If you haven't yet gotten a full dollar's worth, then here's my $.02:
Rifle: Sheep have amazing eyesight, but thankfully they still can't read headstamps. Any reasonable cartridge will get 'em dead, so don't feel as if you need to bring a 1,500 yard extra-flat shooter. "Beanfield 1-holers" are great, but you'll be schlepping your bangstick up nearly vertical hillsides, in a state of exhaustion. Yes, weight matters. To me, though, confidence in your setup is the most important consideration. Take the rifle that you know you can't miss with, so long as the weight isn't ridiculous.
Fishing Pole: don't bring it. There's a low chance that you'd actually get to use it, but a 100% change you'll be thinking about how heavy your pack is by the morning of Day 2. If you're not brining a spotter, then don't bring the rod & reel. And the corollary is that if your guide is bringing the spotter, then he can probably have a fishing kit available, too.
Sleeping Bag: Only you can say what's enough, & what's too much. I've read accounts of posters here sleeping comfortably at 10 below in a 20-degree-rated bag. I'm the opposite - I've gotta add at least an extra 15 degrees to a bag's rating to see where I'd start to feel uncomfortable. Weight certainly matters, but if you're freezing your azz off all night, then you aint sleepin'. And you're gonna NEED that sleep.
Backpack: I side with those who say you've gotta be intimately, even BIBLICALLY familiar with your pack. It's gotta fit you extremely well. If your guide is willing to ship you one of his extra bags now, then you can play with it & see if it works for you. But showing up for your hunt and expecting to everything to work out is a certain recipe for disaster. Murphy's law applies doubly to expensive hunts.
Clothes: You will get wet from within & without - count on it. Keep an extra set in a Ziploc or dry bag. Your base & mid layers must breathe. Your outer layers must shed water well, &/or come off quickly if needed. This is an area to pay special heed to the guide/outfitter's recommendations, particularly when it comes to rain gear.
Survival Kit: You are responsible for getting your butt off the mountain. Period. Sure, you're hiring a guide, but you will always be 1 accident away from being on your own. Do your own research, pack what makes you comfortable, and be extremely familiar with each and every item you choose to include.
Comfort Items: I hate to title it this way, as it will invite even more ridicule than all the other well-meaning posts in this thread. For me, baby wipes, Gold Bond, Motrin, Visine, Immodium, Dayquil capsules, Starbucks Via, etc., are more than just comfort items. They can keep me going when I otherwise might be loathe to leave the tent. You're spending good $ to do this hunt, so make sure you can get out there & do it. As for the sheep smelling the Gold Bond? If they can pick the smell of the Gold Bond out above the Hoppes on my rifle, the nasty stench of my drawers on day 10, or my Mountain House flatulence, then more power to 'em. You have to hunt the wind regardless, so why do it with a raw crotch?
Attitude: Far & away the most important determinant in the success of your hunt. You've seen from all these posts that there are many different ways to do this hunt successfully, so there's no one "right" answer. Trust in your hunting area, your guide, and yourself. No matter how much physical training you do beforehand, you'll wish you'd done more. Set that aside, and know that you'll get everywhere you need to go on the mountain, and you'll get there when you get there. Patience & perseverance win the day.
Good luck!
FC
Last edited by Folically_Challenged; 05/31/13.
