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Back country camping gear/tips

I'm getting ready to move away from my primarily whitetail hunting after losing land here in ny and my lease in Kansas. I'd like to get some experience hunting the backcountry so my plan is to hunt bear with a bow here in ny in the adks and catskills and build some experience and equipment before heading out west and trying my hand out there. Any tips on tents, sleeping setups, packs and frames would be greatly appreciated. At this point I'm looking for a set up I can pack in 3 or 4 miles and live out of for 3 days. I've camped before but not in the backcountry and always had a clean water source available. So treating and filtering water is not something I have any experience with at all.

Here's what my kit consists of, others may have better or worse gear but this gives you an idea of what you need. I've stayed in the backcountry up to 8 days with this gear: Pack: Kuiu Ultra 7000 or Icon Pro 5200, Tent: Nemo Dagger 2P, Bag: Nemo Disco 15, Pad: Klymit Static V Luxe insulated, Stove: JetBoil Flash, Hydration: Platypus Gravity works or Katadyn hiker pro Food: varies greatly from mountainhouse or other dehydrated stuff to trail mix, energy bars, etc etc etc, anything works try to stay at least 125 calories per ounce if possible, 100 minimum. That's a good list, you can vary your gear from there but it gives you an idea.

good list. That Nemo stuff is good....you might also want to also check out Big Agnes tents and sleeping pads.....to me it's all about how small it packs and how much it weighs. I have really saved a lot of room weight over the last few years but it's an investment. There really is a huge difference in what take for a base camp vs a bivy.

my tip is this ounces equal pounds and pounds equal pain,,,,,,

Also look on rokslide and kifaru. Plenty of information out there, so don't reinvent the wheel.

How do I do a search on here? I cant seem to find the option.

Search for the search - ctrl+f

the search function here does not work. Use your normal internet search engine, and do something like: backcountry hunting gear bowsite

I can save you a ton of money if your an LEO, first responder, or work for the government. Leo adventurers.com has several big names in the outdoors industry that provide a significant discount on gear.

Agree you want the lightest equipment,,, but you will pay for it. If you use it alot, it is definitely worth it. Used a Steripen last year in CO and I really liked that for water purification as opposed to filter but we didn't have to drink out of a beaver pond either............... Lots of information for you to gather but you are in the right place. Bowsite is great for stuff like this.

I have been meaning to sign up for Leo adventures as I am a state employee. I first heard about the great sitka discounts but didn't look into what else they had. Sounds like I'm going to have to grab a pay stub and sign up!

Thanks!

One of my thoughts is that one area I'm looking at camping doesn't have much for water without hiking a couple miles down and back up a mountain. I'm trying to think of a way to store enough water so I only have to make the hike once for a 3 day trip. The other areas I have looked at have quite a few streams and ponds so acquiring water there wont be much of a chore. I just have to treat it.

Don`t run out and buy the latest greatest new items because some advertising told you to. Listen to those that have traveled your path years ago...like Brotsky. You will find some things work for you and others don`t. Dive in with a huge investment just because of name and you are stuck.

Use your common sense.... it`s not rocket science. Half the fun is the adventure of learning.

CSAL, in a situation like you described I would invest in some "dirty bags" to haul water in. Basically just water bladders that you can pack in light and fill up and bring back up with you and then filter at camp. Should be able to get a few days worth of water. You could use a system like this with the Sawyer Squeeze. Great set-up and very affordable. I'd probably opt for three 64 oz bags but you get the idea.

Thank you guys I appreciate all the advice!

Brotsky that looks perfect. I like that you can screw them right into the filtration system. Sounds simple. Simple seems good for camping back there!

FYI...if you are looking for deals on gear look for the seller gear_deals on ebay. It's Backcountry Edge selling customer returns, etc that are pretty much 100%. You can make an offer on a lot of the items and get super good deals. Just an FYI to help you save some green as you get started. That's where all of my backcountry camping gear comes from.

My first mountain hunt was carrying an Alps pack, Sawyer Squeeze filtration system, a light weight tent (forgotten brand) Solomon Mountain Alps boots and a cheap tarp that I bought to cover the tent or use for place to sit out of the weather. Everything else I carried was normal stuff I already had. The one thing I missed was a comfortable chair for camp.

another tip for being in a spot with little access to water - pack in a couple gallons and stash them before the season. It's a luxury to not have to go pump water at the end of a long day

I would start out with reading Cameron Hanes book Backcountry Bowhunting. The good news is most of the equipment that's available now is better then it was when he wrote the book.

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