Today is the day!
Around noon I leave to go on a backpacking elk hunt. The season opens tomarrow. I am packed up with the pack coming in at 25lbs. I will try to take a bunch of pictures to document the adventure and share when I get back on Sunday night. :goldtooth:
MW -- how you get a hunting/camping pack down to 25lbs? Just my day-hunting pack, with snacks, a little water, two big elk meat bags, lightweight rainsuit, light jacket, knives and etc. goes 35lbs. I'm packing in too, on Friday, for a few days of solo wilderness adventure and will be lucky to get away with under 50 pounds, including a 4-pound tent I don't care to go without when rain is forecast. More power to you, dave
25lbs??!!!
I must have the wrong gear!
Good luck on your hunt!
I'm anxiously awaiting our departure in 1 week.
Me too...The lightest I can get my pack for a 3 day spike is 37lbs without a full camelback. Oh to be young and tough MW. I find that those "needed" items like a solo tent, sleeping bag, and food weigh more as I get older:) GOOD LUCK!!!
I'm with the rest of you guys, spike camp pack is somewhere around 38 lbs. I've whittled down everything I think I can and still can't get it anywhere near 25 lbs. My day pack is around 18 lbs alone. I must be carrying too much stuff, but where to cut out I don't know. Good luck guys, I'll be leaving on the 31st for Colorado.
BOB
Good luck Mitch. I'm headed out this afternoon as well. You headed to an open bull unit, or spike? Or did ya get one of the big bull tags? Good luck and look forward to the story and pics.
Have fun. Sounds like you've done a good job on the pack. I hope you spent at least a few ounces on a camera.
For an eleven day back pack hunt in Colorado, mine weighed 75 lbs. (and I didn't bring the kitchen sink!!)
Oh man, I can't wait to see the pics and read the story! Lot's of scenery pics please!
Mike
25lbs? Hope you have what you need. I hope to read a good story when you get back.
Well, I'm back and still alive!
I saw quite a few elk but it must be too early in the season for them to be making noise as I did not hear one bugle. They were all in small cow groups of a couple.
I did see one group of twenty who had a spike and small bull with them but he was not what I was looking for.
I will try to post a few picture tomarrow. After hiking 15 miles today I am a little bushed. I was up at around 11500 few and got hail and rain every night with blowing wind. There was even a little snow left from last year.
As far as pack weight. I took too much!
Google Ultralite backpacking, you will find some good sites on ultralite gear. Be forewarned if you think bows are expensive!!!!!
My results were similar. I saw 3 spike bulls in a group (not legal in CO), and Saturday got up on a young bull 4x4 or small 5er, grazing in aspen at about 60 yards. He had no interest in my cow mews, and I heard no bugling all weekend ... except the midday wailing of some idiot from his camp a couple of miles above me, where he'd come in Friday, right before me, on an ATV, which is illegal in this entire area and each trail is clearly signed. No doubt him running through there with an ATV, and belching full-throat bugles at a time of day and year when the real ones never do that, accounts for the elk being so secretive, when they'd been moving and visible on my earlier scouting trips. He's up there right now with his ATV, and our local FS law enforcement officer won't do a thing about it, lazy bum. It gets worse every year, to the point now you can hardly even backpack away from the stinking motorheads. They are the most effective antihunters in the West.
Dave,
'Bout time for some Monkeywrenching, if you ask me...which you did not. ;)
I'm backpacking in Friday night as soon as the last school bell rings. Good luck to you folks.
PS: My five-day pack comes in around 40 this time of year. The gear is all the same, except for varying amounts of food for varying lengths of rambles. Summer five-day pack is around 35.
Dave,
Were you camping around Little Yellowstone? Do you think other hunters will be around Mike's camp? I see you didn't hear any bulls. They have about 11 days to get their act together. Hopefully it is like turkey hunting. You really don't want them to be gobbling too much before you get there. I just hope the bulls are gobblin when I get there.
Also, I have a messae in to Mike about my duffle gear. If his policies haven't changed, is one large bag (not Army duffle type, long zipper type)with gear weighing 40 lbs. OK for packing in? Forgive me I'm still learning.
Thanks
WOW!! My pack with JUST water is 20 pounds! My day pack full is 25..LOL
Dave sounds like a job for Dixie Crystal in the 5# bag.
Hey Sawtooth and others,
I hope you dont mind if I horn in on this thread, but would you guys mind sharing what type of backpack you are using? Is it a specialized "hunting" pack or a typical "backpacking" rig? (when backpacking here in Kentucky, My friends an I have trouble getting our packs under 50#'s, (we carry too many canned beverages!)
I have been researching for a planned elk hunt in Colorado next fall. (I think a 3-4 day trip then resupply and out again for 2-3 days.) Not sure if a pack sized 4500 cu or one in the 3000 to 3500 range would suffice? Any thoughts??
I am prepared to go pretty light, but would like to know in more detail what you guys feel are essentials other than bow/arrows and water/food.
Thanks,Harry.
Good luck and be safe!
Takedown,
I use two packs. Both Kifaru, and yes, both are specialty packs.
Kifaru Late Season with Medium Pod
Kifaru Longhunter regular with Cargo Chair
I've been backpack hunting for over 25 years, and this is the best line of packs I've ever seen.
www.kifaru.net (http://www.kifaru.net)
(no, I don't work for the company!) :)
I posted my backpack list on another thread here on PowWow.
http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=049374;p=2#000017