ASAP whats in your pack for day hunts?

[MtnBum]

So I'm sure there is a thread out there that covers this but I'm clueless on how to search for it (being that I can't find any threads when I use the search bar in the upper right corner). I am just curious what you guys are running in your day packs, I have my pack all setup but my pack weighs a bit too much for just day hunting and I don't want to over pack which is easily done.
Thanks guys, even a link to a thread that covers this topic would be awesome!

 

[frankrb3]

Well what's in your day pack? Maybe we can help by telling you what to add or drop once we know what you're packing around. Also what kind of hunting are you doing and where? The contents of my day pack is constantly changing from archery season to rifle season from bear hunting to elk hunting.

 

[oldgoat]

K, yeah, more info needed, assuming your spring bear hunting maybe, not my forte, but basic stuff I always have and my daypack is usually too heavy also, but I am prepared! Fire starter, first aid, water purification tablets, compass, SOL brand emergency blanket (sleeping bag style), kill kit, food, water, GPS, clothing layers as needed, chap stick, extra tab, extra string. There are so many variables, lot depends on how remote, how far from truck, expected weather?????

 

[muddydogs]

I don't follow the school of thought that it depends on what time of year, how far from the truck or what your hunting matters in a day pack load. My hunting pack contents stays the same whether I'm 10 feet or 10 miles from the truck, hunting turkey or elk from summer temps to December elk. Sure the amount of food or water might change, I might throw in an extra pair of gloves and change out my game calls but what's in my pack is what's in my pack.

One thing I see that saves some weight is how stuff is stored and organized inside the pack. All them little ditty bags sure are cool and make things organized but each bag weighs something and it all adds up in the end. Think about consolidating items into smaller bags.

Another area is first aid kits, what do you really need in a first aid kit? I don't use bandaids and sutch, rub a little dirt in it, wipe the blood on your pants and get on with it. I don't carry band aids, moistened towelettes or other small trivial minor cut stuff to save some weight. What I do carry is major trauma stuff like quick clot, israeli bandage and other major blood loss items. Its all a personal choice but well worth some consideration.

Fire kits are another place I see a lot of people throw a ton of stuff into creating a lot of weight. Me personally I carry 3 bic lighters, 2 spread out in my pack and one that resides in my front pants pocket 24/7. I also carry a 1 oz dropper bottle of gas tank heat for a little liquid fire starter, a candle that can be used to help start wet tinder and a military fuel tab.

 

[Ross]

Mine will stay the same unless into November and more extra clothes.
4 game bags for elk 1 for deer
Fire starter
2 lighters
Clot kit
2 knives a folder and havalon
Water if in September will have purifier bottle, purifier straw
Extra bullets or extra finger tab
Wyoming saw if elk hunting or very small hatchet if deer hunting
Camera
Headlamp x2 with extra set of batteries
If September extra elk reeds
Flagging tape
Band aids
If September elk hunting extra windchecker
100 ft of rope
Aleve
Very tiny multi tool for changing havalon blades
Lightweight tripod for camera
At least one extra shirt depending on season
Blister kit
Some amount of food more in archery when sitting very little
If archery basic rangefinder otherwise rifle season binosrangefinder one unit always on chest
Thin beanie and thin liner gloves

 

[406]

What muddydogs said. 100% agree.

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[WV Mountaineer]

A fire starter stuff sack containing 2 lighters and 4 fuel tablets in doubled up ziploc baggies.

A small roll top dry bag with a climashield jacket liner, wool liner gloves, beanie, and fleece neck sock.

A small kill kit in a stuff sack that has Rubber gloves, a 100' of 100 lb trotline, small folding saw, a wire saw, knife, a silnylon ground sheet to lay deboned meat on, 2 cotton game bags, and 1 polyester game bag that all deboned met goes into.

For food and water on every day hunt, A 1 liter USGI plastic canteen full of water. A couple homemade breakfast bars, a snack ziplock baggy full of salted nuts, usually a payday candy bar, and about 6 ounces of some kind of jerky.

A rain suit.

A waterproof stuff sack that contains my base layers, down vest, and a primaloft jacket. With a wool or micr fleece button up, I'm good from 70 down to around 20 with this. However, i just ordered the Apex insulation to make me a woobie which will be packed in a silnylon stuff sac for those really cold sets. It saves all the bulk of extra clothes while keeping you WARM.

A stuff sack containing extra light, black tape, ibuprofen, gauze, and allergy medicine.

Whatever game calls I need for the animal I'm chasing.

Bino's.

If I am treestand hunting, a safety harness, screw in bow holder, and a pull up rope.

I always carry my gps and headlamp in a belt pouch of whatever pack I've used.

And I've always carried another liter of water when hunting wilderness areas around here.

It will all fit in about 1100 CI's.


I don't have to carry water filtration, spotting scope, and tripod like you western guys do. But, for the life of me, I cannot fathom the size packs you guys talk about needing for day hunting. It's hunting. I'll set on a rock to keep from having to carry a 3000 CI pack to hunt for a day. That's just me. God Bless men

 

[muddydogs]

I don't have to carry water filtration, spotting scope, and tripod like you western guys do. But, for the life of me, I cannot fathom the size packs you guys talk about needing for day hunting. It's hunting. I'll set on a rock to keep from having to carry a 3000 CI pack to hunt for a day. That's just me. God Bless men

Most of us don't carry water filtration for a day hunt, I carry the water tabs just in case but in 20 years of working in the woods I have never needed to filter water to get out of the woods on a day excursion. I have never hunted with anyone that carried a spotting scope, from what I have seen they get used from the truck and left in the truck. Most do carry to much stuff, it's one thing to be prepared but I know a guy that carries an extra pair of socks in his day pack along with about 40 pounds of stuff.

I used to run a lot lighter then I do know but with bad knees and foot problems I realize that things could go wrong and I might have to spend a night in the woods, it's kind of a double edged sword where extra weight isn't good on my knees but freezing to death isn't pleasant either. My day pack runs right at 20 pounds with 2 litters of water and hunting snacks including a 6ish pound MR Cabinet pack.

 

[frankrb3]

I don't follow the school of thought that it depends on what time of year, how far from the truck or what your hunting matters in a day pack load. My hunting pack contents stays the same whether I'm 10 feet or 10 miles from the truck, hunting turkey or elk from summer temps to December elk. Sure the amount of food or water might change, I might throw in an extra pair of gloves and change out my game calls but what's in my pack is what's in my pack.

I can tell you right now my pack would look very different from a hunt where I thought I would stay within sight of my truck to a pack that I am taking 10 miles into the woods. The further I plan to get from the road the more my day pack starts to look like an overnight pack. Gaiters, Microspikes, light weight tarp, extra fire starters and batteries get added to my pack. Steripen gets thrown in as well as a glassing seat and more clothing in case I have to spend the night in the woods. If you have a basic day hunting pack that has everything you need to deal with an animal you harvest close to the road and you try to take it for a hunt 10 miles back into the wilderness then you're asking for a bad experience in my opinion.

 

[muddydogs]

I can tell you right now my pack would look very different from a hunt where I thought I would stay within sight of my truck to a pack that I am taking 10 miles into the woods. The further I plan to get from the road the more my day pack starts to look like an overnight pack. Gaiters, Microspikes, light weight tarp, extra fire starters and batteries get added to my pack. Steripen gets thrown in as well as a glassing seat and more clothing in case I have to spend the night in the woods. If you have a basic day hunting pack that has everything you need to deal with an animal you harvest close to the road and you try to take it for a hunt 10 miles back into the wilderness then you're asking for a bad experience in my opinion.

Why is distance any different? If you can't get out on your own what difference does it make if your 1 or 10 miles? I'm prepared to stay a night in the woods whether I'm 1 or 10 because 1 mile quickly becomes a few miles if I strike out on a track. I don't plan on spending the night in the woods and chances are I won't so there is no need to be burdened by a ton of weight. I realize that it might not be a pleasant night but I'm not going for pleasant I'm going for staying alive.

I ask anyone that carries a ton of stuff if they also carry a communication device. In this day and age why carry 40 pounds of survival gear and not have a Satellite phone, InReach or Spot unit.

 

[mfllood3800]

Hmmm a lot of variances here which most likely totally confused the OP even more than when he first asked.
lol

Perhaps cause some combine kill kit and emergency kit items together?

For me my kill kit is different than my emerg kit.

The emerg kit is always separate cause it changes depending if its a day hunt or 5 dayer.

But my kill kit stays the same......

My emergency kit:
- lighter, whistle, anti bacterial cleaner/ small hand sanitizer bottle with lueko tape wrapped around it, band aids, gauze, compass, tenacious tape, mole skin

My kill kit is simple- Havalon, with extra blades, small tool for changing blades, glow stick, large trash bages to put qtrs. in to keep my pack cleaner, small clear bags to put grouse or other food shot along trail in, to keep meat and pack clean, wet wipes, paracord, caribiners, tag bag BOMB kit, elec tape,
In my pic I left out the paracord as I am cutting lengths right now.


I stopped carrying water tablets/iodine in my emergy kit cause I already have my water system in its own set up and no need to double up.

 

[mfllood3800]

Pics

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[frankrb3]

Why is distance any different?

Distance matters because it takes time and energy to cover distance. I didn't say anything about spending the night unexpectedly in the woods being a pleasant experience and I gave examples about adding gear to a day pack that would help a guy survive the night if he had to. Just because you don't plan on spending the night in the woods doesn't mean you wont. I'd rather be prepared to spend the night and hike out in the morning than to call people to come get me.

 

[mfllood3800]

As far as my water, I use a 2 L water bladder and a 32 oz Nalgene on my belt.
My food for the day, rain coat and head lamp in the pack.

On the packs belt is the wind checker, flag tape, calls, and a 9mm.

In the bino harness is lighter, emerg blanket, more flag tape, knife, range finder, Trioxane, and binos.

 

[muddydogs]

Distance matters because it takes time and energy to cover distance. I didn't say anything about spending the night unexpectedly in the woods being a pleasant experience and I gave examples about adding gear to a day pack that would help a guy survive the night if he had to. Just because you don't plan on spending the night in the woods doesn't mean you wont. I'd rather be prepared to spend the night and hike out in the morning than to call people to come get me.

I would never call someone to come get me and as long as I have my 2 feet under me I won't be spending the night in the woods. My gear is for when I don't have my feet under me and can't get out of the woods which could happen a mile from the truck. Seems we are talking about two different things here, seems your worried about getting lost or it getting dark before you find the truck and I'm worrying about getting hurt enough that I can't get out under my own power.

I suppose that my perspective of the deep dark woods is different them most peoples as I have been working or hunting in them since 1988. Myself like about every other guy I know that has spent years in the woods has no problem heading off for a 10 mile hike into the backcountry to spend all day doing what we need to do while wearing what most would consider street clothes with a little water and lunch in the back pack. I look at all these high dollar camo clothes that are supposed to do this and that, while there cool a pair of carhartt double front pants and a set of packable rain gear served me well for 20 some years.

My basic survival gear questions to myself are. If I fall down a mile from the truck and break my leg can I survive the night with what I have in my pack? If I break my leg a mile from the truck how soon will someone notice I'm missing and do I have the gear to survive that long?

 

[frankrb3]

Seems we are talking about two different things here, seems your worried about getting lost or it getting dark before you find the truck and I'm worrying about getting hurt enough that I can't get out under my own power.

Not sure how you came to that conclusion but I was actually just trying to answer the OPs original question by knowing more about what he already has in his pack and how he plans to hunt. Not worried about getting lost or the deep dark woods as you put it.

I respect your old school perspective, I just don't agree with it. To me being tough really isn't a substitute for being safe when hunting in the areas that I hunt. I owe it to my family and friends to have the proper equipment with me to prevent an injury or emergency that would cause them to worry and have to come look for me. I'd be kind of pissed if I had to go looking for a hunter who broke his ankle because hes wearing some old crappy boots from the 80's with nothing more than a bottle of water and a sandwich in his pocket.

I really don't want to turn this into an argument and take away from the OPs question. As someone else stated earlier this probably just confused the guy even more. My approach it to treat every day hunt like a new mission. Create a plan, tell someone your plan, check the weather, pack the appropriate gear for that hunt and stick as closely to your plan as possible.

The question we are trying to answer is what that gear is. Back on track.

 

[tttoadman]

Mine seems to match really close to Ross, so maybe I ma starting to get this figured out.
I always have my water filter
I always have my GPS because I am waypoint loon.

 

[MtnBum]

I don't follow the school of thought that it depends on what time of year, how far from the truck or what your hunting matters in a day pack load. My hunting pack contents stays the same whether I'm 10 feet or 10 miles from the truck, hunting turkey or elk from summer temps to December elk. Sure the amount of food or water might change, I might throw in an extra pair of gloves and change out my game calls but what's in my pack is what's in my pack.

One thing I see that saves some weight is how stuff is stored and organized inside the pack. All them little ditty bags sure are cool and make things organized but each bag weighs something and it all adds up in the end. Think about consolidating items into smaller bags.

Another area is first aid kits, what do you really need in a first aid kit? I don't use bandaids and sutch, rub a little dirt in it, wipe the blood on your pants and get on with it. I don't carry band aids, moistened towelettes or other small trivial minor cut stuff to save some weight. What I do carry is major trauma stuff like quick clot, israeli bandage and other major blood loss items. Its all a personal choice but well worth some consideration.

Fire kits are another place I see a lot of people throw a ton of stuff into creating a lot of weight. Me personally I carry 3 bic lighters, 2 spread out in my pack and one that resides in my front pants pocket 24/7. I also carry a 1 oz dropper bottle of gas tank heat for a little liquid fire starter, a candle that can be used to help start wet tinder and a military fuel tab.

I definitely agree with what you have to say as far as keeping the same contents in the pack year round. I think mine is setup for year round use right now, I have my contents compartmentalized into separate dry bags.
-PERSONAL/FIRE/WATER BAG: Trioxane, Vaseline soaked cotton balls, Ibuprofen, Bic lighter, Waterproof matches, Blistex, Repel bug spray stick, Travel size wet wipes
-KILL KIT: Small multitool, Gerber Vital (replaceable blades), 75ft paracord, Trash bag, Nitrile gloves, Caribou game bags (the wapiti)
-FOOD/COOK BAG: Jetboil, Spoon, Small jetboil fuel can, Mtn house pro pack, Pro bars, Instant coffee, Collapsable cup
-WATER FILTRATION BAG: Sawyer mini water filter, Dirty bladder, Aqua tabs, Clean bladder
-EMERGENCY BAG: Brief First Aid Kit, Moleskin, Map, Compass, Extra batteries (AA),Extra Headlamp, Small amount of electrical tape, Signal mirror, Flint, SOL blanket, Electrolyte boost, Zip ties, Puffy Jacket, Beanie, Mittens, Rain Pancho.
-ADDITION ITEMS IN PACK: Trekking poles, Pack fly, Bi pod, GoPro, Gps, Bear spray, Rangefinder, Wind checker, Bino harness, 10x42 binos, Main headlamp, Elk reed, and lastly my side arm. I may be leaving something out but that sums up the my pack and where it sits now.

 

[MtnBum]

Hmmm a lot of variances here which most likely totally confused the OP even more than when he first asked.
lol

Yeah its definitely a little confusing reading all the different variances lol but hey guys I appreciate the help, theres a lot of good tid bits of info I'm picking up from this thread! And ya i like keeping my emergency bag and kill kit separate likewise to you, Thanks for the pics!

 

[MtnBum]

Not sure how you came to that conclusion but I was actually just trying to answer the OPs original question by knowing more about what he already has in his pack and how he plans to hunt. Not worried about getting lost or the deep dark woods as you put it.

I respect your old school perspective, I just don't agree with it. To me being tough really isn't a substitute for being safe when hunting in the areas that I hunt. I owe it to my family and friends to have the proper equipment with me to prevent an injury or emergency that would cause them to worry and have to come look for me. I'd be kind of pissed if I had to go looking for a hunter who broke his ankle because hes wearing some old crappy boots from the 80's with nothing more than a bottle of water and a sandwich in his pocket.

I really don't want to turn this into an argument and take away from the OPs question. As someone else stated earlier this probably just confused the guy even more. My approach it to treat every day hunt like a new mission. Create a plan, tell someone your plan, check the weather, pack the appropriate gear for that hunt and stick as closely to your plan as possible.

The question we are trying to answer is what that gear is. Back on track.

I didn't ever mention it but I'm spring bear hunting here in nw, mt. Generally i try and walk or mtn bike the gated rds, i tend to put in about 6mi a day on foot and 12mi when on the bike. With the amount of griz we have around here one thing I won't ever forget is a can of bear spray lol.