How do you carry all of your gear!?

kamlooky said:
I've seen a guy pull a wagon at a gun show.
Or a Pelican sled.
Oww much chit duzz one need shewt'in Wile E Yote?
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This ^, for sure.

I had to look up IFAK; I realize now that my partial roll of electrical tape is my IFAK.

I always carry a "field-dressing kit"...it's called a knife.

And, seriously, if the guy is already waddling around with a 14-pound rifle :)runaway::sok2), a folding stool, rubber pad, bipod and 40 pounds of other gear-nerd toys...how can anyone reasonably expect him to start carrying around a horse as well?
 
jjohnwm said:
This ^, for sure.

I had to look up IFAK; I realize now that my partial roll of electrical tape is my IFAK.

I always carry a "field-dressing kit"...it's called a knife.

And, seriously, if the guy is already waddling around with a 14-pound rifle :)runaway::sok2), a folding stool, rubber pad, bipod and 40 pounds of other gear-nerd toys...how can anyone reasonably expect him to start carrying around a horse as well?
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You get a horse pocket silly!!!!

 
I've been hunting big game for 50 years (hence 1972). I only carry ammo, knife, sandwich, candy bar and a bottle of water, all stuffed into my coat pocket, except the binoculars. I still do it and haven't changed.
 
Out here in BC, everything has to be light and compact, as you generally head out for ten days to two weeks on a mountain hunt. Ideally with what’s in your pack, sometimes we leave a tote at the fly in lake to replenish from 5 days later. If anyone’s interested, PM for the packing list I sent goat clients, goal is the whole pack for 2 weeks under 40lbs as you have to carry an animal home, too.
 
sjstrey said:
For me it’s a quad with a backpack lashed to the front rack. In the bush I carry as little as possible. Rifle, a few extra rounds, a radio, a compass or small GPS and some water. If I’m lucky enough to have time to set up for a long shot I use some sticks or my toque on a log or rock for a rest. After the shot, I tag and gut the animal and then hike back to the quad and drive in as close as I can to finish the job. For me, less is more. If I don’t NEED it, I leave it at home.
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colombe said:
Being 76 years old
and too darn fat.
With problems with both my achilles tendons.
I let my suzuki king quad 400 carry everything.
If i break down i'm good for 3 days,
i have everything. Food, water, clothes. Rain suit, ammo. Spare battery
you name it i got it. Experience has taught me to [be prepared.
Old timer 76
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clever men.
 
AikiNut said:
Back in the day (before my time) rich people had cars and poor people had horses. Other way round now.
I carry a rifle, handful of rounds, cell phone, snack, a little water. Used to carry GPS but the phone has that now. Rope and a knife.
Be a while before I hunt again - Day 4 today post-hip-replacement...
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wish fast and speed recovery.

so true for the horses: my grand ma told how they felt rich when they get rid at the farm of the horses to have tractor and car doing the job and now it s back as a cycle.
 
I haven't officially gone hunting yet, but I frequently go out target shooting in the woods not far from our house, and I suspect when I get out hunting my set up won't be that different.

I don't like back backs because I dislike having to take them off to access them.

Instead I wear a cross-shoulder bag. I understand traditionally these were called musset bags. My wife jokingly calls it my man-purse.

It is leather which I condition with dubbin, and has a flap over the top, which I think is important for keeping out rain and crap.

Inside there are various pockets and dividers which I like, because i'm pretty anal and like keeping my stuff organised.

One pocket has a small lighter and a whistle, should I ever be in trouble.

Another compartment holds spare ammo.

The larger compartment holds a small pair of binoculars, a buck knife, flashlight, and my snack and water bottle.

Another pocket holds my compass and map.

Finally, the last little pocket holds a 3' measuring tape and a folded up print out of the tracking charts, which I copied, printed out and waterproofed from my tracking book. Especially in the snow, I enjoy observing and identifying the tracks of all the different animals, trying to figure out what they were doing, what their story was, etc. I'm not very good at recognising tracks though, but these charts help. I just measure up the size and stride of the tracks and then cross reference the chart, and it quickly narrows down what the critter was.

So that's what I carry. All told, i'd say my bag weighs about 5lbs. Because it's slung cross shoulder, I can carry it more on my back when i'm moving, but easily slide it around the front to access it when needed.

Really, the only downside is my wife teasing me about how my purse is prettier than hers!
 
Ardent said:
Out here in BC, everything has to be light and compact, as you generally head out for ten days to two weeks on a mountain hunt. Ideally with what’s in your pack, sometimes we leave a tote at the fly in lake to replenish from 5 days later. If anyone’s interested, PM for the packing list I sent goat clients, goal is the whole pack for 2 weeks under 40lbs as you have to carry an animal home, too.
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That's frightening; I've never done any mountain hunting, and although I consider myself a guy who likes to go light, some of the mountain hunting guys are on a whole 'nother plane of existence.

Angus, does that 40 pounds include rifle and ammo? Please say no...:)

Oops...just remembered that doesn't include food. Whew! :)
 
It’s easier than it sounds it just requires the correct application of money.

I recently switched to a “heavy” tent; it weighs 4.6lbs. Bought it for a modular 4 season clip on I may never use. Some ultralights come in at 525 grams/ 18oz. Never tried one in this range


Easier to justify if you work in the bush in terms of the lighter “technical gear” clothing. Took me a long time to come around to what a difference light, high quality clothes make.


My next “need” / want is a larger, lighter backpack for pack outs

I was really shocked to see some guys on here saying they carry 20-40 rounds with them, in my mind that is a ton of weight.

On day hunts I have a backpack, a dry sack with knife, sharpener, rope, a mags worth of ammo, ballistol wipes, little bone saw, game bags, lighter and dryer lint in old empty pill bottle
 
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jjohnwm said:
That's frightening; I've never done any mountain hunting, and although I consider myself a guy who likes to go light, some of the mountain hunting guys are on a whole 'nother plane of existence.

Angus, does that 40 pounds include rifle and ammo? Please say no...:)

Oops...just remembered that doesn't include food. Whew! :)
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Ha you bet it does :d

Freeze dried food though, ten days weighs 10lbs. Your rifle should weigh 6 1/2 all up, and 5 rounds of ammo is lots. But we told the clients to bring ten. Leaves you 23 pounds for camp, clothes, water purification, stove, sil tarp… which is easier done that you’d expect.
 
Ardent said:
Ha you bet it does :d

Freeze dried food though, ten days weighs 10lbs. Your rifle should weigh 6 1/2 all up, and 5 rounds of ammo is lots. But we told the clients to bring ten. Leaves you 23 pounds for camp, clothes, water purification, stove, sil tarp… which is easier done that you’d expect.
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So...you're saying that showing up in my Carhartt jacket and toting my Ruger #1 would be frowned upon...? :)

I guess when I said I pack light...I should have said that I pack very minimal gear...but it all weighs a ton...:)
 
1lb of freeze dried food per day is not adequate. This is around 2000 calories tops, a guy in the mountains is going to loose at least a lb a day on this. The old rule was 3lbs of food per day. This would supply 4000-6000 calories.

NATO standard today is a minimum of 3200 calories per day for rations, the RCAF ration was 3900 and the Army 4200. Some rations are pushing 5000 calories per day.

There are plenty of grocery store items better than say Mountain House, compare a 99 cent pack of ramen, to any of the Mountain House meals, $12+ dollars. Or Ritz Crackers, jerky, nuts, fish in oil, various cheeses and sausages, peanut butter, hazelnut spread, granola, M&M's, and the list goes on.

People will say you just add boiling water. Well, one does exactly that with ramen. And almost anything can be cooked in an insulated food jar, just add boiling water and wait. Rice or barley and animal fat of some sort is an old one. And granola, who would buy freeze dried granola? Or freeze dried rice (with chicken)?.

Just by reading labels a guy can eat much better and much cheaper. A little creativity, instant mashed potatoes with dried cheese and butter and so on. The pack of tortillas I'm looking at right now has close to the calorie density of Mountain House add cheese and sausage and it will be higher.
 
The psychological and physiological effects of warm food and a varied diet?

If you want to go hardcore ultralight sunflower seeds beat raisins and peanuts hands down; they’re practically decadent in comparison

I’m with you anyways, minute rice, gravy powder, tvp and dehydrated veg flakes are much cheaper than dehydrated pouches and most all of it tastes awful to me anyways

I’d rather just eat bars and trail mix

For less ultralight focus nothing beats campfire bannock, and some fresh fish or grouse. Porridge for a warm breakfast. Maybe some tins of ham and sardines/mackeral etc if you’re feeling gourmet. Salami and hard cheese

Old timers out in the bush apparently ate much of the above. Oatmeal seems to have been the original mountain house
 
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MiG25 said:
1lb of freeze dried food per day is not adequate.
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It works, that’s two pouches of mountain house, a mr noodles, and a bar / chocolate. Goat meat, blueberries are the weight and come from the local pantry. Cheaper not sure, as it was downright cheap wholesale by the pallet, I don’t think I could find a cheaper and more convenient way to feed people in remote hunts than bulk mountain house.

Space cheese become popular at the end (moon cheese). Certainly weight was lost, and made up for by the guides between groups. A base cache for resupply was the preferred method, but didn’t work as well on new ground hunts as the path and return wasn’t nailed down yet. It was easier to keep it light than bog down with weight. Goat hunting definitely isn’t a sport well regarded for the cuisine.
 
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