Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting What Will A First Time Backpack Elk Hunter Need For A Week

I have come to the conclusion that I am going to have to pack in and camp to be successful in future hunts. I have camped before, but no longer have the essentials and definitely not the light stuff that a backpack hunter would carry in. I have read a lot in this forum, but still have a great deal to learn. Will need your advise for a pack that can be used to carry in camping supplies, extra clothing, food and etc. and carry meat out to the trailhead. What tent, sleeping bag (will be camping in the mountains with temps in the single digits to below 0*). I'm sure I have left things out, please fill me in.

Tim

Positive attitude.

I'm in a similar situation as you but from what I've seen, you'll need to think about your budget. What you're willing/able to spend will be a big factor.

Ok lets assume there is no budget, take it from there.

Tim

Cheap:
-Marine corp. ILBE backpac
-Tarptent Contrail
-Pad, Neoair or Exped
-good sleeping bag
-good boots

Check out Paradox Packs if you're looking at a new backpack.

As far as the rest of your gear, you need to start backpacking now. You don't want your first backpacking trip to be a long way from the trailhead.

You'll need shelter, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, food, etc. All of that can be accomplished with differing levels of cost, durability, and comfort.

If you narrow your questions down a bit you'll probably get more pointed feedback.

Or with temps around zero, or while you're carrying all the extra gear you need for hunting, or while you're taxing your body by getting up before dawn and going hard all day and then possibly carrying out the heaviest loads of your life in steep country.

I'd start with the big three plus pack and boots. The big three being tent, pad, and bag since they will be the heaviest and most expensive gear you'll get (in general) and pack and boots because you can't make mistakes with those or you'll be regretting the idea of a backpacking hunt.

For the tent, do you need enough space for yourself, or also another person? If solo, I'd get a two-man backpacking tent. I'd go to a store with a good selection of brands and find a person who knows about tents, tell them you want one that's light but stands up to a little snow, and is not out of your price range. Because even though you say there's no budget, the best will be out of your price range if you're shopping at the right shop.

For a bag, is there a chance you'll get it wet. If so, go synthetic. If you're confident you can keep it dry, or confident that if it does get wet you'll just walk the few miles back to the truck, go with down to save weight and space in your pack. Look at your body size relative to the different girth measurments of the different bags, and take into account whether you like a little space in the bag to roll around or whether you can sleep all night in a tight-fitting mummy bag. Again, go to a store and find a knowledgeable person and ask about the girth measurements and such. Two good brands for down bags are Western Mountaineering and Marmot. WM being top of the line with prices to match; Marmot being a little more affordable. Get a bag with a rating at least as cold as your lowest anticipated temp.

Sleeping pad is just as important as the bag, don't skimp here. Lots of guys will use a closed cell foam pad like a lightweight Evazote or Z-rest with an inflatable like a Thermarest Neoair or an Exped. Inflatables are the best for comfort, and the closed cell pad adds extra warmth and insurance in case of a leak, but is not necessary with the right inflatable. The Exped is the Cadillac as far as comfort, but you pay a penalty in weight and bulk.

Boots and pack need to fit your body. Depending on your feet, boots can be the hardest to find, as far as the right ones. Personally, I don't like insulated boots for backpack hunting, they're too warm and make my feet sweat when I'm hiking or climbing. I also like full-grain leather uppers for late season temps and snow. Lots of different opinions, mostly based on what fits a guys individual feet. Very important to work with someone who knows how to fit boots.

You'll want good socks too, personally I like Smartwools. And a good set of full-length gaiters.

Packs are also highly individual and lots of opinions abound. Look at the thread by sreekers on pack testing to get ideas:

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/8464199/1

Make sure wherever you get your pack, they fit it to your torso, and get out and practice with it carrying heavy loads.

Clothes, cooking, and food are subjects unto themselves.

...To go backpacking most weekends this summer. Gear is an important but small piece of the puzzle.

The best thing is the elk of your dreams...200 yds from the truck...on the way OUT. (you don't want it on the way in as that will hose your camping trip)

What is the "best" gear can be debated endlessly. These are IMO, the top of the line.

Backpack - Arcteryx "Altra 65" or Gregory "Baltoro 65"
Tent - Mountain Hardware "EV-2" (2 man, 4 season, 5#)
Sleeping Bag - Western Mountaineering "Antelope" (5�)
Sleeping Pad - Therm-A-Rest "NeoAir", large, rectangular
Foam Pad - Therm-A-Rest "RidgeRest"
Boots - Kennetreck "Hardscrabble"
Stove - MSR "Whisperlite International" (learn how to operate it)
Fuel Bottle - MSR 20 ounce (need 2 or 3)
Cook Pots - Open Country "Backpacker II" 2 person cook set, aluminum (discard plates & 1 cup)
Water Boiler - Stansport 9 cup aluminum coffee pot (discard the guts & pack stove inside pot)
Cup - Olicamp "Space Saver" (1 liter Nalgene bottle fits inside)
Water Filter - Katadyn "Hiker Pro"
Canteen - Nalgene, 1 liter (need 2)
Pocket Knife - Victorinox "Tinker" or "Climber" (Swiss Army knife)

That's all that I can think of right now.

KC

This is the best advice that anyone has offered.

Don't try to go hunting, in cold weather, and learn to backpack all at the same time. That's a recipe for disaster. The best gear in the world is no substitute for knowing what you are doing.

KC

P.S. You ought to start backpacking right now so you can get some cold weather experience.

My thoughts exactly, just need to start acquiring the equipment.

Tim

Being only a couple years into backpack hunting, probably the one thing I have found to be my biggest problem is weight. You'll think, oh this pad weighs just one pound, this bag is 3.5 lbs, my tent is ONLY 4 pounds, this little stove is only 8 oz. etc, etc,. And while those add up, maybe you'll have your pack to a manageable weight. But then you have to carry that rifle and add food and before you know it you have 60lbs on your back of absolute "necessities".
You'll soon start culling a lot of things you find aren't "necessities" after all.

Two biggies for me. Food and clothes. I still err on the side of too much food weight but I have learned to carry only bare necessities of clothing, expecting to come out stinking.

But I'm also not doing this at zero� and snow. That's a whole nuther ball game.

So from a relative newcomer to this game, the best advice has already been given, take those multiple trips before the big one, ever trying to cut weight until you have your basic essential kit weight. Find out what gear you MUST HAVE and what is in reality a luxury you can do without, then add necessary cold weather gear.
It will be easier to do after you have realized you can get by without a folding stool, frying pan or a Wyoming saw.

Good on you. Go get em'

KC

When hunting in the way-back that time of year, extra food is something to take, not avoid. A few extra freeze dried meals don't add much weight but they can be a life saver if heavy snow or a sprained ankle come when it's not on the schedule. Don't count on eating venison.

Patrick on the Kifaru forum has written a couple of essays about this very thing. I think the title is "Getting Back Farther" or something along that line.
It really is easy to build a 50lb+ backpack if you aren't careful.
So much of what you don't need depends on where you are going and how cold it might get.
Have a great time and hope you find a great spot to hunt.

The extra food and clothing took me a few years to work through, it's so easy to take too many of both. I would differ with RC in that any more, I try to go as light as possible on food for a week-long hunt. First, that's a lot of food to carry on your back to get the calories you need for winter hunting so carrying extra on purpose is not something I take lightly, no pun intended. Second, I hate carrying uneaten food out because it represents a few to several pounds of unecessary weight I lugged around all week. And I've carried a lot of food back to the truck, especially in years when I tagged out early, which is most years.

I'd rather go as light as possible and walk out the few miles to the truck to resupply if I have to than carry extra weight on my back just because. And as far as emergencies, I always have a small volume of calorie-dense food in my pack to tide me over in emergencies. Lack of food isn't going to kill you in a situation like that.

Just curious, but in the right circumstances, would it be possible to pack into an area a head of time, and cach some food and perhaps spare clothes, ready for a future hunt?

It's possible. But in the US, if it's designated Wilderness, it's actually illegal. Of course, you have to actually get caught.

Backcountry that's not wilderness, go for it. but it's a bad idea to plan on it being there when you need it.

Tim, O.P.

You might get in touch with EdT. His skills camp would get you a tremendous head start. Especially if you haven't bought a lot of gear yet.