2018 High Buck PACK SHAKEDOWN

[blackveltbowhunter]

  The spotter I would leave as well. And tripod, If your going after anything legal it wont help much.

Some of these other cuts seem insane. Dental floss has multiple uses, not to mention it is nice to have for its intended use and take up no space and truly insignificant in weight IMO. If cutting a few ounces in glasses do go with the sunglases. I dont use prescription lenses, but if I did there is no doubt I would be packing a spare in case something happened to the primary system. I always have a spare release, Its worth a few ounces not to have your hunt over because of something simple like that. Glasses break, contacts can fall out, get lost or get irritated.  When it comes to saving weight at times the GIF can get the better of sound judgment.

[Karl Blanchard]

Few random thoughts on this stuff from a guy who spends 50+ days a year living out of a backpack and packing out a dozen plus animals a year.  I've learned all this stuff the hard way and wish I would have had someone 15 years ago to drop some wisdom on me.

Packs:  regardless of what you have, fit it properly and learn the proper way to put it on.  I see so many people who bypass this step and then wonder why they get hotspots or sore shoulders.  Just last night I watched a video of a couple guys hunting.  These dudes LITERALLY SELL several lines of packs and both had packs way out of adjustment. 

Food:  pack what you are going to enjoy eating.  Some stuff may not hit the calorie content that the internet tells you it has to have but by God you can eat it day in and day out it will be more beneficial than the calorie dense food you hate after two days and end up not eating.  If you don't eat it then it's worth zero calories and hurts you mentally

Weight: I stopped weighing my stuff years ago.  Don't really care honestly.  I've gone ultra light and its not for me. I pack what I want and what I need, weight be damned.   I want good food, coffee, and I wanna sleep good.  If that comes at a weight penalty then I'll do a few extra squats and lunges.  The guy who struggles with a 50lb pack is gonna struggle with a 40lb pack.  Get some weight on your back and make your lungs burn a bit  before season and a few extra pounds is a non issue.

Mental toughness:  if you don't have some grit, it doesn't matter what your pack weighs or what gear you have, you will fail and you will come off the mountain early.  When it gets hard, lonely, or boring, attack the issue.  Always keep stepping!  Physically and mentally. It won't kill you.  Unless you walk off a cliff or mauled by a bear.  Then it will kill you


Like others have said, overall you've got a pretty good list going.  With time you'll figure out what you need/don't need. 

[PlateauNDN]

That's easy to say for a guy who's past pack mule and chases mt goats around a ridge for fun.

[fillthefreezer]

I will echo a lot of blsckvelvets post. Your list looks pretty good. Nothing thats going to make or break. You'll find your groove on what you need and don't. I've gone down the ultralight ounce counting road and I've kept some of the items and philosophy, but gone away in other areas as it just doesn't matter that much if I'm 42, 45, or 48#, for gods sake I'm a 200+ pound man, not a dainty thru hiker😂😉

A couple things to think about.. if your pants get soaked, and you're moving, you're fine. Otherwise crawl In your sleeping bag or don your rain pants. I'd be more inclined to bring a pair of shorts as 2nd bottoms. No longjohns for me. Folding knife and a replaceable blade knife, no multi tool. I prefer a 2nd headlamp (petzl e-lite) to spare batteries

[Branden]

I’m surprised so many are suggesting to leave the spotter home. One reason I cut weight in some areas is so I can carry the best glass available to me. Last high country hunt I did I packed in 10x32’s, 15x56’s, and a 20-60x80 spotter. I also killed my best buck.

For me I would not be able to hunt mule deer in the high country without a spotter. First high hunt I did my dad killed a buck I spotted a couple miles away. It was a 6 mile stalk to get on top of it. We wouldn’t have hiked around to it if we didn’t know it was a buck. Which without the spotter we couldn’t.

Regards, Branden

[jjhunter]

 

[blackveltbowhunter]

I agree with you Branden. Good glass is huge. However I have looked through the scope he is packing and for ME it does not show enough detail to assist much in counting points at ranges where it's gonna save alot of walking. Or offer enough eye relief to be tied to it for extended periods of time. It would help in picking apart some smaller  canyons, but if you can set up the binos solidly I think I would make do. For the OP he is saying he will kill any legal buck, so a good frame at 2 miles is gonna be worth the walk. The only scenario I see that scope helping is to put a bonus point on a fork horn. And I would need to be close enough that it likely wouldn't matter. But The OP knows the equipment limitations better to than me

[Shawn Ryan]

Branden, you are correct about the calories/ounce.  Research today tells me that my "heavy" trail mix has more calories/ounce than my freeze dried Mt. House lasagna.  I'm still not too old to learn more, I guess.  (I'll still be eating the lasagna, however.)  Thanks for saying.

My highest calories/ounce food is macadamia nuts at 235 calories/ounce.

[yakimanoob]

Thanks for all the feedback folks, keep it coming.  My parents are visiting from Alabama so I haven't had time to properly respond but I will. 

[WA1232]

I've left a spotter at home to cut weight before, and regretted it the whole trip! I use my spotter all the time in the high country.

[Colville]

OK, y'all sold me on dropping the leatherman.  I'll carry my regular pocket knife (which can't weigh more than 1/3 the leatherman) and the gerber vitals.

I'm surprised how many folks don't carry an extra set of clothes.  Coming from backpacking, that's always been a bit of a golden rule to ward off hypothermia.  I'll have to chew on that idea. 

I'm late but you prefaced by 5 miles?  You are 2 hours from the car. Duplicate clothing for survival?? Why, if crap is on the fan, just walk out. Pack up and go, your body heat is plenty for the trip.

[addicted]

Gear is reliable enough these days that the only back-ups in my pack are the firestarters and headlamp.

As previously stated wool underwear and socks will last three days. If it's super killer hiking maybe a second pair of socks to get some cushion back after a couple days.

Pay attention and layer and strip without delay so that you don't need extra clothes. It's downright dumb and dangerous to sweat up your clothes or neglect to put on your rain gear ASAP.

Your phone on airplane and power save mode should last 5-7 days in good working order if you aren't playing angry birds so ditch the charger and heck, that's a big charger. You'll still be able to take a few pictures a day too

You don't have to be talked out of the Leatherman, just make sure it has the right tools to fix your scope rings and any nuts or bolts on your pack.

Boned out deer can fit in a few small light game bags.

[addicted]

 :And ditch the trowel, kick a hole with your boot.

When I'm on mountain house I go through 4 liters a day pacing myself... So maybe a bigger platypus

[yakimanoob]

I'm late but you prefaced by 5 miles?  You are 2 hours from the car. Duplicate clothing for survival?? Why, if crap is on the fan, just walk out. Pack up and go, your body heat is plenty for the trip.

You're not wrong.  I guess I was thinking more along the lines of getting hit with a rainstorm and then a cold morning of glassing the following day -- I'd sure be thankful for that set of dry pants.  I hear the argument for careful use of rainpants to avoid that scenario though.  Still chewing on the idea...

[yakimanoob]

On the spotter:

This is a bit of an unknown for me, as I haven't had the time to do any proper scouting this year.  Hopefully I'll have a chance to get both my binos and the spotter on a bull or buck before season and compare the level of detail I can see.  If it's close, the spotter will likely stay home. 

My next big upgrade (which may happen next year or the year after) is to get one of the little Vortex Razor 11-33x spotters.  I have enough high country experience to know that little guy could save me a LOT of walking.