What did/do old school hunters carry?

[Archer1977]

One appeal of traditional archery to me is its simplicity. What about other aspects such as gear?

Are modern hunters too gear dependent? I want to take game with my skill as a hunter, not because I have the latest gee wiz gadget.

So I wonder often what did the successful old school hunters like Fred Bear and the like carry with them in the field and in what?

I never see them in pictures with bloated daypacks like many hunters today.

I want to switch to a simple haversack like the GFA one with a few necessities, and less what-ifs

Thoughts?

[Stumpkiller]

I carry my gear in a surplus Swedish haversack - much like G. Fred's bag.

       

Except for the jeans this would be my typical gear.  Quiver with fine file or diamond hone attached.  Haversack with first aid and enough gear to blood-trail and field-dress and drag a deer out or spend the night if I mess up badly and don't make it back home or to camp.  Spare tab.  Deer drag strap and 10 ft 1/4" line.  Flashlight and battery spares.  A pint of water.  Candy bars.  Moist towelettes.  Redundant fire starting gear.  Mittens.  Compass.  Cell Phone.  Space Blanket.  Rugged knife to dig broadhead out of a root.  Multi-tool with pliers.  Pruning cutters (kindling, ground blind, clear treestand of small branches).  Spare bow string.  Small knife as backup.

And, of course, a camera!

[Diamond Paul]

I remember reading an article in Trad Bowhunter about the guy who invented the Shaggy Suit and the Cat Quiver.  He carried everything in the smallest center of the back Catquiver, no bow-quiver, never saw anything else on him in any of the photos except a sheath knife.  He looked like the very essence of bowhunting.  Very cool indeed.

[Tim]

On my hip is a pair of pruning sheers.
On my neck is binoculars.

I carry a small fanny pack with the following.

Bow pull up rope (parachute rope)
Safety rope by Lone Wolf (small and light)
Fenix flashlight with extra set of batteries
Hunting license and small pen
One pair of gutting gloves with zip tie and folding knife
3 bright eye strips (if I need to mark a spot at night)
A deer drag (not a necessity but a blessing)

[monkeyball]

And Tim....your son's cell#    Nice buck buddy!  

  I have a daypack lashed on my Waldrop. Like Tim, I carry shears and bin's  also. Drag rope,ex. tab and gutting gloves. Sometimes extra clothes get stuffed in depending on where I am hunting and two flashlights.

                                      Good Hunting,
                                                     Craig

I carry as little as possible afield. Most of the time I only have a flashlight, wind check powder, and TP (maybe the most important thing!). Every once in a while I might carry a call or two along also. Lately my phone has become a must have also (I hunt alone a lot and want to have a way to contact someone if something goes wrong).

Everything else I could want or need is in the truck or at camp!

Bisch

[Gooserbat]

I carry a pair of compact binos, knife, 25" of 1/4" nylon rope, and maybe a grunt call.

[ron w]

I can remember when I started all I had was an apple and a PBJ stuffed in my shirt, a knife, rope and my bow. Now I have bino's, a folding saw, 2 flashlights, 2 compass, a camera and some water. I guess it is better to be ready for anything.

[reddogge]

In the 60s everything I needed fit into all my pockets. Then when we started using treestands I added one of those three pocket deals you put around your waist for the pruning saw, pee bottle, and a crude safety rope to tie around your waist. I still go that route but the safety equipment is upgraded. Water, spare glove, stringer, spare string is in the Arrowmaster pocket now.

[Trumpkin the Dwarf]

I dunno about gadgets... my bloated backpack holds the 4 liters of water I go through in a full September day chasing elk in the high country. It also holds the extra layers to keep me alive if the good Lord decides to bless the mountains with an afternoon thunderstorm.

Throw in TP, 2 sandwiches, some summer sausage, trail mix, and a couple candy bars, then a kill kit with rope to hang quarters, and the pack gets full really quickly. I dunno how some of you guys can hunt all day with so little water!

[ron w]

In the Mid west and east I think most do AM or Pm sits, maybe both. So the need for lots of water isn't as important as being in the high country all day away from camp.

[KenH]

Old timers pretty much carried a belt knife, cord or small rope, matches, compass, map, sandwich, and canteen.

These days I carry that, plus a cell phone for emergencies, a deck-of-cards size folded mylar Space Blanket, and a couple days worth of my medications "just in case"...

[ChuckC]

Not much, at least compared to what we absolutely NEED (our minds) to carry today.  Couple candy bars or a sammich, some matches, knife on the belt, and go get em.
ChuckC

[eidsvolling]

I think this varies considerably with the region, terrain and distance from the road.
For instance, I'm not seeing much mention here of first aid equipment or extra clothing. Some folks are hunting 10-acre woodlots that they can see from their vehicles when they get out. Others like me are one or more miles from the road, in terrain and weather that can pose some challenges at times. It might be necessary to hang a deer away from the coyotes while I fetch my game cart, and it might also be a long delay before help arrives in the event of an injury. And then there are the wilderness elk and sheep hunters.  
In other words, YMMV, as will your pack accordingly.      

[reddogge]

Originally posted by Trumpkin the Dwarf:
I dunno about gadgets... my bloated backpack holds the 4 liters of water I go through in a full September day chasing elk in the high country. It also holds the extra layers to keep me alive if the good Lord decides to bless the mountains with an afternoon thunderstorm.

Throw in TP, 2 sandwiches, some summer sausage, trail mix, and a couple candy bars, then a kill kit with rope to hang quarters, and the pack gets full really quickly. I dunno how some of you guys can hunt all day with so little water!

Probably the biggest difference is you are hunting mountains hiking all day and I am walking to a blind or tree stand and sitting. I'd love to do what you do though and gladly carry a pack.

I do carry one for rifle hunting in the marshes of Dorchester Co for Sika deer. I carry a thermos of coffee, Thermacell, toe warmers, extra cartridges, head lamp, drag cord, seat cushion, water bottle, all of my underlayers of clothing, extra socks, snacks, pee bottle.

[elkken]

When I first started bow hunting in the late 60's I carried my bow, arrows, and a pocket knife.

Today it has gotten to be a longer list but I use it all ... bow, arrows, binos, compass, wind powder, camera, water, snacks, first aid kit, cord, fire starter, knife ... and usually a map if it is new territory for me. Hand warmers if it is late season and I'm in a stand.

I laugh sometimes when I watch a show on TV when the hunter is with a guide. Each guy has what looks like a 60# pack full of stuff on and I wonder to myself ... what the heck are they carrying in there ??? I could understand it if it was a bivy or wilderness hunt but then at the end of the day they are back at the truck.        

[woodchucker]

Bow,Arrows,Knife, and a 5-6 foot hunk of rope.(all deer don't have handles)

Pretty much carry the same things I carried back in the 1970's

The only "new" addition... A cushion for my butt. Guess I'm getting old!!!  :rolleyes:

[Dorado]

I haven't bow hunted yet but for rifle hunting I had two different kits, my short kit and long.
Short kit was if I was hunting a short distance from my truck. Usually a day hunt. I'd carry a canteen of water, very small first aid kit, 30' of rope, sandwich, kill kit, knife, binos, a tarp, and a small hatchet, maybe rain gear if rain was possible.
My Long kit was if I was doing a multi-day hunt. In it I would carry a canteen, couple bottles of water, water treatment tabs, larger first aid kit, 30' of rope, 50' of paracord, freeze dried food, Powerbars, small stove, 3 pair of socks, 3 fire starters, 2 or 3 knives, binos, hatchet, small pack tent, tarp, rain gear, warm layers, sleeping bag. Also, whatever accessories I would need for the location and weather conditions.
My short kit would fit in a small hip pack with the rope tied to the outside. I had a decent pack for my long kit, but the way I packed it usually left a lot of room available. I kept the short kit in the pack with the long kit. It got stolen a few years ago and I've been rebuilding it little by little. I've been trying to get better equipment than what I lost.

[Sixby]

Compass, Small section of topo map of the area I am in. I cover it with clear tape to protect. hank of parachute cord, space blanket, tp,surveyor tape,2 qt water bottle, Zip loc bag with instant coffee and tea. couple of Snickers bars and an apple and some carmels. stainless steel cup to heat water. If I am going to possibly stay out the full day I will throw in a top Ramen or a pbj sandwich .Bottle of Gorrilla cyanuralate and some moleskin and a couple of pairs of latex gloves.

God bless, Steve

[Archer1977]

Interesting to see the variety. Water usually seems to be my main carrying item. Plus my bow, arrows, knife, usual stuff. sometimes I may bring a rain coat, but I think I will start just carrying a cheap little emergency poncho unless Im doing backwoods hunting. I guess it all really depends on what style of hunting is involved.

I do agree that some bring way too much to be within a quarter mile of their vehicle.