ways to save weight:
-Go through everything and attempt to only carry multi-tasking items (not entirely possible). ie... One good knife to do it all, instead of 2 or even 4. I now carry an iphone 4s, which replaces my phone-gps-camera-vid camera-reading material-spot-maps (still carry a simple'old school' compass and small map). Also, I carry a water bladder and lite purifier, in order to always have water but carry less. Superglue is awesome for lots of things, from first aid to in the feild repairs. instead of a heavy sleeping bag I wear long johns/xtra socks and hat that I would have carried anyway. If you use calls, Get good with a high quality diapragm reed, since they are the most versatile and only carry one other open reed call, A tarp rather then a tent (in my case the paratipi) etc...
-remember the dirtbaggers mantra of 10-80-10. If we pile all the stuff we could take, we generally find that; 10% of the stuff is Essential to survival, hunting success and living, 80% is stuff we use regularly but wouldn't wilt away without, the last 10% is slightly greedy guilty pleasures that just plain spice up life. Throw away the 80% and then reduce the remaining 10% portions to their lightest possiblity
-Get better/more comfortable in the woods.
This one kind of goes along with the one above. Remember the old possibles bags that used to be carried. Guys like Natty Bumppo lived endlessly and happily in the woods, yet they were remarkably svelt in what they had on them. our 10% of essential things can be shrunk to remarkably small proportions. The more you carry in your mind and heart, the less you carry in your pack.
-When I wear shoes, they are less then 10 oz per pair. Boot weight makes a huge difference. Add wool socks for warmth. contrary to popular thought, I have seen no difference when carrying obscenely large loads "out" of the woods, though I had tiny footwear. we are capable. as a side note, you will be quieter and more safe, more aware of where you step and how.
-eat more bioavailbe foods. It is said the Brazilian natives could run for days eating nothing but chia, while the tarrhumara eat a similar meal of mash fermented corn and seeds to run amazing distances in consecutive days. I eat alot of Chia and Honey for this reason, along with some fruit, veggies and nuts. I'll hunt for 3-5 days this way in comfort, and I do travel alot. 7 is the most I've been able to do this way because of time reatraints, but I'm willing to say I could do it for 10.
-carry a one piece bow, with 3 arrows and a back up broadhead and judo in the pack. since they are only carried on one side of your body, it adds up.
there are a ton of improvements you can make. Always refine it during trips for the next one.
Enjoy! Dan
Topic: What does your elk hunting pack weigh? (Read 989 times)
