Good post!
I never pack booze, but I'll help drink it if someone else is foolish enough to take the weight penalty, good guy that I am.
I'm getting beyond the really good death-march stuff now (or as my brother put it on his 2nd Alaska hunt with me "Another bleep'n scouting trip?") due to age and ambition lag, but I used to get into it.
My first sheep hunt at 25 was solo, 18 miles to base, kill another 2 miles back in. Once was enough solo, but I did it the next two years in company. 2nd one was with gf, third with her as my wife on our honeymoon and a 100 lb Lab as pack dog. Her ram on our honeymoon was bigger than my two to that point. That was 40 years ago.
I have packed a number of caribou out of the mountains as far back in as 12 miles, sometimes solo, sometimes with a dog, a couple times with my wife and boys. Usually on a weekend hunt, taking Friday night off, and not due back until my swing shift Monday. Bust-ass hunting at it's best.
Just turned 70, and the last 8 years I have hunted off snow machine, ATV, or boat. Not good for physical conditioning... I noticed it elk hunting at 9,000 feet last October! Living at sea level doesn't help.
If I draw for caribou, it will be a 20 mile boat trip, and 8 mile hike up hill in August, for the 4th time, over the years. The good news is that it is all downhill back to the boat! And I have scouted the country. already....
If the permit doesn't come, fall-back is a 700 mile OW road trip and 6 mile hike in for the caribou, tho I'm thinking I might start the season 18 miles back where I started on that sheep mountain for a sheep hunt, and work my way back out for caribou if the rams don't cooperate.
I too learned years ago one needs to drop the sleeping bag rating by at least 15 degrees to be warm enough to sleep well at night. 20 is better, and/or one can add an 80-100 Lab. That works too, on one side, anyway. Bag hogs, every one! Can pack out 15-20 lbs meat also.
Retired now, and time is of no consideration until meat is cooling, or the food runs out... A no time-constraint back-pack hunt is going to be a refreshing change!
