The golden age of backpack hunting

[TaperPin]

Hi everyone - I’m new to rokslide and it’s overwhelmed with what a great resource this is! We are living in the golden age of backpack hunting - never has so much information been so available! Yep I’m officially the old guy telling young guys how hard we used to have it and how lucky you are! *chuckle*

Back in the late 1990s if you googled backpack hunting almost nothing came up. There was mostly heavy hunting clothing at Cabelas, military surplus hadn’t evolved yet and there was backpacking gear at REI, but a lot of stuff had to be made and there were few sources of information.

Companies have to convince us to buy the latest greatest in order to pay the bills and keep the lights on - I totally get that - however its fun to see most of the gear we made in the 1990s would be as functional as the best of what’s available now, and lighter than much of the “tactical” hot selling bags and gizmos. For you younger guys dreaming of hunting the Rocky Mountains on a budget you can still build and modify gear that’s as good as the best stuff out there. For those of us where price is no longer a concern, it’s still a necessary skill to know why equipment is good and customize top of the line stuff to be closer to perfect.

Anyway, I’m glad to be here and look forward to reading the archives to see what everyone’s been building and modifying! Hopefully my limited experiences making Kevlar stocks from scratch, getting sub moa mountain rifles to shoot, sewing most everything, industrial sewing machine set up and troubleshooting, building/modifying backpacks, organizing a menu that works, stealth living at timberline, and getting the shot off when it counts will help add to the body of knowledge.

 

[hereinaz]

Welcome, fellow child of primitive civilization!

I share your sentiments. I backpacked as a kid and figured how to go light on the cheap.

Even now, I wear the stretchy Walmart wranglers to hunt. I like to make my own gear. But, I also indulge in the privilege of an old man who can spend when I really want to. There are times that the gear can make a difference. Knowing when and where to spend is the key…

 

[BBob]

Back in the late 1990s if you googled backpack hunting almost nothing came up.

IMO that was the golden age of backpack hunting, not now. It's too easy and too many people now. I've been backpacking since the 70's as a kid so for myself it was always pretty easy to do

I'll add it was so much simpler as a kid and as a young hunter. We couldn't afford much, didn't have much and hardly noticed or cared much about any suffering that came about because of that. Our packs were pretty light too because we didn't have much to carry. It was normal to wake up half frozen after shivering all night with sore hips and shoulders to boot right?

 

[87TT]

Me and my buddy used to throw a few cans of beans and stew in a knapsack, take our 22's and a sleeping bag and hit the local hills about every other weekend in the summer when we were young teens. That was in the 60's. We didn't drive yet so we got one of our Mom's to drop us off.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

IMO that was the golden age of backpack hunting, not now. It's too easy and too many people now.

I completely agree. For me, the golden age of backpack hunting was the 1970's and 1980's. Nowadays, everybody is out there.

 

[Hippie Steve]

I still remember my first trips with an orange Jansport External pack in the late 1980's. A far cry from my Stone Glacier pack, but it worked well.

 

[TaperPin]

Welcome, fellow child of primitive civilization!

I share your sentiments. I backpacked as a kid and figured how to go light on the cheap.

Even now, I wear the stretchy Walmart wranglers to hunt. I like to make my own gear. But, I also indulge in the privilege of an old man who can spend when I really want to. There are times that the gear can make a difference. Knowing when and where to spend is the key…

Exactly - we did learn a lot in our young broke days and it gives us an appreciation of more expensive gear.

 

[TaperPin]

IMO that was the golden age of backpack hunting, not now. It's too easy and too many people now. I've been backpacking since the 70's as a kid so for myself it was always pretty easy to do

I'll add it was so much simpler as a kid and as a young hunter. We couldn't afford much, didn't have much and hardly noticed or cared much about any suffering that came about because of that. Our packs were pretty light too because we didn't have much to carry. It was normal to wake up half frozen after shivering all night with sore hips and shoulders to boot right?

We had it good - I used to mumble all 5 essential cuss words if another backpack hunter was within 4 miles, now tents are everywhere - often in horrible locations. Hunting the high country is all over social media and trailheads will never be the same. Still, I can’t blame people for wanting to experience it.

 

[SuperDUECE22]

Back in the late 1990s if you googled backpack hunting almost nothing came up.

Must be a big shot. We had no clue what the internet was let alone google in the 90s.

 

[TaperPin]

I still remember my first trips with an orange Jansport External pack in the late 1980's. A far cry from my Stone Glacier pack, but it worked well.

lol - those old frames packed a lot of meat! I used to collect the small size Coleman Peak1 nylon frames, strip them bare and build a decent pack around them. In some ways that custom peak1 still my favorite pack, but it’s so retro and vintage it must be a sense of nostalgia clouding my judgement.

 

[TaperPin]

I completely agree. For me, the golden age of backpack hunting was the 1970's and 1980's. Nowadays, everybody is out there.

Right after 9/11 happened me and my favorite hunting partner were on a Wyoming muledeer hunt that opened on the 20th or 21st - for the only time in our lifetimes there were no jets in the sky - we never saw another hunter up high - one of the most memorable trips….a good break from the crazy news.

 

[BBob]

We had it good

Yes we did! Imagine backpacking high into the Ruby's walking by the outfitters and their clients wondering how the hell we got up there and how the hell were we even going in further to get away from them?? Same for the Weminuche. Those were some proud fun days!!! Back at home packed in on Coues hunts there was virtually never anyone to be seen.

 

[BBob]

for the only time in our lifetimes there were no jets in the sky

My best buddy and I were fortunate to have had an AZ elk hunt that September. That was a glorious hunt. It took us a day or two to realize how quiet it was and why. Both killed wonderful bulls.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

Yes we did! Imagine backpacking high into the Ruby's walking by the outfitters and their clients wondering how the hell we got up there and how the hell were we even going in further to get away from them?? Same for the Weminuche. Those were some proud fun days!!! Back at home packed in on Coues hunts there was virtually never anyone to be seen.

Yeah, those 1970's and 1980's era Coues hunts in the Galuiro's and Mazatzals - and even in nondesignated wilderness - were epic, and not another soul to be seen anywhere.