What's in your pack
Wisconsin
Contributors to this thread:
Just got my Alps Pursuit pack. After going to Missouri this December I found my normal fanny pack didn't offer enough room for gear I wanted for long sits. For you guys that carry a pack with you what do you like to bring with you? The pursuit has many great features but being a gun hunter also it has a built in rain fly that's blaze orange so I can legally wear it while gun hunting. No need to buy a pack for each season.
My gear normally consists of flashlight, extra batteries, water container, rattle bag, grunt tube, binoculars, knife, drag rope, fire starting kit. Depending on weather conditions might take light shirt along or hand warmers.
Looking forward to this. Towards the end of last season, I stopped carrying one seeing as I had my bow and stand and sticks to lug around.
Rangefinder, 2 go pros, main camera, video mic, camera arm, tree bracket, fluid head, bow holder, bow rope, knife, gps, and flash light all in one back pack.
Knife, 2 headlamps, range finder, binoculars, ozonics, bow arm, 4-5 small screw in hooks, scent spray, beverage, usually food, grunt call, saw, clippers, and license (last year with a pen not needed now)
This is my backpack, made it last year. Cookies, Bacon Gel, donuts, bread, bottle of syrup and much more.
Compass, gps, drag rope, knife, tree steps (sky hooks that attach to bolts that stay in the tree), breath killing gum, license, 3 flashlites, AA batteries, water, sandwich, hand warmers (seasonally), binos that are also my range finder, sometimes climbing sticks as newer stands do not have the bolts in them, blaze orange cloth for emergency attention or to lay over a deer if I have to leave a it unattended, TP, calls, rattling antlers, extra truck key, matches, magnesium stick, haul line (tied to pack), strap for safety harness, gutting gloves but I hardly ever use them. I am probably forgetting something. Biggest problem is stuffing extra layers of clothes in it when it is COLD out.
Holy cow Jeff, your just stepping out your back door to hunt! lol
Tags, Knife, compass, saw, hand pruner, pull rope, butt out, TP, Gatorade, Milky Way, screw in bow holder, tampons, scent, binos, grunt calls, rattle horns, emergency poncho, extra top layer, deet, hand warmers, flashlite, extra flashlite bulb, batteries, lighter, cell phone (ringer off). I’m sure I forgot some things and some things change between Sep and Jan.
Flashlight , compass, skinning knife, Deer a stir. If tou don't know dont ask. !
Where were you guys. When the Donner paty . Was stuck in the. Mountains. ? Don't put your life possessions in. The pack! ! Just the basics By the looks of some of those packs. You could have served two tours in Nam!
Where were you guys. When the Donner paty . Was stuck in the. Mountains. ? Don't put your life possessions in. The pack! ! Just the basics By the looks of some of those packs. You could have served two tours in Nam!
Couple of things I include are a first aid kit and a space blanket. If you ever get hurt in the woods you might appreciate having these. Not too much weight added either.
Rangefinder, clippers, saw, gutting knife, rattle bag, something to drink and a couple granola bars.
One thing that I did not see here was a Glow Stick. They are great if you shoot a deer in the evening and want to mark first blood. This gives you an easy benchmark if you want to come back later while it's dark.
Hey, most of that stuff weighs almost nothing. I suppose I could cut down from three flashlights to two. That orange cloth also doubles as something to throw over the bow or my shoulders to keep dry a little longer if it rains or snows. Oh, I also forgot one of those 1 inch thick foam cushions to keep my butt happy. It stays tied to the outside of the pack so it never falls to the ground when I stand up to shoot a deer.
Good suggestion Maya2003. I'm going to add that. I'm also going to add one of those portable phone chargers since I tend to use my phone to read books on while I'm waiting for mr big to show up.
"read books on while I'm waiting for mr big to show up." About 15 yrs ago one of my clients (rifle season) told me he reads a book while on stand, I said you sure you want to do that, he said it passes the time away. Second day of the deer season he comes back to camp and says if I wasn't reading that damn book " He missed his opportunity at a trophy buck".
I guess I am old school, my focus is on hunting when I am on stand, I do not want any distractions, could cost ya. I do take my phone for emergency's but turn it off and put it away.
Maya 2003 and Crusader dad - You might want to consider a small UV PaqLite. They are reusable, it doesn't matter if they freeze. With an hour's charge of full sunlight, they'll glow for days. You can just hold it in front of your headlights or even a headlamp before heading out. Having one in your pack allows you to find what you're looking for without swinging a headlamp around while in your stand.
Nothing. I want the least amount of things along with me. I take my release, bow, and phone. If I hunt all day my truck is usually within a mile.
Reading on stand is something I will never do. No books in my pack. Seeing a deer asap is very important, plus you might not see one at all and to see deer while on stand is good information to have and fun to watch. I even avoid doing any unnecessary texts.
You guys are better/more patient than me. I'm good for the first hour and then if it's been slow, I need a distraction. Same thing in an afternoon hunt. I'll sit quietly and take in the woods for a while then read until the last hour. My phone gets put away for that last hour and the bow is in my hands. The nice thing about reading on my phone is turning the page is silent and I can easily slip it back into my pocket. Reading and smoking cigarettes helps keep me on stand longer than I could if I had neither. An all day sit for me would never happen if I didn't have some kind of distraction.
Shameless plug, I just finished reading "The Shack". I give it two thumbs up. It's a quick read and may give you a little different perspective on the important things in life. Also, the movie is in theatres now. I recommend you read the book and then take your wife to see the movie.
Orion's brother. How does the Uv light work. I says it needs to be "charged" by light exposure. If it's in your pack how is that possible? Do you use them? Do they work well?
You can charge it by just leaving it under a lamp overnight or if you forget, wave it around in front of your truck headlight or a headlamp. That'll definitely take care of pre-dawn. Then just flip it out of your backpack when you grab water or a snack midday. Let it charge for an hour or so and tuck it back in.
Direct sunlight really charges them well, but any light will charge them. They work great. I stick one in my pack. I use them in my tent. You'll be surprised at how long they glow and how much light they give off.
When I head out in the morning, I just hang the tent PaqLite on the outside of the tent. It charges and then is a camp beacon in the timber after a long day.
My kids hang them in their room because they think they're fun. I have some that are probably four to five years old and still going strong.
I bought a couple for the kids and then just kept finding more uses for them and bought some more.
I have no affiliation with the company. If you head to your stand in the dark and don't like a bright light swinging around up in the tree, if you camp while hunting or just camp and don't like frying your eyeballs or other people's eyeballs with a headlamp because you or someone else has to take a leak, if you have kids... you'll dig PaqLites. They're one of those little things that are multi-use, light, waterproof, temp doesn't matter... They won't cure cancer or make you better looking, but they're cool.
Not for your pack, but another handy light related thing to check out are Luci Lights. Two ounce inflatable solar lanterns that collapse down to about hockey puck size. Lighter, smaller, no batteries, no fuel. Great for backpack hunts and camping. My wife leaves a couple on our kitchen windowsill. They're charged in case the power goes out.
I have a stupid number of headlamps in my house, but I have kids who relocate them all of the time.
I too bring a book with me most hunts. I get fidgety if I sit in one spot too long so passing the time by reading helps keep me in the woods and sitting still. There have been hunts where I would of left mid morning to go watch an afternoon football game but instead stayed out and read a book and saw deer but everyone is different.
Orion's brother they sound cool for camping but I'll stick with the glow sticks for hunting. One less thing to worry about charging a paqlite.
Orionsbrother, thanks for the heads up, I looked up the PaqLite and watched one of the videos, only takes seconds to recharge, awesome items. I will be ordering some.
Bottled Coke or Mt Dew. Gives you calories and water, sugar to prevent shock, can clot open wounds when poured In cuts, bottle makes a bowl/cup or rope if cut.
So, I'm the only one that brings toilet paper? I have rarely needed it but there is no viable substitute for it.
I too, do not bring a book along. Though I have read a few verses from a little New Testament for something to ponder from time to time. Don't have a smart phone so can't play games or text neither. Wonder how many one-time chances at bucks have been missed by people who have been distracted because they can't part with their entertainment for a few hours.
No sweat maya2003. I don't work for them or anything. I just think they're one of those small things that works well and gets all kind of use.
MF - I use the flat ones in my pack and in my tent. They're bigger, lighter and brighter and have a small bead chain on them. I have an 8-9" industrial twist tie on the bead chain that I use to hang them on a gear loft loop or tree branch or zipper pull on my pack.
I very seldom carry a pack unless it's for an all day sit and then it's just a small fanny pack. One thing I've been keeping track of is our bear hunters with packs. Sometimes it looks like they're going on an Everest expedition. They must watch too much hunting on TV. For three years guys with these huge packs never saw a bear until we told them to leave them at camp or in their truck. They're always digging around in them for something or waiting until it gets cold then dig in there for their jacket. When they start getting cold is when the majority of the better bears are coming or just staging. Most sits are 4-6 hours. Flashlight, flagging tape, water flask and some hard candy is about all they really need.
Hoot...yes bear hunters bring to much crap. The less you take with you the less chances are that you will get caught with your pants down. Deer when they smell you they immediately exit the area, when a bear smells or hears you they don't exit right away, they are problem solvers, they will try and figure you out "are you there, or were you just there" Unbeknownst to the hunter many times those bears will literally be sitting behind that hunter or only yards away for sometimes hours. So when that hunter is fidgeting around in his backpack looking for a book, binoculars or any unnecessary items he probably just alerted that bear of danger, sending that bear away only to return during night time, after dark hours.
Deer hunting packs now that's a different story.
Thermocell never leaves my pack...
Yup - I forgot the thermocell in my post. Thanks!
Thermocell is amazing. I doubted it for a long time until I bought one then two.
Yup.... I didn't believe thermocell till I ruined my early season swatting squeeters. Now I don't go out without one in warm weather.
First time I seen a Thermocell in action was in Utah on a Trophy Mule deer, Elk hunt. I was the camera guy and filming for a guy associated with the Drurys. He hung the Thermocell on his backpack as we stalked. I asked him how well it works and he said I will show you, he turned it off , we walked about 30 yards and were covered in mosquito's, he turned it back on and it was like we were in a bubble free of mosquitos. A soon as I got back to Wisconsin I purchased two.
You guys that read on stand, I guess if it is read or leave then maybe reading isn't all bad. But I also think you could work on your ability to sit all day without the books help.
I often wondered how many smells my pack carries along with it and how to clean it. I do a lot of all day sits and can't do that without some sort of pack. I am going to drastically down size what I take in on bear stand in May. Thermacell (with refill), knife, seat cushion, and water? Maybe an umbrella or rain gear depending on forecast. I am going to dig up an old watch. Always used my phone for time but without any service I might as well leave the phone in camp.
I guess for me the reason I hunt is for relaxation, I am not concerned about shooting the biggest buck but getting away from reality for awhile. Reading in the woods is part of what I love about hunting. Not sure if it has costed me any opportunities, I always try to have a plan in place on how I would set book down and grab bow if a deer shows up. I also pause after every page and scan the woods for min or so. As far as gear what do you carry for first aid? I was thinking about putting together first aid kit to includes materials to make turnakit.
for me its a compass, gps,extra knife, bloodlite, grunt tube,extra socks and gloves,scent cover,marking tape and of course snacks. If Im behind the house on my land sometimes I bring a friend...his name is captian morgan , Just to keep the cough down of course.
Xtrout, lol. When I first started hunting I'd bring a small bottle of pep schnapps to help fight the cold. I don't do that anymore but have been known to add an ice cold beer in my pack on a hot afternoon bowhunt once in a while. It usually makes its way out of the pack w/2 hrs left in the hunt. Then for some reason right at prime time, I find myself having to piss:-) last year I was letting it fly as the doe I shot was walking in.
I too use a small day pack and carry pretty much the normal assortment of paraphernalia mentioned above. Don't now make many day long hunts so don't normally carry extraneous items, like TP. Used to make numerous day long hunts and then always carried it. Occasionally got caught with out it. Recall having to cut off my skivvies once or twice for clean up. Later, in the tent while crawling into my sleeping bag the wife asks, "What happened to your underwear?" I explained, she just shakes her head and says (again), "I never know what to expect from you."
Most guys I hunted with carried backpacks. Jerry, the joker, we paid him back. Somehow a five pound brick got placed in his backpack and he never noticed for nearly three days! The shoe was on the other foot!
I have a large fanny pack (that is getting to the point of no return, but I can't find another one like it) that has two large compartments and two side compartments. Since I started Traditional hunting, it's contents got less. I have TP, drag strap, extra waste belt safety strap, Knife, glow stick, waterproof matches, zip ties, bow holder, extra shooting glove, flashlight, bow/gun hoist rope, small pruning shear, and that's about it. During the gun season I do read trapping books or whittle on stand. If it makes you stay out there do it. I have been busted more at the wrong times with a coffee in my hand or something else in my hand when nature calls than with a book in my hand.
Are you guys that are reading books on stand really saying you are 'reading' playboy? Sorry, I had to ask. After all, Casekiska is going home without any underwear on.
Jeff!!! I clearly said Trapping Books. Now, what Casekiska does out in the woods is his own private business and does not need to be broadcast for all to know.
Haha funny you ask Jeff, when I was a kid I went to a box stand we have on our property. Found a stack of playboy up there, I was probably 12 or 13 it became my favorite stand. Never did see a deer while sitting there lol. Now I read the bow hunter's almanac to pass the time.
One place I hunt near Minong has a stand called the 'Penthouse blind'. It is the landowners favorite stand. I shot a doe from that stand the first time I hunted from it. Read whatever you want into that last sentence.
L2H, trapping books? I figured that was just a code name for something more interesting than trapping books.
One of the main things I carry is the baby wipes in a quart sized baggie to keep them from drying out. Unscented of course. They work great for everything from cleaning your hands after a harvest to keeping a critter clean for better pictures. You can stuff them up a deer's nose or mouth. Put them in the arrow holes. Wipe off blood.Same for cleaning up Turkeys. You can clean your knife to put it away. Plus there seems to be no such thing as a clean wipe in the woods.