Does your pack stay full?

[Hunter777]

Unpack after every trip and clean then next trip is usually a little different so need to repack with items for that trip have a large pack for a week in the field medium for an overnight trip and small for daytrip but use the gear interchangeable and for some reason my clothes always stink after a trip and need to be washed

 

[pre6422hornet]

Everything comes out, water reservoir gets a good washout, inventory what batteries need replaced or what spares were used, etc... then the essentials get loaded back in (knife, TP, Tag pouch,) as I use the pack for shed hunting and any other walk abouts in the woods.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

Game bags!?

I should say "kill kit" instead of tag pouch, it has that in there too.

 

[Bambistew]

I leave in quite a few items that only belong in the pack, small survival/first aid kit, pack cover, water bladder, ditty bag with essentials, etc that are used throughout the seasons. I'll go through it once a year and refresh things that need it like meds, first aid items, batteries, etc.

I have so much junk that some things can get lost if I start relocating them. I need to have a big sale and unload a bunch of stuff. My gear closet is bursting at the moment.

 

[recon6036]

I unpack most items and place everything in a large plastic tote.

 

[JLS]

I unpack most items and place everything in a large plastic tote.

Same. I go through, clean/repair/replace as necessary and then put it all in a tote. In the summer I use my big pack for training, so it carries a 60# bag of concrete and gets rather nasty with sweat.

 

[Jape]

I do the same as bambistew and also leave some clothing items I only use for hunting, like mittens and certain pants/coats. This reminds me I need to clean out my pack....

 

[SaskHunter]

I constantly unpack/repack everything. I run three separate types of packs during the hunting season depending on the type of hunting I do. During the off season, I store all my stuff away properly.

Certain things stay in my "main" pack which I use for other things like shed hunting, weighted marches, camping, etc. I usually leave my med bag, survival kit/bivy, head lamp, snacks, knife, etc.

 

[Bambistew]

I do the same as bambistew and also leave some clothing items I only use for hunting, like mittens and certain pants/coats. This reminds me I need to clean out my pack....

I left a a pair of blood soaked rain pants in my pack for about 3 weeks until I remembered they were in there all wadded up. I like to put Goretex to the test ever now and then. They have an off smell to them, probably regulate them to the bear hunting clothes pile.

 

[Jape]

I left a a pair of blood soaked rain pants in my pack for about 3 weeks until I remembered they were in there all wadded up. I like to put Goretex to the test ever now and then. They have an off smell to them, probably regulate them to the bear hunting clothes pile.

I just ruined a pair of gloves on my dad's bison hunt that I'm pretty sure are in my pack.

 

[Pucky Freak]

Repacked already, batteries full, repairs made, disposable items restocked. Now, just 9 more months until I toss my bag in my pickup...

 

[Hwalsh]

Leave it packed up unless you punched a tag. Then I clean it out and wash it off.

 

[Zootownelk]

no matter how much I think I've emptied a pack out, I always seem to find empty mini snickers wrappers...

 

[mtmuley]

no matter how much I think I've emptied a pack out, I always seem to find empty mini snickers wrappers...

The bonus is finding full ones that you missed. mtmuley

 

[Zootownelk]

Have not had that wonderful experience, yet

 

[rideold]

I unpack. I use stuff from the hunting pack for upland hunting, hiking and skiing. I keep things in a couple of big plastic tubs and then in stuff sacks inside of those. From there I just have to grab various stuff sacks to re-pack for whatever hunt. One stuff sack has all the "after the shot" stuff. One has all the stuff I keep in my pockets during a hunt, etc... I tried keeping my pack packed but I seem to end up digging in it for something here and there and then stuff gets un-organized and I have to repack it again anyway. I kind of like the ritual of laying everything out and putting the pack together.

 

[Qubo]

Unpack. I use a lot of the stuff for turkey hunting in spring, different pack/vest, and hiking, scouting, and camping in the summer, which is also a different pack. Also I occasionally get a mouse in my basement so I like to store things long term in plastic totes.

 

[MITCHMO]

I unpack, then get anxious and repack. Then usually unpack about 17 minutes later. This process repeats most of the off season. But yea taking everything out and leaving it out as much as possible helps me keep a fresh inventory when it goes back in.

 

[rtraverdavis]

Same. I go through, clean/repair/replace as necessary and then put it all in a tote. In the summer I use my big pack for training, so it carries a 60# bag of concrete and gets rather nasty with sweat.

This is why I’d like to get another good pack. I use my Metcalf all summer for training and you could ring out the sweat. It gets gross.

As for the OP, I’ve got things in my pack organized in separate lightweight drybags—kill kit in one, emergency stuff in another, etc. At the end of the season I take it all out, inspect, clean, replace what need replacing, and then store the dry bags in a tote. Then when it’s time to use the pack again, I can grab whichever of those drybags I need for the occasion and throw them in the pack.

 

[Fj605]

Unpack. I can do a quick inventory in case I need to replace anything throughout the year.