Acceptable backcountry pack weight?

[NashNative]

What’s everyones pack weighing in at roughly for their backcountry hunts? I’m talking 4-5 days camping.

Thanks

 

[Gerbdog]

with 3-4 L of water , no bow, 36-40 lbs for 4-5 days for me. I dont pack ultra light either, i enjoy some creature comforts. Bows gonna add some weight on top of that for sure.

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

With tripod and spotter I am between 55-65 lbs for 4-5 days. Sorry I don't have a closer estimate. Skin out weight for a 12 day high country archery hunt I was just under 70 lbs this fall. Food is 1.5-2lbs per day.

 

[brn2hnt]

Very weapon, weather and water source dependent for me. Anywhere between 30-60 for me.


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[tdot]

My most recent Northern BC, late August sheep hunt was 41 pounds before water and weapon, inc. 8 days of food at 1.7-2.0 pounds per day.

I'd add a couple pounds of gear to take me through September and into October.

IMO if you are new to backpack hunting and want to be realistic with your weights, then analyze your skin out weights. It is easy to get caught up in worrying about your pack weight and then miss the overall weight of the gear you are wearing or have stuffed into your bino harness. Your carrying all of it, so calculate all of it. My skin out, including 2L of water, rifle, clothing, boots, absolutely everything that I am carrying into the mountains is right at 60 pounds.

 

[NashNative]

Ok sounds like I’m doing ok then. I weighed in at 58lbs with the following and thought I had seriously messed up. The weight was with everything on my pack including my rifle. Taking my rifle off I drop a ton of weight and my partner and I are sharing a tent so that will be swapped back and forth.
Typical gear sleeping bag, pad, rain gear, game bags, glassing pad, etc etc. I’ll only list the heavy items weight.

Metcalf 6lbs
Rifle 11.6 (heavy I know)
Water 8lbs
Tripod 3.86 lbs
Spotter 1.5lbs
Food roughly 9lbs
Tent 6lbs

after I removed the tent and carry my rifle my pack is roughly 40-45 lbs depends on clothes and gear. Just wanted to make sure I wasn’t like grossly over packing.

 

[Split toe]

I'm around 35lbs bow included with 2L of water for 5 day archery elk hunt.

 

[NorthernHunter]

My pack for the last couple of 9 day hunts was at 68 lbs. That included rifle and all. 2 pairs of clothes is more than enough. (I've never wore more than that but carried more) And at least for me I eat way less than I bring. I probably carried out 6-8lbs of food this spring on a bear hunt. Those are the 2 items I am continuously adjusting.

 

[Desperatehills]

I am at 35 lbs without water and weapon. That is for a 3 day trip

 

[PaBone]

I flew to Montana this year on Delta and flew my backpack fully loaded with everything except water and bow and weighed in at 49 pounds staying under the 50 limit for a checked item. My bow is around 8 pounds with full quiver and I didn't carry much water because I had a 3 mile walk to our campsite that had water about a hundred yards away. Around 60 pound total.

 

[trophyhill]

Between 50 and 65 pounds for me Depending on if I’m humping water in or not. I could go lighter but why? I take a couple comfort items. A zero degree Slickbag, and REI Flexlite chair and a Exped 9 LW pad. Not sure how much my 45 weighs. I could probably get a lighter tent but I love the Copper Spur 2 person tent. (Thanks Mike) I don’t take binos or a spotter. Where I hunt I won’t see them until they are up close and personal anyways. But I figure if I eat good, sleep good, and comfortable at camp with that flexlite chair instead of sitting on a rock or a log or ground, I’m gonna outlast most with more energy and game in the bottom of the 9th in the backcountry. That I have no doubt about.

 

[GunsAreFun]

If it is archery season, I’m right around 30# with 2l of water and 2.5 days of food. Add 1# per day of food if necessary. Might be a pound off either way with that number…haven’t added it up in almost a year because my gear hasn’t changed.

Add about 4-5 pounds of weight that isn’t in the pack for binos, range finder and bear spray.

Add 2# if tripod comes along.

If it was later in the season, I’d add 3# for puffy pants, merino pants, and an insulating mid layer.

I’m about as light as I can get without dropping serious coin or leaving stuff behind that I really don’t want to leave behind. If I was confident the weather would be above mid 40s, I can shave about 10 ounces with a lighter pad. I can ditch the bivy sack and save 6 ounces. Ditch camp shoes and save 10 ounces. Ditch chair and save a pound.

 

[Drenalin]

My last 3 day trip was right at 36 pounds including water (2 liters), food, rifle and the binos and rangefinder on my chest. For 5 days, add another 2.8 pounds of food and a change of underwear to that. No tripod, no spotter in there and I’d guess there’s another 6-7 pounds of clothing and boots on my body.

 

[Marble]

Ok sounds like I’m doing ok then. I weighed in at 58lbs with the following and thought I had seriously messed up. The weight was with everything on my pack including my rifle. Taking my rifle off I drop a ton of weight and my partner and I are sharing a tent so that will be swapped back and forth.
Typical gear sleeping bag, pad, rain gear, game bags, glassing pad, etc etc. I’ll only list the heavy items weight.

Metcalf 6lbs
Rifle 11.6 (heavy I know)
Water 8lbs
Tripod 3.86 lbs
Spotter 1.5lbs
Food roughly 9lbs
Tent 6lbs

after I removed the tent and carry my rifle my pack is roughly 40-45 lbs depends on clothes and gear. Just wanted to make sure I wasn’t like grossly over packing.

If you are doing elk you can probably drop the spotter and tri pod.

Your tent at 6 pounds is a beast. Shoot for half of that.

Sleeping bag should be 1.5 to 3 depending on bag and warmth level.

Overall, find the items that are not very specific to backpacking that you have and replace them as you can. That 58 pound pack can probably be reconfigured to nearly 40, or less, deoending on experience, weather, weapon and quarry you are chasing. Experience of what gear you really need and buying better/lighter/more durable gear as you can afford it, will keep you more comfortable for longer on the mountain and assist with your success.

Good luck!

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[NashNative]

If you are doing elk you can probably drop the spotter and tri pod.

Your tent at 6 pounds is a beast. Shoot for half of that.

Sleeping bag should be 1.5 to 3 depending on bag and warmth level.

Overall, find the items that are not very specific to backpacking that you have and replace them as you can. That 58 pound pack can probably be reconfigured to nearly 40, or less, deoending on experience, weather, weapon and quarry you are chasing. Experience of what gear you really need and buying better/lighter/more durable gear as you can afford it, will keep you more comfortable for longer on the mountain and assist with your success.

Good luck!

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I really wanna take the spotter though planned on glassing quite a bit or at least want to. The tent is a rei half dome 2 plus. Rifle is really heavy at 11.6 but everyone says take what you shoot best and I reload for it. Currently shooting 1/2" groups at 100 and I consistently hit at 600. Would not shoot that far at an elk but wouldn't at all hesitate at 350-400. Luckily I'm in good shape so it may hold me back some but I will still be able to get around good for the most part. I will for sure start changing gear out though. Tent is first on the list.

 

[TK177]

Peoples pack weight is also largely determined on what comfort items they run and $$$$.
Couple easy ways to save weight.
Alcohol stove, is slow but they burn time is long and you can multi task and cook. Take food out of the bags they are packaged in. Re-evaluate all of your items every time you get home. You can get away with a lite sleeping bag if you are cool with wearing cloths to sleep. Ditch unneeded pack accessories like random pouches. Don't bring extra cloths unless you think you'll crap your pants or need new socks, but even then maybe just find a creek.

 

[GunsAreFun]

Re-evaluate all of your items every time you get home.

This reminds me. Do NOT have your hunting trip be the fist time you backpack camp. Do a practice trip even if it is just for one night close to home. You’ll learn quickly what parts of your kit work and don’t work.

 

[The_Jim]

Seems like I always end up 45-55 pound range depending on weather. Spotter and tripod are 6 extra pounds for me but i really like glassing and always take them. The few times I have left them behind I've regretted it. You will probably be just fine with 58lbs. It won't be super fun on the steep but its doable.

Try it like you are and start getting rid of things you didn't need. After a couple trips you'll have it figured out.

 

[archp625]

Im at 29.64 lbs total. Add 1.6 pounds of food a day plus the weight of your weapon. I do not think I will carry a spotter next year so that 29.64 lbs will decrease by 45.4 ozs.

 

[440Gordy]

Mines around 40ish for a 7-10 day hunt not including water and carried gear. Like the rest have stated you'll constantly be making adjustments as you go and what your pursing as well as purchasing different gear down the road. I lighter tent is in my future. I also have a 6 pound brick of a tent but it's held up nice in some shotty weather we have encountered