I Over Pack For Day Hunts!!

I’m actually surprised at the amount of cooking gear and food people seem to bring on a day hike, I don’t remember the last time I cooked a meal in the bush while hunting. In fact I probably never have, when on say a fuel mod contract where we’re burning piles I’ll bring tinfoil lunches that I can heat up on the coals. Generally while hunting I brings some fruit or nuts a couple granola bars and some pepperoni’s or some tinned fish. If we’re out multiple days then more food is cooked at camp.
 
I’m actually surprised at the amount of cooking gear and food people seem to bring on a day hike, I don’t remember the last time I cooked a meal in the bush while hunting. In fact I probably never have, when on say a fuel mod contract where we’re burning piles I’ll bring tinfoil lunches that I can heat up on the coals. Generally while hunting I brings some fruit or nuts a couple granola bars and some pepperoni’s or some tinned fish. If we’re out multiple days then more food is cooked at camp.

Like i said, it's all about what kind of experience you're looking to have. For some people, like me, cooking up a nice trail lunch is part of the fun.
 
I wanted to buy a 30L pack last year for my day hunts
found out that my 60L mystery ranch could accommodate all my day hunt needs with ease (30-35lbs)
4lbs of that is a folding chair :)
 
I learned a long time ago in the army, the bigger the rucksack the greater the temptation to fill it. The list of basics I posted earlier is maybe 10 to 15-lbs. Add a 10-lb rifle, with sling and scope caps, then as many weather layers are required, and you can quickly weigh yourself down. No, I could not survive multiple nights in cold temps, but I try not to assume a whole lot of 'what ifs'.

The 1964 Pattern webbing was skinny and minimal. The 1982 Pattern webbing had enough pouches, and attachments to easily add up to 35 or 40-lbs. A Medic I knew who was in Somalia described his so-called Fighting Order, with Medic pack, rifle and ammo, he was HEAVY. And that was with support vehicles nearby. Light Infantry my arse!

When I am traipsing through the woods, I don't want to be distracted by my gear dragging or hanging up. I'm not a minimalist, but I don't like be too tired after a successful hunt to be able to drag my kill out.
 
Interesting. I find that wearing a hood kills my peripheral vision, cuts down my hearing, and can distract me if I turn my head and my hair rubs on the hood.
 
Interesting. I find that wearing a hood kills my peripheral vision, cuts down my hearing, and can distract me if I turn my head and my hair rubs on the hood.

If I was wearing a hoody or regular type I would 100%agree. I find alot of the hunting gear companies hoods are wider in the edges and allow me to hear better then with a hat covering my ears.

Kinda like how a moose antlers direct sound into its ears.

As for hair... cut your hair you hippie! J/K lol

It just something I've slowly learned to control and what noises are associated with it.
 
I learned a long time ago in the army, the bigger the rucksack the greater the temptation to fill it. The list of basics I posted earlier is maybe 10 to 15-lbs. Add a 10-lb rifle, with sling and scope caps, then as many weather layers are required, and you can quickly weigh yourself down. No, I could not survive multiple nights in cold temps, but I try not to assume a whole lot of 'what ifs'.

The 1964 Pattern webbing was skinny and minimal. The 1982 Pattern webbing had enough pouches, and attachments to easily add up to 35 or 40-lbs. A Medic I knew who was in Somalia described his so-called Fighting Order, with Medic pack, rifle and ammo, he was HEAVY. And that was with support vehicles nearby. Light Infantry my arse!

When I am traipsing through the woods, I don't want to be distracted by my gear dragging or hanging up. I'm not a minimalist, but I don't like be too tired after a successful hunt to be able to drag my kill out.

Remember to, my weight includes the spotter (I feel a must where I hunt) and tripod. It's total weight is probably over what my rifle even is including its NF NXS!
 
Bottom line, you pay for the weight you carry, and each guy will pay the price of admission for the ride they want to go on.

I love this line!! I may have to steal it at some point lol.

With all the gear and cooking, it almost sounds like your ready for LoTR style trek, and I'd definitely hunt eith you to get a great meal on the side of a hill!!
 
Having gotten older I pack less and don't travel as fr as I once did. So I only bring the essentials. Water (3 bottles), 2 knives, 2 lighters, rope / tow strap, trail mix, maybe a sandwich or two, apples, oranges, bananas. binos, range finder, extra vest, a caller, small tarp, rifle, extra ammo - and not much more then that.
 
I love this line!! I may have to steal it at some point lol.

With all the gear and cooking, it almost sounds like your ready for LoTR style trek, and I'd definitely hunt eith you to get a great meal on the side of a hill!!

Thanks! I'll have to give credit where it's due though, i basically stole that line from the famous ### advice columnist dan savage. He talks about "price of admission" in relationships, as in the annoying things the other person either does or wants you to do, and dealing with those things is the price of admission to being in that relationship, and so people have to decide whether they are willing to pay the price or not. But, and here's the part i think more people need to hear, dan says if you decide to pay the price, then you no longer get to b !tch and whine about it, because if you're still bitter and #####ing, then you're not really paying the price. As he says, when you see the price of a ride, you decide either to pay it and ride, or not pay it and move on, but only an idiot would pay it, ride, but then not enjoy the ride because they spent the whole time being angry about the price they had to pay!

Anyway, i think it's good advice, and i've been able to apply it to a lot of other things in life, like hunting and hiking.
 
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With all the gear and cooking, it almost sounds like your ready for LoTR style trek, and I'd definitely hunt with you to get a great meal on the side of a hill!!

Hobbits eat a lot. And the weight of Precious was too strong a burden for most of them.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_breakfast
 
Having gotten older I pack less and don't travel as fr as I once did. So I only bring the essentials. Water (3 bottles), 2 knives, 2 lighters, rope / tow strap, trail mix, maybe a sandwich or two, apples, oranges, bananas. binos, range finder, extra vest, a caller, small tarp, rifle, extra ammo - and not much more then that.

Today I carry 1/8th of your gear: bino's, trail mix, bullets and knife.(nothing electronic!!!) When I leave the truck I take one big swig of water and the rest of the day I eat snow, if no snow, I bring one bottle of water. I have been doing this since I was 16 years old and haven't changed, I'm 66 years old now.
 
Today I carry 1/8th of your gear: bino's, trail mix, bullets and knife.(nothing electronic!!!) When I leave the truck I take one big swig of water and the rest of the day I eat snow, if no snow, I bring one bottle of water. I have been doing this since I was 16 years old and haven't changed, I'm 66 years old now.

Have a workmate like this, I’m always jealous of how little he carries around. No matter how hot it is he brings a 1.5L bottle of water for the day, dude’s like a camel lol. There’s me with 4L and I drink it all, I’d die without it on the hot days. Sometimes 4L isn’t enough when it’s +20 out, I don’t know how he does it.
 
If I was wearing a hoody or regular type I would 100%agree. I find alot of the hunting gear companies hoods are wider in the edges and allow me to hear better then with a hat covering my ears.

Kinda like how a moose antlers direct sound into its ears.

As for hair... cut your hair you hippie! J/K lol

It just something I've slowly learned to control and what noises are associated with it.

Other than my beard, my hair is almost always shorter than an inch.

I find that, if I'm hunting, I prefer my peripheral vision and not blocking out the noises from behind me with a hood.
 
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