Hello Gentlemen,

I have a slight quandary that I would like to throw out to the panel if I may.

I've taken on a lease in an area of Scotland that is probably the closest thing we have to wilderness in the UK.

Now the shooting on this lease is excellent, it is a mixture of commercial and private forestry interspersed with hill, over about four thousand acres on the west coast.

This is a little more wild than I am used to and I must confess has gotten me into a Huckleberry Finn kind of frame of mind about the whole thing.

The plan therefore is to effortlessly leave behind the city-slicker ways and spend a few nights out camping and hunting my way across the land.

I've still got a few bits and pieces of gear from my cadet days and a commensurate amount of general camping experience, I do however have one or two questions that I would be grateful for help with.

1. I can't decide whether to take the sort of dried and pre-prepared backpacking foods I see on the threads below or whether or not I can get away with tins of tuna, noodles etc.

2. Aside from the tent, groundsheet, sleeping bag and stove what other bits of equipment, excluding what would normally be part of a hunting kit, what would I need to take?

3. There is no fresh water on this lease, I don't want to have to go back to the car and drive to shops every day to get more but the alternative seems to be carrying 3 litres a day supply, 9 litres? What is the best way to carry the water so it doesn't make that "slop-slop" noise in partially empty containers every time you take a step.

4. Should one hunt with the pack on all day or stash it somewhere and come back to that point to make camp? I realise that four thousand acres is not much ground to cover but stalking the forestry blocks, that teem with deer during the day, is very slow work. On average one should travel at a pace of an hour to every 3-400 metres to give the best chance of not bumping everything ahead.

5. There being commercial forestry I am absolutely forbidden from having a wood fire, What sort of stove would be the best for light weight and quick boiling? I won't be preparing 3 course meals so anything that can heat enough water for the food recommended at 1. or boil-in-the-bag MREs would be fine. I am currently tending towards a hexamine stove.

6. What is the best way to carry rubbish out of the field without stinking up one's bag and/or leaking liquid putrescence by the third day onto one's bino straps.....

Many thanks,

GH

Can you get a vehicle on to your leased property?

If not, how far do you have to walk from where you leave your vehicle, to get to your leased property?

Sorry I wasn't very clear 450.

I can get a vehicle in and around the edges of the property and through it along a few rides.

Want I want to do however is to sort of "practise" my outdoors skills and backpacking for serious hunting trips later on.

I would like to park in a little layby perhaps 2 miles from the coast at the north westerly edge and stalk in a giant loop back to the car three days or so later.

For example the guy with the solo black bear on the Canadian hunting forum is an absolute inspiration and has made me want to do something like that someday.

A good mate on this forum, Londonhunter, and I are going to Canada to hunt bear next year.

Whilst I realise that guided trips are nothing like roughing it for one's self I want to be able to be a functioning member of camp rather than just another bloody tourist!

I'm a Londoner so I don't know anyone to ask this sort of thing about really.

Thank you for your consideration.

The basic gear for backpack hunting does not really differ very much, whether one is in my ancestral homeland of Argyleshire or in the most remote parts of BC, AK or Canada's northern territories; it is a VERY sound idea to ALWAYS carry WITH YOU a basic "emergency camp" no matter WHERE you hunt. I carry about 15 lbs. which I can and have kept dry, comfortable and safe with in sub-zero conditions and 4+ ft. snowfalls and in warm, dry autumn evenings, as well.

If, you first get advice from persons with wilderness experience, then buy the BEST gear to begin with and then learn to use it, by slowly taking trips, each a little longer and more challenging, you will learn to be safe, happy and will come to often prefer doing solo hunts, as I do, even with good friends available to go with.

The FIRST thing to learn, the MOST crucial aspect of this is that EVERYONE begins as a novice, making mistakes WILL happen and fear of the dark outdoors is perfectly natural and is a useful tool, not an indication of weakness or incompetence. So, begin with a single, over-night trip in an area where you can walk to your car if you become wet, cold or even disoriented by fear or even boredom and go from there.

In the 54 years since I began hiking and 45+ years since I started working in the BC wilderness, often alone for 3 months without a break, the forgoing is what I have learned. I will post specific gear items, brands, models and sources tomorrow morning here and you can then give consideration to obtaining gear that you can use over there among the Haggisbashers and here in Canada, for hunting about any game you wish to.

Most "bush" skills are just commonsense, caution and practice.

Thank you for the benefit of your experience.

Wow, that's a big question! How do you tell somebody how to "do the wilderness thing" in a couple of paragraphs.

Get a day pack like Dewey says and always carry basic survival equipment, but not so much that you can't move. I'm always prepared to spend a minimilist night out. Then tie the daypack ontop of your backpack and hike in with the extra stuff that you need for a basecamp. Set up camp and take the daypack to hunt.

knife,matches,folding saw,water,water filter (so you don't need to carry too much water), navigation items (map and compss at least), some good cord, light tent or tarp, warm clothing (wool,down,fleece) rain gear,spare socks warmhat, rain hat....you get the point. Think to yourself what will I need if it gets cold, wet, hot, etc. That's your daypack stuff.

The basecamp stuff is stove, tent, lantern if you want to go all out, maybe a small folding chair, boiling pot, coffee pot etc.

You can't bring the whole house with you so you need the best you can find, I shop at the charity stores here and I'm surprised what I can find used.

An old but good book is the complete walker by the sierra club. It's a hikers book and written by those who love to hike, so they bring stuff that makes their hike fun. I hate to hike but its' a way to get where I'm going so I try and take barely enough stuff.

Last fall we hiked into the back country and stashed some camping gear for base camp. Also brought in some non smelly food that the bears wouldn't be interested in. Then when we went hunting we didn't have to bring as much stuff in as a lot of it was already there. That might work well for you.


Start early before hunting season and do a couple of dry runs, stay over night a couple of times and you'll quickly learn what works or not.

You could also advertise locally to find a partner with the right experience and he could show you the ropes.

have fun

For your first few trips you might camp at the vehicle, for 3 or 4 days and see just how much food, fuel, water, etc. you actually need/use.

Not being able to get water as you camp is inconvient as water is heavy. Freeze dried foods are light weight only of you do not have to carry the water for them on your back.
Another thing you might be able to do is to, deending on vehicle access, or time avialable to pre prep, is to pre position supplies in certain areas on your lease.

A sturdy 5 gallon plastic bucket containing some water, food, maybe a little Scotch dropped off ahead of time in a couple of places might come in handy.

I always try and work off the same platform and keep things simple - for a three night hike and hunt for example this would be my pack list.

Clothing:

Boots
Wool Socks – 3 wear one pair – two spare
Gloves
Rain Suit
Jacket
Hat
Underwear – 2 or 3 sets
Long john bottoms - 1 set always keep one dry set to sleep in
T shirts x 2
Shorts x1
crocs

Misc./Personal:

Toothbrush
Small tube toothpaste
Insect Repellant – a must in Scotland
Toilet paper
Reading Glasses

Hunting Gear:

Rifle + ammo
Target
Knives – 2
camel pack - water
Light Rope x 3mm x 50 meters
Pack Sack - waterproof bag to cover pack
Cape Bag
Meat Bag
Cape Salt
Binoculars + GPS + Map + compass + Rangefinder
Camera
spotting scope
license and tags (Wallet)

Camping Gear:

Hammock with Fly
Sleeping Bag and Under quilt
Knife fork and spoon
head lamp
Cup + Tumbler
Flashlight – spare batteries
Large Zip Lock Bags – 3
Black Garbage Bags – 2
Hunting stool
alcohol stove + fuel \ kelly kettle
pot,pan and bbq grid all titanium and light
2 X Bic lighters
Gaffer tape
Small first aid kit

Food

first night BBQ salad and beans
Second and third night mountain house freeze dry
Breakfast quick oats
Lunch trail mix - cheese sticks and Biltong
Coffe and coffe mate - sweetners
Dried fruit - rasins

Of course you will need a decent backpack - I use an external frame one and hiking poles.

I don’t use tents anymore to much hassle, and sleeping under a tarp is a ballache - Hennessy Hammock works best for me, find two trees away from the wind and that’s it - with my Down Fart Bag and Down under quilt I can happily go to - 10 deg C in the snow



with uder quilt attached



I'm sure others will add to this -

Good luck anyway - and have a great time.

..

Thanks men.

I have been hunting solo for a few years now but have not done the wild thing as it is simply not possible in the south of England where I live.

There are things called footpaths, which are basically a public right of way across private land, all over the place on farm lands and woods and you would invariably wake up with some dog walker's Labrador cheerfully humping the end of your sleeping bag. This is quite apart from the ignominy of being able to see a 4 lane highway from your tent.....

Lot's here to digest.

How do you guys get your rubbish out of the field when backpacking?

For supper; a can of Spam, a can of peaches and a pkg of saltines. For breakfast, a can of tuna or chicken.
I can always find water, which I boil in a coffee pot, then make tea and add sugar. A candy bar or two per day is nice.
After 3 days, you'll be ready for a change in diet.

Here, we have rubber squeeze-bottles for water that let you force the air out, no splash !

.

OK, here is what I'd suggest-

I'd drive in the day before if possible and drop off a bunch of heavy stuff and then plan on picking it up the same way at the end. You can drop off a box of food this way, 15 gallons of water and your tent and even a garbage can.

I know, it is not truly "roughing it" this way but Daniel Boone would have done it this way too if he could have!

After your first time then you will be better able to decide how you'd like to "rough it" but everyone is an individual and has their own preferences and hot buttons.

For example, I can deal with a lot but I need a comfortable sleep the first couple of nights, so I like an air mattress and a warm bag if it is chilly. If I'm tired or fatigued it is not so pleasant for me but if I'm well rested I can have a lot of fun in some pretty trying times.

Anyway, I'd drop off the stuff and then park and walk in, have a fun time camping and hunting, then drive it all out. Your second time you can start deciding how to minimalise everything IMHO.

You could also buy or build a game cart to pack all your stuff in:


Now, if you do need to go and fetch water, these collapsible containers are great:


Especially if you can sew up a bag with a shoulder strap for it. empty you can shove it and the bag into a large pocket or daypack and then use it to hike the water back to your camp.
Also, I may be old school but I prefer using tablets or iodine to purify water instead of using filters.

Hope that helps, but it is just my opinion, which is going to be different than yours.

One thing that has really helped out my dad and I on our various trips (fishing, camping, hunting, etc.) is the check list. I know it sounds simplistic, but having it beforehand, and especially bringing it along to amend during your first few trips will really help you get a feel for what you need. For me, for instance, my trip is truly improved by having good quality toilet paper from home. I carry it every time I travel, even if I'm staying in a hotel. Just a peculiarity of mine, but it's on my list, and probably not most others. If you can remember the paper and pen, you'll have it all sorted out in a few tries.

Those collapsible water containers are good but I would look for two or three smaller ones rather than one big one.

We used them near a river with slippery banks once and the big one was a real cow to get up the slope. A small one might fit in your pack with water in it, too - try doing that with a cubic foot of water.

hammock looks good! I would drive in as far as possible a head of the backpack trip and stash water and base camp gear--be prepared to bone out meat and haul meat and gear out in two trips
second haul out trip shortened by a drive in.