I am a light packer and consider everything I take to be as light as I can. Just curious what everyone takes out with them on the hunt. Also, does anyone know of a packable gambrel? I have two hooks that were at woods boat hooks that I took the latch off of and grinder to a point with a bit of rope. I would use a stick between the two hooks to hold the legs apart. I have not had the chance to use this setup as I have not gotten a deer yet. Any thoughts on this one?
No reason for a gambrel if you want to save weight, either butcher on the ground or string it up with two separate pieces of rope. I haven't used one for years! If I'm hunting close to truck or farm house, I just take the bare bare minimum, if I'm a couple miles back in the mountains elk hunting I take way way too much but I'm prepared!
My bow,quiver,short rope and my knife,that's it.
Bow
Safety harness
Knife
Phone
Glock
Extra magazine
Flashlight
Bow
Compass
Knife
Super glue
cedar or balsam oil
Depends... am I going for 4 hours or 4 weeks?
Bow w/ GN quiver and 5 arrows
Knife
Light
CCW
Shooting glove
Pull rope if using the climber (ladder stand have them)
Calls depending on time of season
License & transport tag
Wipes
Cell
Glasses
I hunt close to my son's house, with some of my stands in sight of the house. Plus, if I shoot one, I can drive close with the tractor. I don't need drag ropes or heavy gear. I carry my bow, quiver of arrows, climbing vest, and haversack.
In the sack I keep camo gloves and hood. I have scent products and calls if I am using them that day. Also, I carry wind powder. Cough drops and a cough silencer always go with me due to allergies. Bee sting medicine and a snakebite kit are always present, even though I wear snake boots. Lastly, I carry several extra tabs and armguards. Insect repellant is needed in early season. Rubber gloves round out the list. Although not part of my bowhunting equipment, I carry my .45 Glock, but that explanation is another story.
This seems like a lot of stuff, but it all fits easily into my haversack and is not burdensome.
I'm surprised that only one person has mentioned a compass. Guess maybe some don't need them depending on where they are hunting. I hunt private land that has lots of access trails and is difficult to actually get lost in, but I still like to have my compass with me just in case I need it for something. Since I mostly do short hunts, a few hours or so, I don't carry much else. I put my shooting glove and arm guard on before I leave my truck and typically carry the following:
Bow
Quiver
Knife
Compass
Flashlight
Calls/scents if I plan to use them
I usually wear cargo pants and can carry most that I need in my pockets. If I'm doing an all day hunt with a lot of walking and scouting, I carry a small backpack with the following items just in case I need them. The list looks long, but the items are small so it all fits in a small pack and only weighs about 6-7 lbs:
Compass
First aid kit
Flashlight
Extra flashlight
Extra flashlight batteries
Notebook/pen/pencil
Calls
Scents
Folding saw
Paracord
Extra knife
Small pruning shears
Gloves/hat for cold weather
Tip of the hat to you gents!! :thumbsup:
I'm one of those idiots who carries way too much crap... mostly other clothing, but limb saw, ratchet shears for trimming, gutting kit, my thermacell, small spray bottle of scent eliminator to spray down after I sweat hiking in, Whiz bottle, flashlight, etc.
Nothing that is REQUIRED, but it sure can serve to make a day afield more enjoyable when conditions change... I have a folding pair of reading glasses since I can't see anything close up without em...
Clothing includes rain coat (packable), scarf when weather gets cooler, drivel like that...
Again, nothing that is required, but I find if I'm miserable on stand, I fidget and that doesn't bode well for hunting... not pressured deer.
Having said all that, I surely do admire all you folks who can just go and not worry about "eventualities" and leave that stuff in truck. I don't hike in and out as well as I once did, so it seems easier to take it with then have to go for it... Once there, I like to stay put!
Bow and arrows
knife
flashlight
harness
water bottle
In my hand I've got my bow with attached quiver and arrows, tab on the hand wear it belongs. In a small backpack I'll carry most of my clothes that I put on once I'm to the stand. Also has my knife/fire starter combo, good flashlight, licenses, binos, drag rope, and a one handed tourniquet. I usually also throw my car keys and wallet in the bag but sometimes they are just in my pocket like usual.
Bow, headlamp, extra tab, knife, wind checker, water, phone.
Good stuff. Thanks for all the responses. Trying to get a good idea to round it all out. I need to get a pouch to carry a few things in. I got a good water bottle that is shaped like a flask the other day. I carry a lot of stuff in the leg pockets, but think a good punch or haversack would be useful.
Bow, quiver, 2 tabs, arm gaurd, spare bow string, TP, light, knife, water bottle, cell phone on vibrate, head net, face paint, gloves, compass, binoculars, THERMACELL, insect repellent, and more TP(also useful for marking blood trail)
Fits in my fanny pack.
As little as possible! Generally, a flashlight with a couple extra batteries, gloves, headnet, extra string tracker, wind check powder, and most important, toilet paper!
Bisch
1. Compass, a GPS is no good to you unless you're moving. Get hung up in some thick stuff in the dead of the night and your GPS is useless.
2. Knife
3. Good headlamp
4. 40 feet of para cord
5. Cell phone with a good map app installed
Bow ( Blacktail Sitka)
Arrows ( 4-2117's, 3 with Zwickey " no mercy 165gr ", 1 with judo point.
American leather cross over glove
Surefire sportsman light
Glock 43
Swiss army pocket knife
Possibles bag with bottled water, vintage Schrade sharpfinger, true talker grunt tube.
Summit goliath treestand when needed, with SAFETY HARNESS! Sometimes I get in permanent blinds.
Phone
Walkers game ears now. :(
On me for every hunt:
Flashlight
Headlamp
Knife
Wind indicator powder
Pruning shears
License/ tag and something to attach it with
Cellphone
Binoculars
Eleglasses
Spare shooting tab
Depending on what I am hunting and how long I might be out I may add extra items to the above list such as water, extra clothes, etc as needed.
Depends on where I'm hunting. If its just an afternoon out at my brothers place I'll stuff the cargo pockets of my pants and jacket with some rope, headlamp, knife, a spare string and some water. If I am out on state land and gonna cover some ground I carry the above plus some extra stuff. Handwarmers, baby wipes, compass and gps, a map of the area, small first aid kit, waterproof matches and fuels sticks and a quality survival blanket. It all fits in a small fanny pack with no problem and weighs 6-7 lbs.
I try to travel light and keep down on bulk. Part of the pleasure of hunting, especially trad, is simplicity. Of course an afternoon hunt after work is gonna be different than an all day deep woods excursion and winter requires more gear than early season. Some of the items I enjoy having along add enjoyment to the day even of they aren't essential to the hunt. My basic list is:
Bow and bowquiver. Along with armguard and tab or glove. I prefer shooting bare bow but personally prefer the simplicity of a bow and arrows in one package for hunting. I don't like too much hanging off me in the way of quivers. That's because my next item is
Binoculars. A small pair is all I want for looking into brush for deer. Either on a harness or slung over my shoulder. I consider them essential.
Knife and drag rope. Along with a small headlamp, compass, lighter, a few feet of paracord, a file or accusharp, and tp. All Pretty obvious little things that come in handy and fit in various pockets.
Wind indicator. I carry a film canister (remember those!) of milkweed fluff. Biodegradable, and common where I hunt.
Snacks and water. I'll sometimes throw an apple or something in my pocket to munch on, even on a short hunt. Longer hikes or sits require more food to see me through the day. I'll bring a bottle or two of water as well. I like the concept of a bota bag but choose the binoculars instead for something hanging off my body.
Next comes the "non essentials". This includes a small notebook for making notes, maps, and sketches with a pen and mechanical pencil and a camera with spare batteries cause they always die when you have something worth photographing. I almost never go without these!
I'll sometimes add pruners, calls, a rain poncho if the weather looks iffy, and handwarmers, but everything usually fits in my pockets or a small fanny pack. If I know ill make a longer stand ill bring a small stool or tree seat and cushion to sit on (I'm a ground hunter).
bow, arrows, knife, wind check powder, light, water, cell phone, binos.
I tend to carry in different "layers". For every hunt I've got a compass, charged cell phone, folding knife, some form of wind indicator, and license in my pockets. Depending on where I hunt and for how long I add other layers. For example, if I'm hunting deep in the swamp I'll carry a daypack with water, emergency blanket, fire starting tools, etc. Also, depending on where I'm hunting, my glock may be on my side (hunted a really nice property a few years back but we had problems with meth heads breaking into trucks and stealing stands).
That's a hard question to answer. For me it changes every single time I go out. If it's just a morning or evening stand sit, then I only have a knife, a light, a climbing harness, my phone, water, and a granola bar or apple.
If I'm planning an all day sit, then I add more food, a magazine or book, etc.
In the whitetail woods when I'm going in and coming back out the same day, I really don't need a ton.
Keurig
Bow, back quiver, knife, waist pack: compass, map, small 1st aide kit, license, pen, gerber multi tool, spare bow string, 550 para cord, call, lighter, hot melt, magnesium fire starter, water bottle, protein bar, head lamp, small broadhead file, phone, wallet. Hunting clothes on at truck since I stalk to where I hunt, face paint on at truck, I pull off small tufts of my yarn silencers to check the wind so I was able to ditch the powder bottle.
All of this is for average deer or pig hunting. Im not "far" from my truck, but I pack to blood trail - not to hunt. I found a waist pack is ideal 1) it keeps you from bringing more than is really neccessary, and 2) it is quiet and lets me use my back quiver. Every different animal species hunted, hunting style, environment hunted, and hunter may have their own take on it all, this is just mine.
QuoteOriginally posted by huntryx:
Keurig
:biglaugh:
I don't carry a compass as I've hunted the same properties for years.
I see where a couple of you guys from Kentuck carry a Glock as part of your gear. Curious as to why you would need one in that part of the country. I'm sure you have black bears but no grizz or brownies. Have lots, and I mean lots, of blackies here in NJ but don't carry any sidearm. Can't legally anyway but really don't need it. Don't mess with 'em and you're okay.
I try to go minimalist, but I may carry too much still. Still pretty light compared to what many carry.
Bow (I tie thread on the top for a wind indicator)
Side Quiver
Small binos
Watch, has a compass feature
Knife
Haversack w/
Pruners
Collapsible water bottle, sloshes less
550 cord (for a quick blind setup)
Zip ties (for a quick blind setup)
Ferro rod with wet tinder
Ziploc bags (hold berries I find or a squirrel)
TP (multiple uses)
Hand sanitizer (sanitize hands and fire starter)
Lighter
GPS
I assume bow/arrows/tab/arm guard...
2 knives
GPS
Compass
Gloves
Hand warmer
550 cord
Binos
Water
Scent killer
Sidearm with plenty of reloads for 2 or 4 legged varmints
I will avoid a back pack whenever possible even on all day hunts. Here is what I carry.
knife
phone
cordage
bow
arrows and quiver
surplus canteen and belt for water
zippo and tobacco in case I need to celebrate
pocket notebook and pencil
optional
snack usual a fruit and a granola bar
compass for a new area I do not know well
extra water
couple of boullion cubes for cold weather outings
As for the firearm thing, some guys carry them here mostly in case they stumble across an illicit drug lab and the owners are non too pleased. I don't really worry about it myself and toting a heavy firearm about is the pits. Usually alters my gait and hurts my hip after a long day of hiking or scouting. That's just me though and you should carry what you like.
Along with my bow and quiver
1. Saw
2. Headlamp
3. mainbeam flashlight
4. pull up light rope
5. knife
6. gps & compass
7. iphone
8. snack bar
9. face mask & gloves
Bow/quiver/
knives, i like an opinel in my pocket and a mora on my belt
rubber gloves in case i get lucky
leather gloves in case i dont
water
pocket flashlight
cell phone
revolver if im hunting in the canyons
Only thing I would like to add to my set up is a tourniquet and maybe a lighter
There have been hunts where it was my bow with an arrow, a compass, the tag and me. And, of course, the other kind where I can cook a meal cause I have the kitchen out there.
CHuckC
Depends on where I'm actually going to be hunting, time of year, weather, etc. I go as light as possible while still being prepared. If I'm not too far from the truck I usually just carry what fits in my pockets, binos, and a weapon.
Kitchen sink.
Bow
Arrows
Knife
In that order.....
I only ground hunt and still hunt so with that in mind..
Skinning knife
Bottle of water
Hunting Tags
windicator
Rubber gloves
wallet car keys and phone
Turkey call..because everything is in season just about for archery in missouri
And I toss it all in my small shoulder bag (besides the windicator) I got for 13 bones.
:campfire: :coffee:
Bow Arrows Quiver, Pocket Knife. But I only have to walk out the back door to be in the deer woods.
QuoteOriginally posted by Mint:
Along with my bow and quiver
1. Saw
2. Headlamp
3. mainbeam flashlight
4. pull up light rope
5. knife
6. gps & compass
7. iphone
8. snack bar
9. face mask & gloves
This is exactly what I carry plus one thing more. Pruning snips.
Haversack:
Back tag
Small water bottle
Snack bag - minimal, 2 bars,apple, snickers
FAK/TP
Extra glasses
Bight eyes
Compass
Calls: bleat/grunt
Binos
Extra glove
Gut bag
Pruner
Pee bottle?
Wool pullover
Ghillie hat
Bungie cords 2
Pockets:
Walk in gloves
Gloves: full left, 2 fingerless, glove liners
Neck gaitor
Face mask
Arm guard
Glove
License
Knife
Cork
Phone
I don't go across the street without a compass. I forgot to mention I don't go across the street without a fire starter either. Where I live there is always drinking water somewhere nearby.
Buck Folding knife , Original Leatherman and Mini MagLite with LED all on on my belt,
zip lock bag with firestarters, toilet tissue and 20' of pink surveyors tape in a pocket (bag does double duty for heart and liver if I do well)
Silva Boy Scout compass,survival whistle and extra shooting glove and 30' of parachute cord in a pocket.
Optional backpack with hand axe, Camelback water reservoir, protein snack bars, digital camera, compact binoculars, paperback book .
If I am going to a known stand location I carry very little: bow, quiver, arrows, tab (2) knife, pull rope, safety harness, flashlight, compass, flagging tape, wet wipes, phone, binoculars, minimal first aid kit and water bottle. If I am carrying a stand in, I will add a saw and hand clippers. Obviously, a backpack hunt or a hunt in unknown territory requires a little more preparation and may include items that would be helpful if forced to stay overnight.
Like someone else said, I consider binoculars to be essential gear. I wear mine on a harness across my chest and use them all the time.
jmar595 for a gambrel i use a rope and a branch sharp at both ends works a treat
as for stuff to take hunting two energy bars water bow arrows knife back pack :thumbsup: thats it.
I guess i spent too many nights in the woods in nasty conditions years ago because my day pack weighs 25-30 pounds with water bottles full. i never hunt without it. Every time i leave the rig, i'm prepared to survive 3 days..... You don't want to see the list... Trust me... it's all there.
I even carry a butane pack stove & lantern, which a lot of guys think is over kill. i also line the bottom of my pack with an 8'X 8' tarp.....
Spend the night in the pouring rain on the edge of a cliff unprepared sometime and you wish to god you would have been..... i hunt some rugged country where you seldom see another hunter sometimes.
After a couple guys almost died in our elk hunting camp not being prepared, that extra weight in the pack isn't so bad really.
Wow, there's been some good stuff on here. I've noticed TP pop up on quite a few. The sharp stick is a good idea, I bought two boat hooks and took the clasp off and sharped them up. Wrapped them with a piece of pig mat and taped them up. Light and they don't clank around.
I think my list is getting lighter. This is the first season I've gotten out to the woods more than a few times, and plan to keep it up.
So far mine is,
bow
arrows (and I now have a quiver I can add to the list)
pocket knife
gut knife
camera
water bottle (flat one looks like a canteen)
(have extra water in the car waiting)
calls (deer grunt, turkey, and squirrel) I use these to help make natural sounds
deer pee (its getting into the rut now)
face mask
orange hat
orange vest
license
tags with zip ties
Granola bar, but I've ditched the plastic wrapper from the first time I went out with a NOISY bar that I couldn't eat because it was so loud. I use cloth sacks for these now.
small water filter and rollable bag for it
compass
make sure an apple or something is in the car
I have a bone saw that I can put on my belt, but just keep in the car for now
The cure for noisy wrappers is using zip lock freezer bags for trail mix, jerky, and goodies....I use a small tupperware container for my food and slip the bags inside it.
TP in a zip lock bag is definitely in there. Very valuable in the back woods. Some boys call it "Mountain money"
Bow
Safety Harness
Quiver
Fixed blade knife in sheathe
Shooting glove
Pack (gloves, extra knife, tp, tags, calls, zippo, 50' of para cord, 100' of 3/8" rope)
CCW Glock
And my Asbell jacket (maybe most important)
Bow G/N quiver with four or five arrows
Knives, usually three.
- Utility
- pig sticker
- folding Kershaw
Drag rope
Water
gloves and cap(orange)
face cover
cell phone
compass
Fanny pack with shoulder harness(tp, tags, para cord)
Hunt Government land so no CCW (XDs 3.3 .45 ACP)
Extended trips
hammock
sleeping bag
small water filter and rollable bag for it
compass
Cliff bars and snacks to get me by
Shrew hawk
Compact shears