$50 a pound - anyone know how to backpack "lightly" ?

[BradLantz]

I've got an elk hunt planned this fall. I just got a new 2 pound 7 counce bag (my old one was 4 pounds 12 ounces) - $100 for that bag, so its costing me about $50 a pound to drop in backpack weight   :eek:  

Okay, not THAT bad - but realistically, on a backpack in hunt, I'm wondering if I can take in enough for 6-7 days and get below 40 Pounds total weight ?

Anyone else here bivy or backpack into wilderness areas ? I take no GPS, no bino's ..... I try to trim weight everywhere I can. My tent is an REI nitelite I think its names, about 5 pounds

[killinstuff]

40 pounds is pretty lite, but if you like oatmeal three times a day for seven days why not. But what if you kill an elk? Your loads out are going to be a whole lot more then 40pounds so going in with a 60 pound pack doesn't seem so heavy.

[pintail_drake2004]

Smart wool socks, Ex Officio "Give-n-Go" boxers. They both wick away moisture. And the boxers can be washed by hand and dry in less than 2 min. I took a couple of pair on a 2 week trip with my Forestry class to the MN Boundary Waters. you could wash them, swing them around and put them on in no time. Kept alot of bulk out of  my pack. The smart wool socks/liners are great. I do alot of trompin through the woods and they keep your feet dry even in heavy boots.
What kinda of meals are you taking? from our trips we have come up with alot of lil things to save bulk and weight.
Light weight sleeping bags weigh only a couple of ounces which are OK. Light weight tents are good too. Heck a tarp could be substituted for a tent.
Flash lights can be heavy, take a cheap LED clip on (the type w/ 3 lights) to put on your hat. A heavy duty Trash bag (lawn bags) make good rain gear and are only a few ounces compared to a pound or more for a poncho.
Ill see if i can go through my records and come up with some more of the things my bro and i did to save bulk and weight on our trips. Being gone for 2 weeks at a time and having to hike w/ full gear with the rest of the class several miles every day we wanted as light as possible but as comfortable as possible.

[ron w]

small stuff like cutting the handel of your tooth brush in half, taking a spork instead of silverware. all this seems silly but it makes a differance.

[Dave2old]

Brad -- Just my day hunting pack (an old Dwight Schuh which empty weighs 5 pounds), with everything I need to care for meat, runs 30-35 pounds. That's the rub with backpack hunting -- on top everything you need to camp safely, you have all your hunting and meat-care stuff. I did an opening weekend backpack solo hunt last year and my load weighed precisely 50lbs., with the daypack tied on top the backpack/meat frame. I carried cheap freeze-dried food from Walmart (as good as more expensive brands in fact), a water filter bottle which is lighter and handier than a pump filter, a small pot to boil water for coffee and food and a plastic insulated cup for eating and drinking. You can get a couple more pounds off your tent, if you want to spend more $$$. My heavy items are the two big heavy cotton elk game bags I always carry, which will hold an entire elk quartered and thick enough to hang, drag, and keep bugs and dirt off meat, my hunting pack, knives etc. And a pint of George Dickel in a plastic flask ... gotta have SOME nocturnal comforts! I'd planned to stay 4 or 5 days but some jerk on an ATV came roaring through and shut the elk up and put 'em on high alert--this is a no-ATV area but those clowns don't care. I really don't see how one guy can get much below 50lbs for several days without risking safety -- you have to have warm clothes and raingear, just in case. Find a friend to come along and split the tent and other items between you and you can probably knock another 10lbs off. But I know of no better way to slip quietly into really prime elk country than packing in alone ... just take your time and hike in uphill so you can pack the meat out downhill! dave

[Gatekeeper]

It has been awhile since I have done any backpacking but here is a list I put together a few years back. Keep in mind that this list was put together for pleasure backpacking and not for hunting.

Do an internet search for ultra light backpacking and you will probably get some hits.

The numbers are in ounces and at the bottom I show the total weights in pounds.

Top Pack                
      Lighter   1      
      B-day Candles   0.5   was 1   
      Extra Batteries   1      
      Knife   2      
      Toilet Paper   1      
               Zip-lock Bag Total   5.5


                
Middle Pack                
      Tent (1 Person)   43      
      Sleeping Bag   23      
             Sleep System   66
      Stuff Sack   4      
      Pant Legs   3      
      Heavy Socks   4      
      Light Socks   1.5      
      Long John Bottoms   7.5      
      Long John Shirt   9      
      Sweater   21      
      Gloves   1.3      
      Stocking Cap   1.9      
               Clothing Bag Total   53.15
                
      Kitchen Bag   2      
      Small Pan          
      Pot Grip          
      Stove          
      Fuel Pump          
      Lighter          
               Kitchen Bag Total   26
                
                
                
                
                
                
      Bath Bag          
      Toothpaste          
      Toothbrush          
      Soap       Powder Soap   
      Wash Cloth (Red)          
      Wash Cloth (Blue)          
               Bath Bag Total   4
                
               Food Bag   3

Bottom Pack                
      Tarp   9      
      Rope   3      
      Rain Jacket   18      
      Rain Pants   10      
      Gaiter   10      
      Pack Cover   3      
               Bottom Total   53

Side Pockets                      
      (2) Water Bottles   1.2            
      (2) Liters of Water   64            
      11 oz. Fuel Bottle   2.7            
      11 oz. of Fuel   7            
      Plastic Cup   2            
      Sleeping Pad   14            
      Headlamp   2.5      Pezel LED      
      Camera   10            
               
      Water Filter   8      Katadyn Mini      
      Frist Aid Bag   6            
               Side Pockets Total   120.4       
                      
                      
                      
                      
       Backpack   32      Golite       
                      
             Total W/O Food   363.05   Weight in lbs.   22.69063
             Total W/O Water   299.05   Weight in lbs.   18.69063
                      
                      
      Food for 5 day trip   168            
             Total W/ Food& H2O   531.05   Weight in lbs.   33.19063
                      
      Food for 3 day trip   120            
             Total W/ Food& H2O   483.05   Weight in lbs.   30.19063

[Lost Arra]

What 2.5 pound pack are you using for a 40# load and I assume to haul meat? (I'm not being a smart***, I'm really curious).    

Varying weather is my problem. Cold one day, hot the next, monsoon the next.   :(

[Tater 2]

"I took a couple of pair on a 2 week trip with my Forestry class to the MN Boundary Waters".
posted by pintail_drake2004

    Pintail,
  A summer trip to the boundry waters in no way are you carrying the gear you need to be safe at 10,000 feet in Sept in the mountains . Conditions can vary greatly you need to be prepared for sub freezing temps to 70 degree + day time temps. Mother Nature is not very forgiving.

[John Scifres]

Here's a neat resource:    Ultralight Backpacking  

A neat book is "Ultralight Backpacker" from Ryel Kestenbaum.

You can defenitely get under 40 pounds.  I'm going for a base pack of under 20 for my Idaho trip this fall.

You can do it.  Just work on it from now until then.  Make sure and practice with what you plan on using.

The big 3 are shelter, pack, and bag.  Get rid of as much stuff as you can.  Rely on yourself...not your stuff.

[John Scifres]

Your shelter is too heavy fisrt off.  I have an REI Sololite that is less than 3.

[Gatekeeper]

Originally posted by Lost Arra:
What 2.5 pound pack are you using for a 40# load and I assume to haul meat? (I'm not being a smart***, I'm really curious).      

Varying weather is my problem. Cold one day, hot the next, monsoon the next.    :(  

http://www.golite.com/product/product2.aspx?sc=112&s=1

[pintail_drake2004]

It was not a summer trip to the boundary waters, rather a fall trip. and quite cold, rained/snowed like hell and hiked in mud a foot deep up hill until the last day. I did my research on the area, got average temps and decided to go the extra weight for the comfort and take my down sleeping bag. I had it easy though, my brother was on the trip w/ me so we split alot of the gear. Since i knew what the average weather was like, i packed for it. I knew my feet would get wet, so i opted for the smart wool socks because if your feet get injured in the wilderness you could be in a world of hurt.
The weather was more of a concern than the black bears who were suprising the people on the "logan short drops"
I know the weather can change in a instant espically when you are up in the mountains, or wilderness. We had to chopper 2 people out because they did not give too much concern to what we were suppose to be doing (weather and envronment wise) and they got hurt. I would bet that what i had in my pack could keep me safe in the mountains in september for a week or longer. Because i come prepared. I was only giving some recommendations on lightweight options for a trip, not necessarily the exact gear i would carry.

[csbullseye]

I learned a long time ago backpacking into wilderness areas - ounces make pounds.

[AkDan]

I have a pack for 10 days solo, including spotting scope and tripod that is 52lbs for Dall sheep in Alaska

For 5 or 6 days I'm sure you could easily get close to 40lbs.  Two places I plan on dropping a couple pounds off that total is my tent and bag.  The tent isnt bad at 3lbs, the bag is heavy at 4lbs.

Alot of my choices depends on when I'm going, where I'm going, solo or not, and how long.  

If i was to hunt WY in sept for elk again I know I could hit 40lbs for 6 or 7 days.

But you are definatly right, it WILL cost you!

The other question is, what do you NEED, and what can you live WITHOUT for a  week.

[BradLantz]

well what will help is a buddy of mine is going with me. I'll carry 1/2 the camp weight - like the tent and he'll carry the equivalent in weight like the cook stove/tarp and so on.

I wear .... uh, panties is what my wife calls them    ... they're dinky silk-like undies. I've done quite a bit of elk hunting, we'll be about 5-6 miles from the trailhead, not a terribly long way in.

we'll be using freeze dried meals, using a jet-boil to reheat.

I've got my Schuh pack, it fits me. I can't carry a lot of weight with it, but 2 of us packing meat makes it twice as fast for sure. I'm pretty good at deboning at this point in the game  

Gatekeeper - good list. I can't take much off that to be honest. But having Joey with me will help 1/2 the neccessary stuff. I can't wait until summer to start packing/trimming etc.

I'm looking at maybe an expensive pair of lightwear footwear too. I like my Russells ... but they're heavy !

[Dave Lay]

Brad 40 lbs is a good goal, I have had trouble staying under 50 for a week, I have a hard time leaving binocs at home, If ya go with a buddy you sure need to look at sharing items, like said above every ounce counts, but dont scrimp on the essentials..

[Dave2old]

Brad -- They not great backpacking boots, since they have nearly no ankle support, but my favorite huntings boots are LL Bean Hunting Shoes. Unlined, they are scentproof, waterproof, very quiet, and if it gets cold just wear anothe rpair of socks. I wore them on the pack trip I described last year, no trubba, and since I always hunt elk in them I'm always wearing them to pack elk. Nothing I know of but mocs are lighter.

[ChuckC]

anybody camp in the mountains with just a tarp for a tent ?   What are your thoughts ?  good / bad ?
ChuckC

[AkDan]

Chuck,

I was really considering the kifaru bivy tent which is basically a tarp for a solo shelter.   Friends of mine have done it, I'd atleast like to have something big enough to close 3 ends. Problem is by the time you get a tarp big enough to do this you can buy a bivy and be "comfortable" if you will.   For nostalgias sake you could look up tarp bivy sites as there are quite a few out there.

[Lost Arra]

Kifaru paratarp (11oz). Great tarp shelter.
The open end does seem to grow when it rains hard but they sell a separate 6oz "annex" which is a door that closes it off.