Another Pack Inventory for Expert Review (getting ready for 2016!)

[kentrek]

Anyone that's done some serious drops can attest to the impact your joints take...5 pounds of waist is huge

[ctwiggs1]

Anyone that's done some serious drops can attest to the impact your joints take...5 pounds of waist is huge

 

And the majority of hunters can drop waste by working out and eating better.  Buy the fancy gear when you can afford it.  I wouldn't worry about cutting ounces when most have 20-30lbs they can drop in body weight. 

[aorams]

4 rounds of ammo seems a little light for a back country trip.  Why the bore snake?

I pack it just in case i get foreign material in the barrel.  I cover it up with electrical tape but if the moisture peels it off and leaves my barrel exposed I would have a way to clear it.  But I can't actually say that it's ever happened to me...

I ended up using this on day 4!

[aorams]

i dont know where/or seasons youre hunting but IMO your sleeping bag is inadequate. if you have pushed the limits on this bag, disregard all of this. i tend to sleep cold, but thats an EN comfort for men of 35* or so. i would suggest at the least en lower limit of 15*. keep in mind, real world backcountry factors that, even if tested in cold front porch weather, things like dehydration and vasoconstriction, lack of nutrition etc all play into making you cold.
i would also change up your food. plan to boil at night and bring something for lunch, with snacks throughout the day. short trips are easy, over 5 days lunch gets VERY boring. i make bagels with pb, bacon and honey and tortillas with string cheese salami and pepperoni.
consider one of the lens cloths that tucks inside itself to keep it clean.
i may be light on bullets, but i take a loaded mag(3) and 4 extra.
play around with using a small bungy to hold binos on your tripod head. i started with the same adapter you have, then switched to a different adapter, then was shown the bungy method and its great. maybe silk can post a pic.
for the shelter pole, consider joining a set of trekking poles, one from each man, leaves you with a pole each still. and by the time the packout comes, you can take shelter down.
overall list looks pretty dialed to me and your chosen gear should serve you well.

It snowed the first night and I was a bit cold.  i think I am going to add a second bag for colder weather to my arsenal!  Thank you

[high country]

When I plan my water, I plan for the hike up and in. The areas that I hunt have streams or springs to pull from. I carry just enough to get there safely. When I eat my mountain house meals, I wash them out and use them as water caches for later on. It makes for having a lot of water close at hand and not having to pump in therror middle of the night.....when you are all cramped up.

[Tbob]

Anybody ever try using the Aqua Mirra drops for water purification? I use them all the time. They weigh less than my small filter too. Don't have any bad tastes.. Only down side is you have to wait about 15 min to drink your water once treated.

[Boss .300 winmag]

Just take the baby wipes out of their packaging place on paper towel on counter, presto auto dehydrated.

[rosscrazyelk]

I like the info on this thread.  I am slowly making the changes I can , when money allows. ..
I for one will admit that some of my stuff is to heavy but I just grin and bear it and push on. I guess that's the mental  part someone  mentioned.

[Zuus]

I have really enjoyed this thread.
A buddy drew a goat tag this year, and didn't have a lot of experience backpacking, so I said I would help. He went through a lot of thought, tossed out a lot of niceties, and ended up right at 53 lbs including his rifle, spotting scope and binocs.
"A pound of weight on your feet is like 5 pounds on your back" This was quoted to me by an old backpacking buddy, many years ago. I weigh my boots!

He spent a bunch of money on Kuiu ultralight down gear. Very nice stuff, but spendy.
His sleep system was a hammock and quilt setup. Rained hard on him, then was sub-30's and he was quite comfortable.
Scouting ahead after doing Google earth searches helped a bunch. He knew where the water was, so could plan ahead. One drawback, a water supply that we scouted out went dry on him. But he knew where others were and was able to get by.
He found that varying his food made for more enjoyable meals. Adding sweet things like Snickers, or a cookie was worth the weight.
He did shoot his goat! And I don't know if he would change much in his pack if he was to do it again.

[high country]

Anybody ever try using the Aqua Mirra drops for water purification? I use them all the time. They weigh less than my small filter too. Don't have any bad tastes.. Only down side is you have to wait about 15 min to drink your water once treated.

They work good and don't leave an iodine flavor. Do pay attention to water temp.

[JackOfAllTrades]

Vortex Diamondback 8 x 42 with tripod adapter
Vortex Ranger

On longer hunts/hikes, I'm finding that I'm using my Leupold 1000 ranger just as much as my 10x42 Nikons. So I'm leaving the Nikons behind to save almost 2 pounds.

1 Hawks Vittles Dinner   -At up to 27ounces each, you need to watch which ones you select.
2 Justins Nut Butter Packets
1 Elk langjagers
1 Packet of dehydrated fruit
Bagel Sandwich
electrolyte tabs

I take Jerkey as it's already quite dry. Other sausages are heavier. NUTS! Trailmix! Stuff that's high in protein. That's to nibble on while on the move. Bagels and cream cheese? PEANUT Butter! Little Snickers bars   Rice is light as hell. Stovetop Stuffing, also light. Dehydrated chicken or canned chicken re-packaged in per-serving vacume bags. Dehydrated mango slices. Lipton noodle soup packets.

Jet Boil Stove(the basic one) = 15.25 ounces.  ( suppose that includes the cup?)

MSR Pocket Rocket stove = 3 ounces. (Add in the Snow Peak TI-Silicone Hybrid Cookset which gives you a pot, silicone bowl and a pan/lid for the pot. The Pocket Rocket fits inside. Epoxy the Pocket Rocket case holes and you've got a cup for tea. The pan/lid on the pot saves fuel when boiling water by keeping the heat inside) Total weight of the stove and cookset = 11 ounces.   Now that 4.25 ounce savings might not seem like much, but if you analyze all of your gear, weight savings add up. And... you get the extra cooking items that come in handy. Oh, and it's much smaller in the pack than that Jet Boil.  I also use Snow Peak Ti-Spork.

3L Camelback bladder with Sawyer inline filter

I do not use pack bladders!  Crush a 2L pop bottle to use at camp. A nalgine, couple of 20oz or 1L Dew bottles are great. I like the Nalgine since my water filter fits the top.  I agree about other comments, there is no reason to carry that much water. Know where your water sources are. Use your filter/tabs and refill when necessary.

Sawyer Filter Syringe

Too small for an extended trip. Great for just a little hike, but filling bottles for camp water would burn precious time.  I'll stick with my Katadyn Hiker Pro.

T.A.G. Bomb Bags = 10 ounces..

I'll stick with pillow cases! They breath too.

changes of socks and underwear all merino(depending on trip length)

You take more than one change of underwear? Turn them inside out.. You get an extra day. Wash the previous pair, they'll get two days to dry!

I think there's still some weight you can cut from your pack.

-Steve

[7mag.]

Vortex Diamondback 8 x 42 with tripod adapter
Vortex Ranger

On longer hunts/hikes, I'm finding that I'm using my Leupold 1000 ranger just as much as my 10x42 Nikons. So I'm leaving the Nikons behind to save almost 2 pounds.

1 Hawks Vittles Dinner   -At up to 27ounces each, you need to watch which ones you select.
2 Justins Nut Butter Packets
1 Elk langjagers
1 Packet of dehydrated fruit
Bagel Sandwich
electrolyte tabs

I take Jerkey as it's already quite dry. Other sausages are heavier. NUTS! Trailmix! Stuff that's high in protein. That's to nibble on while on the move. Bagels and cream cheese? PEANUT Butter! Little Snickers bars   Rice is light as hell. Stovetop Stuffing, also light. Dehydrated chicken or canned chicken re-packaged in per-serving vacume bags. Dehydrated mango slices. Lipton noodle soup packets.

Jet Boil Stove(the basic one) = 15.25 ounces.  ( suppose that includes the cup?)

MSR Pocket Rocket stove = 3 ounces. (Add in the Snow Peak TI-Silicone Hybrid Cookset which gives you a pot, silicone bowl and a pan/lid for the pot. The Pocket Rocket fits inside. Epoxy the Pocket Rocket case holes and you've got a cup for tea. The pan/lid on the pot saves fuel when boiling water by keeping the heat inside) Total weight of the stove and cookset = 11 ounces.   Now that 4.25 ounce savings might not seem like much, but if you analyze all of your gear, weight savings add up. And... you get the extra cooking items that come in handy. Oh, and it's much smaller in the pack than that Jet Boil.  I also use Snow Peak Ti-Spork.

3L Camelback bladder with Sawyer inline filter

I do not use pack bladders!  Crush a 2L pop bottle to use at camp. A nalgine, couple of 20oz or 1L Dew bottles are great. I like the Nalgine since my water filter fits the top.  I agree about other comments, there is no reason to carry that much water. Know where your water sources are. Use your filter/tabs and refill when necessary.

Sawyer Filter Syringe

Too small for an extended trip. Great for just a little hike, but filling bottles for camp water would burn precious time.  I'll stick with my Katadyn Hiker Pro.

T.A.G. Bomb Bags = 10 ounces..

I'll stick with pillow cases! They breath too.

changes of socks and underwear all merino(depending on trip length)

You take more than one change of underwear? Turn them inside out.. You get an extra day. Wash the previous pair, they'll get two days to dry!

I think there's still some weight you can cut from your pack.

-Steve

First of all, are you saying that you glass with your rangefinder? I really hope that's not what you're suggesting. If it is, get real.

Next, the Sawyer syringe is for backflushing the Sawyer filter, not filling anything up with it.

Pillow cases? Cotton is the devil in the backcountry. T.A.G. B.O.M.B bags out perform cotton sacks by an incredible amount. T.A.G. bags stretch yet hold their cylinder shape, so that your boned out meat doesn't end up in a giant wad in the bottom of your pack like it does with a pillow case, making for a very uncomfortable pack out. T.A.G. bags also weigh less and last longer.

[fillthefreezer]

maybe the pocket rocket setup is a weight savings over the standard(old) jetboil, but my jetboil weighs just over 7oz. not too mention how fuel efficient it is. i avg 27 boils per 110g fuel. thats enough for 2men on a long hunt. tell me when your pocket rocket does that.
glassing with a rangefinder.....
that 10oz of bomb bags is enough bags to breakdown an entire bull elk. i just weighed one crappy cotton pillow case at 3.2oz. (x6)... thats 19oz
time and time again, ive seen you post on other peoples gear list with info thats just wrong....

[aorams]

changes of socks and underwear all merino(depending on trip length)

You take more than one change of underwear? Turn them inside out.. You get an extra day. Wash the previous pair, they'll get two days to dry!

Your'e right about the extra clothes!  I never ended up changing on my trips this year.

[aorams]

that 10oz of bomb bags is enough bags to breakdown an entire bull elk.

How many do you think I will need for a deer?  I thought about taking half of them for deer and all of them for elk.