KC, if you can get that McGyver kit in a 36# pack, you da man!
Packing my 9.5 lb rifle, tripod, 15x binocs, and Rifle Claw does feel oppressive ...
Talus:
I'm getting too old to carry a heavy pack. As my belly gets bigger, my pack gets smaller and I hike slower.
On a summer backpack trip without any hunting gear (just a lightweight fish rig), no cold weather gear and just a couple days of food, my pack weighs about 24# at the start. By the time I have eaten all the food and when I get near the trailhead and dump my remaining water, my pack weighs about 20#.
KC
