my backpack, with food for about 5 days and without a full water bladder due to my favorite backpacking area having tons of water, is just under 50 lbs... not too bad, heck my little daypack with full bladder is around 30, but then again if im just hunting day pack style i carry WAY more things than i need lol...

 

I'd say that is pretty close to what I have...
Pack: 7lbs
Tent: 1.8 lbs or 2.7lbs (depends on how much room I want inside...)
Bag: 2.2lbs or 4lbs (climate dictates this)
Sleeping Pad: 2.2 lbs
Scope & tripod: 7.8 lbs
100oz bladder- ~6.5lbs
stove, fuel & pot/cup: ~1.2lbs
dried Mt House foods & snackery: ~3-4lbs
PSE XForce Axe 6 loaded up: 7.5lbs

so far it totals about 42lbs... and then I have to add all the goodies, gadgets, gizmos, etc... knives, gps, sat phone, maps, rope, rangefinder, first aid kit, firestarter, etc... could end up round 60-70lbs if it was a long trip into the deep backwoods.

 

not sure where my pack will come in but it will be pretty heavy, but i like comforts.....


on my list this year is a primos bow sling, i think it will be worth , the cash to keep both hands free on the pack in or out....:shade:

 

I have one, and they ARE nice, but I used it mostly to get to where I hoped I'd get into elk, then stashed it, so I could be more "ready" in what I believed to be elk country....

well This is my first year spikeing out so I think I better stick to a tent, I want to be bug safe when I sleep ,But you do have the lightest option

Try a Eureka Spitfire 2, I used one this past fall, and it was quite good for the money, roomy, and only weighs about 4#.....Eureka Spitfire 2. This is a nice little tent, and the one night I got rained on pretty hard, I was dry and comfortable inside.....:thumb:

it was in scheels, it was little when packed, like a 6 pack of bagels.....
not sure the brand, but when i get a extra 139.00 thats the bag i will be getting...

I have something probably similar, packs down to about the same size as a 2L pop bottle was my synopsis, yet I only paid $40 for it, and it did a fine job on 25-30* nights. And I actually lay on my sleeping pad (inflatable), and will put the bag over me like a blanket, tucking it in under me. Having a broad set of shoulders (I wear a size 54 jacket, yet only a size 36 pants), it's hard to find a bag that is very comfy, so I found doing this works as well as anything for me personally.

I go with the theory.....prepare for the worst hope for the best:wink:
Get a bag rated for 0deg or lower.....you can always unzip it if you get too warm.

:amen: to that, and you can always sleep w/ a layer of fleece on if you think you need it.


I think what it really comes down to in the overall realm is how much $$$ vs. comfort do most of us really want to sacrifice, or how much money is it worth to get a piece of equipment that weighs X vs. Y.... For me personally, I don't NEED to cook anything, yet it's sort of nice to have a warm meal, after a LONG day stomping around on a mountain, and coming back in to a camp that is cooling down, a nice warm fire, and something warm to eat is nice, but not a "requirement." But somethings absolutely ARE a REQUIREMENT, and being comfortable enough I can get a GOOD night's sleep is one of them.

 

Mine is just shy of 40 lbs. To save weight, I sleep in a hammock, take only the minimum amount of food I need (I live off the land for the rest) and use a water filter to get my drinking water when I get to my spot.

 

What are you eating when you say you are living off the land? What region are you hunting in? Mountains? I would think wild edibles would be pretty scarce in high altitudes.

 

My pack with all of my equipment, food for 7 days and 2.5 liters of water weighs 42 lbs. My bow weighs 7.5 and I sometimes attach it to my pack. I spent a pretty good chunk of change buying the lightest version of everything I could, like tent, stove, sleeping bag, pad, etc.

 

70lbs total sans bow.Im upgrading my pack,shelter,bag and will lighten up 10lbs. im a pack rat and take more than i need. its a never ending process trying to go lighter and still be comfortable.My goal is 55 lbs for a 7 to 10 day hunt.

 

Zero....I don't carry a pack when hunting anything.

 

I don't understand? Do you use a fanny pack? What about knives, game bags, Etc.?

Great thread! Any more photos?

 

My Pack 35-50 lbs depending on area hunting
My horses packs 125-225 lbs apiece
I feed um all winter so they can keep me comfortable all fall

 

My backpack type elk hunts are more of a one or two night spike out from camp affairs. I use a heavy duty pack frame [Dana K2] but its only 25lbs or so.

Many areas where spiking 2-3 miles from a road is good hunting plus its less of a pack and you don't have to worry about the meat spoiling. I do prefer getting in further, in those cases we pack a couple of horses.

Backpacking for deer, its no problem to more than double that distance.

 

a really good elk hunter doesn't take time out of the hunting day to catch fish and bugs, etc... Up where we hunt elk you starve before you caught enough fish to eat in a day. My food is a pretty minimal part of my weight.

I think this past year my pack weight with everything but my bow was 50lbs for 5 days.

 

My biggest weight savings is my tent tarp, Ti stakes, cord, ground cloth, and mattress pad combined weigh 23.8 ounces.

Total weight depends on water, if its available, some places I go you have to bring all your water in. Thats a heavy 3 day load.
Slpg bag is 3.1 lbs I dont skimp there unless its lows in the upper 40s+
pack weighs 6.5 bare.

 

i have elk hunted since i was 14, never found a spot without water...elk gotta drink! i don't pack but 1 16oz bottle, i will fill the rest when i need with my msr filter......:darkbeer:

 

mine gets over 5 lbs. I'm gettin rid of something !!!!

 

Mine usually weighs in at 30lbs - 35lbs depending on the length of the trip and the weather I'm expecting. I typically don't bivy for more than 3 days, generally I base camp and bivy out from there.

I use a light weight Bivy at 18 oz, my bag weighs in at 3.1lbs, pad at 19 oz. This is my September gear.

****

 

My pack weighed 42lbs with 7 days worth of gear this past elk season.

 

living off the land

all well and good for what little bit as far as wild onions and such but the wierd little parasites and such you can pick up aint worth it to me. I like a few of the creature comforts but also I have been backpacking most of my life so a fairly heavy pack is not that big of deal.That said, anything past 60 lbs is work but once I set up my base in the backcountry Im good to go.My packing starts the last bit of April with an overnight into this little creek for trout. We go in heavy with steaks and all the trimings, even done it with real crystal wine glasses when my tent mate was of the female persuasion. Nothing gets you ready for packing weight like packing weight. The few extra lbs of comfortsmakes for an enjoyable trip.We set up a bottle for fresh alfalfa sprouts to have a bit of fresh green.

 

For a 10 day fall hunt including pack weight, weapon of choice, 96oz of water, and food I am between 46.125 and 49.625 lbs.
For a 10 day winter hunt it jumps almost 10 lbs due to extra clothing, and food.

 

We were hoping for a more precise answer if you could!:shade:

 

A normal 3-5 day hunt is usually around 44lbs for me. I could definitely save a few pounds but like to have a few extra comfort things.

 

a1hoyt.ca

I usually pack for 5 days when going in the back country. But most of the time we end up coming out on the fourth day to shower & replenish our supplys so as far asr our packs we take gear in before season & hang it where we make our camp is about 4 miles in. Are packs can weigh any where from 35 to 45 pounds we try to load up on as much water as possible for camp soups is a great way to eat while on a pack in hunt. But if we were to carry our camp on our backs it would be some where around 75 to 80 lbs & that is to much to carry all @ once as far as I am conserned.

This year I will be getting the Badlands OX. Pack frame. & there new pack that weighs 3.8 lbs. I will be in heaven with a system like this. Right now I am useing the Nim Rod pack system it is a great pack but I really like Badlands gear I have a couple of there smaller packs for after work hunts or one day hunts close to home. I will be getting a new water purifier this year from Sweet water mine is old. I like to carry as little as pos when hunting for those long haul days that you may hunt as far as 3 to 5 miles from camp.

 

Could you guys post your packing lists? It would really help some of us see where we could cut weight. Thanks!

 

the ox is a heavy pack...i think around 9 pounds.
i use the mystery ranch frame with load sling and all my supplies in stuff sacks.
that set up saves quite a bit of weight.

 

Bag- 1lb
sill tarp-1lb
Bivy- 1lb
hammock or ground mat- 1lb

Total pack weight 40lbs w/camelback bladder full.

Can stay packed in for 6 days comfortably and have stretched to 10days a time or two. Between a survival straw and iodine tablets water isn't a problem.


HANK

 

check this tent out . You could just cut a stick for the center pole http://www.rei.com/product/733471

5.5 x 13 inches 2lbs 7 oz

wonder if anyone makes one under 3 pounds that has a floor?

 

I stay just as dry as with a tent, with an extra emerg blanket(one extra oz) I have enough floor mat to wrap up and keep draft out. If I know it is going to be snowing hard or if I know Ill spike camp, I have a couple ultralight tents but for Bivy the siltarp is awesome, doesnt take up a fraction of the room let alone the weight savings. My bivy pack looks like some guys Ive seen daypacks.

 

i used this type system one year, i will say it was light. did work, i just won't chance a bad couple days of rain and cold under a "tarp".
i will pack in extra things for the spike camp, a comfy camp to me is worth it. pack in once and out once, i am sure my camp pack is going to be lighter than the elk rack and cape i pack out....

 

Elk hunters Lets talk weight of your elk packs?

Total weight? About 15-18lbs loaded.
Tent weight? About 60lbs........maybe 80 with poles and such.
sleeping bag weight? It has 6lb Quallofil fill, but I'm guessing it's 8-10lbs.

Thing's you do to keep the weight down?

Things I do to keep the weight down.......I take my daypack instead of my frame pack. It holds less so I don't pack it as full. If I take my frame pack out for the day, it'll weigh about 45lbs.

 

here's what tent i am looking at

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...on=push&masterpathid=&navCount=7&parentType=index&parentId=cat602107&id=0031780


i like the 2 man, room for my bow, and pack....:shade:

 

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...on=push&masterpathid=&navCount=7&parentType=index&parentId=cat602107&id=0031780


i like the 2 man, room for my bow, and pack....:shade:

Thats funny I got that open on another page LOL

Baggain cave !!!

 

If you have the $ the lightest free standing tent going (that I know of) is made by Big Agnes.

Click Here

Gives me a chance to do this cool thing as well


Really though, I have the 3 man (UL3) and it is great. But it seems most people on here are interested in the 2 man, which I believe is about 3 lbs 6 oz.

This tent also has the pitchlight option of only pitching the fly and ground cover (leaves out the actual tent) Which gives shelter, but is really light.