Backup bivy for that special Buck/Bull

[Blacktail_Packer]

How many of you guys either carry your sleep system on your back or a backup of sorts for if you find the animal your looking/harvest late and decide to sleep “on the animal” rather than hike the miles back to base camp?

So I’ll admit I’m very new to back country hunting. Our plan is pack in set camp and hunt for the day. I’ve already got one of those Mylar emergency blankets, but wonder about being a little more comfortable than that.

I’ve found a couple posts about about guys that spike out a little more regularly as part of there plan and am looking at some of there sleep system notes for ideas but, what I’m really wondering is, if your plan was to have base camp and you knew it’d be a weird circumstance or the right animal that had you drop your gear where ever you ended up what would you carry for that?

Hard to say that every trip will end up the same but, for now there’s 3 of us that I think will be hunting together mostly, I’m thinking a fairly comfortable minimalist spike camp could be with us at all times if we split the weight?

So let’s hear it what do you guys carry?

 

[AK Troutbum]

I always plan to spike out, away from base camp, on all my mountain hunts and I'll usually do that for a minimum of 5 days, and upwards of 10. In the last year or so I put together an UL sleep system that I can comfortably carry at all times, for all my excursions away from my spike camp. I have used the system, but as of yet, I haven't used it on a hunt. The system I put together consists of a 35 degree EE quilt (14 oz.), small Xlite pad (8 oz.), cuben fiber MLD Patrol tarp w/solo plus, cuben fiber, Zpack bathtub ground cloth (14 oz. w/guy lines, and stakes), all stuffed into a large HMG cuben fiber stuff pillow (2 oz.). So, 38 oz. all in and it easily fits into the lid of my pack.

I have used the system, but only a couple nights and I have yet to use it in really bad weather, so I can't speak to that. I do believe that at some point in time it will come in handy, and I am confident that when that time comes, I will be able to get a good nights sleep in a pinch.

 

[couesbitten]

AK Troutbum has a great system put together.

I don't do this, but I do know that a night spent in the backcountry is going to be much more comfortable if you can be warm. If I thought it was possible that I might be staying out there near my buck/bull, at a minimum, I'd be carrying my Enlightened Equipment quilt and a tarp to create a shelter. This would make for a much more comfortable night and ensure that I got enough sleep to be "on my game" come morning light.

 

[Blacktail_Packer]

I always plan to spike out, away from base camp, on all my mountain hunts and I'll usually do that for a minimum of 5 days, and upwards of 10. In the last year or so I put together an UL sleep system that I can comfortably carry at all times, for all my excursions away from my spike camp. I have used the system, but as of yet, I haven't used it on a hunt. The system I put together consists of a 35 degree EE quilt (14 oz.), small Xlite pad (8 oz.), cuben fiber MLD Patrol tarp w/solo plus, cuben fiber, Zpack bathtub ground cloth (14 oz. w/guy lines, and stakes), all stuffed into a large HMG cuben fiber stuff pillow (2 oz.). So, 38 oz. all in and it easily fits into the lid of my pack.

I have used the system, but only a couple nights and I have yet to use it in really bad weather, so I can't speak to that. I do believe that at some point in time it will come in handy, and I am confident that when that time comes, I will be able to get a good nights sleep in a pinch.

Thanks for the quick response. I’ll have to add those to my ever growing list of gear to look at. I’m planning to try to limit myself to a smaller day pack because I fear that if I try to just suck down my Metcalf to a more daypack size I’ll end up finding more things that I “need” to have on me at all times.

And like you said coues it’s the fear that I’d be off my game from lack of sleep or sore/beat up from bad sleep.

This season is going to be kind of make or break for me. I haven’t had what I’d call a good nights sleep in Camping conditions in like 8 years. I had shoulder surgery a few months ago for an old injury that never healed right. I’m hopeful that surgery and my new pt regimen will be the cure for that. Fingers crossed this season goes well I’m gunna push myself and my buddies until I find our limits.

 

[mtnrunner260]

Sounds like you are on the right track but will you be hiking the base camp in or using stock?
If it's going in on your back having one pack, pad and bag/quilt to use at base and in case of a spike out will make the hike in and out a lot better.

 

[Blacktail_Packer]

My buddy’s fiancé is a horse chick, I guess there is one pack horse in there stable but, we’re gunna get it figured out with just man power first. So yes a main system that is both comfortable enough to use night after night and light enough to roll up and take with me every day is the goal. For the same reason I’m trying to get everyone on board with the SO LBO shelter system. Leave what we don’t need protected at camp and be able to carry spike camp/emergency shelter/sun or rain shelter for glassing without having a bunch of pieces that only do 1 thing...

 

[Jimbob]

I do not carry a sleep system with me. I pack in and try to set-up camp as close to my hunting area as possible.

This summer my son and I woke up and a billy was 350 yds from our tent, my son killed it later that day. On my sheep hunt my tent was a couple miles from where I killed my ram. In both of those cases I purposely moved my camp to be close.

What I would like to add to my kit is some puffy pants. The idea of a night out with puffy top and bottom and full rain gear seems survivable.

Also I carry a large survival blanket
https://www.mec.ca/en/product/4013-760/Survival-Blanket

Much better than the little tinfoil ones.






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Blacktail_Packer]

There was an ebivy on massdrop a couple of weeks ago that I was considering to replace the one currently in my pack. That one seems similar. So jimbob do you go fireless or is wind a part of your sight selection process?

 

[Jimbob]

No fire or fire, not much of an effect. Moose hunting, we slept at our jeep that was less than a mile from where we were set-up calling for moose, had a fire going. A pack of wolves woke us in the evening with their howling. We had two bulls grunting first thing in the morning with our calling. On another moose hunt I have tented 200 yds from breeding moose, that was one of the coolest evening in the woods.

Wind is always a concern. I try to pick spots that are close enough but not to close.

 

[Gatorgrizz27]

I do a sort of hybrid setup that would allow me to stay out overnight semi-comfortably in temps above hard freezes. We backpacked our camp in 5 miles to avoid the daily long hikes, and keep everything light and simple enough that moving it to stay near the elk wouldn’t be a big deal. I don’t do the full bivy deal since at that point you might as well carry your 5-7 day food supply. Having a 45 lb pack on the whole time rather than a 25 lb pack would decrease my chances of killing an animal IMO.

I carry a SOL emergency bivy, lighter and fire starter, tent footprint, 4 stakes, my trekking poles, paracord loops that are part of my kill kit, and water treatment tablets. With that stuff as well as my puffy and beanie, I can set up a glassing tarp, spike out if needed, or handle a survival situation, without carrying a ton of extra weight.

 

[Blacktail_Packer]

That’s kind of what I’m looking at Gator, I know mamma will sleep better while I’m gone knowing I’ve got the gear to make it if I should happen to over commit or weather changes or something like that. And I fell a little more comfortable knowing with what’s on my back I can have some level of comfort through the night