What does your elk hunting pack weigh?

[razorsharptokill]

Mine is 7 lbs empty. With what I have in it now it weighs 30lbs. I still lack my main meals for five days, water, and sleeping bag(2.5 lbs).
Just wondering what everyone else is carrying.

[SAM E. STEPHENS]

Mine will push 50 pounds every year , that is for a 7 day hike. I could go lighter but I like to eat well and have some other things I dont have to have. But the weight has never been a problem for me in the past and Im in better shape this year than I have ever been in.....
,,,,Sam,,,,,

[razorsharptokill]

I'm convinced that the fit of the pack is huge. My new eberlestock pack fits better than any other pack has before.

After carrying a military ALICE pack, possibly the worst pack ever... when you put on a well made, form fitting pack, it's like night and day.

[fisherick]

My Badlands 2800 pack with gear weight 28#. The total weight for 3nites/4day bivy hunt with food and 1 quart water is 34-35#  

[Daz]

Weight of pack is dependent on hike in to remote spike/day hunts out versus full bivy camp on the move, how many days, time of season.

Sleep system total will vary from 4.5lbs total to 8, depending on tent/tarp/bivy/bag/mat etc.

An average of 1.5 lbs of food per day, cooking stove/fuel/batteries for headlamp(s) etc. all add up quick. How much water are you carrying? Are you able to refill easily, or do you have to have 2-5 litres at the ready to avoid a huge elevation drop.

I think 40-50lbs. for five days (full load) is about right. I cringe at the thought of a daypack weighing more than 15 (and still providing for an overnighter if necessary).

Remember weight going in is workable, it's the weight coming out that is the real test.

[John Scifres]

Total weight "on the hoof" was 230# for me last year for a week long hunt.  Pack was 42#.  I weighed in at 175#.  Bow, quiver, binos, and the items I wore made up the balance.

 

 

Pack contents.

 

My food weigh 1.5# per day so the pack out was lighter.  Wish it would have been a lot heavier, like with a couple hundred pounds of elk meat  

[razorsharptokill]

My camelbak is only about a liter. Will not know the water situation until we get there. I plan on taking an empty gallon water jug collapsed to fill on the way in. After that I will fill my camelbak when ever possible.

I had an MRE main meal in each days gallon ziploc bag but I am going to go with a dehydrated meal for my dinners. That will shave a pound or two off.

We'll be in South central Wyoming at around 9000 feet. Camp on our back but plan on setting up a base camp and hunting out of it each day if we are into Elk.

[Outwest]

John you forgot your boots.LOL

John

[Rob W.]

Real men don't wear shoes in elk country!  :D


Rob

[Roger Norris]

Awesome thread....I am heading to Idaho for elk this year, first time. We will be hunting out of a cabin, I figure a day pack with possibles for an overnight should suffice. In this pic I am doing stadium stairs with 2 10# weight plates in the pack. I don't think I will be any where near 20# in real gear.

[awbowman]

35-45#s for the pack in.  About 15#s on the hunt.

I trained for three months with 45#s in the pack, but there is no training for a flatlander and minimum air above 10,500 elevation.

[FerretWYO]

Mine will  be mid thirties regularly

[Biathlonman]

I train with 60ish.  Last year's deer hunt was 52 lbs. In, should be about the same this year.

[sledge]

right at 20#, if i'm not planning to camp.  i've spent some bad nights in the mountains, and i'll hunt harder and longer knowing i've got warm dry clothes and my goretex bivy.

i don't carry any food, though.  i've experimented with fasting up to 5 days with 0 calories, and find i do ok for at least 3 days.

just talking emergency camping.

[Orion]

If I'm packing in, my frame pack, which includes my tent, sleeping bag, pad and vittles, weighs about 50#.  It includes my daypack.  My daypack, which includes butchering gear, game bags, lunch, water, etc.,  weighs about 15#.

[Canyon]

Mine usually goes about 28-32lbs but was closer to 45 last week. I went to just under 11000 feet  on a gear test run with the extra weight in water being required as our snow pack here in AZ is gone.

[sledge]

oh.  7-8# of that 20# is water.

i like me some water.

joe

[elkbreath]

I'm right around 15-30#'s fully loaded, I never pack in more than four days, though I do that four times during the month.   I take a filter for water and a hydration bladder, calls, butchering gear, food, long under wear, bow gear, beanie, gloves, extra socks, headlamp , gps/compass and camera.  Everything fits in the "top pocket" of my bag.

 

 when over night throw in a paratipi and 20 or 40 degree bag. Pack is a kifaru longhunter hauler.  Light and fast and able to carry it out no matter how far I go in.

[twitchstick]

Mine is 20 to 50 lbs depending on how long I'm going out for but I always hope to push the 100 lbs mark with a heavy elk quarter.

[Dan Adair]

I'm usually right at 50 Lbs give or take on a 4-5 dayer.

Overnighters are seldom over 30.

I could shave 5-7 Lbs pretty easy off the 4-5 day weight.  But life would suck.