I don't like the idea of carrying  a lot of unnecessary stuff when hunting. The partials I hunt are from 40-15,000 acres. I do wear a 3,400 cu backpack to carry my ghillie, chair and a few essentials. I only ground hunt nowadays .

I'm interested in hearing what minimalist gear you take .

For those 40 to 100 acre parcel hunts I carried a fanny pack. It held all I needed, spare knife, gloves for gutting, plastic bags. Carried an engery bar or 2. Carried at least one canteen of water. Looking at my "handle " you can understand why I am a minimalist. The gun weighted 26#'s or so, each box of 100 rounds was about 7#'s. I carried 2 plus 1 on the gun. I see these folks at 3D shoots with backpacks like I used to hike the mountains with and thought they were going on a long hunt and wanted to get into condition. Not the case in 99% of them, I asked. Just shake my head and carry on.

Minimalist describes me perfectly........all I do thesedays is chase the local whitetails around home, so only thing extra I carry is a small flashlight---it's all I need.

One thing I won't be without because of these guys is a handgun.

My ASL, side quiver with arrows, withy Grayl, binos and tags, knife in pocket

I don't really pack differently for woodlot vs big country or a few hours vs all day.  Pretty much need the same gear either way.  A medium size day pack handles all I need. For half-day sits, I include a small thermos and a few cookies.  For an all-day western Hunt, it's extra water and granola. Don't usually pack extra clothes unless I know it's going to rain. Always carry binos around my neck. Have taken to carrying a small tree sling (Less than 1#) for spur of the moment sits.     

This was my kit when I went elk hunting in the San Juan Mountains above Durango, CO in 2010. I had everything I needed for a day out. I brought the Primitive Archer magazine because it had the article I wrote for Primitive Archer Magazine about a sinew bow I built for my first trip out there in 2006, "The Story of Elkie".

Bison Gear day pack,tree seat,back quiver or GFA side quiver

Majority of my hunting these days is on my farm or a friends. Never more than 3/4 mile from home or truck. I use a haversack and have for a lot of years. It has a knife, small folding saw, pruners, flashlight, gloves for field dressing, turkey calls, and maybe a length of cord. I can just pick it up and sling it over my shoulder and I'm gone along with my bow and binos.

These days I use my SlingPack, and I have to be careful not to overload it. On Day #1 of the season, it is pretty packed.

By the 3rd week, I pretty much whittle it down to:

CATT Tourniquet
Drag rope
Knife
Blood trail tape
Compass
Leatherman Tool
Headlamp x2

I still use the SlingPack, because I may stuff a jacket or vest into it.

I suppose if you were hunting a small area in relatively flat terrain that had good phone service you could hunt pretty light safely. But what i find weird is not one person mentioned having a good first aid kit.

I was always the guy that never went off the road without a 20 pound day pac. my hunting buddy's ribbed me for years about it. But the country we hunted was seriously steep and very remote. No phone service where i hunted, and i most always hunted solo. After spending a few nights in the woods in the pouring rain. i always went prepared after that.  We had a system where everyone knew where the other guys were hunting each day, and where to go looking if they didn't show up. we also carried radios for emergency's too.

My list of essential items for a day hunt exceeds a lot of guys going for planned overnight trips with the exception of a sleeping bag and tent. but i always had a tarp and emergency blankets in the bottom of my day pack. i basically don't believe in minimalistic hunting gear. Chit happens...

I'm a tree stand guy, my mobile setup weighs 16# and can double as a pack frame. I wear the harness and carry a first aid kit with emergency blankets 6x6 tarp, compass, knife, pull cord, linesman rope doubles as a drag rope. In total this is eighteen lbs with tree stand and sticks making up most of it.

If Im on a smaller farm , and an hours walk or so from the car ..... its a bow,  back quiver , knife and torch , snake bandage in summer ....

anything further out and I carry a possible pouch or small back pack - poncho, 1st aid kit , thermos , water , snacks , spare woollen thermal shirt , spare tab , string , Leatherman , firestarting stuff


But in general I carry the bare minimum .... way less gear than I had started dragging around . I started hunting with a bow , knife , arrows .... getting back to it

Every year there are new stories of a hunter, berry picker, day hiker that gets lost, or injured and some are found after a few days, carried out, or airlifted to safer ground. Unless your hunting the same area, you might carry a topographical map, compass, GPS, fire starter, matches, mirror, satellite phone, transistor radio, batteries, first aid kit, rain gear, space age blanket, tarp, etc. Tell someone where your are going and when you will return, or leave a note at home or in your vehicle.

Quote from: Kirkll on February 18, 2026, 02:00:30 PMI suppose if you were hunting a small area in relatively flat terrain that had good phone service you could hunt pretty light safely. But what i find weird is not one person mentioned having a good first aid kit.

I was always the guy that never went off the road without a 20 pound day pac. my hunting buddy's ribbed me for years about it. But the country we hunted was seriously steep and very remote. No phone service where i hunted, and i most always hunted solo. After spending a few nights in the woods in the pouring rain. i always went prepared after that.  We had a system where everyone knew where the other guys were hunting each day, and where to go looking if they didn't show up. we also carried radios for emergency's too.

My list of essential items for a day hunt exceeds a lot of guys going for planned overnight trips with the exception of a sleeping bag and tent. but i always had a tarp and emergency blankets in the bottom of my day pack. i basically don't believe in minimalistic hunting gear. Chit happens...

CATT was the first thing on my list. Bleeding to death 900 yards from the truck is a dumb way to die.

All good things to pack a long.
But.... nobody has mentioned the ONE thing I will not go hunting without..Toilet paper!

Everything I hunt is 40-300 acre parcels in Central Ohio.

I usually don't take a pack for my 1/2 day sits. Everything fits on my person.

My "rig":

* Tall-tines recurve
* Bow quiver
* Handmade finger tab
* 3-leg portable stool
* Granola bar (a.k.a "old-lady bar" as my kids call it)
* Water
* Binos with a string (as recommended by Fred Asbell)
* Stetson felt hat or beanie (depending on the weather)
* Phone
* Wallet with signed permission slips (you never know when the khaki pants will show up)

Everything else is back in the Jeep and I'll walk back if I _need_ it; things like knife kit, lunch, TP (playing with fire, I know).

I use a day pack if I plan on doing all day sits, it's just a canvas backpack. I'll add the items I usually keep in the Jeep, a small emergency kit, and some extra base layers/socks, and a book (if the weather's alright).

90% of the time - Lock on,/saddle, headlamp, trim saw under the seat, bow rope, pocket knife, tree tether, Bow/Arrows. If I will be going for the day - Ill add a small battery charger for cell phone, pack of crackers, and some water. Strap water to lock on, put the other items in my pocket.

Quote from: Terry Lightle on February 18, 2026, 07:30:38 AMBison Gear day pack,tree seat,back quiver or GFA side quiver

What seat are you carrying ? I'm curious as I ground hunt only

GFA quiver with 3 arrows and a spare string, sheath knife and an Asbell wool vest incase it gets cold near sunset.
Oh and a canteen of water.