Absolute necessities on a DIY Drop camp hunt

[Kevin Dill]

Good stuff.

I've seen trekking poles mentioned a couple times here. I used to take them but quit. I never used them except for packing meat. Now I just look for suitable wood and make my own. I use them to cross a fast stream, then set them aside to use when I come back later. Last moose I killed and packed out (all of it alone) and didn't use any poles. Making them in the field is another way to save weight on your flight in.

 

[mcseal2]

I thought about that but for my first trip to a new place I decided to take them. I didnt know what wood would be available. I could have just made them and been fine.

One thing I did make was a tripod to shoot from I kept set up at camp. We could see far enough in front of camp it could have been handy to steady a longer shot. We didnt end up seeing a bigger bull from camp, but we were ready if we did. I shot my bull from my optics tripod at 300 yards kneeling.

Trekking poles with the wrist straps looped over each other make pretty fair shooting sticks too. Mine weigh a pound and can be multipurpose for a gun hunter.

 

[deerkiller]

So each of you are roughly 280 lbs. apiece and if all else fails you’re going to live off of one Mountain House and snacks, each/day? I say just foot the bill and pay for another load/flight. I wouldn’t even think about a drop camp moose hunt without some creature comforts and that includes adequate and very enjoyable food. It’s one thing to do a little fishing and maybe some small game hunting while on a big game hunt, and it’s something totally different to have to depend on being successful with those extra curricular activities. If you’re looking at having an enjoyable moose hunt, with your best chances of success, pay for another load. Just my 2 cents.


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ABSOLUTELY AGREE WITH THESE GUYS !! we ran out of food and liquor and were delayed 3 days on exit due to a Typhoon grounding all aircraft (who knew right ?) - the last 4 1/2 days were pretty dreary, all three of us would have gladly paid for that extra flight singly

 

[deerkiller]

I'll lay one other tip on you. Sometimes a pilot has a reason to be at 'your' location (airstrip, camp, lake etc) before you arrive. They may be picking up other guys in the area. They might be scouting, or maybe doing airstrip maintenance. In any event, there might be an opportunity to have them drop something in there ahead of your arrival. You'd need to ask about it. If they say yes, pack it up and ship it to them. Be sure it's water-tight and unlikely to attract a bear. A smart pilot will stash it out of sight and away from easy notice by bears or people.

never thought of that one, EXCELLANT !!

 

[cnelk]

A couple small pulleys in your gear bag is something you wont regret

 

[Chirogrow]

A couple small pulleys in your gear bag is something you wont regret

I was thinking about those but ended up taking them out because I couldn't think of a too many reasons to use them. what have you used them for?

 

[VernAK]

As stated previously, the blue paper towel beats the usual TP!

Lotsa great advice above.

 

[VernAK]

Also.......as above, you don't need an axe and saw and my choice for a saw would be a Stanley Sharktooth......it will suffice for cutting smaller wood and is the best bone saw I've ever used....inexpensive too!

 

[ScopeScar]

So each of you are roughly 280 lbs. apiece and if all else fails you’re going to live off of one Mountain House and snacks, each/day? I say just foot the bill and pay for another load/flight. I wouldn’t even think about a drop camp moose hunt without some creature comforts and that includes adequate and very enjoyable food. It’s one thing to do a little fishing and maybe some small game hunting while on a big game hunt, and it’s something totally different to have to depend on being successful with those extra curricular activities. If you’re looking at having an enjoyable moose hunt, with your best chances of success, pay for another load. Just my 2 cents.

This. I don't think there are many people who should be at 280 lbs. Something doesn't add up here.

 

[Poser]

I’d definitely experiment for 2 consecutive days with eating the ~800 calories or so you’re planning to live off of. If you can’t get by on that at home, you definitely won’t get by on that in the field.

My guess? Youll want to figure out how to take more food or you’re going to fail due to lack of energy.... and be hungry.

 

[Kevin Dill]

1200 calories per day won't keep a 180 pound man with a desk job from losing weight.

I usually align with Vern, but I do always take a G-B Small Forest Axe. I use it to split wood for the stove and pound tent stakes and kill grizzlies in my mind. But yes....the saw is tool #1.

All this chatter about t-p, shop towels and wet wipes is making me a bit paranoid. I might add a hand mirror to my hygiene kit.

I second the pulleys, but know how to rig them for moving a moose or hoisting a load. A good set of pulleys are valuable if needed, but worthless without cordage stout enough to handle a moose needing pulled out of a ditch or beaver pond.

 

[Corey Paulsen (teamkabob)]

I couldn’t live off one MH a day! Only time I planed on food from the field was my 2013 Caribou Hunt as a joke. I was told to make a meal. Brought kabobs and told my hunting buddies it was vegetarian kabobs if we don’t shoot something! Ended up making caribou kabobs over a fire! Yummy

Weight on flights is the real deal! Good luck sir!


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[VernAK]

Kevin likes his hatchet and so do I but I cheat a bit........I left an Estwing in the moose camp area several years ago.

But then I cheated a whole lot more as a friend was flying into our moose area, I had him drop lotsa lumber scraps precut to stove length and bundled.......

Kevin.......are you coming through Delta?

 

[GotDraw?]

I agree with the below, but would add that you should try eating the food allocation you'll bring AND exercise HARD for 3-4 days in row... maybe 2-3 crossfit sessions/day. Then see how well that food allocation works.

JL

I’d definitely experiment for 2 consecutive days with eating the ~800 calories or so you’re planning to live off of. If you can’t get by on that at home, you definitely won’t get by on that in the field.

My guess? Youll want to figure out how to take more food or you’re going to fail due to lack of energy.... and be hungry.

 

[Kevin Dill]

Kevin likes his hatchet and so do I but I cheat a bit........I left an Estwing in the moose camp area several years ago.

But then I cheated a whole lot more as a friend was flying into our moose area, I had him drop lotsa lumber scraps precut to stove length and bundled.......

Kevin.......are you coming through Delta?

Little by little we learn how real Alaskans get by in the bush.

I'll be flying into Fairbanks on the 6th and into camp on the 8th. I might somehow end up in Delta for a bit, but that's up to my pilot and how he decides to travel me about. I was in town for something like 4 hours last year, but that was on the way back in after the hunt.

 

[Chirogrow]

This. I don't think there are many people who should be at 280 lbs. Something doesn't add up here.

I'm 210 and my buddy is 225. The list I provided in the original post was not everything we have just a chunk of it.

 

[cnelk]

We used a small pulley to get our food bags up & down a couple times a day

 

[Gunnersdad49]

Cracking up at Kevin’s mirror comment.

The expression “knowledge weighs nothing” rings true here. Bringing a bunch of pulleys won’t hoist your moose. You need to know how to use them.

 

[keller]

how did the hunt go??

 

[mooster]

how did the hunt go??

Yes inquiring minds must know, our futures depend on it!