How to cut your pack weight.

[RockChucker30]

There has been a lot of discussion on weight lately, so I wrote a post on our site that gives a good thought exercise.

How to cut your hunting backpack weight

IMO the key to lightening up is to use your head and some common sense, and to look at your gear list from three main perspectives.

1. Time Weight - If you cut weight from gear worn all day every day, the ounces cut are multiplied by the hours worn. If you pack in and set up a basecamp and then hunt from there, you can afford a comfortable camp, especially if your pack and day gear is light.

2. % Weight - You can cut more weight by upgrading your heaviest items than by trimming your lighter stuff. Backpack, Shelter, Sleeping Bag, Optics, Weapon, Boots, and other big items are where your largest weight savings will come from.

3. Cost to Cut - Budgets vary greatly, but money does matter. If I'm spending more than $10 per ounce to upgrade gear I already have I need a real uptick in function or comfort to justify it.

Lighter is better until you lose function or you're cold, wet and miserable. Experience teaches what you need and what you don't, and what you maybe don't need but will haul anyway because you have a better time (sipping scotch, glassing chair).

I'm leaving a copy of my gear list in a google sheet here for anyone who needs a template. This one has some pretty cool functions that will adjust your pack weight based on length of trip, and it breaks it down into skin out weight, total pack weight, weight without consumables, and base weight.

Total Pack Weight Spreadsheet

Feel free to make a copy or download a copy, don't change the parent spreadsheet.

 

[bsnedeker]

This is awesome! What would we do without spreadsheet nerds? Lol!

There has been a lot of discussion on weight lately, so I wrote a post on our site that gives a good thought exercise.

How to cut your hunting backpack weight

IMO the key to lightening up is to use your head and some common sense, and to look at your gear list from three main perspectives.

1. Time Weight - If you cut weight from gear worn all day every day, the ounces cut are multiplied by the hours worn. If you pack in and set up a basecamp and then hunt from there, you can afford a comfortable camp, especially if your pack and day gear is light.

2. % Weight - You can cut more weight by upgrading your heaviest items than by trimming your lighter stuff. Backpack, Shelter, Sleeping Bag, Optics, Weapon, Boots, and other big items are where your largest weight savings will come from.

3. Cost to Cut - Budgets vary greatly, but money does matter. If I'm spending more than $10 per ounce to upgrade gear I already have I need a real uptick in function or comfort to justify it.

Lighter is better until you lose function or you're cold, wet and miserable. Experience teaches what you need and what you don't, and what you maybe don't need but will haul anyway because you have a better time (sipping scotch, glassing chair).

I'm leaving a copy of my gear list in a google sheet here for anyone who needs a template. This one has some pretty cool functions that will adjust your pack weight based on length of trip, and it breaks it down into skin out weight, total pack weight, weight without consumables, and base weight.

Total Pack Weight Spreadsheet

Feel free to make a copy or download a copy, don't change the parent spreadsheet.

Sent from my SM-G930U using Tapatalk

 

[Gatorgrizz27]

Great article and I agree completely.

 

[Lockster]

Fantastic article Nathan, well worth the read, I really liked the concept of Time Weight, really makes sense and you articulate it very well.

 

[fngTony]

That was the most helpful, well written article on pack weight from a hunting standpoint I’ve read yet.

 

[C Bow]

I agree with fng4life. Awesome read very helpful Thanks

 

[jeffpg]

Excellent Nathan!

 

[elkguide]

Thank you. Very well laid out and thought out perspective.

 

[RockChucker30]

Thanks for the comments guys.

People get caught up in hype sometimes without considering their gear choices from a logical perspective.

I've got two hunts this fall, bear and mule deer. I've got two rifles I could take, a Kimber 260 Rem and a Tikka 7 Mag. The Kimber is a lightweight, weighing 6.5 lbs scoped. The Tikka is heavier, but still pretty light at just over 8 lbs. 1.5 lbs is a lot of weight to justify. Which one should I take?

The one I shoot best.

Knowing I can ethically make a longer shot is worth the weight.

In other areas weight can be cut, sometimes surprisingly. I sleep as well or better on a torso length 1" thick Prolite as I do on a 25" wide neoair. That's the kind of stuff that you only learn by experimenting.

 

[bozeman]

Tag for future use.

thanks for the help!

 

[Runningwater]

And I'm sure it goes without saying that for many of us (or for me anyway) that the first, and most cost effective (and healthiest) way to cut five pounds of total weight starts with loosing the extra 5 around my waste!

 

[paleraider]

And I'm sure it goes without saying that for many of us (or for me anyway) that the first, and most cost effective (and healthiest) way to cut five pounds of total weight starts with loosing the extra 5 around my waste!

This x 1000. I always focus on my personal weight reduction first. Getting your bag down an extra 5lbs will mean nothing if you carry and extra 20-30 on yourself!

 

[wind gypsy]

And I'm sure it goes without saying that for many of us (or for me anyway) that the first, and most cost effective (and healthiest) way to cut five pounds of total weight starts with loosing the extra 5 around my waste!

You forgot to mention least fun.

 

[justinspicher]

A guy/gal can cut a lot of weight by not taking so much junk. As useful as the internet is with sites like Rokslide, it’s a double edged sword. Soon all of the good ideas get really heavy. Experience is the one think that will help you cut your weight down in your pack, personal fitness is another. It’s one of the reasons I highly suggest packing your pack with all of the gear you’re going to carry on your hunt for training. Weight is one thing to consider as a 50lb sandbag will be the same as 50lbs of Gear, but it’ll ride differently. What a sandbag won’t account for is volume, like your actual gear will. Assuming it’ll all fit at the trailhead is a bad idea and you’ll end up in a world of frustration. They say to train as you fight, but the reality is that you’ll fight however you train......

Just my opinion, I’m a nobody, so take it for what it’s worth.

 

[Ritter]

Hey nobody, send me a PM.

 

[justinspicher]

Hey nobody, send me a PM.

Sent a visitor message.

 

[RockChucker30]

Lots of discussion on pack weights this time of year, thought I'd bump this back up. Hope it helps some guys prioritize gear choices for the rest of this season, but especially in planning for next season.

 

[PathFinder]

Solid article. I've let my pack weight creep up on me a bit the last year. Initially I cut over 10lbs from my pack, and I've probably added 2-3 back this year and I finally started to feel it on my last two trips. I'm working on a spreadsheet right now to try to cut that and maybe more back out.

 

[Loco4dux]

Definitely a good article, thanks.

 

[RockChucker30]

Solid article. I've let my pack weight creep up on me a bit the last year. Initially I cut over 10lbs from my pack, and I've probably added 2-3 back this year and I finally started to feel it on my last two trips. I'm working on a spreadsheet right now to try to cut that and maybe more back out.

A lot of guys find what I call a "rebound point".

You cut and cut until you miss something you would have used, or you are hungry, wet, or cold.

Lighter is better until it's not. Finding that balance point takes some doing.


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