What the heck is everyone carrying

[mooretitan]

Every time I watch a hunting show it seems that everyone’s pack is stuffed full during hunts. I could see packing in and out but during the hunt??? What the heck are these guys carrying in there??? Once I leave camp I am not carrying very much but the basics and can pretty much fit everything in a guide lid.
Just wondering

 

[rclouse79]

I put my huge puffy coat in the main part of my pack because I think it makes me look tough.

 

[brsnow]

I start light and add clothes throughout the day. You are dealing with 40-50 degree temp changes and activity level.

 

[Cattracker]

Right!!!? My daypack/meat hauler is a Kifaru door gunner(really small bag) on a Stone glacier x curve frame. Kill kit, first aid, 2 nalgenes, maps, fire, in reach, and layers depending on the hunt.
Some of these guys look like they are carrying a 5 day camp on their back after they already have their spike camp set up. I've noticed it the most on a certain popular program on Netflix....is it just for show or what?

 

[DakotaBPNW]

Right!!!? My daypack/meat hauler is a Kifaru door gunner(really small bag) on a Stone glacier x curve frame. Kill kit, first aid, 2 nalgenes, maps, fire, in reach, and layers depending on the hunt.
Some of these guys look like they are carrying a 5 day camp on their back after they already have their spike camp set up. I've noticed it the most on a certain popular program on Netflix....is it just for show or what?

I would agree. My assumption is that a nice stuffed pack looks better than a mostly empty pack all strapped down. I assume they stuff them with paper packing as they do in the show rooms.

 

[Hunt4lyf]

I've got a buddy that films for a well known hunting show and I asked him this awhile ago and he said that normally it's extra batteries, camera gear, etc... plus their personal hunting gear. That's been his personal experience, I'm not saying they're not padding their packs to look tough.

 

[mfllood3800]

That really depends on where and when and what you are hunting. I hunt solo, so I am prepared for what is likely to come, NOT what ever could maybe come. I almost always have mountain rains come in, extreme cold in AM and warmer at mid day. I always pack with the mindset I may have to spend the night on the mountain. I often carry 1 trail cam in case I want to keep tabs on a promising area.
I have kill kit, emergency kit, food kit with stove, trekking poles, rain jacket, emergency tarp, food water, puffy, bivy bag, sometimes a spotter. These things alone can start to fill up a bag, especially a smaller pack. I quit using day packs and the smallest pack I use now is a 1800/2400. But in cold seasons I went back to the 7000, just so my puffies can fit in with no issues. There are days when I have 3 jackets on , 2 of these are puffies, and by 11:00 I have them all off and in the pack.
During archery season when it's hotter I go back to the 1800/2000 as I wont have but 1 puffy.

 

[Mt Al]

I always have way too much stuff. Just a small stove/titanium mug for coffee, puffy, spotter and tripod fills things up. pack a foxpro "just in case" and things get pretty tight. My problem is I carry way too much water, really need to rethink that.

I have noticed Steve R, meat eater often has a saggy pack, straps dangling, floppy. Now I shall consider that a sign of mountain expertise.

 

[bsnedeker]

My pack gets pretty dang big when I'm going in for a few days. Sleeping bag, pad, tent, stove and food bag are all very bulky. My day hunting kit is pretty slim even when carrying all of my layers, but adding overnight stuff adds a ton of bulk. I'm also not carrying camera gear or a spotter (although I do carry a tripod a lot) so I can see how a pack can get big really quick depending on what you are doing.

 

[Wapiti1]

I can see the camera gear part of it. Cold and rain/snow can add extra camera gear pretty fast.

What gets me are the scenes where the hunter is going in heavy and the guide only has a pair of binocs. Not even a belt knife or bino harness. Just binocs, hand held.

I pack minimal for day hunting. Water, snacks, kill kit, emergency stuff, and maybe layers if needed. A spotting scope might get strapped on the side. It all fits in a 1500-2000 cube pack no problem. My MR crewcab bag is perfect for day outings.

Jeremy

 

[Squamch]

I carry a first aid kit, headlamp, rain gear, extra layer or 2 depending on the day, extra gloves, a toque or a baseball cap, flagging tape, game bags and zip locks for organs/grouse/mushrooms, a trail cam kit (card reader, cards, camera, batteries), spotter and tripod, 2L of water and sometimes a filter, food, stove, water, emergency food (separate from what I expect to eat on the hunt), siltarp, and a mylar sleeping bag. I use a MR 7500 cinched down for every hunt. I hunt solo a lot and need room for a deer or bear in addition to my regular gear.

 

[AZ_J]

My backpack is by no means full during a day pack situation, but also by no means is it empty. That being said it does tend to fill out the pack a bit more because I still have so much volume left over and not too concerned on it packing down to the smallest volume

I always have thee items in my MR Metcalf backpack:

rain gear: Jacket, pants and pack rain fly
general first aid kit
actual gps
3L water bladder
food bars for lunch

Kill kit: game bags, knife(s), paracord...

bathroom kit: TP and spare undies (may also have an emergency contacts / eye care baggie as well)

tripod, spotting scope, phone scope phone case & adapter

 

[mtwarden]

my “day” pack has grown in size (volume) I’m now is a SG Solo on a Krux frame. I’ll often experience wide swings in temps and the possibility of an overnight is always there as well.

a larger volume lets me store an active mid-layer, a puffy top and bottom and a lightweight synthetic quilt without having to over stuff them- I’m now using a little larger dry bags for the stuff and expect to longer life in these garments

a bivy, pad and small tarp go in along with all the normal stuff- food, water, rain gear, first aid, kill kit, etc

I use to mash all that stuff into a smaller pack, but the slightly larger bag carries the above sooo much easier

 

[Poser]

I’d venture a lot of these guys are carrying camera gear, drones, batteries, tripods, selfy sticks etc. I will note that when I’m moving and glassing a lot, I’ll just cram gear in my pack to save time compressing and packing properly even though I much prefer my pack to be tight and organized.

 

[Tradchef]

My regular pack for day stuff and really whatever else I need to go for is a kifaru lite frame, cargo panel, guide lid, a few pockets that have fire, maps, compass, knives, quarter bags, baby wipes, OR 35l dry sack( rolled up in the cargo panel pocket, nalgene holder, water filter if I need it. Snacks, extra layer or two if needed, head lamp and extra batteries and extra flashlight, tags and keys, extra bowstring or ammo depending on season. That’s pretty much it. I’ll have bear spray or handgun if it’s early season in griz country. I feel ya on the too much gear thing. Every year i shed something i dont use on day hunts and man.....it’s nice not humping an extra 15lbs of shit you don’t need when you’re covering lots of ground in short amounts of time.

 

[Dos Perros]

My daypack is 1800 ci (SG Approach) and I always have room left over. September elk hunts or November mule deer, I can do with 1800 and plenty to spare.

 

[Jauwater]

I always carry enough for an overnighter even if I am going for just the day, or if I'm leaving camp. So my pack is always pretty full.

Sent from my SM-S506DL using Tapatalk

 

[Hungry like the Wolf]

Every time I watch a hunting show it seems that everyone’s pack is stuffed full during hunts. I could see packing in and out but during the hunt??? What the heck are these guys carrying in there??? Once I leave camp I am not carrying very much but the basics and can pretty much fit everything in a guide lid.
Just wondering

I like to keep a dwarf in my pack. He's super-slick and quick at butchering the game

 

[MTSasquatch]

Every time I watch a hunting show it seems that everyone’s pack is stuffed full during hunts. I could see packing in and out but during the hunt??? What the heck are these guys carrying in there??? Once I leave camp I am not carrying very much but the basics and can pretty much fit everything in a guide lid.
Just wondering

Flat brimmed hats, mostly.

 

[Maki35]

I agree with Op. once camp is set up and I'm going "out to hunt", I prefer to go as light as possible (everything fits in a pouch. ) I rather save my energy carrying the animal out than carrying a heavy pack around all day.
Meanwhile my hunting buddy carries a 60lb pack full of extra set of cloths, gun cleaning kit, food, deer scents/ calls... (everything but the kitchen sink.) I've picked up his pack once and said "hell no". What the hell do you have in your pack? But as he's gotten older, he has lighten his pack.
I guess some guys want to be well prepared for anything. To each their own. If you can manage it, go for it.