How to cut your pack weight.

[Pgohil]

I'd like to weigh in on one point of the subject. I agree with everything being said except the loose personal bodyweight comments. Before anyone gets sideways, let me explain.
I absolutely believe in physical fitness. The more fit you are themore pleasure you will have when you're hiking, hunting or even just going through your daily chores. However, losing 5 pounds of weight will not make your pack ride any better or put less strain on your shoulders or waist.

JMO

Flame on.

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[Cant hit em]

I'd like to weigh in on one point of the subject. I agree with everything being said except the loose personal bodyweight comments. Before anyone gets sideways, let me explain.
I absolutely believe in physical fitness. The more fit you are themore pleasure you will have when you're hiking, hunting or even just going through your daily chores. However, losing 5 pounds of weight will not make your pack ride any better or put less strain on your shoulders or waist.

JMO

Flame on.

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I agree with you but it will help relieve the stress and pounding on your knees and legs

 

[Jimss]

Great ideas! I would agree that the quickest and easiest way to cut weight is to #1) weigh all your gear. #2) upgrade your heaviest gear!

 

[netman]

I would hike around here in Southern Indiana (just above sea level)with my pack loaded with what I thought I would need for a all day hunt plus emergency kit and kill kit in the Colorado Mountains.
Then when I got to the mountains and clambered around several miles I started thinning the load down dramatically.
My buddy shot a elk and “forgot “ his game bags. So we used mine. It was amazing how much the game bags lightened the load. I learned game bags can be heavy. They got heavier with elk meat but that is to be expected.
I say take what you think you’ll need and then let the experience you gain dictate the rest.

 

[Runningwater]

I won't flame on but will defend my opinion. If you have weight you could stand to lose, it is likely (not always but likely) around your waist. Loosing that extra weight will likely correlate with also being in better shape. So you are in better shape, your pack will likely fit better, and your legs are carrying less weight. If your pack isn't fitting or you are dealing with strain on your shoulders or waist you are likely dealing with a pack fitting/adjustment issue as much or more than a pack weight issue. Jmo

 

[MuleyFever]

How do you cut weight from your pack? Don't take crap you don't need.

Other than that I have gone back to some heavier items in the name of comfort. I am only packing all my crap for a very small portion of my week long hunt. I would rather pack in 2lbs more if it means a week of more comfort. Specifically in the form of shelter and sleep system.

 

[rbljack]

How do you cut weight from your pack? Don't take crap you don't need.

Other than that I have gone back to some heavier items in the name of comfort. I am only packing all my crap for a very small portion of my week long hunt. I would rather pack in 2lbs more if it means a week of more comfort. Specifically in the form of shelter and sleep system.

Yep....I carried a sawtooth, liner, and stove just for me this year. Why? I wanted a comfortable shelter, and we had a foot of snow! The hike in sucked pretty bad, but the stove and extra room was worth it. My reasoning was that if it snowed more, and I was stuck in the shelter for a day or two...I had room to be comfortable. Turns out that scenario didn't play out. Weather got better as the days ticked off. But that cant be forseen beforehand.

 

[Jimss]

Lots of discussing on not bringing what you don't need! A word of advice for those that are new to backpack hunting. Possibly try a scouting trip or 2 prior to your hunt in the same country you'll be hunting. That way you can eliminate a lot of gear, clothes, etc that you won't use or need. It's obviously tough figuring out what the weather will be like on the actual hunt but you will get a clue to what works, what doesn't work, and what you are up against. Obviously prepare for the worse weather at the particular time of year you'll be hunting. It may be a good idea to scout water sources?

Water is another source of weight....that a lot may not consider. A water purifier may save the bulk/weight of lugging water!

 

[JeffRaines]

I'd like to weigh in on one point of the subject. I agree with everything being said except the loose personal bodyweight comments. Before anyone gets sideways, let me explain.
I absolutely believe in physical fitness. The more fit you are themore pleasure you will have when you're hiking, hunting or even just going through your daily chores. However, losing 5 pounds of weight will not make your pack ride any better or put less strain on your shoulders or waist.

JMO

Flame on.

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I agree completely.

60lbs is 60lbs regardless of your body weight. We should all strive to be as healthy as possible, but at the end of the day, a 40lb pack is going to be more comfortable to carry than a 60lb or 80lb pack, no matter if you weigh 140 or 210.

 

[netman]

Amen^^^

 

[RockChucker30]

It's that time of year....I'll bump this back up. A lot of gear decisions are being made - I hope this helps people think about those choices in a logical way.

 

[corey006]

Great info....thanks!

 

[RCB]

It's that time of year....I'll bump this back up. A lot of gear decisions are being made - I hope this helps people think about those choices in a logical way.

RockChucker, what kind of shoes do you wear?

 

[RockChucker30]

RockChucker, what kind of shoes do you wear?

In early season I prefer trail runners. I loved the LaSportiva Anakonda till they discontinued them. Las year I used an Inov8 Roclite 295 and they did great, but they've got a lot of mesh which keeps my feet dusty / dirty a lot.

In later seasons a pair of light to midweight waterproof boots. Lowa Renegade, LaSportiva Boulder X, etc. I'd like to try some Crispis and maybe give Asolo another run in the next year or two.

I have a pair of Lowa Hunter GTX's but they're so heavy I don't wear them much.


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[TreyPound]

The easiest ways to cut weight are from the big three (backpack, tent, sleeping bag) and unfortunately it is usually going to cost a bit.
Some simple things to do would be.....
Cut the edges off of your maps.
Remove wrist straps from cameras, rangefinders, etc.
Remove tags from everything - tents, sleeping bags, backpacks, shoes, etc.
Wear lighter boots/shoes...you have to lift them everytime you move, it adds up quick.
Leave Nalgene bottles at home, and use regular 20oz (or more) water bottles. Much lighter, and take a lot of abuse.

 

[Jimss]

TreyPound brings up some great recommendations. It's wise to get a scale and weigh all your gear, clothes, etc. I would highly recommend upgrading the heaviest/bulkiest items on your list....and working from there. Some items are a lot more expensive than others. As an example....you can switch tripods from heavy metal to carbon...but you may spend an extra $200 to upgrade.

 

[slimhunter]

"Time weight" is a great way to think about it

 

[RockChucker30]

Starting to see some pack weight threads already this year, so I'll bump this up. I wrote this article in 2018 and think it is every bit as appropriate now as it was then. Different ways to think about weight, where to look to cut, etc. I hope it helps.

How To Cut Your Backpack Hunting Weight

How to logically cut your backpack hunting weight, looking at the time gear is worn, the percentage of total weight for each item, and the cost to cut each ounce.

seekoutside.com

We've been talking about trying to put together a Backpack Hunting Gear article to go along with this. Basically go through everything packed for an early season, mid, or late season backpack hunt by 2 or 3 different people in different conditions. Haven't undertaken that yet as it'll be a chunk of work but I'd like to hear if anyone has comments on the idea.

 

[Kevin_t]

Dennis and I also covered this in a Seek Outside Podcast yesterday which should air in a couple days

 

[Bighorse]

I didn't read all this....my feel is this. Lighten gear so that I can go heavy. In other words, light gear buys me luxury, food, drink, big saws, more optics, hauling meat!