I m looking for pointers, and warnings on equipment. Right now I dont plain on doing too much to start, under 10 miles in. A friend and I will be hunting song dogs in Maine, for now.

Your question is quite general, so I will give a general answer...when it comes to gear, don't try to carry too much!

I think the most common mistake, and one we all make to one extent or another early on, is packing too much stuff.

With experience, you will learn to rationalize gear out of your pack. You will also learn to bring stuff that can serve multiple purposes to avoid duplication.

As you make your gear list, keep second-guessing whether or not you really need each item. Every trip you make you will likely find yourself leaving stuff behind that you previously thought necessary.


Tim

That is some wicked good insight in where I should get started.

Now that the jump start in thought going, I need to keep my bank account in mind.
I know some things you cannot go cheap on, but, what about backpacks? Mil grade molle packs work? Would there be a better alternative?

Hydration systems? My smart money says integrated with the pack, camel back style?

Tent, outside of the cold season, I was thinking a poncho rigged into a lento. That way the poncho doubles as shelter as well as keeping you dry in the move.

Sleeping bags, what is used because the normal ones can be quite large in size. If normal sleeping bags are not used what is the alternative(s)?

I have a reproduction of a British issue hatchet that doubles as a hammer too. I was thinking that would work out well because the blade could be used in many applications and its always handy to have a hammer.

More to follow as I think of them.

Get a folding saw and forget the hammer/hatchet idea.

Ponchos do make nice lean to's but then you have nothing to wear. A amall tarp is nice. I use ripstop nylon as it's light but stay away from siltarps because they are incredibly flammable.

Water filters weigh less than water. Two 1L water bottles are nice. One to attach to the filter and filter into and then dump into the other bottle. Fill the bottle with warm water at night and put it in the bottom of your sleeping bag-toasty toes and some still warm water for the morning.

Two pairs of good quality wool blend socks are good enough. One to wear while the other pair is tied to the back of your pack and airing out. Switch them back and forth a couple timer per day and you'll have happy feet and socks that don't smell too bad. You can wash one pair at a time if necessary.

Try and carry no more than 25% of your ideal body weight. Lots of people will tell you that you can go much heavier, I do it too but at 25% you can walk and walk. Over 35% and you will probably injure yourself.

Don't carry anything "for emergencies" except a small 1st. aid kit only carry stuff that you will use in the normal course of your day. Knife, saw, compass, gps, etc. are all daily use stuff. The exception is a spot messenger as it might save your bacon some day.

Some sort of carry attachment for your gun or bow to be attached to the pack is nice.

Spotting scopes are nice but take up lots of room and are heavy-maybe an over sized pair of binos and small tripod would be better. My thinking here is you have to carry binos anyway.

If you decide to have cooked meals then you have to carry a lot more stuff, pots, pans, cooking oil, spatula etc etc. Uncooked food gets tiring but it's a damn site lighter and easier. If you want to heat something get stuff that can be cooked over a fire-sausage etc. That with an over sized steel cup to heat water in and you can make instant coffee, hot choc. etc.

Bring food that covers carbs, fats, and protein-leave one of these items out or lean too heavily on the other two and after a couple days you'll go downhill and really start to crave the one you haven't brought enough of. Carrots and apples last a long time and are heavy but you have to have some fruits and veggies.

Bring toilet paper and diaper wipes-a clean butt is a happy butt. Enough said in this matter it's been laid out in way too graphic a detail in an earlier thread.

Sleeping bags, I like down but ya gotta keep it dry. Not too easy in the rain but still possible. If you have enough clothes you can put your layers on and sleep comfortably with a fire in front of the lean-to. I've done this down to -10 C but you have to be willing to feed the fire all night. It seems the fire is either too big or too small. A light sleeping bag is a good alternative if you plan on having a fire. Use one that you can unzip and poke your feet out and then you can walk around with the bag on, handy when adding wood to the fire. Also good for outrunning your buddy when the grizzlies start nosing around.

the chef

Pick the best pack you can afford that is comfortable and just big enough to carry what you really need so you do not overload it. Also, get the best boots you can afford that are comfortable and suited to the terrain you are likely to hunt, then break them in well.

REI is a good source for equipment, with the advantage that if something really does not fit or work for you you can exchange it.

I love Camelbacks, but after the lever for the valve on mine went missing on day one of a ten day trip in the Brooks Range, I would never use a Camelback as my only water container on a trip longer than one day, and not even then in desert conditions. Fortunately I had a Nalgene bottle as well.

As to a sleeping bag, I use a North Face Snowshoe, which is a zero degree F synthetic bag which is still reasonably affordable, light and packable. For warm areas, I would use the North Face Cat's Meow. I like synthetic because some of the areas I hunt alternate between cold and wet and colder and snowy. Down is a little lighter and more compessable, but wet feathers are lousy insulation.

Chef, thanks for the wicked tip! I like the idea of not getting out of your bag when feeding the fire, poking your feet out...sounds funny but very effective I m sure!

quote:

As to a sleeping bag, I use a North Face Snowshoe, which is a zero degree F synthetic bag which is still reasonably affordable, light and packable. For warm areas, I would use the North Face Cat's Meow. I like synthetic because some of the areas I hunt alternate between cold and wet and colder and snowy. Down is a little lighter and more compessable, but wet feathers are lousy insulation.

Thanks For the tips on the bag boomer, I would too have to use synthetic due to the fact of the weather changes here. Today it could be 90F and tonight could be 30F poring rain. So its best not to take chances. I have made mistakes on day trips in the past, even when I knew better.

It seems to me I could get away with the armys multi layer system bag. It got down to -45F here this past winter, so if its that cold I can layer up in the bag. Just use a fleece bag or something like it in the summer.

What is the take on LLBean? I only live about a hour and half drive north of there factory outlet and thrift shop. I just stopped in there today to get a map for camping trip(drive in site, coyote hunting) on my way though.