Attention Bivy Hunters: Whats your pack weigh for a 7 day hunt?

[Eyeguy]

How much weight you packing for a 7 day backcountry hunt? Im right at 53 pounds and this includes full water bottles. Add 8 pounds for the rifle and just over 60. What you guys at? I am not sure I have much in there that I would feel comfortable ditching.
Steve

 

[TheJason]

If you're not doing voodoo weight reduction, and honestly counting ALL of the stuff you are taking, that would be about where mine is at (binos, water, clothes, etc.).

I think I was at 58 for a 9 day bowhunt last time I did one.

 

[JoseCuervo]

How much weight you packing for a 7 day backcountry hunt? Im right at 53 pounds and this includes full water bottles. Add 8 pounds for the rifle and just over 60. What you guys at? I am not sure I have much in there that I would feel comfortable ditching.
Steve

Let somebody else do your ditching.

"One man's treasure is another man's trash."


You have stuff in there you don't need.

 

[Outdoor Junkie]

My pack was at 54#'s with rifle, all my gear, food and 1 liter of water for a 6 day backpack hunt. I've stripped down my gear quite a bit in the last 2 years. Then again my hunt was mid September in Wyoming and I didn't need the level of clothing that you will need in October.

 

[Elkmagnet]

Depending on the season, forecast, distance and your size it sounds about right maybe a # or two heavier than I use to carry.
I used to get mad at my self for hauling water up a mtn and not drinking every sip before reaching my refill point.

 

[Eyeguy]

lightened by 2.5 pounds by dumping out 40 0z of water. just going to take one bottle (30 oz) on the hike in. There is a stream half way to refill. What else can I ditch!?

 

[TheJason]

Depends on your gear.

 

[Duck-Slayer]

Get goats I take in #130lbs but that includes 6 gallons of my good well water and 2 frozen gallon jugs and good frozen food! With out that stuff when I did it my self its about 54lbs,
Matt

 

[brymoore]

We'd need to see your gear list. You may be at the point that you'll need to spend money for lighter gear.

8 pound rifle is heavy. I carry a Kimber Montana that weighs in the 6s. WM Versalite sleeping bag is 2 pounds. Big Agnes Fly Creek UL tent is 2 pounds. Stone Glacier 6200 is around 5 pounds. Sawyer mini water filter is 3 oz. Food is another area where smart packing or deprevation can save weight.

 

[Bambistew]

I'm usually around 52lbs including spotter/tripod, rifle, 2L of water and everything else I need including a tent for temps into the 30's during the day, with temps in the 20's at night. The weight is reduced a bit when splitting with a partner. I can drop maybe 2 pounds if I go with a bivy and tarp, or floorless shelter. I have tried to cut as much as possible and also upgrade as needed to reduce weight, I just can't get below this for a 7-9 day trip considering the weather/temps. Only way I'm cutting more weight is to drop a couple grand in super light gear that I don't need.

The big weights are spotter/tripod, bag, pack, pad, tent and rifle (mine adds up to about 24-25lbs). Foods is another 10-12lbs, the rest of the camp/clothing gear is what it is. 60lbs with rifle and water isn't bad, IMO.

 

[Eyeguy]

We'd need to see your gear list. You may be at the point that you'll need to spend money for lighter gear.

8 pound rifle is heavy. I carry a Kimber Montana that weighs in the 6s. WM Versalite sleeping bag is 2 pounds. Big Agnes Fly Creek UL tent is 2 pounds. Stone Glacier 6200 is around 5 pounds. Sawyer mini water filter is 3 oz. Food is another area where smart packing or deprevation can save weight.

I think you are right on here. I would love to get a Kimber but have other things to spend money on at the moment. I have a browning A bolt .338. Its a cannon. I don't have any "extras" like camp shoes, extra shorts to sleep in, etc in my pack. one extra under shirt and one extra underwear. 2 extra pairs of socks. MH meals with jet boil stove. few bags of jerky and raman noodles. extra tank for jet boil. 4 batteries, GPS, 2 knives, small saw, etc. I will see if I have anything I can dump out. Thanks for the help guys!

 

[MTGomer]

I'm in the upper 50s. Could be a little lighter, but noone wants to run out of batteries for headlamp, fuel, starve themselves or freeze to death.
I buy light food, but I never try to cut weight by taking LESS food. I'll walk circles- with a slightly heavier pack and a full stomach- around anybody, any day, with a slightly lighter pack thats been malnourished for the past 5 days.

 

[raiderbowhunter]

I'm in the upper 50s. Could be a little lighter, but noone wants to run out of batteries for headlamp, fuel, starve themselves or freeze to death.
I buy light food, but I never try to cut weight by taking LESS food. I'll walk circles- with a slightly heavier pack and a full stomach- around anybody, any day, with a slightly lighter pack thats been malnourished for the past 5 days.

Right with you on this one. Too risky to me to skimp on food or batteries. Worst case scenario I'll ditch stuff on the way out to recover later if need be

 

[Eyeguy]

So I guess it sounds like I am right about where I should be. Plenty of food, layers of clothes for any weather, power bars, spare batteries, fire starter, spare lighter, parachord, lightweight bowl, spare head lamp. Few various other items. But nothing I would consider an extreme "luxury". I basically wanted to make sure others weren't hunting at 45 when I was at 60.
Thanks again!

 

[dihardhunter]

In high country September weather, I have my 10 day pack under 40 pounds - right at 39 actually running a Kifaru Mt Hunter. That's with bow weight, food, 2 L water, and clothes I'm wearing included. Considering a move to SG to save another several. I won't lie though, there are nights that ain't too comfy and when your clothes get wet...well, they're wet. Start somewhere though and spend money smartly to clip away at your pack weight - justify costs where the most ounces are shaved. Finding items that pull double duty is also a quick way to shave weight. I.e., trekking poles that also replace your tent poles OR half a vehicle's reflective sunshield that doubles as butt pad for glassing and insulation/padding under your feet for sleeping.

 

[Southern Elk]

In high country September weather, I have my 10 day pack under 40 pounds - right at 39 actually running a Kifaru Mt Hunter. That's with bow weight, food, 2 L water, and clothes I'm wearing included. Considering a move to SG to save another several. I won't lie though, there are nights that ain't too comfy and when your clothes get wet...well, they're wet. Start somewhere though and spend money smartly to clip away at your pack weight - justify costs where the most ounces are shaved. Finding items that pull double duty is also a quick way to shave weight. I.e., trekking poles that also replace your tent poles OR half a vehicle's reflective sunshield that doubles as butt pad for glassing and insulation/padding under your feet for sleeping.

I would like to see your list of what's in your pack. Can you post it? You are shaving off quite a few lbs from what most guys are packing.

 

[Brad NSW]

Did two - 6 day hunts at 8000 feet in Idaho this elk season. Pack weighed 38. Only carried 32oz water (use a Katadyn pump filter). 1 dehydrated meal and power bar per day. No spare clothes (except 1 pair socks). One outer layer jacket for AMs and still hunting.

Pockets had small binos, wind powder, gloves, balaclava, phone, big bottle of bear spray. Belt had skinning knife, saw blade and gerber surgical blade knife (all in a single sheath). Bow and arrows 5lbs.

Total probably mid 40ish lbs for everything. Weather was low 30s in AM, mid 50s during the day. Rained 25% of the time and no problems.

 

[Eyeguy]

In high country September weather, I have my 10 day pack under 40 pounds - right at 39 actually running a Kifaru Mt Hunter. That's with bow weight, food, 2 L water, and clothes I'm wearing included. Considering a move to SG to save another several. I won't lie though, there are nights that ain't too comfy and when your clothes get wet...well, they're wet. Start somewhere though and spend money smartly to clip away at your pack weight - justify costs where the most ounces are shaved. Finding items that pull double duty is also a quick way to shave weight. I.e., trekking poles that also replace your tent poles OR half a vehicle's reflective sunshield that doubles as butt pad for glassing and insulation/padding under your feet for sleeping.

So what if you sprain an ankle...or twist a knee...and a september snow storm happens to blow in. I was glad I took warmer clothes this past september to Wyo. We got 6" of september snow. I don't want to sacrifice weight for safety. It does sound like you have some good gear and have really thought a few things out. I admire that. Basically why I started this thread...to see what others thoughts were. One thing that will be a huge help will be that I have a spot picked where we have camped the last 2 years where 75% of my gear will stay during actual hunting. So basically just need to get the stuff in and most of the food, tent, sleeping bag, etc will be at camp. Thanks again.

 

[brymoore]

1 dehydrated meal and power bar per day. .

Am I reading this right? You're only eating 900 calories a day?

 

[Eyeguy]

We'd need to see your gear list. You may be at the point that you'll need to spend money for lighter gear.

8 pound rifle is heavy. I carry a Kimber Montana that weighs in the 6s. WM Versalite sleeping bag is 2 pounds. Big Agnes Fly Creek UL tent is 2 pounds. Stone Glacier 6200 is around 5 pounds. Sawyer mini water filter is 3 oz. Food is another area where smart packing or deprevation can save weight.

Just writing to say.....THANKS JERK. Cost me a bunch of money....hahaha. Weighed my rifle with cover and sling and it was actually closer to 10.5 pounds. Didn't wanna haul that around the mountains all week. Got a good deal on a Kimber Aderondek in a .308. Weighs under 5.5 pounds with scope and rifle. JK by the way and thanks for the advice. This rifle is LITERALLY half the weight of my other one.