We will be going on a couple of North American hunts this year where a daypack will be helpful.

I have a full-size backpack on a metal frame for backpack hunts, and a fannypack that is great for carrying a few necessities back and forth to a stand for an afternoon hunt.

However, I don't have a daypack of the correct size and design to carry an entire day's worth of food, water, extra clothing, camera, spotting scope and basic survival/safety equipment.

What brands/styles/designs have you found that work best for this application?

What items of survival/saftey equipment are always with you when you leave camp?

As a hunter-ed instructor and survival being one of my favorite subjects to teach, I will try to pass along a few pointers. This is a handout I pass out in my classes.

Tell someone where you are going and when you plan to be back and DON'T change the plan unless you notify that person!

You need to have a pack of some kind. Carry it each time you go out. I like a lumbar pack as it has plenty of room and the shoulder straps keep it from drooping down on your butt like a fanny pack does. I prefer the lumbar pack made by True North called "The Load Monster" (you can get it from www.altrec.com). Here is a direct link to the pack.

www.altrec.com/shop/detail/141/0

It has plenty of straps to strap on a light coat, sweater, or a vest when you are working hard going up hill or when the sun comes up and you don't need all the layers.

I carry:

A liter of water and some way of refilling it� a water filter.

Three ways to START a fire �
Matches in a waterproof container, and 2 "metal match" type strikers.

Three types of tinder - a 35mm film canister will hold 12 cotton balls, my favorite are fuel cells for heating MREs -(the purple tablet ones). They start with ONE strike from the metal match. Toilet paper can be the 3rd type of fire starter. A short candle is great too.

Heavy-duty aluminum foil for cooking or heating water.

12' of nylon rope (for dragging the animal or to build a lean-to) & 10' of bailing twine.
A space blanket and a large garbage bag (rain cover or to line a lean-to).
3 small flashlights (one headlamp, 1 cheap plastic one, 1 small Maglite) & extra batteries. Start out with new batteries in all of them.

3 knives for cleaning and skinning, one is a 4" BUCK the others are 3" folders of good quality.
A Gerber combination saw with one bone blade and one wood blade.

An Otis gun cleaning kit, the type that is in a small round pouch. (www.otisgun.com) You never know when you will stumble and shove the muzzle into the dirt or snow.

Sometimes I carry an MRE but mostly I just carry several energy bars of some kind.

A good compass, a map of the area marked in UTM grids, AND a GPS set to use UTM grids. Learn to use the GPS and UTM grids, much easier than figuring out latitude and longitude with declination involved too.

I carry a referee�s whistle, a signal mirror, and a space blanket.

A small first aid kit and personal medication (Imodium AD & Ibuprofen come to mind)

Have surveyors tape in any color than orange (too much orange tape in the woods now).

A sheet of plastic (4� X 6�) or a poncho. A LARGE heavy-duty trash bag will work.

I have a pen to sign my tag with. Rubber gloves (the type used when staining woodwork) for cleaning the animal. Include spare socks and gloves & a camera for happy pictures.

That is a lot of stuff! It is what I have narrowed my pack down to after more than 35 years of elk hunting in the Rocky Mountains. Some of what is in the pack varies for the time of year.

MOST important thing you can do is before the weather gets too bad and prior to season opening, SPEND A NIGHT OUT WITH YOUR PACK!!! Use ONLY what is in the pack and learn to make a lean-to.

Packs are a VERY personal thing. What I have in mine is the last thing someone else would carry in their pack. For example, some instructors include an old paperback book. The pages make a fire starter, and it is something to read while waiting for rescue.

Try and attend a class on survival. See if one is taught by your city�s parks & recreation department or by your local community college. Read up on the subject. But most of all spend the night out with the stuff you "THINK" you need! Absolutely learn to read your GPS.

When you FIRST THINK you are lost, ask yourself these questions and answer them honestly!!
� Do you know where you are?
� Do you know where home/camp/the truck is?
� Do you have enough time to get there before dark or can you navigate to it in the dark?

If ANY OF THESE ARE ANSWERED "NO" STAY WHERE YOU ARE, START TO BUILD A SHELTER AND GATHER WOOD FOR YOUR FIRE!

And remember pack lots of PMA! POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE!

Good advice, especially the part about spending a night out in the bush. It's the only way to see what you REALLY need to carry!

Elkslayer, damn good list. I'm printing it out. With some deletions of hunting specific equipment, it is also the perfect foundation for a day hike pack.

To answer the first question, the best daypacks are technical mountaineering or skiing packs with an internal frame, shovel pocket (you can stuff a myriad things in it), a load bearing hip belt (weight rides on hips, not on shoulders), and +/- 3000 cubic inches of capacity. Some hunting specific daypacks meet all these requirements (Bianchi comes to mind), but most don't. My personal choice is a Lowe Alpine Contour Mountain 50 (50 liters/3000 cu in capacity), which is unfortunately not in production anymore. I bought mine about 6 years ago. If you pick your gear and pack carefully, you can overnight comfortably with what's in it.

[ 01-19-2003, 06:34: Message edited by: ksduckhunter ]

Mark,
I have some information that you,and others,may find interesting.
50 years ago,when I did a lot of hiking and hunting in the Catskills and Adirondaks,I was never satisfied with the daypacks that were available for hunting.
I read an illustrated article about a traditional Norwegian hunting pack;I think called a "treff".
It has one wide strap over the weak(left)side shoulder,and another strap from the bottom of the right side of the bag,under the arm,and connecting to a buckle on the left strap,on your chest.
Strange as it may seem,this pack is comfortable to wear all day,and does absolutely not interfere with shooting.
I've had a form of Arthiritis as a child.I don't have the arm strength that most others have,and any conventual daypack would hinder me.For me,it was well worth the time and effort to make the Treff pack.
If you have ever felt that your pack was a hinderance when you are gunning for a white rabbit or a whitetail,this maybe the thing for you.
Frank

I'm with ksduckhunter. My current pack is a Kelty Moraine 3200. Great suspension and attachment provision, stable in the steep and rocky stuff, with an excellent hydration set-up.

Great list, Elkslayer. One additional form of tinder that I really like is a small canister of shavings from a pencil sharpener. Mix in some cotton fibre and the stuff is incredible. Burns quite hot for igniting wet wood, etc.

My day pack is the Bianchi Endurance. It has the waist strap and nicely contoured shoulder straps and is narrow so doesn't interfere too much with your rifle. I can also attach a gunslinger rifle holster to the hip strap that supports your rifle's weight as well or if you need your hands free for balance/climbig. You might take a look. It's $89 from Cabela's (SC- 51-3325). I had read a good write up about it from someone using it on a hunt. I've only used it backpacking a couple times and to date I don't think I've had to walk more than a mile or too hunting. I'm hoping to change that : )

Some good stuff here... I'm a bit of a pack-a-holic... I've currently got 7 (ok, more but they're really old )

Anyway, for a typical day out elk hunting I use one with around 3,500 ci... that's about perfect. I generally use packs by Osprey or Dana... they fit me the best and have the features I like. I've yet to fing a "hunting pack" (vs. mountaineering/backpacking pack) that was as well built or comfortable as the top makers like Osprey, Dana, Arctryx, Lowe, Gregory, etc. Most of the "gadgets" on "hunting packs" are useles, including camoflage. Gregory is a good place to look... their packs don't fit me well, but they might fit you and they're well-made with good features. Don't mail-order... try a pack on at a local pack shop... load it up and get educated on how to fit/adjust/fine tune the pack.

BA

Brad & Mark in SC: I also have several day packs for Hunting in the Rocky Mountains and the high plains that surround them. My favorite day pack now is a Jansport TALL model. It does not have an internal or external frame but does have a padded slightly rigid "back". I just checked and there is no model name on it. It cost me $99.00 and I love it! It is waterproof (or it sheds rain and wet snow so well all inside stays dry)! It is a dark olive drab color and has both a waist belt and very nicely padded shoulder straps. It is large compared to a lot of day packs I see in use. But I carry a lot of gear including spotting scope, radio, range finder, large water bottle, survival blanket, different hats, spare gloves, maps, food and candy, Nikon full size 35 mm camera, a sand bag stuffed with lightweight material and assorted gear as previously suggested. In addition I have room for an Elk liver on the way back to camp as well as room for shed Deer horns, petrified wood pieces, rose quartz, fossils and other "neat" things I find in the mountains. On my spring Bear Hunts in NW Montana when it often rains and sleets and snows and is wet and foggy I have even taken a blanket and a small tarp along with a waterproof hot seat to help stay dry and warm while sitting and watching grassy hillsides! This pack has an excellent outside strap system to strap a rain slicker or spare coat onto or on several occassions I have strapped a shed Elk horn there and it holds them tight and safe. This pack has numerous (8?) small and large, zippered and layered (one on top of another) pockets! It also has a well protected (covered) large thin map pocket! This pack is extremely well designed and very strong. For instance I can lay the pack down with the part of the pack that rides against my back on the ground. Then I can use the zipper system that surrounds the main storage area to access the whole main storage area and pick out the one piece of gear I need without having to unload the whole main area to get an item near the bottom. I am sure I have had 45 pounds of Fossils and petrified wood in it numerous times and no strap failures so far. The pack is also great in this regard - I have often taken the pack off and used it as a shooting platform! It has three different heights! Flat on the ground is good for prone shooting and then while its standing upright it aids in shooting from the sitting position, while on its side the pack is useful for shooting from prone on hillsides (downhill). This pack is very comfortable to wear and I trek long distances with 25 pounds ofgear in it and shoulder strain is minimal. The waist belt helps share the load and balance the pack.
This pack does have one nearly fatal flaw for some kinds of Hunting. It is noisy in thick brush and willows. I have used it numerous times while Whitetail Hunting but the material it is made of makes a swishing sound when limbs scrape it! I have even contemplated buying a noise free type cloth for an over cover for it. Without this flaw I consider it the perfect high country, high plains, woods loafing, rock collecting and shedhorn Hunting day pack.
I could call the store I bought it from and ask them to check the model name in their catalogs if you need it. Good luck with whatever you choose!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Marc

I have a Crooked Horn Guides Pack. Heavy padding in the back, formed shoulder straps, waist belt. It has one big pocket for anything, a seperate pocket for a spotting scope. A couple of outside pockets for folding knives and flashlights, two outside pockets for water bottles. It is water repellant and quiet. A nice big loop at the top for hanging on a branch or saddlehorn.

I have used it for 4 years in BC, almost every day for 3-4 months a year. I have packed out a full Goat Skin and a rear quarter at the same time with it and it has performed as expected. I took it to Namibia 4 years ago on a 3 day packpack hunt for Mt. Zebra. Held everything from sleeping bag to food and water. It weighs less than 2 pounds empty.

For what it is worth I think it is the best day pack I have ever used or seen.

Guys,

Sierra Trading Post is having a clearance right now on a lot of namebrand packs. There are some really good prices and they have most torso sizes.
www.sierratradingpost.com.

Also, IMHO, if you want to start a fire when it's really wet or just want one fast, the common old road flare is the best thing I've ever found. Throw a couple of these in your pack and you'll never want for fire.

Joe

I own four modern packs from 800 ci to 4500 ci. I use them for back packing and hunting.
My favorite hunting pack is the Bianchi Endurance. Made for and designed by hunters. If I can get away with it, I like the Hardcore even better. Both, as well as my Gregory packs, take hydration bladders. I recommend that style to carry your water. Usually, I carry 1.5 - 3.0 liters/quarts. The warmer it is, the more I carry.
The trick is to carry as little as possible. Survival stuff is great. You don't have to carry the kitchen sink. I carry a space blanket or a 7 oz. nylon tarp. At least two tear open chemical hand warmers for warmth. They last 7 hrs. and will keep you warm on an ensolite pad wrapped in either a space blanket or a tarp if you need to spend the night.
I carry a compass and a 7.5 Min USGS map of my hunt area. I always carry something to protect me from wind and rain, even in the desert. My favorite parka is the now discontinued Patagonia Ether Jacket. Gore-Tex gaitors when needed. They double as leg warmers during cold weather.
Extra food is a must as well. M&M's with peanuts, trail mix, etc.
Matches and either some Troxaine tablets, or just basic TP will start fires for me.
Lights. I always carry a Tikka headlamp, extra batteries, and a Photon light to change them by.
I like small, light knives with extra blades to skin and gut my kill, and a small Sagen Saw to cut them up.
I carry high quality binoculars (Leica is my favorite brand), and no spotting scope unless I'm quite sure I really need one.
I don't carry alot of ammo. 8-10 rds. will work fine. No "back up" handgun.
I go no where w/o at least one hat, at least one set of gloves, and disposible gloves to handle my kill. Some 1/4 inch, 500 lb. test nylon cord as well.
Odds and ends. A Swiss Utility key for odd repairs. A lenth of electrican's tape wrapped around a space blanket. E

excellent advice so far; two items that are very lightweight and will keep you from going crazy are a headnet and good bugdope!! hunting caribou / moose / bear in the fall without these two items will leave you hating the outdoors - as far as packs, I use arcteryx packs which I find fit well, carry very nicely and do not weigh too much - also take some good quality leather gloves to assist in bushwhacking in the alders - KMule

The Bianchi Endurance is what I bought after getting back from elk hunting for the first time. I went shopping pretty quickly as I had an idea of what I wanted and after looking at many models I purchased the Bianchi.

I made do with what I had which was basically a one pocket affair made of polar fleece. It wasn't nearly big enough for the stuff I thought I needed during the day, shoulder straps only was fatiguing (makes you feel sorry for heavily endowed women...), and the polar fleece material let in considerable dust kicked up from the four wheeler.

Th Bianchi is slim yet has pretty reasonable room that is divided up pretty well. It also has a degree of compression available from the straps which is nice on days where you start out wearing more clothing than you ultimately need in the middle of the day. It has great, excuse my 90's catch word, ergonomics as the shoulder straps are comfy and it has an impressive hip strap which is where you really want to carry the weight if possible. The material would seem to be more resistant to dust as well.

I can't wait to give it a go sometime soon...possibly turkey season this spring.

Reed

I know nothing of Bianchi Packs, but do know Bianchi purchased Gregory (one of the internal frame pack pioneers) a number of years back... I wouldn't be surprised if the Bianchi is essentially a Gregory fitted out with law enforcement/hunters/military in mind... I'm going to look into this pack.

Here's the link for Bianchi:

http://www.bianchi-intl.com/product/frame_hunt_pack.html

Thanks NE... checked them out... they're Gregory packs dressed up in camoflage... none are big enough for hauling the stuff you need to be safe in the Northern Rockies in November.

BA

Thanks for all the responses and helpful suggestions!

I'll check out the various brands and models that you have recommended.

It sounds like packs are like rifles; why own just one "all round" model when you can buy several, each better suited to a specific purpose!

These look like they may be worth checking into. Considered a multi day pack..modular type system They also manufacture a "day pack"
http://www.nimrodpacks.com/hunting_multiple_day_packs.htm
I have had good luck with my Crooked Horn.

i also got a bianchi endurance , its a great pack. i tried several other s that cost more and ended up only using the endurance pack. cant go wrong with it.

Endurance for me. works great for equipment and the camel back is real handy.

Where and what will you be hunting? ElkSlayer's advice and list is pretty comprehensive. Especially the advice on carrying a water filter. I add a REI stormproof matches to my list as these are darn near impossible to extinguish until they burn out. And if you are not used to the terrain a goodwalking stick will make traversing mountainous terrain easier. I am always amazed at the number of hunters I see who do not wear any protective eye glasses in the field. I would not be with out them. Rocky Mountain sun is hard on the eyes and there a too many what ifs. What if a branch smacks you in the face... what if you rifle has a catastophic failure when you fire...

A good pack design places the load on your hips and the shoulder straps balance the load. This makes a big difference at the end of a hard day of hunting.

Check out Kifaru packs. www.kifaru.net . These packs combine the best technical mountaineering features with some hunting specific features... if you want them. And each one is taylor made to your dimensions(height, weight...). I use the Kifaru long hunter(5200 cubic inches) for all of my backpacking and foot hunting. last year I spent a total of 38 days and many miles backpacking and never was sore or fatigued from the pack. This was with a pack weight of about 90 pounds. For hunting I like the fact that I can attach fleece panels to cut down on the annoying zing of branches/brush on cordura. And the intenal water bladder(like a camelbak) rids annoying water bottles.

[ 01-21-2003, 08:42: Message edited by: DavidReed ]

Interesting thread.

Some of you speak of high dollar packs, I'm sure.

I just bungie cord a knapsack or fanny pack to my climbing stand if I feel the need. If my pack weighed ninety pounds, I'd lighten it or take a mule.

Mark in SC,

This fall I spent a low teens, blizzard night in the wyoming Big Horn mountains unintentionally. I have a survival belt with a lot of the "nice" things that everyone else has mentioned. It is too heavy and so I left it in the truck when I headed out for the bull elk. The fog dropped in, snow, and then dark and I got turned around. All I had with me was a butane lighter. I was able to build a fire and stay somewhat dry because of the location I selected between two large spruce trees.

Lessons I learned:

0. It will happen when you do not expect it.
1. a heavy pack will be left behind and not available when really needed.
2. The most important "thing" needed is your mental attitude.
3. Fire is probably the most important support to your positive mental attitude.
4. You will feel panic when the back of your mind realizes you are in trouble - and before the front of your mind decides to do something.
5. If you recognize this, you can calm yourself down.
6. When you are out there alone, you must do what is best to take care of yourself - not worry about someone or something else.
7. The one thing that could have been easy to take and made my night better was a couple of large trash bags. (i took my clothes off and dried them, but I couldn't keep my shoulders dry so with the trash bags I could have made a covering and also a place to sit)
8. It will happen when you do not expect it (again for emphasis).

Wyoman - Thanks for passing along your experience and reinforcing points previously made.

You have given great testimony as to the benefit to distributing the weight of your pack (no matter how light) to ride on your hips. I'd bet if your pack was a lumbar style with shoulder straps you might have had it with you.

I have copied your story and will include it in the handouts I give during my Hunter Ed classes.

Thanks, Oh, and really glad you made it. good PMA!

Wyoman and Elk Slayer you beat me to the punch. I carry everything Elk Slayer does w/a couple of changes. Purification tabs are lighter than filter, 3 knives too much weight (no I am not kidding, I carry two in case I drop one in the snow). Elec tape not cleaning kit (again too much weight and a strip across the muzzle keeps all that stuff out any way and does not affect ballistics). Carry an army style canteen cup (you can melt snow in it, drink from it, cook in it, store some of other stuff in it, worth the weight, etc.). Minimal food (believe me your body will adjust), maybe some hard candy, maximum water (I use a camelbak, but other hydration systems will work). A fanny pak w/700-1000ci will do the trick and along w/my full 72oz camelback it all weighs 11 lbs and fits in 600ci. The big packs are heavy, cumbersome, and if you don't eventually leave it at camp or in the truck you might find yourself wanting to take it off TOO often, setting it down and moving on to discover you have lost it (especially if it is camo). Putting ALL of the weight low and on your pelvic bones gives you much better agility, fatigues you less because the weight is at a central 'fulcrum' point of your body (you will be better balanced, more energetic, stealthier, all of which have their obvious advantages). Don't underestimate a Rocky Mtn hunt (terrain, elevation, temps are likely be extreme).

Deke.

I thought I'd add a couple of more suggestions.
The idea of going light does require some thought, reasearch, and experience. I just bought a postage scale to help with my choices.
The less you carry, the further you can go and the more you will enjoy what you are doing, or just be able to concentrate on hunting, etc.
Start, not with packs, but with clothing. The lightest boots you can make do with are the way to go. I use Asolo FSN GTX 95 boots instead of my Vasque General Mountaineering boots. They weigh just under 3 lbs. a pair, vs. about 6 lbs. for the Vasques. For each pound you reduce off your feet, you take the equivalent of 6.5 lbs. off your back. Combined with Dalgren socks, and good Gor-Tex gaitors, I hike, or snowshoe, all winter long in the high country of my local mountain range. My feet never get cold. They stay dry, thanks to the Dalgren socks.
I really like Patagonia's Capliene underwear, and Regulator fleece. You have to use it to appreciate it. It will keep you dry, and comfortable under a very wide range of conditions. I have never been damp or chilled using this stuff. Nothing works like it to control the inner storm.
Saving weight by using water purification tablets has a drawback. At least some of them, like Potable Aqua, can't be used regularly. One of my cyber buddies has had some health problems from Iodine treatment tabs. They also aren't proven effective against Cryptosporidium cyst, one of the less common, nastier things found in some water sources. I carry a filter when I will need to refill.
I've discovered that the new, one shot disposable cameras from folks like Kodax now take pictures which rival my good 35 mm camera with filters. And they weigh only a couple of ounces.
MRE's are better than many think. Buy the chemical heating units for them, and throw out the extra stuff you don't want. Heck, I use them for back packing, and leave my stove at home. Do take trail snacks. Sure, you can go all day w/o eating. But you will do much better with just simpliest, quick energy snacks, and some trail mix.
Ditto on eye protection. Keep an eye on Campmor's site. (www.campmor.com) I got a $100 pair of sun glasses for $20 from their web bargain page. I will not venture into the snow, or high country w/o them.
Using gloves, and a fleece Balaclava works better for me than a vest, or extra shirt. Cabelas says their fleece Balaclava is their No.1 selling headgear. I can see why. E

[ 01-22-2003, 00:52: Message edited by: Eremicus ]