First Backcountry hunt pack list

[treeratslayer24]

Maybe this isn’t the ideal thread for this so direct me if not, but I didn’t feel worthy of the ultralight guys and didn’t want to limit myself to just the mule deer group.

I’m headed to Co for my first backpack trip in September. Temps are looking to be up into the 60s/low 70s and lows in high 20s/30s. I’ve used some pack lists from here as well as others to create my base list but figured I’d post the whole thing up on here and let you all pick it apart and really learn some things.

A few notes, some items I don’t have weights on yet as you’ll see. Others are items I may take or may not so therefore they don’t have a weight or quantity listed. I went ahead and included my food list as well, and that’s what the dry bag(trash bag) is for is to keep all my food in.

One thing not included in my pack weight total is my bow. Assuming I hang it on my pack, that’s another ~6lb. Haven’t decided on carrying method for it yet.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Packing lists are highly subjective, it's pretty good as is, but here is what I would do.
drop the deodorant/soap
trade out the life straw for aqua tabs
Chamberlin is more puffy than I would want, in weight and in warmth, swap out if you have a lighter one
Wouldn't bring puffy pants unless they were really light weight. It will only be that cold first thing in morning, you have a synthetic bag, can just wrap up in it at the glassing spot.
Drop the flint striker, just bring a lighter for every pocket/compartment
Drop electric tape, you have duct tape
I also wouldn't bring hot hands
Add some type of bow field repair kit- Allens, d-loop material, etc
Food is too personal, something different works for everyone, but I try to be max 2lbs a day
Have fun and good luck!

 

[treeratslayer24]

Packing lists are highly subjective, it's pretty good as is, but here is what I would do.
drop the deodorant/soap
trade out the life straw for aqua tabs
Chamberlin is more puffy than I would want, in weight and in warmth, swap out if you have a lighter one
Wouldn't bring puffy pants unless they were really light weight. It will only be that cold first thing in morning, you have a synthetic bag, can just wrap up in it at the glassing spot.
Drop the flint striker, just bring a lighter for every pocket/compartment
Drop electric tape, you have duct tape
I also wouldn't bring hot hands
Add some type of bow field repair kit- Allens, d-loop material, etc
Food is too personal, something different works for everyone, but I try to be max 2lbs a day
Have fun and good luck!

Thanks! Yeah the jacket is overkill but it’s actually lighter than my “lighter” one by like an ounce so I figured if it fits in the pack I’ll take it.
Puffy pants were for sure just a maybe. Thanks for confirming, I’ll just stick them in the truck for back up.
Hot hands were also a maybe item. I thought they may be handy if we end up having a fire ban, but like you said, I’ll have a sleeping bag.
Allen wrench is for sure, hasn’t thought of D loop stuff so I’ll get my hands on some of that!

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Thanks! Yeah the jacket is overkill but it’s actually lighter than my “lighter” one by like an ounce so I figured if it fits in the pack I’ll take it.
Puffy pants were for sure just a maybe. Thanks for confirming, I’ll just stick them in the truck for back up.
Hot hands were also a maybe item. I thought they may be handy if we end up having a fire ban, but like you said, I’ll have a sleeping bag.
Allen wrench is for sure, hasn’t thought of D loop stuff so I’ll get my hands on some of that!

Yea it sucks to pack out because of a minor bow repair. I get individual Allens for all the small stuff on my bow, also a back up release, I’ve had a release fail/get lost more often than a bow.

 

[Nickofthewoods]

You could shave at least 1/16 of an ounce by bringing 5x tipped instead of 4x.

Are you totally committed to bringing the fishing gear at all? Not judging if you are, I love fishing too and camp trout is a fine meal, but then you could leave the olive oil and pliers behind as well. Those would be the next items that would get cut if I were trimming weight and bulky items.

 

[treeratslayer24]

You could shave at least 1/16 of an ounce by bringing 5x tipped instead of 4x.

Are you totally committed to bringing the fishing gear at all? Not judging if you are, I love fishing too and camp trout is a fine meal, but then you could leave the olive oil and pliers behind as well. Those would be the next items that would get cut if I were trimming weight and bulky items.

Yeah that whole set up is definitely a luxury item that I’m not set on yet. It may or may not go. Or I may find a more “primitive” approach to limit the weight. I figure once I get it all loaded up and pick up my pack, I’ll decide fish aren’t THAT good

 

[Dirtbag]

I love to flyfish as well but I'd ditch that stuff altogether and focus on hunting unless you were certain you are going to be around really great fishing a lot. Chances are if you are around great fishing you wont be where you want to hunt elk as a lot of high country lakes and streams have some human activity around them.

 

[EastHumboldt]

Is this your first backpack trip altogether? Or just your first backpack hunting trip? In either case I would suggest putting all the stuff in your bag, find the steepest hill you can or if you live in the city get permission to climb the stairs in somebody’s skyscraper. Climb that hill or upstairs with your fully loaded pack. Then decide how much stuff you need to lose, because you’ll probably be shocked.

Three things popped out at me. Wind gauge. Lick your index finger and hold it straight up in the air and it will tell you which way the wind is coming from, the cold side of your finger. Not much weight to be saved there though. Spotting scope and tripod. Many people nowadays are going for 12 X binoculars, which are lighter, and handier. I also Didn’t see any walking sticks or a single walking stick on your list. in steep terrain, These are not just helpful but can save an injury. Also useful for propping your binoculars on top of.

 

[treeratslayer24]

I love to flyfish as well but I'd ditch that stuff altogether and focus on hunting unless you were certain you are going to be around really great fishing a lot. Chances are if you are around great fishing you wont be where you want to hunt elk as a lot of high country lakes and streams have some human activity around them.

Ok thanks. It’ll probably stay at the truck for if I tag out. I may take a couple flys and some line and find me a nice stick if I’m really craving a trout.

 

[treeratslayer24]

Is this your first backpack trip altogether? Or just your first backpack hunting trip? In either case I would suggest putting all the stuff in your bag, find the steepest hill you can or if you live in the city get permission to climb the stairs in somebody’s skyscraper. Climb that hill or upstairs with your fully loaded pack. Then decide how much stuff you need to lose, because you’ll probably be shocked.

Three things popped out at me. Wind gauge. Lick your index finger and hold it straight up in the air and it will tell you which way the wind is coming from, the cold side of your finger. Not much weight to be saved there though. Spotting scope and tripod. Many people nowadays are going for 12 X binoculars, which are lighter, and handier. I also Didn’t see any walking sticks or a single walking stick on your list. in steep terrain, These are not just helpful but can save an injury. Also useful for propping your binoculars on top of.

Walking sticks are in my list just not in what I posted. I have a separate chart of “on me” stuff. Such as walking sticks, Binos and harness, pocket knife, etc

 

[Mighty Mouse]

Gear list looks pretty good to me.

If you haven't done so already, I would recommend doing a test at home to see if/how all your gear fits into your pack. At the trailhead is not a good time/place to have to cull items because you just discovered that your gear won't all fit (been there, done that). MR Sawtooth is on the small end for a 6 day trip, especially with a spotter and tripod. Not saying it can't be done, but you may have to use the load shelf for some items.

 

[Scoot]

Good advice above. I love to fish, but not while elk hunting. I also really appreciate the favor I do myself when I clean up a little each night with soap (i is a small squeeze bottle of all purpose camp soap) and a baby washcloth and fresh deodorant- it makes getting in the sleeping bag with myself much easier! I just heat a few extra ounces of water with my mountain house and use the warm water to wash up while my food is hydrating.

 

[treeratslayer24]

Gear list looks pretty good to me.

If you haven't done so already, I would recommend doing a test at home to see if/how all your gear fits into your pack. At the trailhead is not a good time/place to have to cull items because you just discovered that your gear won't all fit (been there, done that). MR Sawtooth is on the small end for a 6 day trip, especially with a spotter and tripod. Not saying it can't be done, but you may have to use the load shelf for some items.

Yeah I’m hoping to practice loading unloading over the next couple weeks. I’m borrowing my sleeping setup i to save on cost this year, and my buddy had one last camping trip to do before I get the stuff off of him. It’s going to be tight for sure. My plan is food in a trashbag on top the pack. Maybe a few heavy things in the load shelf, and tent, tripod, spotter all external. I just got the pack last year so I hated to buy another one already..

 

[treeratslayer24]

Good advice above. I love to fish, but not while elk hunting. I also really appreciate the favor I do myself when I clean up a little each night with soap (i is a small squeeze bottle of all purpose camp soap) and a baby washcloth and fresh deodorant- it makes getting in the sleeping bag with myself much easier! I just heat a few extra ounces of water with my mountain house and use the warm water to wash up while my food is hydrating.

Thanks. I think I’ll take your alls advice and forego the fishing. That was my thought with the soap(plan is to just shave a few tiny chunks off a bar of soap so maybe .2 ounce? Same with deodorant. Just a think chunk to slather around lol) good tip on the extra water. Sure beats cold water.

 

[Scoot]

Unless this is hunting in an area that allows for a ton of glassing, I'd leave the tripod and spotter at home too. They are nice once you have them there, but not so much to get them to and from. Given it's your first backpack hunt you probably (although not for sure) aren't going to nitpick a 320" vs. 340" bull or 150" vs. 160" buck to make a decision on a play on it, so leave it behind. Use your trekking pole with your binos and save a lot of weight. YMMV

 

[Marbles]

In general, if you can get the weight for every item and set up your spreadsheet to give you a total, so you can see the weight change as you add or remove gear, it will be helpful. Especially if you continue backpack hunting and refine your gear over the next few years.

I also prefer FSO (from skin out) weight to pack weight. It removes subjectivity as everything that is not part of your body is counted as weight.

If you do continue backpack huntig, sleep and shelter is an area for huge weight savings. As you plan for future hunts this would be one of the first areas I would spend money on.

11.5 ounces is heavy for gloves in a kill kit. 2-3 pairs of heavy duty nitrile gloves with textured palms will be about 1 ounce. (Edit, my pack list shows 2 pair at 1.2 ounces).

This is more personal, but no reason the have two pairs of socks in your pack. One pair in your pack, one on your feet, and one pair in the truck.

At 28 ounces, a second pair of pants is overkill. The pants I use are sub 14 ounces and I still only bring the pair I have on my body.

The battery is heavy to me. For a first trip, go ahead and keep that extra power, but with good power management you can probably save at least a half pound there in the future. This is more personal, but a light can be critical gear, as such I like a spare battery rather than planing to recharge it as this prevents me from using that power on none critical tasks (like listening to a podcast while sitting out a storm or my buddy begging to charge his vap, Etc.).

 

[Scoot]

Thanks. I think I’ll take your alls advice and forego the fishing. That was my thought with the soap(plan is to just shave a few tiny chunks off a bar of soap so maybe .2 ounce? Same with deodorant. Just a think chunk to slather around lol) good tip on the extra water. Sure beats cold water.

I buy a tiny travel size deodorant and empty it, then force my own unscented deodorant into it. For soap, I empty a small wind checker bottle, clean it out, and use camp soap in it. Both work great for me. Good luck!

 

[EdP]

For a sleeping pad I take a Z-Rest, full length, and a 1/2 length. The 1/2 length is my butt pad during the day and a second layer under my torso at night. The foam pads are a bit bulky compared with the inflatable pads but they never let you down at night due to a leak.

 

[WCB]

Never got the dry wet wipe thing....just bring wet ones IMO...Also, I would bring the best toilet paper you can. No way in hell I would bring paper towels for T.P. might as well hit your ass with an angle grinder before you leave the truck.

Also, personal but I bring zero soap or deodorant. Unless you can't stand your own smell but with wet wipes you should be able to "freshen up enough" or just scrub up in a creek with no soap. again just my personal preference.

 

[hunting1]

There are soooo many bag dumps on Youtube you could watch and decide what will work best for you. Some play survivor man while others seek comfort. I am in the somewhat comfort category.