Pack gear spreadsheet for a normal human
Elk
I read an article on GoHunt by Brady Miller. He broke down the contents of his pack for a 7-9 day archery elk hunt. He has a spreadsheet listing the brand, weight, and cost of every item in it. I thought this was great and an awesome source of info except for the fact that he is going on the mountain with $17,209 worth of gear and equipment. Don't get me wrong, I do not begrudge him at all. I think it is great that he has the means to aquire all of this great equipment. But I'm wondering if anyone out there has a spreadsheet like his, but for "normal working class" back country hunters. There has got to be some quality stuff out there that is functional and doesn't require a second mortgage. Thanks for any help given.
I don't have one, but the monetary value of my list would be less than that. A lot less. As a matter of fact, I bet I could include the current value of my truck and still come in under. Poudre
I'd be more impressed with a guy's list if it totaled $ 17.20 .
I'd be embarrassed if I made up a list like that and it totaled over $17,000 dollars!
What the hell is this world coming to?
Around $1,700 including my bow.
A lot of Brady's list is optics and weapon.
In an hour on Ebay you could have everything you need as far as pack, shelter, sleeping, cooking and water for under $1000 and it may not be the lightest or last 20 years, but totally functional.
Can you post a link to that article, I really want to see what $17,000 worth of gear on my back would look like.
Probably around 2k-2500. But I did buy a higher end pack last year and that was 400.00 ish.
I have a friend who is close to 80 now.(80 in Oct.) He kills an Elk every year and at one time way back in the 70's he had the number 2 or 3 largest archery elk kill in Colorado. He still gets it done and I would say including his truck and bow, optics and everything else needed, he comes in at less then 15 grand and his truck and bow would be 14 grand or more of that total. Scooby
Link to the article. You take out glass, weapon, and even his I-phone and you are around $4500.
I don't back country elk hunt. At least I never have yet. I have done some deer hunting that way though. So, I have acquired everything I need to do both. I don't have a sheet but, with a $400 tipi, a $650 pack, and a sleep system that I have $100 bucks or so in, not counting my time, I'm not over $1200 in strictly back country gear. I don't nor, will I ever own a $5000 spotting scope, a $400 tripod, a $200 tripod head, or $2500 bino's. Wouldn't buy them if I was an out of debt billionaire. Just not worth it to me. More power to those that can and do. Currently, if I had the money to buy those optics, I'd go hunting more often. God Bless men
I give the guy credit on his footwear, $90.93 I can't imagine running around the back country with a mile long stabilizer and V bar though.
There are two categories...things you "need", and things you "want". The more you get from the "want" side of the ledger, the more the cost.
BTW, my "spreadsheet" is a page in a notebook...updated as needed. Been using that system for over 30yrs. ;-)
I use a spreadsheet, but it is just so I can remember what to load in the truck and camper every year. I always used to forget something. Mine has 4 tabs - stuff to buy, stuff to take, the grocery list, and the honey do list to complete before I can leave town. EZ PZ to print every year, and starting crossing them off.
LOL Grasshopper, the "kitchen pass" tab!
He notes that he likes to keep one shirt scent free for stalking. And then includes a photo of a baseball cap that has enough salt stains that you could toss it in a meadow and call it baiting LOL.
A good spreadsheet/list surely doesnt happen over-night... or for your couple first trips
Im a list/spreadsheet guy. For years I been using them for all my elk hunts that includes base camp, spike camp, food etc. I modify them each year to accommodate who is all attending. They also came in handy to prepare for my fly-in AK moose hunt last year as I modified it to make it exactly what I needed.
The $$ value of the lists really doesnt matter to anyone as they are priceless to me.
17 thousand dollars and he still has to sleep on a pad that would kill my back.
+1cnelk. I have a folder called "lists". Spike camp, backpack camp, fish camp, plains deer, etc... Been refining them for decades and still make tweaks every year.
A couple Bowsiters have posted backpack elk hunt lists in the past that were awesome.
what I was hoping for in a list was some brands of good equipment and reasonable prices. I still need to get some things before this fall
If you list some items you are looking to pick up, you will probably get some good ideas.
REI has Big Agnes Aircore pads in their garage sale section for $55 and Sams Club locally has Klymat Static V pads for under $40.
Pretty much the same as cnelk and jaquomo. I do have a list that has the weight of stuff listed. Right down to how much lithium ion AAA batteries weighs. EdR
It surprises me that he has spent $17K+ and still has a number of items that I would change out for lighter/better options. When cost clearly isn't an issue, some of his choices left me a bit puzzled. Also, his food would make me shoot the first legal animal I saw, just so I could stop eating that absolutely terrible stuff he attempts to stomach.
I've backpacked a heck of a lot more than he has, on a significantly lower budget, often with gear I consider better than what he has. Some of his choices make it obvious that he is sponsored by X company (browning headlamp...really?)
My list works for me and for how/where I hunt. It may or may not work for anyone else.
I highly suggest making your own
This is all from one big online retailer with a 10 minute search. Not light gear by today's standards but with some more searching and little budget bump you could get lighter. Always good to support some independent stores when actually buying.
Most everything outside this list will be normal hunting stuff that you would have if camped at the truck.
Mountainsmith Apex 80 Pack $180
Kelty Salida 2 person $119
Coleman Northrim bag $48
Klymat Static V pad $48
MSR Pocket Rocket stove $40
2 cans of fuel $20
Off Brand cooking pot & pan $20
Katadyn Water Filter $60
$535
I am no into spreadsheets, but this is how I do it: I have had a checklist for as long as I remember. There are certain things I will not skimp on: Boots, long johns, rain gear, sleeping pad/ sleeping bag, and tent. If you stay warm and dry and your feet don't hurt, you will have a great hunt. And if the opposite is true, you will be miserable and won't be able to hunt as hard. Through the years, I have amassed a fair amount of really good stuff. Almost never pay full price: watch for sales, check craigslist, and now they have a local online garage sale through facebook. Would never pay full price for Sitka type gear but do have a few articles when they were 60-70% off.
Some people put a premium on glass, and that is fine, but that has never been one of my big priorities. You can get really good glass now for hundreds of dollars/not thousands. So what ever your top things are the secret is to spread it over the years. Look for deals/sales or search craigslist from time to time.
So excluding my weapon, I would probably have less than $1500 in my list, but the "retail" on what I have would probably be 3 times that.
As many have responded, I have lists for the camp, spike camp and backpack...I don't list the costs because, why would I torture myself? It is stuff that I have acquired throughout years of hunting and it does not have a single hunting purpose.
I think a lot of people are missing the point of brady's spreadsheet. He did not release this spreadsheet to show people exactly what he brings but rather a tool so people can build their own gear list. I really think it is an awesome tool as it will show you where your weight is coming from so if you decide to upgrade gear or eliminate gear you can know where to start.
I personally have no problem with him having 17K worth of gear on the mountain. It doesn't make him any less of a hunter.
I bet if you gave him $1,700 to gear up from scratch (he can keep his bow) he would still get it done.
Only thing that makes me scratch my head is toting in 2 pairs of binoculars and a spotting scope. Could do without the 15x binocs IMO.
15's and spotters are great but I am not packing both very far.
I've packed my spotter/tripod/head all over the mountains because they're essentials for sheep. But I ain't packing two pair of binoculars.
The bitching about how other people spend their money that goes on on this sight is typical for this sight. Pretty sad that the only way people can prop themselves up is by being disparaging to others.
It's typical for every site, believe me - and much worse on others. I don't understand it either.
It's none of my business. To the extent I make it my business, I'm proud for them. I'm sure I spend a lot of money in ways others would consider stupid also. When they start giving me the money I spend, I may start caring. :)
Maybe we bitch because we don't want to hear about a list of things to bring hunting that add up to $17,000. Maybe we bitch because realistically it is silly to bring 2 pair of binoculars, who does that?Maybe we bitch because we get tired of someone always bitching about us bitching.
Legitimately disagreeing with unrealistic articles is not bitching. Anyone else here carry $17,000 worth of gear into the back country? Let me know because I am not finished bitching. No one cares how you spend your money, just because we disagree and call out what we see as B.S. and unnecessary doesn't make us bitchers. Yeah put that in your pipe and smoke it.
This point is the age old dilemma of the wt versus cost. For instance some marathon canoe paddlers will spend several thousand dollars more for a boat thats 25 lbs than for a boat that weighs 40 lbs. Bike riders the same. Lightest stuff is sky high. My compromise when I was canoe racing was to paddle the 40 lb boat and lose 30 lbs of my body weight. Net result was a lighter total package :) The key is to buy quality gear over time but dont get caught up in the "latest bestest lightest". My elk kit could lose 5 or 7 lbs if I upgraded pack, bag and tent but taht would cost me over $700 bucks. My solution this season this season is to to upgrade the bag (its light but not warm enough) with a $65, 8 oz liner and a on clearance $90 pair of substantially lighter boots. Its fun to read up and day dream on all the latest gear but its not practical to replicate some of those lists.
Some of you seem to either forget or not realize that $17,000 is not same to everyone.
Something that is in my gear list is clothes pins.
They weigh nothing and very inexpensive for all they do
You seem to forget, these articles, blogs, etc. are fueled by one thing, and one thing only, getting us to spend money. All these hunting heroes, Brady, Cam, Aron, all of them....they are salesmen for the outdoor industry who get free or deeply discounted gear to try and then talk about for ONE REASON....to get us to spend money.
Get over it. Get what you need. Fork the rest.
Always handy to have another list to compare to. Always easier to tear someone else's list than make your own to share.
Use his list to evaluate what you have and what you need/want. It is clear better equipment isn't required to be effective, but certainly can make it easier to be comfortable and possibly create more opportunities if you can see more with good optics, go farther with lighter pack or be out in harsher weather with good gear. I killed plenty of elk in old camo that I sewed and cheap BiMart binoculars 20 years ago and used a nice Dwight pack to carry the meat. Now I love my Swarovski optics, kuiu clothing, lighter more efficient gear and the comforts of a kifaru pack. Maybe not $17k but probably not far off. Ultimately, people kill animals and enjoy the experience and it doesn't matter how much they have spent.
Envy. Brings out the best in people.
I just don't get wrapped up in the gear side of things. If I see something I like better than what I already have, I buy it. I spend my time either planning hunts or actually hunting. Gear is secondary. That said, the money side of things is all relative. Some guys spend more on cigarettes in a year than I do on my fall hunts. Other guys spend more on fall hunts than I do on my mortgage payments for the year.... It's all relative.
His gear is fairly typical, nothing too extravagant, he's just listing a lot of it. The clothing would be one big category to save money with. If you go with generic brands or even Cabelas it could save quite a bit. And like someone said, the optics could be reduced, especially for an elk hunt. A spotter, tripod, 2 sets of binos and a rangefinder, could probably be reduced down to one set of good range-finding binos. But in any case a lot of this gear would be used for other purposes and other trips, and will last 5-10 years or longer. He didn't buy it all for just this one trip. So the expense per trip over the long haul is much less.
I don't have a spread sheet. I put some stuff in my pack and go. If I forget something it really doesn't matter because I only sleep a few hours a night, and eat even less. I am in the back country to hunt, not see how nice I can make the experience...
I've used a spreadsheet to plan elk and mule deer trips for the last 10 years or so. I've learned a lot about what the items weigh - clothing is SURPRISINGLY heavy. My pack weight is considerably less than it used to be. Of course, it is always changing.
The list is a decent list of what you might take on a backpack hunt. Ignore the brand name of each item, but you will want a pack, tent, bag, and most of the items he lists, either bought new, used or borrowed etc. I do agree that the optics list is grossly excessive for elk in my opinion. Unless you are in open country and glassing from a quad or truck I'd drop the tripod, 15X binos and spotter......too heavy and unnecessary for most elk hunting.
Most of us accumulate good gear over decades, buying and selling along the way and replacing worn out stuff. It is a fun diversion in the off season.
As per the original poster's request for a gear list, mine would be pretty similar to the linked list with variations of brand and options I have for various expected weather conditions and species. It is an excel format too as it gets updated every year or two in the winter.
No spreadsheet. Whats the fun if you don't forget something...like your quiver full of arrows. Been dere done dat. sux
But I just sort through my plastic tubs of crap each fall......usually several times.....sorting out what I think I need for what I plan to do. Then I sort and sort and add and subtract stuff....then buy more mountain house.
Then I go and I have what I got. Life's too short to spend on spreadsheets.....to each their own. Plus this way I have plausible deniability as to how much $$$ I've spent. ;)
Ha! You will be fine.
Heck....I've done this so many years now it ain't rocket science to figger out am I truck camping....bring everything. LOL......or am I hiking back for a week......gotta think a bit harder to get what I need and not kill myself.
The key for me is keeping all that crap in a central spot so I can just dig out what I need when I need it. For me a spreadsheet is too sterile and impersonal. I live out the hunt in my mind and grab what I need as I go through scenarios and memories.
That for me is how to pack.
I do lists sometimes and other times I'm in the garage at midnight chucking stuff in a pack and bugging my wife to see if she saw some piece of gear I can't find. Its pretty simple. You need shelter, sleeping, clothing, water, cooking and eating. Everything else is stuff I take hunting anyway. Helping a buddy build a cabin. Backpacking is fun but a wood stove, soft bed, kitchen and shower are pretty nice.
There is critiquing someone/something and then there is just whining like a jealous school girl, I read some of each in the responses here.
Not everyone needs the optics he does but also not everyone is hunting the same way and in the same place as this guy. He obviously likes to keep 10s for constant use then glasses with 15s off the tripod. I bet he finds a lot of game with those 15s on a tripod. Once he finds something that interests him he can break out the big spotter and determine if it is the trophy he wants to go after. Different needs for different goals.
Don't forget killing and cleaning supplies Glunt! (spoken from experience (blush)). whine LMAO
I wish forgetting the stuff needed to take care of a kill was an issue more often. I could leave it at home most trips and it wouldn't matter. My rifle buddy likes to ask me how my bowhiking season went. :^)
I had a Sheep backpack hunt gear list but I suspect it is on a jump drive with photos someplace...
I do have to say that the new Kuiu catalog season list stuff has all of the gear you would have at super ridiculous weights (light)... But I suspect that all of the gear in those categories could get you into at least $7k or so for what is displayed. Kind of pick an choose and expand as needed- I've been assembling my remote gear stuff in anticipation of a Sitka Blacktail hunt at some point- and then I met a friend with a boat out of POW... So Kodiak may be out and all my stuff acquired for not. A lot of it comes in handy for guiding elk and deer hunters though.
