Backpack hunt gear lists

[PFUNK]

Just wondering if anyone on here keeps a gear list for backpack hunts? My dad and I are heading to MT beginning of September for 10 days of elk hunting. Plan on having a camp set up at the pickup but will also have the needed gear to spike out and set up a high camp if we get into elk and don't want to come back down. I'd love to see how your lists compare to mine. I always feel like there are things I could leave out to shave some weight. I'd also to like to hear what everyone brings for food on their hunts.

[CANOPY SAM]

Boy PFUNK, that's a tall order to fill. By the looks of your avatar it's not your first time. That is a DANDY you've got there! Love those long primary tines.

Wish I could offer you some help but a Colorado mountain/or Montana Elk hunt is something I can only dream of doing some day.

Hope someone will chime in, but that sounds like a pretty long list/internet post. Either way, hope you have a great trip! Wish I was you!

[PFUNK]

Boy PFUNK, that's a tall order to fill. By the looks of your avatar it's not your first time. That is a DANDY you've got there! Love those long primary tines.

Wish I could offer you some help but a Colorado mountain/or Montana Elk hunt is something I can only dream of doing some day.

Hope someone will chime in, but that sounds like a pretty long list/internet post. Either way, hope you have a great trip! Wish I was you!

I'll be the first to admit that after looking at the avatar, the photo definitely makes him look BIGGER than he really was. It was my first elk though and after a couple unsuccessful seasons I was pumped to have taken him. A young 4x4 with a lot of potential to be a really nice bull. All I know is a freezer full of elk meat is tough to beat!

It would definitely be a long list, but I know a lot of guys keep a microsoft word or excel document with their gear lists and I figured they could copy and paste it here. We'll see though!

[jarod duane]

For each pair of socks you bring, dig out the unmatch sock from the laundry room. That 3rd sock comes in mighty handy for those unexpected irregular moments when you've forgotten the toilet paper. Light weight an easily hides in a pocket. The sock that is.

[Scoot]

Here's my list. It doesn't paste in here perfectly, but you get the idea. I have a trip coming this Sep too. I've got a ton going on in my life right now and as a result, I don't sleep much. I've been packing for the trip most nights between midnight and 4:00 AM. Not ideal, but at least I'm making good use of my insomnia. I've only got two items left to get, then I'm good for the trip. The only two last minute things to do to pack will be to stuff my sleeping bag in my compression bag and add in my peanut butter and bacon sandwiches. Yeeehhhaaaa, I can't wait!!!!!!!

Quantity Item

Equipment

Backpack

Accessory straps

Tent

Sleeping bag

Sleeping pad

Small inflatable pillow

Sleeping pad patch kit

Headlamp (new lithium batteries)

Watch

GPS (new lithium batteries)

Elk decoy

Wind checker

Licenses

Notepad/pen

Camera

Hunting knife

Game bags

Map

Flagging tape

Parachute cord

2 Lighter (one in pants pocket one in pack)

Waterproof matches

Duct tape

Zip ties

2 Garbage bag

Esbit tab for starting fire

Wyoming Saw

"Medical tape"

Compass clipped on backpack

Space blanket

Food 7 Mountain House

7 Peanut butter/bacon sandwiches

14 Cliff Builder Bars

7 Trailmix bags

10 Granola bars

7 Fruit snacks

Drinks Water in water bladder

Water filter

Water purification drops

7 Propel packets

Extra water bladder

Nalgene bottle

Cooking Cook stove and pot

Stove fuel

Spork

Toiletries Toothbrush and toothpaste

2 Wipes (travel size pack)

Medication- daily

Aleve, Benedryl, Hydrocodone

Liquid soap/wash clothe

Floss

Deodorant (travel size)

Clothing Rain jacket and pants

Merino wool shirt

Vest

Fleece or primaloft jacket

Jacket

Pants

Extra pair of underwear

Extra pair of socks (both liners and main socks)

Hat

Beanie

Camp shoes (Crocs)

Bow hook (for belt)

Equipment(worn) Binocs and rangefinder

Bugle

2 Mello Yellow Call

2 Challenge Call

Bow/arrows

Release

Fishing rod/tackle (at bivy camp or truck)

Extra arrows (truck)

Extra broadheads (truck)

Extra release (truck)

Tools to fix bow (truck)

Esbit tab in pants pocket

Compass in pants pocket

Lighter in pants pocket

[psepuncher]

sewing kit for stitches--- travel size.

My uncle packed up in the Wasatch many years.

One time he slipped his boot knife behind the sheath,

slit the side of his calf wide open.

Riding horses for days just made his boot knife seem conveinient.

He got back to camp and of corse poured the blood out of his boot and high tailed to an ER. which he was lucky his kids could drive him. He said he was pretty well out of it.

other than that, an XXL can of bear spray.

[Scoot]

sewing kit for stitches--- travel size.

other than that, an XXL can of bear spray.

I carry duct tape instead of the sewing kit. It works remarkably well and likely would do a better patch job then I would with a needle and thread. If a cut is too bad for duct tape to deal with it, it'd be too bad for a needle and thread too.

Related to this point, always be slow and deliberate when field dressing an animal!!!

The area I hunted in MT last year doesn't have many grizz in it at all, so I skip the bear spray. I could have problems with black bears, but odds of dying in a car crash are about 1000x greater, so I skip the spray in black bear only country and just wear my seatbelt! In grizz country, you can bet your sweet patooty I'll be carrying bear spray!

[NoWiser]

Regarding cuts, I always carry a tube of superglue with me. It works remarkably well. I would have never believed it until the chainsaw got away from my uncle and got him in the thigh. It should have been a lot of stitches. I could only look at the cut briefly without fear of passing out, but a quick trip to the drug store for some disinfectant and a tube of superglue and he was good as new. Barely has a scar to this day. Since then I have a tube with me on all of my hunting and fishing trips, and in my truck for work.

I'll be hunting on the edge of grizz country this fall, so I will either need to invest in some bear spray or a very, very large tube of superglue. I'll have to see which one weighs less.

[Scoot]

I'll be hunting on the edge of grizz country this fall, so I will either need to invest in some bear spray or a very, very large tube of superglue. I'll have to see which one weighs less.

I forgot about that little detail, Jim! Not something to take lightly!!! Definitely get a can of bear spray, carry it on your hip, and be prepared to use it. Keep a clean camp too. Those grizz can sure be some big, bad, mean hombres!

[NoWiser]

I forgot about that little detail, Jim! Not something to take lightly!!! Definitely get a can of bear spray, carry it on your hip, and be prepared to use it. Keep a clean camp too. Those grizz can sure be some big, bad, mean hombres!

Bear spray is going to be #1 on our packing list. SPOT Beacon will be #2. I talked to a forest service worker when researching the area and his coworker got charged by a grizz last summer, real close to where we'll be hunting. He didn't have spray on him because they hadn't seen any there before. Luckily it stopped about 30 feet away from him, stood on its hind feet, huffed a couple times, and walked away. I think he said the guy needed new underwear when he got back. We'll definitely have it on us at all times. Wolves, black bears, mt lions don't make me nervous. Grizzlies scare the bejeezes out of me!

[PFUNK]

Thanks for all the tips and the list Scoot. My list actually looks to be pretty similar to yours. A few differences though...

1. I'll ditch the inflatable pillow and use my puffy jacket and other extra clothes I have along.

2. I don't have an elk decoy yet but have definitely been looking into getting one. Seems the smart bulls always want to see that cow that they are hearing and are tough to get in unless they see what they want to see. Do you use a Montana decoy?

3. Don't carry an Esbit tab but maybe should. I keep matches in a prescription vial inside a plastic bag along with lighters so I would think they'd be in working order. I also carry cotton balls covered in vaseline in a prescription vial for fire starters.

4.I carry a small first aid kit loaded with the stuff I think I'll need, but I add extra aspirin and ibuprofen or aleve.

5. No extra water bladder for me. I'll add in an empty platypus bottle or two though. Duct tape can usually be used to patch up small tears or holes in a water bladder.

6. My extra release comes with me in my pack. I figure for the weight it adds it isnt worth a trip all the way back to the truck if my release goes bad.

7. I carry a small sharpening stone in my pack. Breaking down an entire elk usually dulls my blade pretty good so it is nice for touch ups. I am seriously considering switching to the knives with the replaceable surgical blades though. Havalon is what they are called I think?

As far as the food goes... is that a supply for 1 man for 7 days? Are those peanut butter and bacon sandwiches good for 7 days without going bad? I have heard about them many times and have thought about trying them. The other option I considered was hard salami sandwiches but I don't know if they are going to go bad in a week without being kept cold?

I love those mellow yellow calls too but mine seem to come apart easily before they are too old. Oh well. I'm also a huge fan of Primos imperial plate double reed with the Y-cut. Very good call.

I am also considering packing in the spotting scope with me this year but I just don't know if it is worth the weight. It may stay at the pickup where we can glass a lot of country prior to hitting the trail. Planning to be there setting up a camp at the pickup and a spike camp the day prior to the opener. Might hold off on the spike camp until I know where the elk are though.

As far as the bear spray goes... its extra weight but I like the peace of mind it gives me. The area we will be hunting does not have Griz and I've only seen one black bear. Still, cougars are always a possibility and I'd be more worried about them than a black bear. Wolves don't bother me one bit.

[Scott M]

Great list Scoot. I'm putting your old pack to use this fall on a DIY public lands whitetail excursion. Might be doing most of my trip solo as it turns out.

[psepuncher]

I'm with y'all on the glue and duct tape idea.

Sounds alot better than sticking yourself repeatedly with a needle. lol.

I'm near 50 my uncle now is about 75 .

That issue happened nearly 30 years ago.

Mom grew up near Evanston WY, SW corner. Had another Uncle that lived near Cody. For as many years I've traveld through I've seen about 6 bears from the road and that was it. Stopped one time to get a pic of a big black bear from the road and the bear charged the van. That was in Utah.

Couldn't find a grizz bear map in Mont. {would like to see one}

This is 2010 in Wyo. Seems the griz poulation is growing quite well though.

[Scoot]

Wolves, black bears, mt lions don't make me nervous. Grizzlies scare the bejeezes out of me!

Exactly! Regarding critters other than grizz, your odds are better of being hit crossing the road. Grizz, however, are a different deal- can't be too prepared or too smart about them.

[Scoot]

1. I'll ditch the inflatable pillow and use my puffy jacket and other extra clothes I have along.

[Scoot]

Great list Scoot. I'm putting your old pack to use this fall on a DIY public lands whitetail excursion. Might be doing most of my trip solo as it turns out.

I hope it works great, Scott! One quick question about that pack- did you find a small plastic call holder in it?

[Scoot]

Mom grew up near Evanston WY, SW corner. Had another Uncle that lived near Cody. For as many years I've traveld through I've seen about 6 bears from the road and that was it.

pse, that's right around some serious bear country. I know a guy who hunted near Dubois the last couple years and he saw lots of bear sign every day, saw several grizz from a distance, and had a run in with one at about 40 yards. Lots of grizz around there.

I also gave my bear spray to a guy in SW MT two years ago (it was going to expire and I wasn't going to need it before it got old). He used it and it likely saved his hide. A grizz full on charged him and he blasted it in the face at about 15 feet! Eeeesh!!!

[Scott M]

Just looked in every nook and cranny on the pack and didn't see any call holder. Sorry mate!

[Scoot]

Dang! Thanks for looking.