|
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 369
Campfire Member
|
OP
Campfire Member
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 369 |
Hopefully going west for the first time to hunt next fall (2019) and I plan on purchasing a new pack. I’d like to get several miles from the road for 5-7 days and am trying to decide how big I need to go. I’m used to carrying around my issues ILBE pack which I believe is around 5500 cubic inches. I believe that would be big enough but was wondering if it’s almost too big? I’d also like to have something that can easily be converted to carry game bags. Open to pack suggestions for something that’s not crazy expensive.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 920
Campfire Regular
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 920 |
Extra cubic inches are lightweight insurance. Go big...
I like Kifaru a lot and there's good deals to be had on lightly used ones on a couple different forums.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 8,852
Campfire Outfitter
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 8,852 |
I'm relatively new to backpack hunting but have found 5000+ to not be too small. I use 52-5500 cubic inch packs for 3-5 day hunts. I'm afraid to go bigger mainly because with all my packs, day and backpacks if I have room I keep adding stuff.
I'd suggest making a list of all your gear and lay it out on the floor. Buy a postal scale and weigh everything separately. Then throw it all together and see how much it weighs. Then start replacing items with lighter items and/or removing things from the pile. I find it funny that usually guys drag all kinds of stuff into camp and after the first day have all their stuff spread out on the ground and leaving a lot of it in the tent for future days. 😎
I'd suggest buying a good pack. A poor fitting pack will wear you out and likely be very uncomfortable. I personally like Kifaru and Mystery Ranch.
Good luck and have fun!
Adversity doesn't build character, it reveals it.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,083
Campfire Regular
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,083 |
You can make a big pack small using the integral compression straps but you cannot make a small pack big. The few extra ounces of weight between a bigger vs smaller pack is a small price to pay for the added versatility.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 46,078 Likes: 5
Campfire 'Bwana
|
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 46,078 Likes: 5 |
+1. IMO 7000 cubic inches is a good place to be.
A wise man is frequently humbled.
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 2,058
Campfire Regular
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 2,058 |
I personally need about 50L of space for gear and optics on a 3-4 day backpack hunt. If the meat has to go in too (i.e. no meat shelf), I need another 35-40L. I like a trim pack but it's not worth having junk dangling off like a newbie in Yellowstone; I'd err large to start with.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,228
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,228 |
Good comments on bigger is better. Just make sure you don’t fill the extra space on the trip in.
Ed T
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 3,831
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 3,831 |
Bigger is better so long as you are disciplined not to toss it in. In fact you should get two packs. A 3500-4K one to load your gear in like you are going on a hunt....then toss it into your big pack and don't add anymore gear in the transfer.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 2,656
Campfire Regular
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 2,656 |
yup, don't skimp on volume for a 7 day trip
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 6,969
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 6,969 |
I think that 4,000 cu. in. is a practical minimum. I have a couple of packs that size but I don't use them much any longer. I use an Osprey Aether 85, which is about 5,500 cu. in. or a Kuiu Ultra 6000. I can get by with a smaller pack but it's tough to get everything in and pack it properly.
KC
Wind in my hair, Sun on my face, I gazed at the wide open spaces, And I was at home.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 6,969
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 6,969 |
Bigger is better so long as you are disciplined not to toss it in. In fact you should get two packs. A 3500-4K one to load your gear in like you are going on a hunt....then toss it into your big pack and don't add anymore gear in the transfer. I haven't tried this technique but it sounds like a good idea. Remember that everything weighs something and if you take care of the ounces, the pounds will take care of themselves.
Wind in my hair, Sun on my face, I gazed at the wide open spaces, And I was at home.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 369
Campfire Member
|
OP
Campfire Member
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 369 |
Bigger is better so long as you are disciplined not to toss it in. In fact you should get two packs. A 3500-4K one to load your gear in like you are going on a hunt....then toss it into your big pack and don't add anymore gear in the transfer. I haven't tried this technique but it sounds like a good idea. Remember that everything weighs something and if you take care of the ounces, the pounds will take care of themselves. I’ve become pretty good at packing light due to the Marines, but transporting food in still baffles me a little. I’ve never done this before, but it seems like a weeks worth of mountain house, MREs, whatever would take up a lot of space and weight. Even if you’re just packing for one meal a day and snacking on protein bars or jerky I think 7 packages of food plus the the snacks would be a killer to have to shove in a pack for a long hike in.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 46,078 Likes: 5
Campfire 'Bwana
|
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 46,078 Likes: 5 |
It's not as bad as you'd think, as long as all your gear especially the "big 3" (tent, bag, pad) are light.
A wise man is frequently humbled.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 14,510
Campfire Outfitter
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 14,510 |
Food does take a lot of space, and weighs more than any other single thing in my pack.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 6,969
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 6,969 |
I just made up some bags of food (5-day, 3-day & 2-day bags) that I'm going to use this summer. I use mostly freeze-dried and dehydrated food and it weighs about a pound a day.
Wind in my hair, Sun on my face, I gazed at the wide open spaces, And I was at home.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 38
Campfire Greenhorn
|
Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 38 |
Cameron Hanes has a great book on hunting the back country, and has some great lists and tips etc,,,, look it up and get a copy.... Semper Fi
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 2,656
Campfire Regular
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 2,656 |
you’re doing pretty good if you have it down to a pound a day, I always figure about 1.5 lbs day and it seems to come out pretty close. I’m eating/snacking almost all day long, habit I picked up from long trail races. Three squares just doesn’t work for me in the mountains.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 30,282
Campfire 'Bwana
|
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 30,282 |
"Too Big" packs can lead to sloppy packing and bringing unnecessary stuff. "Too Small" packs are, well, too small! Think a woman's purse... if you have the space you will likely use it.
For multiday hunts I like something in the 80-90 liter range, though there's really nothing wrong with a 100 liter pack too, if you're disciplined not to fill it unnecessarily.
Be aware, Co's measure packs differently so not all Co's statistics are equal. The accepted industry standard used to be with ping pong balls, but most makers don't follow that practice any longer, though it is probably the best, and maybe only way, to keep consistency brand to brand for honest comparison. I've used packs rated as 60 liters that had more usable volume than ones rated at 75 liters.
“Perfection is Achieved Not When There Is Nothing More to Add, But When There Is Nothing Left to Take Away” Antoine de Saint-Exupery
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 46,078 Likes: 5
Campfire 'Bwana
|
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 46,078 Likes: 5 |
"Too Big" packs can lead to sloppy packing and bringing unnecessary stuff.
IMO this depends 100% on the packer's level of experience, and whether they have their gear squared away. If you've winnowed down your gear, over-packing shouldn't be a problem.
A wise man is frequently humbled.
|
|
|
|
595 members (10gaugemag, 10ring1, 007FJ, 1lessdog, 219DW, 1234, 63 invisible),
2,534
guests, and
1,338
robots. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
Forums81
Topics1,192,201
Posts18,485,216
Members73,966
|
Most Online11,491 Jul 7th, 2023
|
|
|
|