What's your biggest load?

[Lawnboy]

My brother took this picture of a moose he helped with a packout on the other day. This load came in at 142 lbs and they had 5 more that were over 100 Then 3 more in the 50lb class. I think Moose hunters in Alaska are a little loose upstairs to try and carry loads like that.


My biggest was 2 elk hindquarters still attached put in my crew cab. I have no idea what it weighed but I only made it about 40 yds and fell over realizing this wasn't going to work

 

[Mudranger1]

That is insane

 

[dustinf]

That's crazy.

I had 75 pounds of dumbells in my pack 3 nights ago, and it was hurtful.

I've never packed an elk out, but l'd guess my heaviest pack was in the 50-60 pound range.

#easterntenderfoot

 

[Bulldog0156]

Front quarter, neck meat, backstraps, tenderloins, and the head (skin on) of the bull I shot last year along with all of my hunting gear for the day. I am guessing it was around 120-130 pounds total, but who knows. All I know is 1) it was really heavy and 2) never again!

 

[idnative1948]

Go into an outdoor shop that carries backbacks and they have charts on what is the max load vs body weight is. Wow! Just wow! You guys are studs. Me not so much... Now, if I was young and still thought I was invinsible, maybe. I am paying for it now.

 

[wingman1]

That guy is going to suffer in the long run. 105lbs packed 5 miles/800 vertical feet with temps in the 80's. My back was never the same again. Today I could do maybe 75lbs in the same conditions.

 

[noharleyyet]

L4,L5 karma is a bish....fact

 

[muledeerjunkie]

I haven't packed anywhere near that much and I'm awfully glad I didn't try...my body is in tough enough shape as is!

 

[alwayshunting]

My moose head and wet cape was 125lbs, but it was on flat ground and just under 2 miles. Had two 85lb loads before the head. For me the pack out is one of my favorite parts of the hunt. Not only does it mean you were successful, but the harder I have to work the more I feel I earned it.

 

[havgunwilltravel]

Yeah i think i would take doing an extra load or two rather then risk injury in the future. I know its hard sometimes with big loads needed to be taken out of the bush, but that is one heck of a load on anybodies back!

 

[Kaitum]

My biggest was all 4 quarters (bone in), backstraps and neck meat of a bull caribou. Would have put the ribs (rib meat had to be on the bone) on if I had room. No idea on the weight but it sucked. Only went one mile across tussocks before I realized spraining my ankle would have sucked worse. Dropped the pack, unloaded some weight and made multiple trips. Hope to have a moose hind quarter picture myself next week, stay tuned.....

 

[Lawnboy]

That guy is going to suffer in the long run. .

I concur

 

[ashersdad]

That is insane! I have packed 3 moose and none were enjoyable. Last year I packed an entire mule deer and camp all in one load and it was one of the dumbest things I have done. Lost 4 toenails and tweaked the back pretty good. I vowed never to do that again. From now on I'll either get help or take more manageable loads. I want to be hunting 20 years from now and I know that won't happen with a bad back.

Having said that, I am truly impressed with guys that can pack a load like Lawnboys brother.

 

[A-con]

This load is about 55-60 lbs.

When I first loaded the pack, I was determined to get it all out “in 1 load’.
Full head , cape, all the meat and all my gear. Rifle, 15X binos and tri-pod. Field dressing stuff, everything. I crammed it all in, and it took my about 5 minuets to stand up. I guess it weighed between 115 and 120. I wish I had it on film, I staggered like a drunk for 20 or 30 yards and gave up, sat down and broke it into two loads. I’m too old and fat to carry more than 60 lbs.

 

[fishing4sanity]

I was going to tell you about the time I packed out the hind-quarters and head of an elk, but then I looked through the old pics and realized that despite the striking resemblance, it was the mule carrying it.

BTW, I don't think the mule's load weighed as much as your brothers backpack.

 

[dan.kirkpatrick]

back in my younger days i did 2 elk quarters and the hide in 1 load,,,problaly 150-200 lbs.never again even though it was only a mile or so.

 

[Bambistew]

LB how big was the other bull? That looks like a nice one.

Thats a stupid amount of weight to pack. Wouldn't do that on a bet. Buddy broke an ankle packing the fronts off a moose a couple years ago. Probly in the 160 range. I like to keep the loads around 70-80 max. Any more and my back and knees suffer badly. I think the most ive done was a boned sheep, head, cape, overnight gear, spotter, rifle etc in a MR 6500... best guess was 120lbs+ for 7 miles 8 hrs later i made it back. Sucked and I paid for it for the next few weeks.

 

[Carl]

I packed a three day camp + 1/2 the meat + the head off a small bull elk. Not sure how much it was, but I think it was the most I've packed and I've done 140 since then. It was grueling and not worth it, my IT bands have given me trouble ever since. 140ish for a shorter distance or 100ish for a longer one are fine places to stop for me.

 

[Mica Man]

Heaviest load would have to be a small bull I shot with my bow a couple years ago. Nearly broke a sweat but the Kabota did a fine job getting it out of the woods and back to the house..
The worst load on my back would be all of my camp and a boned out billy goat coming out of the Palisades. Nearly broke my leg when one of my trekking poles snapped on the hike down to the truck.

 

[1_pointer]

Wedding night...over the threshold...

Heaviest hunting was the hind 1/4 and front shoulder of an elk. Not sure why the guy I was with didn't want to take the bones out though... At least he shot it uphill from the trucks.