Packing for an elk hunt

I’m headed out in the Bob tomorrow with my stepdad for six days chasing elk. Weather is supposed to be pretty good; lows in the high 30s, highs in the low 80s, maybe a bit of rain. Here’s what I’m bringing.

Remington 700 in .30-06, 3-9×40 Leupold, all the trimmings. Detachable sling and Kifaru Gunbearer copy on the pack. Primus Express Spider stove with windscreen and 1300ml pot.

Paradox Packs Evolution frame with 4300 packbag and flat talon. Thermarest Prolite XS. 32″ piece of ridgerest. MYOG synthetic quilt. BD Megamid with center pole (basecamping). 12 stakes. Trekking poles. 150′ of rope for meat hanging. Kill kit (5x muslin cotton meatbags, Havalon Piranta, Gerber saw).

Patagonia wool t-shirt and light softshell pants. Wild Thing tactical windpants and anorak. Haglofs Ozo. Patagonia Los Lobos jacket. Sitka Traverse shirt. Sitka merino beanie. Arc’teryx Neutro visor. Patagonia Cap 2 bottoms. 2x mid-weight wool socks. Mesh orange vest. 8x extra rounds (180 grain Speer Mag Tip). Repair/FA/possibles kit (flashlight, knife, etc). BD Orbit lantern. Montbell Stretch Semi-long spats. LaSportiva Anakonda.

Ten person-days of food.

Not shown are binocs and a rangefinder, and some other stuff like water bottles.

Backcountry hunting is a lot like packrafting. Take a normal backpacking load, add extra clothes and ten pounds of stuff which may or may not be useful. Should be fun.

DaveC

September.13.2013

Backpacking, Hunting

5 responses to “Packing for an elk hunt”

Spelt

September 13, 2013 at 10:30 pm

Ah, oatmeal pies. Good luck.

Reply
Paul

September 13, 2013 at 11:31 pm

Ah fall, love it. Heading out for 10 days Moose hunting tomorrow.
Dude, that Rem 700 with the Rem synthetic stock is dang heavy. Have you ever considered moving to a .308 in a Kimber? Handloading will get you ’06 performance in a short action, sub 6lb rifle. Mount a 6×38 Leupold on there and theres some serious backpack hunting performance right there.
Still hoping to get out for one more Sheep hunt before freeze up.
Best of luck.

Reply
1. DaveC
  
  September 13, 2013 at 11:36 pm
  
  That’s exactly what I’ve been considering (or a Forbes, the Kimber stocks don’t have enough drop for my taste). Next year.
  
  Reply
Ross Gilmore

September 16, 2013 at 3:21 pm

I really look forward to more info and further review of the Paradox pack. I have been considering that exact configuration for some time now, but have been afraid to pull the trigger. I keep going back and forth between the Paradox and the Stone Glacier Solo. I would love to see some more detailed pictures of it and any feedback on how stable it is. Thanks for the info.

Reply
1. DaveC
  
  September 23, 2013 at 6:06 pm
  
  I’ve not used the Stone Glacier, or indeed any “hunting” pack to which it might be well compared, but I can say that thus far I’m very impressed. The hipbelt is the best I’ve used; the only one which has allowed me to carry 40+ pounds for consecutive days without bruised hips. The articulating frame works: it’s stiff enough for 60 pounds (the most I’ve carried, and I don’t see why it’d change with more), but doesn’t feel like a piece of plywood with 20. The compression system is busy, but very adaptable from 25 liters to 100+. VX-21 is a great fabric. The only thing I’m not enamored with is the shoulder harness. It does the job fine, but I’d prefer slightly wider, thinner, and more pliable padding.
  
  Thus far I can’t think of any major changes I’d make. It’s pretty ideal for BC hunting or major load hauling on a backpacking trip.
  
  Reply