's wise to have an orange panel on the back of a pack as a part of the requirement, I hang an extra orange vest off the back, but plan on getting a panel like you did.
 

WCB

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Jun 12, 2019
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I just throw a cheap vest over the back of my pack just for the "visible" portion of the reg. Some states like WY only reg a hat. Where MT has the 400" rule. MT FWP could make budget just fining influencers violating this rule on video. If required I wear a hat and vest but again throw the orange on the pack just for the encounter if Mr. Green Jeans is in a bad mood.
 

pods8 (Rugged Stitching)

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In CO it is. I cut a rectangle out of an old vest and made attachments to put it on my old Gregory pack. It stays on there year round now. Not worth the trouble to remove it :)
Unless they changed it not it isn't. You need to have 500sqin and you need to have some portion visible from 360deg (which the hat addresses), you don't have to specifically cover your pack. But its hard to comply with 500sqin with hat/vest and a pack on so that is where you could run into something with an anal CPW officer.
 

pods8 (Rugged Stitching)

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I just throw a cheap vest over the back of my pack just for the "visible" portion of the reg. Some states like WY only reg a hat. Where MT has the 400" rule. MT FWP could make budget just fining influencers violating this rule on video. If required I wear a hat and vest but again throw the orange on the pack just for the encounter if Mr. Green Jeans is in a bad mood.
WY is an article of orange, not specifically a hat. You could wear a vest with a regular hat if you wanted. Other states like NM don't require anything.
 

squid-freshprints

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Nov 25, 2023
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A square thin rip-stop bag w 4 corner attach. Doubles as dump pouch and game bag.(sew your own or repurpose an orange Halloween candy bag and rock a pumpkin face on your back!)
 

TaperPin

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I met a guy who was sitting watching a bear bait with an orange vest and was shot in the thigh with a 30-06. A little extra orange isn’t a bad thing. Lol
 
Joined
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My pack is coyote brown so similar enough to a deer / elk to give me pause in rifle season. I run an orange aglow panel at six oclock durning rifle seasons. They available on Amazon or on their site for $10 and weigh next to nothing.
 

Marble

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May 29, 2019
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Unless they changed it not it isn't. You need to have 500sqin and you need to have some portion visible from 360deg (which the hat addresses), you don't have to specifically cover your pack. But its hard to comply with 500sqin with hat/vest and a pack on so that is where you could run into something with an anal CPW officer.
10 years ago, we got spot checked by a warden. He gave my buddy a hard time for not enough orange on his hat. He had a brown boonie style hat on with a strip of orange tape 360 around the hat. It wasn't very bright. But it did meet the requirement for orange 360. The warden and him went back and forth for quite some time. I was rather entertained.

It came down to the warden reading the text literally from the code out loud to my buddy. And my buddy was right. The warden just wanted more visible orange.

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SonnyDay

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Jul 22, 2019
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In my CO hunter safety course the instructor said that technically, a single strand of orange thread sticking up from the top of your hat would satisfy the hat requirement... but as others have said, err on the side of more visibility.

I am headed out rabbit hunting in a week or so and will rock the blaze orange just to avoid getting shot.
 

def90

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Aug 12, 2020
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Colorado
I bought a fancy blaze orange panel for my backpack. Watching so many western hunt videos — is a blaze panel or flag on the backpack even necessary? I typically wear a blaze hat and blaze vest. Seems like some videos the only blaze I see is a hat. I’m guessing I’d more than likely be fine with no blaze on my pack.


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Depends on the state.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2019
Messages
2,260
Location
Missouri
I don't think it's a legal requirement where I hunt, but I feel better with some orange on my backpack. I cut a rectangle out of a cheap orange vest and sewed pieces of Velcro one wrap on each corner. I strap it to the backside of my pack during gun season.
 

rayporter

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Jul 3, 2014
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arkansas or ohio
yes, the orange is for my benefit not the warden. i never understood the attitude of trying to get the orange off, but you do you.

i met a warden once about 10 mi in from the truck. all he had on was one strip of one inch wide flagging tape on his hat. i have also met rangers miles deep in the woods with no orange on.
 
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