So much depends on how far you're going. If it's just a few miles, you can get away with cheaper & heavier stuff than if you're in the 5, 10 or 20 mile range. I've gone back for a second load a time or two if the miles are short. Makes a more comfy camp. But once I'm going over 3 miles, I'll start cutting out the non-essentials & rethink how I'm using what I'm bringing.
Look for multiple purposes for the same gear. Sometimes, I'll sleep in my coat & take a lighter sleeping bag, for example. I can sleep in a coat but I can't hunt in my sleeping bag. Sort of like the kitchen tool rule -- single purpose tools have no place in a working kitchen. Look for as many multiple use items as possible.
If weight is a factor, forget the hammock and the tent and do the bivy sack. My ultralight tent weighs in at 3# with the ground tarp. My hammock & tarp comes in about the same. But my bivy & tarp is only about 13 oz combined. It's from Borah Bivy -- just a guy with a sewing machine & a website from what I can tell. I opted for a tent this year and glad I did since these were short miles. But for long miles, a bivy sack is the way to fly. I was told once that you have to choose your objective. Either you can choose to have a comfortable hike or you can choose to have a comfortable camp. But you can't have both. The bivy is a way to make the hike more enjoyable but at the expense of having a full tent back at camp.
Going in groups helps, too. Shared gear can be spread around. When I hit the trail with a buddy, one of us will carry the bear canister while the other gets the stove, water filter & a couple extras. The more, the merrier. Solo is harder. I only hunt solo but backpack with others a couple times a year.
I've been drawn to the packs that have some modularity. I don't like carrying a full frame pack all day while hunting so I end up taking my daypack. That means I'm actually carrying 2 packs, one of which is taking up space and adds an extra pound or so to the base weight on the way in. I'll probably upgrade to a more modular system at some point. But if I had to start from scratch, I'd go for something more modular where there is a removable daypack or something of that sort.
Food is another area where some weight & space can be shaved. Pre-packaged meals are lighter but take up a lot of space. Home-made is more compact but a little heavier. I tried (and liked) going a little lighter on food on my last trip. Bfast & lunch were pretty sparse but then I had large dinners. That saved a little weight overall. Having a dehydrator helps a lot for making your own stuff.
Water is a huge weight. At 8# per gallon, that 2-liter hydration pack adds a little over 4# (4# of water + the weight of the bladder & tube). If a lot of miles need to be covered, I'll plan my route more carefully and carry only as much water as I need to make it to the next creek crossing. Refill your belly and a small water bottle at each crossing and you can make it a few more miles until the next stop.
Ounces add up to pounds. Pounds add up to pain. Cut a bunch of little things and they'll start to add up to some significant weight savings. Forget the small tube of toothpaste & take a dime bag of baking soda. Wrap just the floss you need around your toothbrush & leave the container. Why take a full toothbrush when you can just cut off the handle? Do you need a full knife or will a box-cutter do just as well?
Little nitpicky stuff like that adds up after a while. I once read about a guy who took the tags & string off his bags of tea. That's a little much for me but it's the mindset that helps.
Topic: Experience backpack hunters (Read 1507 times)
