Just checking and rechecking my packing list for Azerbaijan and thought I'd call on those with experience for any last-minute gear must haves.

Think I've got the basics covered...anything I'm missing?

Boots: Lowa Tibet GTX
Backpack: Mystery Ranch Kodiak 7,000
Pack cover
Pants: Arc'teryx AR Pant
Gore-Tex rain pants

Tops: short-sleeve base layer
long-sleeve base layer
long -sleeve merino wool
windproof long-sleeve shirt
Wind-proof fleece jacket
Light-weight down jacket
Gore-Tex Rain Jacket

Other Clothing: Wool finger mitts x2
Gore-Tex over mitts
OR Crocodiles Gaiters
2 pair Smart Wool socks
2 pair synthetic boxer shorts
Down camp slippers
Wool toque
Synthetic long underwear bottoms

Tent: MSR Carbon Extreme 2

Sleeping Bag: Western Mountaineering UltraLite -8 rating
Mattress: Thermarest ProLite
Optics: Zeiss 10x42 Binos with integrated Rangefinder with S4 bino harness
Cannon X10A Video camera with 4 batteries
Sony RX100 point and shoot camera and extra battery
Zeiss pre-moistened cleaning cloths

Rifle: Rocky Mountain Rifle 270WSM
Zeiss 3-15x42 Conquest HD5 with Rapid Z 800
40 rounds ammo

Miscellaneous: Petzl headlamp and spare batteries
Puma Ranger 20 Knife
Scalpel handle and 10 #10 blades
5 EZE towels
Iridium Satellite phone and spare battery
Black Diamond carbon hiking poles
50' parachute cord
2 garbage bags
2 rolls toilet paper
basic first aid kit
one-litre Nalgene bottle
Long handle spoon
small cup

5 One Mountain House meals
5 Cliff bars
10 Starbucks Via coffee
10 Crystal Lite
Sharkies (energy snack)
Electrolyte tablets
5 Emergen C packets


Personal Items: Toothbrush and paste
Deodorant (my one luxury)
Baby wipes
Advil
Lip Balm
Reading Glasses
Imodium
Passport/money/paperwork

Sheep,
Only comment I have is I never used my walking sticks. They gave a staff that was about 5-6' long. The terrain so steep that in most cases we held it perpendicular to our body and jammed it into the side hill. The fact that it was so stout allowed you to really lean on it.

I am going to put your list against mine for October to compare. I have started putting my things together. Did you bring a tent to Krygizstan?

Jim

quote:

Originally posted by Jim 1367:
Sheep,
Only comment I have is I never used my walking sticks. They gave a staff that was about 5-6' long. The terrain so steep that in most cases we held it perpendicular to our body and jammed it into the side hill. The fact that it was so stout allowed you to really lean on it.

I am going to put your list against mine for October to compare. I have started putting my things together. Did you bring a tent to Krygizstan?

Jim

Thanks Jim...ya I've heard about the walking sticks there.....I might reconsider taking mine.

I didn't take my own tent to Kyrgyzstan but wished I would have. Mine is only 3 pounds and to have a little privacy and space at night, I think it's worth it. We had seven guys in a 6-man tent one night.....

hope you have a great time, what are you hunting? look forward to the pictures.

thanks

Question: do you have extra "porters" on these hunts? If so, not an extra pack (for tent and such)?

I will be hunting tur...

I suspect my pack should be around 45 pounds so not too bad. I understand some of the trip is on horseback.

Ah. OK.

I would still ask if there isn't someone in the village looking to make a little something for a few days in the field. But, I have a crap back, and really not supposed to carry a pack up the mountains (although that's not stopped me yet either...)

Cheers on your hunt!

Just got back from 10 days with a 65 pound pack on my back in northern BC so 45 will be a dream but I won't say no if someone wants to pack it for me.....lol

They offered to carry everything for us. We were pretty hesitant to let them carry a our rifles but they were almost insistent. What they pack on them little horses is unbelievable. Enough to make a cowboy cringe and no rhyme or reason to how it is packed. Got home from there and went to Alberta sheep hunting. Told our outfitter how they insisted on carrying your things. He told me "That's nice, too bad your in Alberta now, carry your own stuff!"

Ya horse packing is not art that's been perfected in mid Asia.....in Krgyzstan, we rode horses with another 75-100 pounds of gear packed on behind and around us. They'd never heard of pack horses.....lol Considering some of the terrain we rode through, it was lucky no one had a worse wreck than we did.

This is great. Good luck on this adventure.
I always look forward to your hunt reports and pictures.

Hello sheephunterab
When I was there on 2006, on camp were about 12 people, nine of them went with me to the Mountains on 4 horses. http://forums.accuratereloadin...=980104565#980104565
The guides and spotters use a kind of Russian Rucksack, very practical, where they pack water, Tea, meals and, if you like, Vodka. Yeah, they will insist to take your rifle with them and will offer you a kind of Bergstock. Take it and ask the best way to use it. Leave your walking sticks at home.
When step up the mountains, for safety reasons, the less you pack, the bettter, so IMO a 7,000 backpack is to much for those steep mountains, a 2,500-3500 pack is good enough.
If you will be on a fly camp, a waterproof medium size duffel could be the way to go. They will pack it on the horses.
Consider a Spotting scope and a compact carbon tripod.
Maybe I will go back there once again and if so I will take my Kahtoola Crampons and a pair of Knee an Elbows Pads.
My best regards

Some good advice....thanks!

Your gear list is pretty complete and I don't think you are missing anything. I'm going to second a smaller pack or carrying less. I was there during the summer so I had less to put in my pack than you will, but I had a 5,300 ci pack that had my gear, plus a dslr and an xf305 in it and it was way too much pack. One of the guides carried my sleeping bag in his rucksack but the rest was in my pack. I had two guides and one of them carried my rifle as well. I didn't use horses at any point so we were weight conscious but the fly camps were well prepared and had tents and a few small cooking amenities already there. The guides are as agile as the tur and you will most likely feel ill prepared when you see them up there (they make the Kyrgyz guys look like a flatlander). The walking stick that was mentioned is very useful and they will most likely have a good supply of them in camp.

One thing I have heard is that in one camp there was no water up top where they camped. The hunter had taken one pepsi bottle sized bottle of water and after he used it all up asked where the water was. They did not bring any with them!!! It might be something to look into but not a bad idea to have some sort of water carrying pouch. At least if water is not available on top of the mountain they will have a pouch to carry some up for you when you run out.

We carried up as much fluids as possible. No water at the tops of course. The senior guide went down the backside of the mountain to a small stream and came back with a pack full of bottles the first morning up there (plenty were left there for the next group of hunters/guides as well). From what I experienced they are all about keeping you fed and watered as you need it. One thing to watch out for is the amount of pop or sparkling water they bring on the initial climb. I'm not a fan of soft drinks by any means and aside from my big water bottle and few smaller ones the guides had it was all sugary drinks. I think the guides like the free soft drinks while they are with hunters and drink as much as possible. Just be clear if you want water and so on. You'll probably be drinking tea often as well.

Spoke with a few hunters from last season and things sound a whole lot more organized than they are in Kyrgyzstan. I think I'll be cutting my list down a bit. Sounds like no reason to take food or tent or hiking poles. Think I'll still throw in some energy snacks but that's it for food.

Hello sheephunterab
Where you will be in Azerbaijan? There is 3 areas: Sheki, Quba and Ismailly.
If you go to Ismailly you will be with Zulfugarov family and sure with Nariman.
If so, slow down to Nariman, if so you will shoot a big Tur and ask to Saleh the chief cook for the Souffle potatoes,they are outstanding.
I will be pending on your report.
Regards

Good luck. I just returned 1 week ago from the Sheki area and had a good hunt. Other than a few snacks you should not need to bring food. Use the hiking sticks they give you and leave the trekking poles at home. I used a 44L pack and it was plenty big enough. If using horses on the way in, a medium sized duffle (either waterproof or w/ all your gear in a trash bag) is the way to go. With all the river crossings our gear got a bit wet.

Any other tips, tricks or last minute advice nmhunter

Your gear list looks pretty complete. Take advantage of good weather and if you see a good one on the first day I would take it. I see how you could get socked in by rain and clouds up there for several days. We had one day where you could only see about 50 feet for the majority of the day due to being in the clouds. If you just finished a backpack hunt you will be more than prepared. The mountains are very steep, but the distances covered are not that far once you are up where the tur are at. Baku is actually very nice as far as cities go. We stayed by fountain square and walked through the old city and along the Caspian in a very nice park. It would be worth spending a day there. Bring plenty of cash. A few places accepted a credit card and many had signs claiming they would, but would then run your card and say it was denied.

best of luck on your hunt mate, I want to go back and do it again after seeing my trophy nearly finish at the taxidermist