Just went thru my day pack and decided that I was lugging around too much stuff. Was is in yours and what would you leave behind?
I have the following in mine.

map
compass
GPS
Knife
first aid kit
2 space blankets
2 charcoal briquets (easy light type)
flashlight
spare batteries-GPS and light take same
20' rope
garbage bag
rain suit
spare gloves,hat, and socks
spare boot laces
anti bacterial soap
gun cleaning kit
marking tape
toilet paper-just in case
lighter and water proof matches
rag
whistle
spare battery for cell phone

[ 10-30-2002, 07:59: Message edited by: hayes4 ]

I agree, you are carrying way too much stuff. That sounds like the start to a backpack for an extended trip, not a day pack.

I use a fanny pack, actually, and I guess I am not so nearly prepared as you. Mine usually holds the following:

Camera
Compass
GPS
toilet paper
matches
rawhide boot laces
about 10 feet of rope
life savers or cough drops
trail mix
flashlight
gloves
knife, sometimes a saw also
extra ammo

R F

I think back to my "day pack and see the following things laid out:

map (in my pocket along with compass)

Insulated coveralls (get to hot wearing them into the stand!)
knife
flashlight
spare flashlight
several 1 gallon zip lock bags
One of them contains:
9X12 plastic drop cloth (can be used many different ways as needed)
I once threw one of these to a person as we got ready to spend the first day elk hunting. He asked what it was for, when I ran into him later that day after a severe afternoon rain shower and hail storm he said he understood. Later published as his idea in our state wildlife magazine (that and a stupid stunt on his part during the hunt is why we DON'T hunt together any more).
I told him that I would use that stunt as an example of things NOT to do in every one of my hunter ed classes in the future, and I have stuck to that promise!

first aid kit
space blanket
several folds of papertowels (will handle several "clean up" needs)
20' rope and several feet of string
a foot or so of electical tape (rolled up)
Another contains:
spare gloves,hat
marking tape
lighter and water proof matches
whistle
Bags can be used to contain those "insides" that some of savor after a sucessful hunt and keep stuff dry and together in the pack!
The plastic drop cloth and paper towels can be used as many different parts of the first aid kit with a little imagination.
LouisB


Oh Boy, Muzzle loading season starts next Monday!

A lot depends on how wild the country is where I am hunting. The larger the area the more stuff in Wis a small fanny pack with compass lighter emerancy space blanket some candy bars light weight gun case ( you need one to ride in a car)water bottle, cleaning gloves. If I am hunting in a bigger area 10 to 15 mile from nearest rd more stuff

Antacid tabs,Aspirin and the usual meds. that I have to take everyday. Fuzz

Water Bottle
Wyoming Knife
Standard Blade Knife
Small Hatchet
Xtra rounds
20' of rope
Plastic bags for edible innards
Matches
Xtra Gloves
Communications Device
Lunch
Toilet Paper

Guys,

Reference the space blankets..in cold wet windy conditions they are next to useless,they really are guys. They are not very effecient at stopping heat loss from convection as they just wrapped around you. In bad weather they encourage you to lie down to keep them in place which further increases heat loss from conduction. If you try to use them as a tarp and form a tempory shelter and they are just not strong enough and get destroyed in even a moderate wind. While I was in the army, we trialed these in realistic field conditions and they really were bad news when it came to staving off hypothermia in cold wet windy conditions.

As a much more effective although heavier alternative take a look a the orange bivvy bags sold in climbing and mountaineering shops...they are about 84" long by about 30" wide and are much heavier weight than a typical space blanklet. You can get them silvered on the inside if you think thats desirable.

For use in really bad weather, you tear a small hole in one bottom corner and pull the whole thing down over your head till the opening is down below your ankles. If you did it right your face is near that small hole to help you breath. Next sit ( don't lie) on some/any insulation you may have and maybe put your feet in your daypack for extra warmth. If you have a steel mug or mess tin you can very carefully light a small night light candle inside the bag on your lap..the light makes the bag appear to glow and is very visible and gives off a surprising amount of heat...The bag is virtually windproof and waterproof if used like this and is anchored in place by your body weight....This system is streets ahead of a space blanket in stormy, wet cold weather. To really get the most take a small emergency strobe light with you...set this up in the open near your position where it is visible and you can tuck yourself away behind what ever shelter is available and you don't have to worry about potential rescuers missing you because you are hidden

regards,

Pete

I base myself out of my vehicle which is loaded with everything imaginable. I don't really carry a day pack as I don't hunt all that far from civilization most of the time, but I do carry a fanny pack with a 357 Magnum and a length of rope in it, maybe a protein bar on occasion. A camo seat cushion is velcro-strapped to the back of the pack to keep my ass off cold ground and make things more comfortable. A whistle is on my key chain, a blood stained leatherman multitool in one pocket, and a mini mag lite in the other. extra gloves are kept in my coat along with a disposable lighter. I don't bother carrying extra ammo. I've never had to take out a whole herd. Whatever fits in the magazine or quiver has always been plenty for my needs.

I hunt in hot conditions here in Northern Australia, so my main priority is water. I take:

camera & flash
knife
toilet paper (out of ration pack's)
2 cylume sticks
2 plastic shopping bags (for pig tusk's)
matchless fire starter kit
Puri tabs (water purifer tabs,1 tab treats 1lt)
Small first aid kit/compression bandages
camel back (1.5 lt of water)
If I know I'll be out for awhile I take another camel back bladder.

On my hips I take a ammo belt and another knife.

Thats about all.

Hey TCLOUIS what did he do?

Bakes

I'm glad somebody said something about the space blankets. They just don't work.

Technically, your main sources of heat loss while hunting will be evaporative and convective, conductive. The space blanket is designed to prevent radiant heat loss, which just isn't that much of an issue during hunting season. The earth is still radiating enough heat energy from summer to overcome the radiant loss you may experience, even on a clear night in November.

The worst culprit is evaporative heat loss, and it's hard to combat. Exertion can put a lot of moisture in your clothes, as can the weather. Once you're wet, you're in trouble. Also, if you're walking or climbing, an expensive Gore-Tex rain suit can make you wetter than the rain can.

kk

Pete,

That is some of the most interesting advice I have seen about emergency situations in a while. It just made good commonsense. I liked the comparison between the space blankets and the bivy sack. Also, the placing of a strobe in an open area while you take shelter hit me between the eyes. Good show!

Lessee:
matches
zippo w/extra flints inside
Gerber Strike Force fire starter w/fuel tabs
candle (hypothermia is the killer around here)
steel cup
surveyor's flagging tape
small first aid kit w/several wraps of duct tape around it for repairs
headlamp
tarp which is heavy plastic laminated w/grommets
VHF handheld
two Victorinox disposable knives
vacuum packed oatmeal, sugar, tea
food for day
spare clothes
ammo
.22 aluminum framed revolver
tags
warm hat and gloves in waterproof stuff sack
compass and map
50' parachute cord can use for boot laces
several paper towels-use for tp or whatever
rain gear if it remotely looks like I'll need it, which is usually
foam sit pad
1 liter water which is usually more than I need, water is way too available here

Sounds like a lot, carries easy with little bulk.
I use a Crooked Horn Outfitters Guide pack. I have enough room leftover to stuff a quartered up deer into the pack if i hang my clothes on straps outside for pack out.

Longbob,

Picking up what KK said about radiated heat, I think most folks here know that you lose most of your heat through your head and hence know about the importance of wearing a hat in cold weather. Now think about the way a typical space blanket is worn/used in the field....most of the pics you see show the wearers head poking out unprotected by the blanket....

We did these trails on and off for about 6 months after the Unit suffered a spate of casualties from hypothermia. Seemed everybody knew the "glossy" "rambo" style survival as taught in many of the books, but somewhere the bread and butter commonsense stuff was lost.

Another interesting finding was with regards the "lifeboat" matches...the matches themselves were very good, but the special striker material was on the outside of the lid of the plastic container, probably for safety reasons. What we found was that if that material got really wet, it just disintergrated as you tried to strike a match against it. You would get maybe two matches alight before it was useless.. Now that may have been particular to the two brands we were using, but it was enough to put me off them. Also some ordinary "strike anywhere" kitchen matches I had coated in candle wax as per the books and kept in my kit for about six months failed to strike at all, even in dry conditions. To this day I don't know why.

The biggest thing we found was not to believe the books but to try everything yourself before you needed it. And to try it in bad weather not on a bright sunny day. Take lighting a fire..Wait till it is drizzling and damp and try lighting one in your yard at home. If that works, try when the wind is blowing and its raining a bit harder. A lot of stuff can be practiced relatively safely and convienently near to home that way...

Regards

Pete

Guys,

I never leave home with my pack unless there are several common road flares included with the rest of the gear. They start a fire under very extreme conditions. They're cheap and can be purchased at auto parts and hardware stores.

Joe

This is what I carry in a pack for Colorado elk hunting,
spare batteries for gps
topo map & compass
surefire flashlight w/spare batteries
petzl zipka head lamp
leatherman and diamond steel
2 small candles, matches, spare bic lighter
rain gear
30' parachute cord
20' decoy cord
2 elk size game bags
garbage bag
face mask
small pack baby wipes
several alcohol wipes
spare boot laces
exstream 1 liter water purifier
toilet paper
uncle mikes pull through gun cleaner kit
pen wrapped in olive duct tape (6 feet)
spare socks
camera
wool gloves
roll orange marking tape
2 16"x16" pieces of blaze orange t-shirt
4 zip ties
2 sandwiches and some deer sticks
2 granola bars
2 juice packs
chewing gum
2 collapsable walking sticks
If water at spike camp is needed, I add a katadyn filter and two 4 liter water bags to fill for the trip back.

I carry the following on me,
binos
small med pack-band aids, butterflies, 2 suctures, aspirin, tums, ibuprophen, immodium, anti-biotic pills, neosporin.
gps
insulated shooting gloves
belt knife
8 rounds ammo on belt
toilet paper in ziploc
vaseline or carmex lip balm
leupold lens pen and paper towel
smokes and bic lighter
rifle & 4 rounds

You must hunt in very tough conditions! Apart from the clothes that I wear I have a compass, a knife and a small first aid kit. If I'm out more than 4 hours I bring along a thermos bottle with something warm and a pack of sandwiches. In the latter case I have these in a small rucksack. Of course, I also have a few things for my dog.

A lot of the things mentioned above I do have in my car at all times, including a sturdy axe and a small saw for clearing forest roads from fallen trees.

ovis, you're spot on. I normally carry one, had to leave it behind for airline travel last year, and forgot to replace it. Thank the gods I didn't neet it.

Not only are road flares tops for fire starting, they're excellent for emergency signalling, too.

I'm a throw-back to another time. I carry virtually nothing, but then I'm normally not hunting some wilderness area, and it is usually an area where I'm worried about heat, not cold.

I usually wear an almost empty fanny pack, and use it to store my gloves, camera, binoculars, and anything else I start peeling off. (I don't like carrying water, not a good idea probably, but I find it bulky. Usually I drink it in the first hour to get rid of the weight. I'm a camel. I load up before I leave.)

I don't paint myself in a corner where I need the emergency items mentioned in most of the posts.

I plan to hunt Canada or Alaska in 2004, that will change my whole outlook on the subject. I appreciate the tips being given here.

Normally I take more on a hunt than I need. For South Africa this year I fed off the posts and suggestions given in the Africa Big Game thread. (As a matter of fact I found this website from a post on another hunting website.) I took everything I could find on the subject of hunting in RSA then filtered it through my own experience; and packed my bag.

I found after the hunt was over that I had been 105% percent prepared. I had a few items I probably didn't need, but wanted for nothing.

Years ago I would have had to have learned from my first hunt and enjoyed my second one. With you guys around sharing your experiences, the rest of us get to start having fun from the get-go.

Thanks

Only one post mentioned food which is a top priority with me. Besides some nice sandwiches made with rare roast beef I carry some candy bars (chocolate) and if the walk is not very far such as on opening day I will include a thermous of soup.

There are a lot of good things listed above and many are needed depending how far one is from help or if hunting alone or not. We have been using FSR radios the last few years and enjoying them.

I never carry a day pack...I fill my pockets with Jerky, smoked turkey or something, binocs, ammo, rifle, knife, matches, maybe a couple of candy bars..

It works for me and has for 60 years but I have a lot of experience and can survive most anything I believe nature can dish out short of those things that are not survivable..I don't recommend this practice to those who have not been raised and lived as I have.

REALLY NEAT POST !!! GOOD FOR 5 SMILIES IN A ROW !!!

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Originally posted by Aquavit:
I base myself out of my vehicle which is loaded with everything imaginable.

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Vrooom vrooom !!! #-------------------->

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I don't really carry a day pack as I don't hunt all that far from civilization most of the time, but I do carry a fanny pack with a 357 Magnum and a length of rope in it

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In case Ah runs into Osama bib Laden, Y'All.

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A camo seat cushion is velcro-strapped to the back of the pack

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'N case they don't have camo bar seats where Ah go.

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a blood stained leatherman

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'Cause Ah'm a man's man. Besides, cleaning yer equipment is just fer wimps like BBBruce.

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I don't bother carrying extra ammo.

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Jist one bullet, Y'All . Thet's all Ah need.

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I've never had to take out a whole herd. Whatever fits in the magazine or quiver has always been plenty for my needs.

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'Course, like Ah said, Ah never gits far from the ba-, Ah mean road.