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CLOTHING Weight Item Model Merino Wool Long Sleeve Shirt First Lite Llana Long Sleeve Shirt Merino Wool Long Underwear First Lite Allegheny Full Length Bottom Underwear Briefs First Lite Red Desert Boxer Shorts Merino Wool Pants First Lite Kanab Pants Merino Wool Hoodie First Lite Chama Hoodie Thick Jacket Wool Socks Thin Socks Rain Gear Neck Gaitor First Lite Neck Gaitor Beanie First Lite Beanie Thin Gloves First Lite Lightweight Merino Wool Gloves Thick Gloves Cabela's MT050® Extreme II Glomitts Hiking Boots Keen Pittsburgh Boots Winter Boots Cabela's Iron Ridge™ Hunting Boots GEAR IN BACKPACK Weight Item Model 3lbs 9oz Internal Frame Pack Badlands Sacrifice 2lbs 4oz Down Sleeping Bag Big Agnes Zirkel SL 20 2lbs 4oz Sleeping Pad Big Agnes Triple Core 14oz Sleeping Bag Liner Sea to Summit Thermolite Reactor Extreme Mummy Bag Liner 6oz Compression Sacks Sea to Summit eVent Dry Compression Sack 4lbs 6oz Tent Big Agnes Copper Spur SL3 5oz Headlamp 8oz Range Finder Nikon 550 1lb 8oz Binoculars Bushnell 10x42 3lbs 8oz Spotting Scope Leopauld 5lb Bow Hoyt Powertec 10oz Arrows Beman Bone Collector MFX 6oz Release Tru Ball Release 1lb 4oz Water Bottle Camelback Filtered Bottle 1oz Lighter Bic 1oz Flint Steel Zippo Emergency Fire Starter Kit 2oz Waterproof Matches UCO Stormproof Match kit 10.5oz Stove Jetboil Sol 8oz Gas Canister Jetboil 0.7oz Spork Snow Peak Titanium Spork 1.6oz Bowl Snow Peak Titanium Bowl 13.7oz First Aid Kit REI Backpacker Plus Multiday First Aid Kit 6oz Map National Forest Map 3.3oz Compass Lensatic Compass 1.8oz Towel PackTowel Ultralite Towel 5oz Travel Toothbrush TOOB Toothbrush/paste 4oz Travel deodorant Dead Down Wind Deodorant 2oz Sunscreen/Lotion 4oz Para Cord 50 feet 12oz Food packs Mountain House Meals 15oz Granola Bars Clif Bars 15oz Trail Mix 12oz Oatmeal Packs (1oz ea.) Quaker Oatmeal 4oz Knife KaBar/Havalon 4oz Multi-tool Leatherman 4oz Saw SagenBone Saw 4oz Elk Calls Elknut Bugle/Cow Reed Calls 6oz Wood saw SaberCut Saw 11oz Allen Wrenches Husky Metric Set 7.5oz GPS Garmin Oregon 450T 0oz GPS Map Kirsh's Products TRAX Maps 10oz Digital Camera Panasonic Lumix ZS5 10oz Video Camera Sony Handycam 220 2lbs 4oz Tripod Vanguaard Tripod 0oz Tags 2013 MT NR Big Game Combo Tag 2.4oz Face Paint Dead Down Wind Four-Color Face Paint 2oz Small roll of tape Mueller Athletic Tape 3.2oz Surveyor's tape Allen Co Flagging Tape 8oz Book Elknut Playbook 16oz Scent Spray Dead Down Wind Scent Spray 8.3oz Game Bags Alaska Game Bags 3oz Garbage Bags Hefty 18 Gal

41.5lbs total

Note that some gear like tent and tripod will only be carried by one individual since two of us will be hunting. Is there stuff I should add? Stuff I should take off the list? I am sure the weather will be warmer but I will have clothing for any conditions in the trailer.

This will be my first time elk hunting and first time backpacking like this. I realize that there is probably some of this we don't need so let me know what that may be.

I would replace athletic tape with kiniseology tape.

Scent spray would stay home the wind is the key

Wood saw would go

Josh

Cheers, Pete

Best of Luck, Jeff (Bowsite Sponsor)

Neck gaitor

Saws- (I leave these in the truck). Never found the need for a wood saw while backpack hunting.

Heavy jacket- You have a hoodie and layer as needed.

Glomitts- You are active. More important for lighweight wool gloves.

Heavy boot- Leave them at the truck.

Scent spray- Noted above.

What you are missing

Lightweight raingear- (I use Cabelas Space Rain. This provides a windproof layer if needed)

Wet wipes/TP- Maybe I missed them. If not, you surely will!

I will take scent spray off the list.

Yes I will have rain gear. Is the Cabelas Space Rain gear heavy duty enough? Or will it tear easily?

TP... check.

Thanks for the excel spreadsheet Pete!

Works for:

Dry lips Scrapes and cuts Dry skin Chaffing Fire starter

I would add in the weight of your extra clothes so that you know how much you are truly carrying.

You have a lot of optics: binocs, spotter, rangefinder, video cam, AND camera, not to mention the tripod to go with? Lots of weight there. Are you trying to shoot a tv show?

But keep in mind, you could compromise. You could use jacket and gaitors while you hunt if you are worried about tearing. But generally I throw on the raingear during a downpour so it really doesn't matter how tough it is. I am hunkered under a pine tree awaiting for the rain to lighten up.

I love hunting in rain, (light rain that is) When it is pouring and hailing, I batten down the hatches.

A few more things.

Dump

SunScreen- Wear a wide brimed hat. Hands have gloves on them. You are there in Sept with lessened solar energy and very little xposed skin.

Allen wrenches- You can leave these at the truck. Improvise with your multitool.

Add- Chapstick, Carmex or Vaseline with Sunsceen. (Can use as firestarter) Nothing like mtn air to kill your lips and make them bleed.

Water treatment tablets- I like these as back up in the event my water filter plugs up or fails. Very small bottle which I have in my 1st aid kit. (I don't know if your Camelback will suffice for parasites)

Yes we will be filming our hunt to post on youtube and on our website 701outdoors.com. Not on TV but we are trying to get there!

Taking off the list: - Sunscreen - wood pocket saw - Scent spray

I will have cold weather gear in the trailer but will not pack unless for some reason it is cold.

I am surprised you guys say no spotter? We were planning to have one spotting scope and a pair of binoculars between the two of us.

I guess I don't know how much water I would need and what the water supply would be like in SW Montana. 20oz of water is 1.3 pounds and that seemed like enough weight. How big of bladder do you suggest?

Knowing where your water sources are prior to the hunt will save you some serious headache's...

I take both wet wipes and super soft high quality TP

You do not want Monkey Butt in the mountains

Others are going to disagree with me, but I'd drop the towel and toothbrush and toothpaste

I know it's gross, but I'm generally in no mood. In the morning, I'm too cold to clean up or brush my teeth, I just want to get moving. And in the evening I'm too tired to mess with it. Just want to eat dinner, have a post-dinner chew, and then go to sleep.

i've hauled a toothbrush and toothpaste on 2 of my 4 spike camp trips, and never used it.

I'm disgusting, I know

I like the baby wipes myself. I feel like you can get yourself cleaner. And after 4 or 5 days of dehydrated meals and peanut based energy bars, you'll need some cleaning up in that department :)

Plus like others have said, you can rehydrate with a little water, and use to clean up your kill for pictures, or blood off your hands, etc. Although I'm usually so disgusting I don't worry about it

Bake

Hey.....a stick frayed on the end makes a pretty serviceable toothbrush........

EDIT: I guess depending on what flavor you dip it may act like a mouth freshener! lol

Just wanted to reinforce the point about chapstick or vaseline. My skin isn't really oily, which is a plus for many hunting trips where baby wipes take the place of a shower, but my lips split quickly in the mountains and so do my fingertips. Athletic tape comes in handy for me too.

I am in shape and weigh in at a massive buck45. I will easily go through 3 quarts to a gallon of water a day. No you don't need to carry that much if you have water to filter. I never carry less than 2 liters. It is a safety thing for me. You cannot guage how much water you need by how much you sweat in mtn air. The air is so dry it dehydrates you from the inside as you breath hard. Drink up every chance you get. You are less likely to have altitude issues and helps with recover if you are hydrated. Light colored pee is your target. If it looks like Mtn Dew or Apple Juice, you are dehydrated.

Also keep in mind, those MH meals and oatmeal aren't going to rehydrate themselves. Many of the foods I eat make me thirsty (Jerky, trail mix, power bars etc)

RE: Someone asked why baby wipes? I like packing things with multi use and baby wipes are at the top of the versatility list. (Yes TP can sub for some items, but not as versatile/tough)

Bathroom duties Wipe down my body Clean my hands (Blood,dirt) I have contacts so I like to clean my hands before I handle them Clean my pot after oatmeal. Clean my spoon after eating. Flagging ribbon- I tear it in strips and hang at blood/sign

Those are a few of the purposes off the top of my head.

I agree with Z on water. I carry 3 liters. I sweat a lot, but what you will find at high altitude, especially if there is a breeze is you won't even sweat before it evaporates. You'll wind up severely dehydrated if you aren't careful.

Leg cramps at 0200 hrs in the mummy bag suck.

If you put vaseline on your feet before you put on your socks it will relieve hot spots and prevent blisters.

Every year my nose cracks inside from the dry air and I end up with a bloody nose on a regular basis. My blood being thinner from taking ibuprofen probably contributes to it. A little vaseline smeared inside my nose helps with the cracking and is a big relief.

Even better than vaseline in your nose is Aquaphor (see my link) I started carrying a little sample tube a couple years ago and it works well.

I agree you'll need more water. It's pretty miserable working your butt off chasing a bull up the mountain when you're out of water.

It seems you might be able to lighten up your first aid kit a little.

I agree with most of the other advice except I brush my teeth every night!

Been there, done that. Nothing like waking screaming like someone with Terrets Syndrome!

I good night sleep is crutial and those pills really help.

Pat's "Hunt Like An Animal" article from years ago provides more information. The first time I tried this approach I couldn't get out of my tent in the morning because I was surrounded by elk. What a memory.