Smallest backcountry pack

[jstone]

Ok. Say you are going deep for 5 days. And you want to go half way light. What is the smallest size pack you would take back with you? You pack in your food, cloths, bag and stuff like that. Then you kill that mule deer. But you have to bone him out to get him out. And whatever you have left? First of September time frame. So maybe just a tarp to cover yourself.?

Thanks

Jeff

[jackelope]

A 3000” pack with the ability to put meat between the frame and bag? Not with my gear but some guys can do it I bet.

[jdb]

I'd say 4500minimum

[shallowforks]

To save weight on the pack itself nowadays some guys are going with smaller bags(1800-3000) and utilizing the meat shelf between bag and frame for a lot of their gear. Downside is when you punch a tag you need that space for meat but the justification is that your making two trips now anyways. Five days or less id say you can do it with 3000cu. Might have to strap one or two things to the outside. As far as tarp goes..... not for me but go for it. Maybe try it scouting first

[kselkhunter]

If you have a pack where you can put boned out meat between frame and bag (ie Kifaru, Kuiu, etc.) then you can get it done in September with a 3000ci bag if you plan the packing well.   

Food is the hard part of the packing challenge.   Shelter/sleeping is the easy part.


25 years later....I just make two trips now with meat.   

[ridgefire]

I use a dt2 with a guide lid and grab it for pretty much everything. I  believe it's about 6200ci. Light small enough, big enough and lightweight enough for all my hunts.

[blackveltbowhunter]

Tons of variables in the equation.  Like KS said shelter and sleep system are easy to pare.down weight and space wise.  I have used a tarp or fast fly set up along with bivy sacks alot. But i am confident in forcasted weather, and the longest trip with them is 3ish days. Anything longer I prefer  tent. Use either option prior to commiting to see if you are comfortable with the limitations.

Clothes and food are gonna be huge. Again expected weather will be a big factor, but individual tolerance is another. I am ok rationing food to exactly what I need daily and dice rolling on some clothing items if needed. But some folks enjoy snacks and an extra layer in the AM or evening and that keeps them hunting longer and harder.

IF you have dialed in your sleep and shelter system, and are going minimalist on clothes, food. And have a quality kill kit and daypack setup.  3000 is very doable. But all meat will be in shelf so make sure the pack is able to be setup that way. If looking to pack all together, 4500 to 5000.

[X-Force]

Last year opening weekend of Archery elk i went in with a kifaru native, 2 medium belt pouches and a cargo net (probably 1,500 ci of actual bag space). It wasn’t what I would consider as ideal but with a 3 mile hike to camp and hunting every day out of camp it was capable and was pretty sweet in daypack mode. The bag, net and frame would have no problem taking out camp and a deer in one load with that setup.

An ideal setup for me is a Mystery Ranch Crew Cab, which is probably my favorite bag of all time or a Kifaru Fulcrum. Both bags collapse down tight and get as big as you will ever want.

[banishd]

You need a good frame if you want any sort of comfort packing out meat. A smaller bag on a good frame wont save you much in weight but will limit flexibility. You ever have to pack up quickly you will appreciate having a little extra room to just throw it in rather than having to carefully pack your bag. A 5000ci bag with a meat shelf can still be cinched down pretty compactly if you have more bag than you need. 3000ci with a shelf may work for you but would definitely use a dry bag for gear in the shelf. I second getting year gear dialed in really well. I can pack for wet cold weather with a 4 man tipi and stove and be ok with pack space. Just ditch the lid or some pockets for shorter trips or good weather.  I run a kifaru cargo panel with guide lid and 55L dry bag.

[Skyvalhunter]

Don't be disappointed if you don't get a deer in your Sept time frame. Just enjoy being out there.

[Magnum_Willys]

Meat between frame and bag is a given so its just how big of bag for 5 days and the weight difference between a 3000 and 5500 bag is ounces.    5000 sensible minimum for comfortable sleeping.    Ive used 3000 and had to have stuff hanging off it.

[yakimanoob]

I'll be carrying a 60L Osprey Aether.  Because.....  that's all I've got . 


(ok not ALL i've got, but definitely a better option than my 32L daypack). 

Use what you've got and follow Skyval's advice.  Depending on where you are, don't overlook the huckleberries as a food source.  Berries are superfood.  Run the numbers on the calories you want to consume, and you'll be surprised how much weight you can save by foraging.   

[Karl Blanchard]

I'm the exact opposite.  I want the biggest pack I can get.  You can always cinch it up and make it small but you can't make a small pack big when I need it.  I've never found myself wishing I had a smaller pack.  Load slinging meat is a wasted step in my opinion so I'd suggest a quality pack in the 6k+ range.  Just my 

[opdinkslayer]

I agree with Karl. In my mind space is like clothing, lots of options when you have extra of both. Light quality gear in a big pack is way better than heavy junk in a small one.

[boneaddict]

I'm the exact opposite.  I want the biggest pack I can get.  You can always cinch it up and make it small but you can't make a small pack big when I need it.  I've never found myself wishing I had a smaller pack.  Load slinging meat is a wasted step in my opinion so I'd suggest a quality pack in the 6k+ range.  Just my 

DITTO.  Go big or stay home.