Post by: belkaholic on January 03, 2012, 11:02:15 PM
Post by: JimmyHoffa on January 03, 2012, 11:26:36 PM
Just need a pack that can carry your gear, depending on how much you want to spend on gear and what you are capable of carrying. Search some old threads on here and you will find pack arrangements of all sorts. From heavy to minimalist bivy set ups. When I started, I would guess I was around 75 lbs in a 4500 cu in pack. Now at about 40 lbs and that is good for about a week. When packing for high buck think about the difference between need and want. 'I need my multi-tool, but don't need the case. Need the rangefinder, don't need the pouch. Etc.'
Food--I now carry high calorie/high protein ready to eat stuff. No stove needed, no cookset, no cleaning dishes with food smell, etc. Peanut butter crackers are good.
Sleeping pad, and sleeping bag are what your comfortable with.
I'd suggest going to the area to scout in summer and hike it and figure out what gear is working and what isn't. Not all packs are created equal--I have a daypack that causes hip pain at ten pounds, but my big pack is fine even at 75 lbs.
Post by: huntnnw on January 03, 2012, 11:39:15 PM
I have a MSR whisperlite and one light weight pot..a purify bottle and bring a empty plastic bottle to filter water into. ramen noodles and oatmeal are light
Post by: longashes on January 04, 2012, 08:17:31 AM
Post by: hillbillyhunting on January 04, 2012, 08:32:10 AM
Keep you eye out for a good water source. Some high hunts put you above the water line. I spent two days on one such hunt before finding water, and I gained a real appreciation for how important a cool cup of water really is!
:yeah:
last year we were about 3 hrs round trip for water.
Also, I really appreciate freeze dried dinners. They are filling and give you all the calories you need. Plan on eating a 2 serving pack to yourself every night. I work hard in the high country and need as many calories as I can get. I have tried to only bring one meal for every 2 nights with ramen to supplement, but when up there I would pay $20 for another freeze dried meal.
Post by: Colville on January 04, 2012, 01:02:57 PM
Water on the both sides of the lake can be a problem up high. Be prepared to know where last water was and gather gallons of the stuff for your high camp if it's not near a source.
Get fit. Seriously fit. Everything in the area is steeperncrap. If you come in from lake side it's brutal up hill no matter what direction you chose to go. Be prepared for rotten wet weather. Bivy/tarp camps are great on the weight but tough on the soul if the weather is terrible and you're even money to have at least some crap weather in any given high hunt season. To that end, if you are going to go UL, you can't get anything dry. Therefore, everything you have has to be waterproof. If the temps drop to mid 40's pizzing sideways rain and you cant get boots/pants/socks dry with heat, it's a misserable situation. Sleeping bags need either waterproof shells or need a bag cover. A wet sack liner for your backpack is also a good idea. I have a 70 L one for mine. A pack rain cover, also a good idea. On the other hand it can be damn near 80 and you'd better be prepared to get boned meat to a creek if temps are soaring.
I personally would go nuts eating unheated food for 5+ days though it is doable. I think the 1 lb+ for a fuel cook system and only one pot for two guys adds a ton of comfort relative to the weight expense. Pocket rocket, fuel, 1.5 litter pot.
If you can leave the 10 days open and chose your hunt based on weather, that might save aggrivation. Deer aren't thick. Be prepared to do a bunch of off trail and to climb into some smallish tough pockets where others aren't willing. Bring 2 lbs of food/day and eat it or you're going to run down fast. Know in advance that most of your locations are going to be a combination of so far and so much gain that realistically, it's 2 guys for one deer. Have a good sense of humor. You'll need it.
Post by: logan on January 04, 2012, 01:28:46 PM
Post by: HUNTINCOUPLE on January 04, 2012, 01:51:03 PM
Post by: fillthefreezer on January 04, 2012, 01:54:00 PM
Know in advance that most of your locations are going to be a combination of so far and so much gain that realistically, it's 2 guys for one deer.any further advice to elaborate if a solo trip is planned?
Post by: Colville on January 04, 2012, 02:54:27 PM
If I were greater than 5 miles I'd be planning on as UL a camp as i can muster. Then if successful a massive pack but moving very slowly. If notably father than 5 miles maybe taking 2 days in one trip out. Otherwise I'd be planning on less than 5 miles. Having hunted around lake Chelan, i'd want no part of taking out HALF a load down to the lake only to have to go back up 5000 feet to do it again. Hunting up from the lake is no joke. The reality is though that a really massive old deer could be more meat than you can carry in one trip no matter how you slice it. Have a saw! Even if you keep the cape you can't afford the weight of the head on a long distance solo.
Post by: Rainier10 on January 04, 2012, 03:32:24 PM
Good luck and be prepared.
Post by: romaknows on January 04, 2012, 03:37:48 PM
Post by: Pathfinder101 on January 04, 2012, 04:08:16 PM
Post by: jaymark6655 on January 04, 2012, 04:27:57 PM
The first year I hiked into areas in the dark and left after dark. I carried a bare frame pack with some rope, hatchet, knife, gps, camelbak, compass, map, first aid kit, rifle, 40 rounds and a jacket.
The second year I planned to stay the whole high season.
I had the same stuff that I carried the first year plus a small BP tent (fits one person or two midgets), a change of cloths, extra socks, 3 PB&J sandwhiches per day, 1 lb of jerky per day, water filter. I swear even this small amount of gear made my pack come close to 60 pounds so start hiking now, if you get a deer your pack might be over 100 pounds or you will be making two trips.
Two things I learned:
Even 3 liters of water weighs a ton after climbing up some hills and after dark it is really easy to get bored just sitting by or in the tent waiting for the next days hunt. Other than the extreme boredom at night (which caused me to come home early) the trip was awesome. Oh yeah and TP some reason I always forget that stuff.
Post by: bullcanyon on January 04, 2012, 04:47:48 PM
Post by: jaymark6655 on January 04, 2012, 04:50:40 PM
40rds?? You can't have any confidence in your shooting ability. Wow. Thats a lot weight right there.
It was more incase I got lost or something else bad happened.
Post by: 400out on January 04, 2012, 04:51:11 PM
Post by: hillbillyhunting on January 04, 2012, 05:19:06 PM
The first year I hiked into areas in the dark and left after dark. I carried a bare frame pack with some rope, hatchet, knife, gps, camelbak, compass, map, first aid kit, rifle, 40 rounds and a jacket.
:chuckle: :chuckle: :dunno:
Post by: jaymark6655 on January 04, 2012, 05:27:38 PM
Post by: summit creek on January 05, 2012, 07:29:06 AM
Post by: Rainier10 on January 05, 2012, 07:34:32 AM
horses wall tent woodstove food beer!!!I used to hunt with a guy that had your same list but his order of importance was reversed.
Post by: hillbillyhunting on January 05, 2012, 07:35:19 AM
horses wall tent woodstove food beer!!!
One year we were camping about 12-13 miles back and found three Busch lights. We figured they were left by bear hunters. We drank them on like our 6th day when our spirits were low. BEST BEERS I HAVE EVER HAD!
Post by: Chesapeake on January 05, 2012, 11:04:29 AM
Its way easier to pack a small platypus bag of your choice of spirit. More bang for the weight also.
Of the 4 deer we've taken on the High Buck, the younger ones boned out at 60 and the larger older ones were about 80 pounds. It would be a good idea to hunt 2 guys, planning on 1 deer.
Instead of PB and J you could do PB and Bacon for more calories.
As far as "food, water, tents, clothing, ect.."
Food: I take a bit over a pound a day of food looking for calories and some flavor/texture. You could go all freeze dried and be light, but it would suck. Food is great comfort and can keep spirits up when weather is bad. Example: A roll of bagels, ziplock of almond butter, couple packs of tuna sandwich spread, Mt house meal per diner, few packs of Idahoan instant spuds, several Cliff bars per day, a big bag of trail mix, jerky, gel energy shots, crystal light or other drink mixes, bag of dried fruit, several of the mustard and mayo pouches from the deli, small bottle of olive oil, small shaker of pepper spice blend, ect... I devide all my stuff into per day portions. It helps keep me on schedule with calorie intake. I cook my stuff with the Jetboil titanium. I used the standard Jetboil for years also.
Water: I carry a filter, a big (few gallon) Platypus bag, 1 2 liter pouch, 1, 1.8 liter blader, and a small ~ 20 oz pouch for mixed drinks. Depending on where I know water is I might go in with more or less water. I always have the bladder full ( I drink it each day) and may carry and extra liter in the 2 liter pouch for cooking dinner/breakfast. I use the big bag and 2 liter pouch for transporting water from the source to camp. This allows me to do a few days between water runs if camp isnt neer water.
Tents: We use the Mega-light, or the TiGoat 6 man TP. Basicaly you need light weight, with room for gear and cooking when your socked in with sleet and rain. I also carry a UL bivey and tarp as part of my day/spike/emergency gear.
Clothing: I use the Kuiu attack pants, or Sitka ascent pants, a marino base layer, fleece mid layer jacket, primaloft puff jacket, and a water proof shell top and bottom. I bring 2 base tops, several pairs of socks and skivies, wool gloves, beanie, gaitors, stiff waterproof hiking boots, ect. The weather will swing from freezing at night to 70 and sunny mid afternoon with some rain, snow, and sleet thrown in for good measure. You need enough to be warm and dry sitting stationary while glassing in a snow flurry, but also need to be able to strip down to a T-shirt and pants for hot hiking.
Sleeping: I use a Neo air pad, 40° synthetic bag, Sea to summit bag liner, and UL bivey. I can use it all for below freezing stuff or leave out the bivey or liner for warmer stuff.
I dont take any cotton or down. Stuff gets wet and its hard to dry on a mountain at tree line in September. I always have rain gear top and bottom. I've never yet made a high hunt without rain. I dont wear an insulating bottom layer. Pants and rain pants are all I've ever needed, YMMV. Gaitors are a must for me. The brush is always soaked with dew in the mornings or rain. Waterproof boots are a must. Wet frozen boots in the morning suck.
Bring a few LED head lamps and batteries. The new super bright ones are nice for finding trails and your way in the dark. First aid kit, fire starting stuff, GPS, locator beacon, cell phone, hygene gear, knife, 550 cord, game bags, bino's, spotter ect.................
Seems my pack is always right around 50 pounds going in, often 80+ on the way out. Get in shape, it makes the trip much more fun when its not a death march.
Post by: hillbillyhunting on January 05, 2012, 11:44:52 AM
I've never found full beers, but I've found half melted cans in fire pits. I was always amazed folks were willing to pack them that far, and yet still too lazy to pack out the trash. But then I also find it ironic finding Power bar and Cliff bar wrapers along hiking trails.
Its way easier to pack a small platypus bag of your choice of spirit. More bang for the weight also.
Of the 4 deer we've taken on the High Buck, the younger ones boned out at 60 and the larger older ones were about 80 pounds. It would be a good idea to hunt 2 guys, planning on 1 deer.
Instead of PB and J you could do PB and Bacon for more calories.
As far as "food, water, tents, clothing, ect.."
Food: I take a bit over a pound a day of food looking for calories and some flavor/texture. You could go all freeze dried and be light, but it would suck. Food is great comfort and can keep spirits up when weather is bad. Example: A roll of bagels, ziplock of almond butter, couple packs of tuna sandwich spread, Mt house meal per diner, few packs of Idahoan instant spuds, several Cliff bars per day, a big bag of trail mix, jerky, gel energy shots, crystal light or other drink mixes, bag of dried fruit, several of the mustard and mayo pouches from the deli, small bottle of olive oil, small shaker of pepper spice blend, ect... I devide all my stuff into per day portions. It helps keep me on schedule with calorie intake. I cook my stuff with the Jetboil titanium. I used the standard Jetboil for years also.
Water: I carry a filter, a big (few gallon) Platypus bag, 1 2 liter pouch, 1, 1.8 liter blader, and a small ~ 20 oz pouch for mixed drinks. Depending on where I know water is I might go in with more or less water. I always have the bladder full ( I drink it each day) and may carry and extra liter in the 2 liter pouch for cooking dinner/breakfast. I use the big bag and 2 liter pouch for transporting water from the source to camp. This allows me to do a few days between water runs if camp isnt neer water.
Tents: We use the Mega-light, or the TiGoat 6 man TP. Basicaly you need light weight, with room for gear and cooking when your socked in with sleet and rain. I also carry a UL bivey and tarp as part of my day/spike/emergency gear.
Clothing: I use the Kuiu attack pants, or Sitka ascent pants, a marino base layer, fleece mid layer jacket, primaloft puff jacket, and a water proof shell top and bottom. I bring 2 base tops, several pairs of socks and skivies, wool gloves, beanie, gaitors, stiff waterproof hiking boots, ect. The weather will swing from freezing at night to 70 and sunny mid afternoon with some rain, snow, and sleet thrown in for good measure. You need enough to be warm and dry sitting stationary while glassing in a snow flurry, but also need to be able to strip down to a T-shirt and pants for hot hiking.
Sleeping: I use a Neo air pad, 40° synthetic bag, Sea to summit bag liner, and UL bivey. I can use it all for below freezing stuff or leave out the bivey or liner for warmer stuff.
I dont take any cotton or down. Stuff gets wet and its hard to dry on a mountain at tree line in September. I always have rain gear top and bottom. I've never yet made a high hunt without rain. I dont wear an insulating bottom layer. Pants and rain pants are all I've ever needed, YMMV. Gaitors are a must for me. The brush is always soaked with dew in the mornings or rain. Waterproof boots are a must. Wet frozen boots in the morning suck.
Bring a few LED head lamps and batteries. The new super bright ones are nice for finding trails and your way in the dark. First aid kit, fire starting stuff, GPS, locator beacon, cell phone, hygene gear, knife, 550 cord, game bags, bino's, spotter ect.................
Seems my pack is always right around 50 pounds going in, often 80+ on the way out. Get in shape, it makes the trip much more fun when its not a death march.
Do you use the floor with your mega-light? Have you had it in high winds? snow? heavy rain?
Post by: NW-GSP on January 05, 2012, 12:16:55 PM
Post by: BuckHunter23 on January 05, 2012, 12:39:49 PM
Post by: Chesapeake on January 05, 2012, 12:43:50 PM
Do you use the floor with your mega-light? Have you had it in high winds? snow? heavy rain?
I own the floor, used it one time. Usualy just carry a piece of Tyvek or similar to toss under the air mattres. No need for a full floor. Had it in maybe 60 MPH or so weather. I dont purposely set it out where it will get the full brunt of the wind, but sometimes your limited by flat spots. We have guy out loops sewn into the seams at mid point on the side panels. TiGoat will do it, or you could do it yourself. They take the wind, snow and rain amazingly well. We've slept 3 before, but really its a 2 man tent.
Post by: belkaholic on January 05, 2012, 07:47:18 PM
Post by: GHETTO GUIDE on January 05, 2012, 09:22:32 PM
Post by: high country on January 05, 2012, 09:46:40 PM
Post by: Chesapeake on January 06, 2012, 10:09:34 AM
I also use trecking poles and a self built scabbard for the rifle.
"where people are not" is a relative term. You will find that distance from the trail head isnt necesarilly the secret. The trails wander all around the wilderness. You can hike 10 miles down a ridge just to end up at the top of a bowl with an Outfitter set up in the bottom of it. Pre season scouting will show you where the hikers go, but not necesarily the hunters. But it is somewhat easy to identify hunters by the camp sites they leave. You can often get an idea if an area is hunted by looking at and for camp sites on your scouting trips.
The crest trail seems to get hikers all year. As do some of the easy to get to day hike type trails.High mountain lakes are a people magnets.
Be fully prepared to arrive at the trail head and see several vehicles. Also be prepared to hike in several miles just to have other hunters already there, or show up around the weekend. Have a plan A, B, C and D camping spot, as well as hunting spots. Dont expect to be all alone in the wilderness with no other hunters in sight. And dont get discuraged if other hunters show up. Its pretty small odds that you will find a place to be alone in.
Post by: Pathfinder101 on January 06, 2012, 11:00:24 AM
40rds?? You can't have any confidence in your shooting ability. Wow. Thats a lot weight right there.
It was more incase I got lost or something else bad happened.
Like maybe the marmot version of a zombie-apocalypse, or a rampaging herd of angry bears.... :dunno:
Post by: hillbillyhunting on January 06, 2012, 11:23:00 AM
40rds?? You can't have any confidence in your shooting ability. Wow. Thats a lot weight right there.
It was more incase I got lost or something else bad happened.
Like maybe the marmot version of a zombie-apocalypse, or a rampaging herd of angry bears.... :dunno:
Grey jays steeling all of your food needed to survive? Nuclear holocaust while in the wilderness and disconnected from society? :dunno:
Post by: JimmyHoffa on January 06, 2012, 11:44:04 AM
Post by: belkaholic on January 07, 2012, 05:56:00 PM
Post by: longknife on January 07, 2012, 06:15:54 PM
The last time Loui went in , he went alone, and had a horse roll over him, and broke his hip. The man rode the whole way out from ______ lake! Search and rescue met him at the bottom of the mountain. I heard the story again from the same med team in my daughters hunters ed class, odd how people make their marks in this world.
Toughest sob i ever met!
R.I.P my friend!
Very unforgiving up there, but understand the love for the high country!
Post by: fillthefreezer on January 07, 2012, 08:15:45 PM
my next thing i am working on is a good map. am i missing something or is Chelan the closest high buck hunt to puyallup? what are trecking poles, megalites and UL bivey?? thanks again guys.
trekking poles are like ski poles for hiking, help with ascent and balance
megalite is their tent model i believe and bivy is a bivysack like the ones offered by outdoor research.
Post by: Chesapeake on January 07, 2012, 10:46:31 PM
Trekking poles are ski poles for hiking. They really help with ballance, let your arms do some of the work on the climbs, and let your arms take some of the impact from decents. They also double as a tent pole, shooting sticks, bine support/brace, ect.... I use the Blackdiamond carbon fiber ones.
Megalight is a TP style silicone impregnated nylon tent by Black diamond. Other outfits like Kifaru and Ti Goat make similar.
With backpacking gear you can get great gear with good performance for decent prices, but to get that same performance in gear that is a bit lighter gets real expensive.
Post by: belkaholic on January 11, 2012, 06:39:36 PM
Post by: Rickyrebar on January 14, 2012, 09:01:05 AM
2. Gear, quality, not quantity. Take only what you "need", each person is different in their "needs", you have decide what you "need" and if are willing to carry it. Your scouting trips can help you decide between "need" & want. You will discover the true meaning of "need" when you start your journey with your fully loaded pack. Give me a weeks worth of the following and I'll be fine... Mt. House meals in a bag, 5 Hour energy shots, a quality water filter!
3. Research, have a good understanding of where you are going, how to get there, what to expect once you are there, good maps / maps showing the wilderness boundaries, water sources.
4. Have a plan, have a back up plan. It would truly suck to spend the summer scouting an area to hunt only to wake up on opening morning to find another group in your camp with the same ground game as yours (not very likely in the wilderness areas but something to consider).
5. A good hunting partner / partners (same as gear, quality).
Finally, don't put it off... get out and do it, you aren't going to be any younger or in better shape, or better prepared, or better equipped next year... that just you procrastinating. Pull the trigger and do it! I did last year and my only regret was I didn't start doing it 20 years ago, best experience ever!
Post by: Vek on January 17, 2012, 02:19:29 PM
Mind the weight of your clothes. A versatile system would be midweight polypro or merino baselayer, primaloft jacket (patagonia puff or similar), lightweight, fast-drying pants (REI Mistral or similar), and waterproof shell/pants (marmot precip or similar), and a beanie hat. I do a real lightweight poly t-shirt combined with a lightweight fleece for a baselayer on top, as a variation. This gives me more comfort when I'm working hard.
Newbs always bring more or heavier stuff than they need. You don't need a multi-tool. You don't need a big knife (havalon, 5 extra blades, a sharp victorinox paring knife and a small pocket sharpener will field butcher anything up to a moose). You don't need more than 8 rounds of ammo. You don't need a tent with a floor - think Golite floorless or a tarp (bring a very small piece of tyvek to put your pad on). You don't usually need any extraordinary sleeping bag waterproofing (bivy), unless you KNOW that you'll be camping above treeline in a freaking storm. You don't need a daypack. You don't need a nalgene (one 2L bladder and one 32 oz gatorade bottle). You don't need a water filter (aqua mira drops work great). You don't need anything more for a pad than a ridgerest (bed location and prep UNDER the pad is critical). You don't usually need a GPS in mountainous areas, unless you got stuff stashed where you shouldn't (i.e. away from a landmark or choke point). You don't need freeze-dried food - google homemade hamburger helper and make it using "gravel" (browned and dried ground meat). You don't need expensive energy bars (google Logan Bread, and substitute whole wheat flour, and some cut oats and cracked wheat for half of the flour called for, and add brown rice syrup and agave nectar and raisins/craisins to taste for sweetness). Buy a used Dana Designs internal frame pack for half the cost of any of the so-called "hunting" packs, and have a better pack than any but the newest kifarus.
Black Diamond 2-section collapsible ski poles are tougher than most "hiking" poles. Cut off what you don't need from the lower section to save weight.
You don't need a 10-pound rifle. Sell all your guns and buy a Kimber Montana in 308, 7-08 or 260.
You don't need a giant scope. 4x or 6x fixed leupold is perfect.
You don't need a hunting partner (they're REALLY heavy) - but you better figure out how to dead reckon first.
For starters, anyway.
Post by: Miles on January 18, 2012, 09:42:02 PM
Post by: hillbillyhunting on January 19, 2012, 09:19:11 AM
I can agree with everything VEK said above, except ditching the water filter. I've found that in some instances the water filter can allow you to fill your resevoir or bottle where you otherwise wouldn't have been able to. There was a place this past fall where I could barely get the water to suck up with my filter. Without a filter I would have been either digging to make a hole or going without water. Just something to think about, and of course it all depends on the situation (as does all gear). If you're hunting an area with creeks and streams everywhere than the tablets will work great.
:yeah: With a water filter you can get water out of a muddy puddle of water. The tablets dont filter the stuff that doesnt taste good.
Post by: AKBowman on January 19, 2012, 12:04:50 PM
The Unishelter has a mesh liner with a waterproof shell, it also has a single pole which gives you space over your head acting almost like a small, super light weight one man tent. It has tie offs on both ends so you can "rock it down" pulling both ends apart gives a little bit of loft to the bivvy. This is really really nice when you get socked in and have to spend an extended amount of time in your shelter. If you spend enough time in the wilderness areas this will happen. With a basic bivvy that doesnt have the single pole its so much harder to tough it out.
Unfortunately if you are just starting out your pack will probably be a bit heavier b/c the truth is in order to keep gear (tent, weapon, stove, clothes, pack, etc) light and keep the quality high it costs $. Unless you have $ sitting around to spend most people I know who have light weight/high quality gear have taken years to acquire everything buying items on sale, etc.
Lay everything out and eliminate what you know you wont need. Go on scouting packs overnight and again try to eliminate what you wont need. One thing I wouldnt scimp on is as high a quality, light as you can get, most expensive as you can afford, synthetic bag. 20 degree would be about right for the high hunt. If you go with a bivvy this will add significant warmth to your bag. My 20 degree NF Cats Meow couples with my heavier bivvy rates down to about 10 I would guess.
I havent gone on a trip like this since 2009 when it was 11 days in October in Alaska for sheep. I think my pack started at 65# and ended at 33#. For a deer high hunt of 7 days you should be able to keep it between 35-40# with a bivvy.
Clothes I bring for a 7 day hunt are:
2 pairs of polypro sock liners
2 pairs of smartwool socks
2 pairs non-cotton underwear
1 set of light/med weight long underwear
1 light weight tightly woven micro fleece long sleeve pullover shirt
1 set light weight packable rainwear
1 pair 235 gram light weight tightly woven micro fleece pants
1 micro fleece beenie
1 set light waterproof gloves
Asolo Fugitive GTX boots
Post by: AKBowman on January 19, 2012, 12:32:54 PM
I have all the conifidence in the world in this tent now. My buddy was using a 3 man REI brand and he bend a pole and shredded the aluminum section that connects two sections of the poles. Good times though.
Post by: JackOfAllTrades on January 19, 2012, 01:32:20 PM
-Steve