I’m planning my first backpacking hunt this year. I’m a bit worried about pack weight.

I packed up my kit this weekend and weighed it. It came in around 55-60 pounds for a 3 day non-hunting hike.

Here is the way it worked out:

Main kit: 31 pounds

Frame Pack (5.25)
Tent with footprint and rain fly (5.1)
Sleeping Bag (3.6)
sleeping pad (0.75)
Small Tarp (1)
Small lantern (0.4)
Rope for Tarp, hanging food, trash, etc (0.1)
Mini Stove(0.5)
Small French press (.75)
Water purifier (0.9)
Stove/lantern fuel (1)
first aid kit (0.5)
Survival kit (1)
Camera (0.25)
Pot and bowl (0.6)
Maps (0.15)
Binoculars (1.1)
Duffle bag (0.2)
waterproof bag (1.0)
Day pack (1.8)
2.5 gallon water jug (0.45)
Trowel (0.1)
Wyoming saw (1.2)
Misc stuff like zip ties, mantles, Tinder, lighter, silverware, cup, TP, LED light, Pen, trashbags, zip-lock bags, pipe, etc (~3.3)

Food for 3 days, plus 3 liters of water: 15 pounds

Dehydrated food (3.0)
Coffee (0.5)
Granola bars (1.0)
Snacks (2.0)
Cheese/crackers/summer sausage (3.0)
3 liters of water (6.3)

Clothing: 10 pounds

(Jacket, one change of clothes, 3 pairs socks, etc) (10)

My intent is to spend the summer and spring working out the kinks in my kit, then doing a week long elk hunt in Northern Washington in late October.

If I add in hunting equipment, I estimate another 15 pounds for the rifle and such. Then to stay in the mountains for a week, I’ll have another 20 pounds in extra food and clothing.

That will push my total pack size to nearly 90 pounds.

Is that typical, or am I over packing? Any advice to lighten the load?

Remoe whatever You don´t need 100%:

Small Tarp (1)
Small lantern (0.4)
Small French press (.75)
Stove/lantern fuel (1)
Survival kit (1)-> reduce this to absolutely minimum!
Duffle bag (0.2)
Day pack (1.8)
Wyoming saw (1.2)

and go lighter...

Thanks, what is a typical weight for a 3 day trip? Also, what do you keep in your survival kits?

Here is what I have in mine:
Duct tape
Compass
fire starter
Spare lighter
Pad of paper
Pencil
Whistle
mirror
iodine tablets
tea bag
sugar
candel
tie wraps
2 extra AA batteries for GPS

Well, I have my survival kit in my pockets, and it is usually a Light-My-Fire Fire Starter ( http://www.titanium-gunworks.de/light-my-fire/fire-steel.html ), a mini package with hooks for fishing and some meters of line, some waterpurifer tabletts, my pocketknive which I daily use (in my pockets). In my backpack than there may be a signal rockets for emergency than more, but that´s it.

Keep it lightweight:
Make a list with all the things You need to survive, one which is very importnat gear and on which is nice to have. Than burn the last two and cut off the other half of the first one... That´s than what You should pack and go!

:-)

It depends on the terrain and the season as to what a typical 3 day pack weighs. What are the details of your trip?

Of course, your personal preferences on comfort etc. will come into play. As for me, a couple of pack-zilla excursions have taught me that less is more. Doing without some creature comforts may seem crappy now, but you'll be cursing yourself for bringing such nonsense when you wake up sore as hell knowing another day of double digit mileage lies ahead.

I would say that 55-60 lbs. is far too heavy for only 3 days. I see that you have nearly 9 lbs. of food! One pound per day is quite livable, if you select the right stuff. One-and-a-half pounds per day is a good compromise. Two pounds per day is a luxury. Remember, less pack weight means you'll burn less calories. Heavy pack are vicious cycles. Eat more to carry more, and carry more to eat more.

If you're really concerned about the weight, you MUST have your pack exactly as you plan to carry it when you weigh it. Estimated weights won't cut it. Don't round off. It's easy to end up with a pack 5 or 10 pounds heavier than you anticipated.

Also, you absolutely should walk with the pack fully loaded months before you go on the trip. A 70 pound pack is very large, and you mention a possible 90 pound pack. Shoulder this much, and walk a couple miles to appreciate how heavy this truly is. Even on flat ground, a pack this heavy will shred the feet, knees, hips, shoulders and back of the uninitiated.

One additional thing I forgot to mention concerns survival "kits". I suppose it's more of a personal philosophy, but I've always found the concept of a survival "kit" a bit odd. I think it's missing the point to carry a separate kit of stuff to use in the event that one needs to "survive". My standard gear contains all that I need.

I suppose one could make the argument that flares etc. are true survival items, used only in the event of an emergency. Likely though, I'm arguing on semantics, as I often do.

Rob H,

quote:

Originally posted by 458_wanderer:

......
I would say that 55-60 lbs. is far too heavy for only 3 days. I see that you have nearly 9 lbs. of food! One pound per day is quite livable, if you select the right stuff. One-and-a-half pounds per day is a good compromise. Two pounds per day is a luxury. Remember, less pack weight means you'll burn less calories. Heavy pack are vicious cycles. Eat more to carry more, and carry more to eat more.....

This is very true.

One option is to make a "scouting/supply" trip prior to the actual hunt. I've done this several times, packing in extra food/water/ammo/etc. Of course you must stash this equipment in a safe and protected manner so that you are not "surprised" when you hike in for the real hunt.

Have you thought about how you are going to get a dead elk out?

I'd ditch this stuff for a 3 day trip or any trip... Course if I put my list up people would tell me to ditch some stuff too. LOL

Small Tarp (1)
Small lantern (0.4)
Rope for Tarp, hanging food, trash, etc (0.1)
Small French press (.75) (get coffee singles if you need coffee)
bowl (0.6)
Day pack (1.8)
Trowel (0.1)
Wyoming saw (1.2) These are handy but heavy... I only take mine if I'm hunting elk and have horses to pack out quarters or plan on cutting lots of fire wood for a base camp, other wise... leave it.

Are these needed as part of your pack?
Duffle bag (0.2)
waterproof bag (1.0)

I'd get rid of 1 or 2 liters of water... if there is a sorce near by, you've got a filter.

combine these... and from the looks of it I would toss pretty much everything from the surval kit except the compass and the fire supplies...
first aid kit (0.5)
Survival kit (1)

For cloths, I take 1 pair of socks per 2 days... and only 3 max, you can wash them.

An extra change of cloths, while nice I find unecessary for a short trip. Maybe toss in a pair of shorts and an extra t-shirt, you could wash your pants if you really need to.

As far as survival kit it would depend on where I was going and if it was alone. I mostly worry about sticking a knife in my leg or slipping and breaking a leg more than anything.

If a guy has some form of fire starter and a knife he's pretty much set as far as true survival goes. Start a big enough fire and someone will find you sooner or later, set a mountain on fire and they'll probably show up in a few hours. I don't worry about having purifiing tablets and such, you can boil water in your pot, or worse yet... drink out of a stream. True survival right? The trotts aren't going to set in for quite a few days. Pretty sure they'll find me by then... if not I'll keep adding wood to the fire.

458 I agree about the survival kit thingy. If you already have the equipment you need for daily camping then you have the stuff necessary to survive. I always have firestarter, cellphone, navigation aids, flashlight and knife/saw on my person.

In addition to what others have suggested maybe you should shed the tent if the bugs are't too bad and use the tarp instead.

I would probably keep the rope, it's handy stuff and necessary in bear country.


the chef

quote:

Originally posted by Rob H:

.........
My intent is to spend the summer and spring working out the kinks in my kit, then doing a week long elk hunt in Northern Washington in late October........

Let me see.... Northern Washington......late October.......

I guess I'm getting old, but I would not be brave/tough enough to go "tentless"

Rob,

Keith McCafferty did a backpack list for Elk hunting in Field & Stream. Try their archive. There is also a list for 7 days hiking that weighs 27 lbs. Backpacking Light magazine, I recall.

Everyone is different, but for 7 days with 2 days extra food, my pack weighs in about 35 lbs. If late fall or winter, pack is heavier and trip shorter.

55 lbs is too heavy for beginning backpacking. Go lighter and plan for a short easy trips...say 3 days. You can make a base camp near your truck.
HTH,
Dave

I've gone with only a tarp in October in the mountains around here. Even if it rains or snows you're still going to be fine. You can live under the tarp and have much more room. Your gear can all go in with you and it'll stay nice and dry, hang up the lantern if you bring it and kick back and relax in the evening with a good book.

Just remember to keep the tarp low so it's not really any higher than the tent and peg the edges down right to the ground and the wind will blow over it instead of carrying it away. Put a stick in the middle to give you head room, but when you leave camp remove the stick and toss something heavy onto the tarp to hold it down in the wind.

Nylon tarps weigh only a couple pounds.

Another thing you don't need a change of clothes for 3 days. 2 extra pairs of socks are enough and wash them once a day and hang on the pack to dry as you walk. I switch my socks throughout the day and dry them. 2 pairs will last me a couple days no problem without washing.

Bring some baby wipes in a ziplock, a clean crotch is a happy crotch!! Weighs about the same as extra undewear. Leave the underwear at the truck with a complete change of clothing for driving home.

have fun

Hey Scubapro, where are you from? I assume, you are a diver. I get out 1-2 times a week up here in Seattle. It’s a sport that is almost as good as hunting… Then there is spearfishing…

Anyway, thanks for all the info. I was waiting to see all the responses prior to responding.

There were a couple questions about what kind of trip I was going to do. I work in Technology and, while not obese or anything, I’m not in the best of shape. I dive a lot, but floating weightless in the water and breathing is not exactly high exertion. I intend to take about seven 3-4 day trips between June and Sept to get use to the gear, streamline my kit, learn the areas I want to hunt, and generally get acquainted to the sport. Around August, I’ll start carrying a rifle as bear season opens. Assuming I enjoy the trips (have no reason to think I won’t), I’ll be ready to take 7 days at the end of October for the elk trip. I should know my limits by then. My thought is that if I pack in 4 or 5 miles, I will be far enough from the typical hunter that I will be able to hunt in territory that is free of most people, but not so far that I will kill myself making 5-6 round trips out with a quartered elk strapped to the frame.

The area I will be hunting will either be:
1. The Selkirk’s on the NE corner of the state where Canada and Idaho meet Washington. –or-
2. In the Cascades in the center of the state along the Canadian Border a few miles East of the Pacific Crest Trail (Pasayten wilderness).

I do not know the area yet, but I believe the NE corner is drier than the Cascades. I am very much concerned with getting wet. Wet bag, wet tent, wet clothes, etc (I do live in Washington...). That is why I am thinking about the extra clothes and the tarp. I really don’t want to sit around in the rain every evening after hard exertion shivering.

Food is important to me as well. Again, I don’t want to work my tail off all day and have chicken broth to look forward to for dinner.

That said, I have probably over thought this and I appreciate the input. I will probably ditch a lot of stuff after reading all this (but the French press must stay… I am from Seattle and instant coffee is pure blasphemy. I actually call it a freedom press though…

Sounds like the lantern, tarp, half my fuel, duffle bag, bowl, day pack, will be cut.

I need to re-think the survival stuff, reduce water by 2/3’s, and eliminate most of the extra clothing. I do worry about the cloths drying in foggy rainy weather though.


I have a few more questions:
1. On the food, how do you eat on one pound a day? What are typical meals like? The dehydrated food I have been sampling are really good, and seem to weigh in at about 8 oz each. One for dinner, one for lunch, and I am at a pound. Add oatmeal for breakfast and some snacks, and I figure the minimum I could do would be 1.5 per day.
2. If I ditch the Wyoming saw, how would I quarter an elk? Use only a knife? I was planning on learning how to de-bone an animal as well since that is just extra weight that is not needed for the trip out.
3. Sierra Dave, I was hoping my total pack would come in between 30 and 40 pounds. Do you keep a list of what is in your pack that makes it come in at such a great weight?

“A clean crotch is a happy crotch…†that’s one for the books!

Hi Rob, PM send...

Quartering an animal without a saw is a breeze. There is no need to cut bones when quartering and if you are backpacking for elk, you definitely don't want to be packing bone out. I can easily totally quarter and bone an elk or moose with a small folding Buck knife.

A pound of food for lunch each day is a lot. When I do 10 day hunts, I likely wouldn't have a total of 15 pounds of food.

Oatmeal for breakfast
chocolate bar and protein bar for lunch
Dehydrated meal for dinner.
I'll throw a few pieces of jerky and a small handful of trail mix in the pack as well but that's it for food.

I never carry more than two litres of water and typically only one in the mountains if I know water is readily available.

For my 10 day hunt last year, I was under 60 pounds with rifle, spotting scope and my own tent.

You definitely don't need clean underwear and socks everyday either. I'm sure my clothes are under 6 or 7 pounds for a 10 day hunt. I carry and extra pair of socks, a warm jacket and rain gear and not much more. Yup, you definitely need a shower when you get out....lol.

1.5 pounds of food per day is a fine weight to shoot for. Food choice is a very personal matter, but here are some quick tips:


-Olive oil has almost 4000 calories per pound. If you can stand to eat it plain, or add lots to your meal, olive oil is hard to beat. Margarine may be more palatable, and will keep if it's cold out. Yes, I am aware that I'm insane.

-Peanut butter and chocolate also have decent energy/weight ratios. They are fairly dense also, so they take up less pack volume. Fudge-dipped granola bars, smothered in peanut butter....I'm having flashbacks.

-Oatmeal doesn't have many calories, but it breaks up the parade of super-rich foods. It's density is pretty low, but that shouldn't be much of an issue on a short trip. Add powdered milk for more calories. Melt a gob of margarine in it for even more. Potato flakes have pros and cons similar to oatmeal.

-Jerky, like oatmeal, helps break up the culinary monotony. OK calorie content and density. Has salt too, which is important. On a related note, add salt to the potato flakes before packing.

You can also pack protein bars, which are usually calorie bombs. I can recommend "Supreme" bars and "Muscle Milk" bars. You'll be able to find them at GNC. GNC will have all manner of powdered drink mixes with surprising calorie contents. I can't comment specifically on the energy/weight ratios or densities of these items as I haven't calculated them. (I have a spreadsheet with the aforementioned foods' statistics that I prepared for a big trek in 2006.)


You mention that you'll make several trips to acclimate to the backpacking lifestyle. By far, this is the most important thing to do. Nothing you read online or in a book will teach you as well as experience. It will become very clear what gear you need, and what gear you don't. Good Luck!

quote:

Oatmeal doesn't have many calories, but it breaks up the parade of super-rich foods. It's density is pretty low, but that shouldn't be much of an issue on a short trip.

I use the packaged instant oatmeal. It's full of sugar and calories plus all you need to do is pour hot water over it. It doesn't taste the best but it takes up very little room in your pack and gives you a full belly in the morning.

The biggest issue that I find with food isn't weight but volume. You need a big pack if you are going to be taking 10-12 days worth of food so I try to find small items like the packaged oatmeal and protein bars that offer plenty of energy. Eating on backpack trips has little to do with enjoyment or even filling you up. All your meals need to provide is enough energy to keep you going from day to day but after four or five days, a little treat of jerky or trail mix is oh so good!

I love reading all this stuff. There are some great ideas here. The last backpack I went on was in very arid country, so we had to pack all our water. That's the killer for us desert rats. Thanks for the tips guys, keep them coming, we're listening!

Rob,

Every time I hike I take stuff out and sometimes add. It is a personal thing that evolves with time. I do not have a list, sorry...the pack is just full and I empty and refill just before I go. Here is the link to the 27 lbs pack:

http://www.backpacking.net/27-pound.html

The Site backpacking.net has a lot of good info. I would keep the Wyoming saw. It is good not just for quartering, but wood too. You debone the meat so sawing is not a big part of Elk recovery, but it is handy. I use it to remove antlers and on joints. I do not haul out the entire skull.

Food is personal preference and yeah no way around it..dehydrated food generally is bad. I can't stand granola bars, but they are too convenient.
HTH,
Dave

Get rid of small tarp,french press,survial kit(after all your hunting most of your gear is for survial.) Duffle bag,waterproof bag, if planning on cutting firewood keep the saw other wise get rid of it., cut way back on the Misc.,2,5 gallon jug.

looks like you can cut back on the food I avg 1 to 1.5 per day I carry 2 liters of water unless going some place where its hard to get.

You might need meat bags on a back pack hunt and depending on what ones you get, they could add quite a bit of weight to your pack. Put another day on your hunt and establish a base camp and make two trips the first day to your base. I would consider boning your Elk and only packing meat, that way if you play your cards right you won't need the saw. If you plan to hunt a specific area for the days you are out then your servival gear can be cut down.
If you bag an Elk then your trips out will be greater than your trips in so a couple of trips in is not a bad way to go.

Just some of my observations. Get rid of the bowl. Take a cup & spoon only. At 15 lbs., your food list is way over for only 3 days. Here's what we do for a 2 week sheep hunt into the Brooks. Breakfast - 2 packs of instant oatmeal. Trail mix (make it your self & put your own goodies in it). & coffee. BTW, coffee is Taster's choice. Better than nothing.
Lunch - Granola bars, trail mix, homemade "energy bar". Also, perhaps some smoked salmon strips. Expensive but worth it.
Dinner - Freeze dried dinner, the rest of the energy bar or trail mix. Coffee (Yup! We're coffee freaks.
Here's how to pack all of the meals.
1. All breakfast's, lunches & dinners go into their own individual zip lock bags.
2. Then, 1 breakfast, 1 lunch & 1 dinner are are placed into a 1 gal. zip lock bag. You now have 3 meals for 1 day combined into 1 large zip lock bag. Coffee, & coffee mate are placed in their own individual zip lock bags.
In the morning, just reach in & grab a zip lock bag - voila - ya got a days meal in your hands.

Oatmeal breakfasts are eaten out of your cup. The dehydrated dinners are mixed AND eaten right out of their respective zip lock bags. Trust me, the zip lock bags will handle the boiling water that is poured into them.
We buy dehydrated bulk foods from Sportsman's Warehouse (lots cheaper than the individual meals) and portion it out before we leave home.
Experiment at home as to the amout you'll want to take in the field. Trust me - this method just works. Also, take some packets of cocoa and "Cup 'O Soup" - handy & nice.
Also, I note that you have something like 1 lb. for fuel. Dunno why you need 1 lb for 3 days. Your stove should easily contain all you need for 3 days without taking any extra fuel bottle, etc. Also, can't see the reason for a lantern. Small flashlight w/ extra batteries should be all ya need.
I think you should re-think your whole setup. BTW, trash the "survival" kit too.
Bear in Fairbanks
Hope my comments helped some[/QUOTE]

Rob,
SOmetimes the best way to figure out your "nice to carry" & "must carry" gear is to take all this wealth of info, pack your bag as best you can and then, just go for it.

Have a note pad handy on return so you can streamline your pack for the subsequent trip out. What worked, what didn't etc.

After suffering with unwanted weight on your back & legs, you'll figure things out pretty quick.

That was my experience on my 1st hike-in goat trip years back. I thought i was packed light. My body said..."dude, ya gotta be shittin' me!"

Told myself I was done with hike-in goat trips forever. After months of recuperation. Just learned to pack smarter.

Some notes for your list: just IMO

French Press: Go with Folgers coffee bags (like tea bags)

Tent 5.1lb : Go with a spacious 2.5-3.5 lb. 1-2 man tent. Or have your partner pack 1/2 the weight. (Just be sure he packs his share. Sucks to be out there with missing shelter parts.)

Tarp: Nice to have. Necessary for your trip?
Tyvek piece with grommets added will save some weight.

Rope: Get some "550 cord" milspec. (real stuff should have 7 single inner strands within it's sheath.

Small lantern: Get a UCO candle lantern. 8-9 hr burn time. Can read by it's light once your eyes adapt. & a good Headlamp.

Water Purifier: Katadyn Tablets or Aqua Mira drops can save weight here.

Survival Kit: Streamline to Fire, Signal & Shelter.
Fire Steel & w/ Petroleum Jelly Cotton Balls in a plastic pill case.

Signal: Plastic Signal Mirror & whistle (pealess, no ball to loose)

Shelter: Orange 55 gallon garbage bag. Like what road cleanups crews use. Cut a corner out for your cap bill & face for breathing.

POT & BOWL: Bring a titanium mug & a spork. Use your mini stove & boil water for "just add water" meals.

DUFFLE BAG & WATERPROOF BAG: Leave em' at home and place survival gear in a smaller fanny pack and clip it onyour frame pack.

2.5 Gallon Jug: Use baby wipes in a ziplock. for bathing. Tablets or drops for purification. Make water as you go. Less weight to carry. Stop and fill your belly at water making stops.

Trowel: Use a boot heel instead for cat holes.

Wyoming Saw: Use a good skinning, boning knife
sheathed!! And a sharpener.

MISC: Up to ya.

Good luck, take notes & pack light. Info us back if you learn something worthwhile.

p.e. n' sitka

I generally travel "heavy" and will put up with the extra weight in order to be comfortable. Every once in a while though, I like to do a two night trip with the absolute bare minimum just to see what I can get by without. A summer trip (until mid September) of three day duration can be accomplished with a 20 lb pack. The ability to travel light and fast feels great.

A fall/winter hunting trip just requires so much gear; there's almost no way to do it light.

quote:

with a small folding Buck knife.

There's another way to cut weight, toss out the 'Buck' type knives and get a couple small Dexter-Russell boning knives. They're very light weight and do a far better job of boning out an animal in the field.

A Sawzall blade with a duct tape 'handle' works pretty well for sawing the skull.

quote:

There's another way to cut weight, toss out the 'Buck' type knives and get a couple small Dexter-Russell boning knives. They're very light weight and do a far better job of boning out an animal in the field.

A Sawzall blade with a duct tape 'handle' works pretty well for sawing the skull.

I'm a big fan of the Russell knives as well and truly, any sharp knife will get the job done but knives like the folding Buck Lite are hard to beat for weight and they are cheap. I think I paid $20 for my last one.

All,

This is EXACTLY the kind of feedback I was looking for. Thanks!

I will be re-working my pack, taking many of these suggestions. You need to understand that my truck based elk camp fills the entire bed of my full sized pickup truck, and if there was more room I would use that too. Cutting a week trip down to a backback is a unique challenge for me - but fun.

I am only drawing the line on one item. The coffee press stays! Instant/teabag coffee is heresy, and I'll have no part in that!


I have planned May 17th as my first 3 day trip. I'll report back the results and lessons leaned.

LOL...I hear you on the coffee but the bags are actually pretty good,. They aren't instant coffee but rather real coffee that steeps in a cup much like a tea bag. I was surprised.

I hate instant coffee....the bags are a big improvement, but I like my one cup melita filter better. I haven't weighed it, but it can't be more than an ounce or two.

There are several types of saws that are much lighter than a wyoming saw....I think one brand is corona. If you are sure you need a saw, I would go with that.

for 3 days the only extra cloths I would take are socks...I like a pair a day.

Food...I like the prepackaged oatmeal for camping...I plan on two a day when out.I have a buddy who eats like a horse and he eats three or four per breakfast. Past that personal preference drives what you should take...some of the lipton and noodle-roni bags and boxes make good meals with some tuna or chicken added. Cheaper than the freeze dried...but you need to simmer the food and not jusr dump hot water in.
FWIW.

-phil

I say throw your 55# pack on and go. The best way to learn is do it. Everyone here has given you great advice and you should listen, but 55# is about right (I'm at 50# without my rifle, includes bino's, spotting scope and rangefinder) for a 7 to 10 day sheep hunt. For any back pack hunt you should be able to carry that much going in, expecting to carry much more coming out.
My advice is take your full load for a few days, see what you don't use, compare too the advice you've received here and eliminate some items. Load up again and go for another walk about, then compare again. I'm sure you're getting the point.
My first sheep hunt 25 years ago was a solo affair and I took canned goods as well as the kitchen sink. I carried 73# in and I've never done that again. The older I get the less I need.
You've just started on an incredable adventure. Preparing and experimenting is half the fun.

Well, I re-worked the pack, and got it down to 42 pounds. I will try that on my hike in late May (if our snow ever stops, Friday we had 5 inches at our house just North of Seattle. We are only at around 400 feet in elevation - the snow in the mountians may never melt)

I also bought a food scale to get better estiates on weight. As suggested above, many of the advertised weights were not correct some were high, some were low.

Here is what I have now. Since I will be solo, I just could not break free from some of the items on my first aid/emergency kit. perhaps once I get more comfort with the hikes, I will ditch more of it. As everyone said, it's a trial and error exercise.

Camp/Transport-25.69

Pack-5.5
Tent, footprint, stakes-4.938
Sleeping pad-0.688
Sleeping bag-4.25
Water Filter-1.25
Water bladder-0.625
Mighty Cricket lantern-0.531
Pot/Bowl/Lighter/Fuel kit-1.375
Utinsels/Tupperware bowl/cup/oil-0.563
Coffee maker-0.594
Empty 2 liter water bottle-0.063
first aid/survival kit-1.188
Misc kit (sunblock, DEET, GPS batt, knife sharp)-0.813
Trowel-0.125
TP-0.031
Maps-0.188
Rope Hanging Food, Trash, etc-0.188
Binoculars-1.688
Quart & Gallon Ziplock-0.063
Wet Wipes-0.063
Scotch Flask-0.438
Camera-0.344
Pipe-0.188

Clothing-9 lbs

(One change of clothes, light gloves, socks, jacket)

Food 5 pounds

Meals for 3 days, plus coffee and snacks

Water – 2.1 pounds

One liter of water

Total: 41.8

I know this topic is a little old but I thought I'd thow this in: Alaska Brooks Range Traverse Gear List

From BruckTrack.com, Bruce "Buck" Nelson. I've got both of his DVDs and they are great, especially the latest one. There is no hunting in it though.

55-60 pounds, your still too heavy, try to go in about 45 pounds at most, don't forget you have to pack out sheep meat, hide and horns, I can go in 40 pounds for a 7 or 8 day hunt.

Forget about the coffee maker and reduce your spare clothe´s weight...

The rest looks OK, but still not lightweight! But of course, gear always weights...

I used to go in heavy with visions of comfort. Now at almost 60 years, I can do without a lantern, bowl, extra clothing (except socks), extra fuel, large binoculars (mini's work fine), tarp, and other nonsense. Take a good knife and sharpening stone. Food is kept minimal with the bonus of small game or fish meals in good areas. My 3 day pack weighs around 35 pounds and I find it can be quite comfortable if one knows how to use natures bounty. Good packing

OK, first hike under my belt. I weighed in at under 45 pounds. I think I can cut an additonal 5 pounds by eliminating some of the clothing and food. I was expecting to need more food but did not find myself that hungery.

I did find myself wet from the knees down after traipsing through the snow that was melting. Not a big deal since it was 70 degrees out during the day, however if it was nasty, giving up my change of clothing will not allow me to be in dry clothes the following day... That does worry me a bit.

I also picked up a smaller pair of binoculars that should save a bit more weight.

Next hike this weekend!

quote:

it was nasty, giving up my change of clothing will not allow me to be in dry clothes the following day... That does worry me a bit.

I also picked up a Next hike this weekend!

well, that is a part I would balance very carefully, because having dry clothes may be very importnat as well. BUT I would try to take atleast all inner clothing from materials which isolate as well when they are wet, such as Patagonia Capilene or Merino underwear and pullovers... (I have made anything in my Patagonia Capilene: I even have been diving and snorkeling with them...