Considering cutting back on what I tote along in the woods for a morning or afternoon hunt, and seeking an alternative to carrying a daypack. Any suggestions for a vest that can carry the essentials?
I have done this in the farther past. Back then we used to cross the legs of a deer diagonally after gutting it so the legs made a sort of set of straps, climb inside, and walk out of he woods. Good way to get blood, fleas, ticks, on you and your cloths but it does reduce what you have to carry. Also a decent way to get shot.
The two vests I've used both came from Cabela's. Both are discontinued. But any sort of vest with large, maybe 4x5 inch pockets rather than the little slash pockets will work. I'd carry a larger folding knife in a belt sheath, 5-10 cartridges in the top small pockets on the vest, some toilet paper, matches, and a very small light in the bigger pockets. Generally an extra handkerchief, too, to wipe off my scope lenses. Just drink out of the creek .. nobody took giardia very seriously back then and we had this old wives tail that water flowing over gravel didn't have giardia, so we didn't worry about it. I'd wear the vest over a long sleeved flannel shirt. If it was going to rain, I'd put my neoprene over the top of it.
There are times I miss that simplicity, but I've seen two friends deal with giardia .. I like water bladders and filters. That also lets me hunt places I wouldn't have in those older days. Now days we carry 'nocs a lot more for glassing rather than using the rifle scope. And I prefer skinning and boning out a critter and carrying it out in meat sacks to the risk of getting shot.
Y' sorta pays yer money and takes yer chances. Everything has tradeoffs.
