Big Game Hunting: Day pack

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CareunderFire

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I just wanted to start a discussion on what is being carried in Day bags while hunting. Recently I've been looking at how to make it lighter and keep it to the bare bone of what I really need. This is for those who hunt in the back country. I read Steven Rinella's book : The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game: Volume 1: Big Game. It has good pointers on gear.

If you want to share personal experience, advices or recommendation please do. Thanks for your time.

Cheers
 
Two lightweight nylon tarps; one to sleep on, and one to sleep under, incase I get stuck out overnight.
A small gas stove, can of fuel, a small pot, and makings for tea;
Snacks in excess, again, in case I get stuck out.
Paracord
Small first aid kit.
Ass wipe in a plastic bag.
Maps of my area, + GPS.
Cheesecloth for wrapping grouse breasts or deer heart in.
3-4 500ml bottles of water.
Pocket sharpener and maybe a spare knife.

I used to carry a hatchet, don't bother anymore. Adds too much weight and wasn't used enough to justify using it.

My method of hunting is to take a 4-wheeler down a logging road and walk in from there, usually half-mile or so. I've got more gear on the bike if I need it, i.e., heavier axe & saw, chainsaw, come-along, ropes, etc.
 
Between my pockets or attached to my belt is a custom fixed blade, Spyderco PM2, Leatherman Wave, Spyderco Spydersaw, ferro rod, and a Suunto compass.

My main pack is an Arcteryx LEAF Assault 30 loaded with the following items:
- Platypus 3 litre water bag with drinking hose.
- spotting scope
- fruit bars, granola bars, Eatmore bars, etc
- waterproof matches
- 50 ft of paracord
- 3 zip ties
- roll of 1" Gorilla tape
- Surefire E2L Outdoorsman and 2 extra batteries
- 2 plastic grocery bags
- orange flagging tape
- 2 glowsticks
- large garbage bag
- Spyderco Centophante
- extra insulating layer - MEC down vest or Arcteryx Atom AR
- MEC Guide's Tarp
- 20' drag rope
- 6 oz flask of Bowmore 18 (for after the successful harvest)
 
Thanks for your input!

I don't have an ATV so I hike all the way hence keeping the weight to a minimum.
To bring back what ever I harvested, I got packable sled, Its like a crazy carpet with straps.
 
I’ve struggled to adapt to carrying a pack while hunting, prior to moving to Canada all my hunting was done in South Africa , where all I would take out hunting was a knife, rifle and a few extra rounds in my pocket, and maybe a gps. Generally if one harvested an animal, you’d head back to camp and fetch the truck and extra hands and then retrieve the animal and take it back to the cold room for processing ( no taking the guts out in the field).

Hunting in Canada (bc) has been a huge learning curve, and the need to carry a pack, it’s been 9 years hunting in Canada and I still find my pack a pain in the arse. Every year I throw out things that I didn’t use the year before. This year I’m going to try go ultra light.

The difference I suppose is that one generally goes out for a full day (walk in normally) and need to have the means to process and carry out your harvest and be prepared for change in weather etc. as opposed to Africa where you generally hunt for a few hours in the morning and a few hours in the afternoon returning to camp after each hunt.

Necessary items I carry on my hunts in Canada;

Rifle and spare ammo
Knife
Small tarp
Game bags
Garmin inreach
Water
Wipes
Toilet paper
Snacks for the day
Paracord
Small med kit ( I always seem to cut myself while butchering)
Binoculars ( never carried these in Africa, always looked through the rifle scope)
Rain gear

Good thread to follow
 
CareunderFire said:
I just wanted to start a discussion on what is being carried in Day bags while hunting. Recently I've been looking at how to make it lighter and keep it to the bare bone of what I really need. This is for those who hunt in the back country. I read Steven Rinella's book : The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game: Volume 1: Big Game. It has good pointers on gear.

If you want to share personal experience, advices or recommendation please do. Thanks for your time.

Cheers
Click to expand...

For me less is more. On a full day hike I would take the following:

2 knives
GPS and small compass (just in case)
Some cordage
Bottle of water and a lifestraw (just in case)
scent spray
call
very small binos
range finder
couple sandwiches and some granola bars
lighter
orange toque, change of socks and spare mitts (wet head, hands and/or feet are the worst)
oily rag and an otis with a few oily patches
spare loaded mag or 5 spare rounds
small first aid kit (basically some tape, alcohol wipes and band-aids)

If I'm just in the bush for the morning or afternoon, I won't take a pack at all - just the essentials I can fit in my pockets.
 
In my pockets I have phone, folding knife, lighter, ID cards, a few snacks and disposable ear plugs I usually forget to put in.
Ill wear a bino harness with bino's and a LRF.
In my pack
Hunting tags in waterproof bag
Zip ties
Little bit of flagging tape
Bandage and tourniquet
Spare mag with ammo
Folding saw
Fixed blade knife
old pillow case for heart/liver
Nalgene
More snacks
Spare gloves
Headlamp
GPS/Compass/Map
100ft paracord
Siltarp

Weather depending will be another mid-layer/balaclava or neck warmer, thermarest if I plan on sitting somewhere to wait or glass for a while.

I don't really go more than a few km from the truck.
 
I hike a lot and have a lot of packs. My favourite day packs are the Badlands Diablo VT, Kuiu Venture 1800 and Venture 2300. I find these packs so comfortable and light that I almost forget they’re there after a while. My typical load includes:
2 knives, one “big” and a smaller light back up
Headlamp, usually a Petzl
Basic first aid, bandage, bleed stop, etc
Survival blanket, hand warmers, toe warmers
Paracord
3 methods of starting a fire. Waterproof matches, a Bic, and usually a firesteel
Compass
Zip ties
Toilet paper and wet wipes
Backpack rain cover
A couple plastic bags
A glassing pad (the Kuiu ones are super light and thin but comfortable)
Spare socks, usually wool

These basics are in every pack I own so that no matter what pack I grab I know I have at least the basic survival gear in it. I’m often many miles away from any road or civilization and often with little or no cell service so I think it’s important. Other than these basics I pack accordingly to the task I’m doing. Food, water, extra of both, extra ammo, etc. I also often have a bino harness on and may have a few little things in it like Zeiss glass cleaner wipes, etc.
 
Depends on type of hunt and location. Ex; day hunting from a backcountry backpack or horse base camp, day hunting from the truck, etc.


Stone Glacier X-Curve with Approach 2800 or Sky 5900

-licences/tags
-10 extra rounds
-Petzl TacTikka+ w/ Petzl eLite backup
-spare batteries
-First Aid Kit (inc. clotting bandages/CAT)
-Kill Kit (Havalon, nitrile gloves, cord, ziplocs, gamebags)
-Leatherman or SAK Farmer
-small leather strop
-Thermarest glassing pad
-spotter/tripod
-snacks/food
-water (Source w/Sawyer inline or Nalgenes)
-Garmin inReach Mini2
-Kestrel 5700x
-silnylon pack cover
-siltarp w/ stakes
-OR Goretex shell
-SG Grumman down puffy
-Toilet kit (TP, baby wipes, small soap)
-fire kit (ferro rod, Bic, misc fire starters/tinder)
-small repair kit (misc buckles, thread/needle, Tenacious tape, etc)
-additional clothes to suit
 
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