Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Any field-proven Sheep/Goal Pack lists to share and weight?

I'm looking to update stuff that's 20 yrs old and also looking to get better quality and more lightweight gear.

Would any of you have a source or own field-proven pack lists to share of what you or a trusted hunter used on a sheep/goat hunt? I want to rebuild my gear almost from scratch! Looking for lightweight, quality gear.

Thanks,
John

DIY, or guided, and where will you be hunting? Where you hunt could make a difference on things like down vs synthetic for your sleeping bag. DIY would be a different list than guided.

For a sleeping pad, lots of guys use a lightweight closed cell pad like a z-rest, or this one:

http://gossamergear.com/thinlight-backpacking-pads.html

.....with a Thermarest Neoair on top.

For a stove, lots of guys use a Jetboil or one that I've seen in use and liked, and MSR Reactor.

And some lightweight trekking poles, there have been a couple threads on those in the last year if you do a search.

Just saw your other thread where you said Dall Sheep. I bought a bag for a sheep hunt a year ago, and I went with a Kifaru 20 degree bag (synthetic fill).

Find out what your guide will provide, no need to double up on things like a tent or stove.

You'll need some good gaiters too. OR Crocs were recommended to me, but I like my REI gaiters just as much and they fit me better, the OR's were a little short for me.

Are you looking for rain gear, or covered on that?

I will be on a guided hunt in Alaska.

While the guide will have a spotting scope and tarp and stove and food; others have suggested to not take chances and to also bring a compact spotter, my own ultralight tarp or tent, a small back-up ultralight stove and some additional Mountain House or similar food in case something happens.

Rain is a possibility, but Goretex shell and pants were recommended as all I'd need; if you have rain gear to suggest, then that would be great as I'd like to hunt Alaska again in the next couple of years or so.

I'd like the gear to overlap as I want to do a lot more DIY hunts and I have 10-20 points for Sheep or Goat and I'd like to think that in the next few years I should draw for 1-2 hunts before I die.

Thanks

Who is your guide?

I'd prefer to focus on what pack lists have been proven out. Else, as you know on the 'fire the thread could quickly degenerate into a contest of who's an average versus good outfitter or guide and what they should be responsible for packing versus the client etc. If you have an outfitter that you'd either highly recommend or that I should definitely avoid, please post here or PM me in case I have one of them! Thanks.

I'd rather share the hunt with you next year and focus on the right training plan and equipment to enjoy the hunt until then. Hope you understand.

I'll say. Rain gear is something to pay close attention to and make sure works before you go up. I went with a lightweight jacket by Westcomb, it has an Event liner IIRC. And Marmot Precip pants with the full zip along the sides, that makes it easy to put them on over boots and lets you ventilate when you need to.

I would ask your guide what gear you should bring. I've been on exactly one sheep hunt, so take this for what it's worth but my guide didn't want me carrying anything extra. Especially something as heavy as a tent. I had a Pocket Rocket along for example, and he told me not to bring it. He told me to leave my spotter at home. We sorted through my gear at the hotel in Anchorage and he pretty much weeded out anything and everything that he already had, or that wasn't needed. I did manage to sneak in a change of underwear though. Good thing, we were out for 12 days.

I'm 58 and my hunt was walk-in, so I think his biggest concern was my ability to get up and down the mountain so that's where he was coming from with the gear sorting. I think that's a concern for most guides with hunters they've never met.

If you're in the market for a spotter, my only recommendation would be to get one with a straight eyepiece rather than angled. That lets you stay down lower when you're on or peaking over a ridge and need to keep a low profile.

I'd make double dog sure the guide's spotter is up to the task before not bringing your own. Aside from your boots, pack, sleep stuff and shelter, the rest is pretty negotiable.

On a guided sheep hunt in Alaska, I couldn't imagine an outfitter asking you to provide your own tent/shelter and spotting scope, but maybe I am an outlier with that line of thought. Knowing where and when you're going might help a few guys recommend different pieces of gear that could be terrain and weather specific....

Tanner

I was kind of thinking the same thing. I would assume that any reputable guide would have a good spotter.

I've only been on one Dall Sheep hunt but have fine tuned my gear from other backpack hunts. My list is as follows:

Rain Gear - Cabelas Space Rain gear, light and worked
Sleeping Pad - Exped Downmat UL 7, Xtherm works well too
Sleeping Bag - I chose down, but was very careful to keep it dry,WM Versalite
Spotter - guide had Leupold that impressed me, I left Nikon ED50 at home
Tent - Golite Shangrila-la 3, provided by guide, awesome and very light, I now own one
Stove - guide brought pocket rocket, I left Ti Jetboil at base camp
iPhone Books - we got snowed in, socked in, for 2 loooong days
IPhone Charger - for iBooks and games, I like Anker battery packs
Socks - wool - when boots got wet and stretched, I needed an extra pair of socks to improve fit
Sunglasses - after snow, the bright light was tough, wish I had brought a pair
GSI Mug Cup and spoon - for coffee and lunch
Havalon knife with 60xt blades
Black Diamond Z-lite Carbon trekking poles
Binos - very good ones - you will use them all day, every day
Isatphone - doesn't work in northern Alaska - leave at home
Backpack - needs to be dependable, Kifaru, Seek Outside, SG, etc.

My other advice, if you don't NEED it, don't carry it. Sheep hunting is strenuous. I have put my kit on a diet many times, and it is still too heavy.

Not every guide has means, and not every outfitter gives a crap. Not every client trains all year and knows what to expect.

As for saving weight...

If you take a bit of time to prep the ground under your sleep pad, you can get away with a pretty minimal pad like a ridgerest. Better not bet the farm on an inflatable, imo.

You are looking for white dots to examine more closely, so leave the 2lb bigeye binocs at home. Quality 8x32 is fine.

Eat cold food and leave the stove and cook gear at home.

Baselayer, puffy vest or jacket, light fleece big enough to go over the fleece, and ul raingear. Expect to be wet and cold if you insist on wearing your insulating layer against your raingear. You can probably get away with soft shell pants and raingear.

20 degree bag, keep down bags in a ul drybag.

Rifle weight 7.5lbs or less.

Havalon with 2 extra blades, and a vicky.

Plan every day's food, try to limit surplus.

Big problem is that we don't know if you are hunting in alders and brush or on a glacier with less brush.

1) First Light Stormtight shell
2) Sitka Kelvin light superdown jacket
3) First Light Chama baselayer
4) real light wool t-shirt+ dry underwear + 1 pair merino wool socks(kept in vac sealed bag for emergencies.
5)Sitka vahalla pants- different pants if you are going through brush.
6) Zamberlan Ibex GTX + 2 pairs of farm to feet red socks.

SWaro 10X25 CL Pockets
Zeiss 65mm FL Diascope angled(no tripod)
Vortex Ranger 1500

Stone Glacier 7400 Sky
WM Badger
NeoAir inflatable pad
Big Agnes Flycreek UL 2

Kimber Mt. Ascent 280 AI with Vortex Razor LH 3-15
or
LAW Professional 300 Win with Leupold VX6 3-18

Jetboil Minimo- allows you to simmer and cut meat well while you pack it out.
Sawyer mini squeeze filter

Buck caper made out of sv30
Outdoor Design folding saw

Black Diamond FL folding treking poles
Black Diamond Cyborg Foot fang crampons.

I have to ask Kaboku68, what's up with the no tripod for the spotter??

I have one list that I use as a reference, and only bring the items I think I need on that particular hunt, so this is from memory. I also don't weigh packs obsessively, so this might not be of much help.

Optics:
Leica 10X42 Ultravids
Leupold 12-40 Spotter (on the "upgrade" list).
Leupold compact tripod. (I'm the only person I know that uses that tripod and likes it.)
If you have a great spotter, I'd bring it, and discuss with the guide at go time. If you are only going to bring one spotter up the mountain, I'd bring the best one you can. If it is at home, you'll be playing the woulda/coulda game.
Leica CRF 1200 - will most likely be bringing a sig kilo this year.

Sleep:
Ridgerest and NeoAir
Wiggy's bag - whatever their "lightest" one is.
GoLite SL5

Cooking:
Jetboil/long handled plastic spoon (the most important item)
Collapsable bowl for oatmeal
Lightest non-metallic cup you can find.

Clothes
Merino top and bottom
Heavier Merino top
Kuiu Attack Pants
Kuiu Attack Jacket - I bought their "Yukon" jacket this year, so will be bringing that and leaving the Attack at home.
Ancient Patagonia raingear bibs with 100 holes in them.
2 spare pairs of Carhartt boot socks. I need crazy thick socks for fit.
2 pairs thin liner socks.
Meindl Denali boots
OR Crocs
Puffy pants and jacket - I have patagonia pants and the kuiu spindrift jacket. Depending on season I'll run a different jacket (patagonia DAS or Cabelas... something).
Change of underwear - Ex Officio is my favorite. As much as I love merino, my only experience with merino undies rubbed me, and not in the right way.

Killing:
Rifle - I have been using a Montana 280AI with Leupold 3.5-10 w/M1 turret.
I always bring way too many knives. What I actually use is generally a non-serrated vicky and starting last year the gerber version of the havalon.

I still don't have game bags that I'm happy with.

Misc/Luxury:
BD contour flick-lock trekking poles - a must-have for me.
If you tend to blister, bring some foot powder.
A dozen q-tips doesn't weigh much, and having clean ears is awesome.
If you are going to be crossing lots of water, crocs or water socks or something to do double duty as camp shoes. If you aren't going to be crossing lots of water, that's a luxury item.

Chris, have you ever checked out the Kifaru game bags? Silnylon, very light and shaped right to pack boned out meat against the frame close to your back.

Cut to the chase and look at the list these guys have. They've walked in to get a pile of sheep and are pretty good deer hunters too.

http://www.provingtrailadventures.com/articles/informative-articles.html

I'm pretty much ignorant of all things Kifaru. I remember seeing their meat sack, and I got the impression it was (only) for carrying meat out, as opposed to hanging/cooling, which is what I'm looking for. I use the SG meat sack and like it pretty well for packing meat out, but I'd like to see some LW game bags that are fly-proof and allow air circulation.

The Jimmytarps guy on ebay is making UL meat bags now (among other interesting things, like UL bags for NICE and Kifaru frames...). Might be worth a look.

I've used the various smaller TAG bags and another variety sold at Barneys (white bag with orange trim and some reflective stuff in the drawcords) and they've worked out fine. YMMV.

I carry a tall skinny UL drybag as a liner for packing meat close to the packframe, with various & sundry items crammed around it to keep it put. Normal liner-size drybags or trashbags don't do as well keeping meat against your back.

I have a shoe attached to the top of one of my trekking poles. I don't use the spotter until I am looking at trophy size.

What's the Kuiu Attack jacket?

For oatmeal, I package it in individual meal portions in sandwich size ziplock bags, and pour the hot water directly in the bag. I eat out of the bag, too, and stuff all the empties inside one of them to pack out. I used to use an empty MH bag to prepare and eat my oatmeal before I figured out that the sandwich bags will hold up to boiling water and me eating out of them. Saves me from having to carry a bowl