Alpine Hunting Gear List

[dana]

LAJ,
I personally wouldn't get too wrapped up in the latest gear yet if I were you. Some guys like Brambles have a gear fettish, kinda like the Outdoor Variety of Tim the Toolman. Doesn't mean you have to be like them and break the bank to become a backpack hunter. I would go with the same old KISS rule. Keep it simple. I have spent a lot of my backcountry hunting using cheap inexpensive gear that I have purchased in the Buy and Sell or in Thrift Shops. That is where I would start if I were you. In this age of reccession, no sense going overboard just so you can try to look smart on the internet. Even namebrands can be found for a steal in the Buy and Sell. Look now, as guys are getting hard up on cash and those one time used items can be bought cheap. Be it backpacks, sleeping bags, tents or even spotters.

I like to have my loaded pack (excluding food) in the 40lbs or less range. Why do I exclude food. Well that's simple, you eat it and don't pack it out with ya. A large deboned muley will weigh roughly 60lbs. If you actually have the intent of killing a big ol buck, then you need to be able to pack it out don't ya. So max gear weight should be less that 40lbs so your pack is a doable 100lbs for the trip out. You want to go lighter, easy to do. Just burn your gear. You buy your clothes at the thrift store for 5 bucks, pretty easy to part with them at the end of the trip ain't it?

[GoatGuy]

If you're going for the weekend you can get by with your backpack, food, water, knife, sleeping bag, thermarest, and a tarp. Don't forget gun and binos/spotter. It can really be quite simple.

Longer needs a bit more gear. The old timers used to live with a trapper nelson and a tarp. If you have $ to burn then you can or just upgrade your gear as you go.

[Dirty]

Do you guys prefer a fixed frame pack or an internal for those serious grunts packing a load? I am in the process of getting my gear together, as during my previous trips all the gear was supplied and beggars can't be choosers.

I need a bag, pad, tent, and stove. I like the looks of the Big Agnes Emerald Mountain SL3 with the added vestibule awning for cooking and storing gear. It is not the lightest but looks comfortable. I am still undecided on everything. I used a North Face Vario 33 on a Stone Hunt and it worked vary well. For bags what temperature rating do you guys think I should use? I have heard good things about the jetboil stoves and MSR pocketrockets. I am still undecided. Whether to get an isobutane, or a white gas style stove.

[Brambles]

LAJ,
I personally wouldn't get too wrapped up in the latest gear yet if I were you. Some guys like Brambles have a gear fettish, kinda like the Outdoor Variety of Tim the Toolman. Doesn't mean you have to be like them and break the bank to become a backpack hunter. I would go with the same old KISS rule. Keep it simple. I have spent a lot of my backcountry hunting using cheap inexpensive gear that I have purchased in the Buy and Sell or in Thrift Shops. That is where I would start if I were you. In this age of reccession, no sense going overboard just so you can try to look smart on the internet. Even namebrands can be found for a steal in the Buy and Sell. Look now, as guys are getting hard up on cash and those one time used items can be bought cheap. Be it backpacks, sleeping bags, tents or even spotters.

I like to have my loaded pack (excluding food) in the 40lbs or less range. Why do I exclude food. Well that's simple, you eat it and don't pack it out with ya. A large deboned muley will weigh roughly 60lbs. If you actually have the intent of killing a big ol buck, then you need to be able to pack it out don't ya. So max gear weight should be less that 40lbs so your pack is a doable 100lbs for the trip out. You want to go lighter, easy to do. Just burn your gear. You buy your clothes at the thrift store for 5 bucks, pretty easy to part with them at the end of the trip ain't it?

Oh year, leave out the heavy stuff, sure you can get your pack weight down to 40lbs, try getting a 40lb pack weight with food and water.
Add food and water Dana and you have a 60 lb pack, no to mention that 10 pound gun you pack around. If you plan on camping ridgetop for any length of time you'll need to pack up all your water. Sure if you got water your laughing, but you know as well as I do, more often then not there isn't any water up on the muley ridges.

Also he asked for a gear list so that he wouldn't have to buy everything twice to get it all accomplished.
Most of the stuff I recommended isn't the most expensive, it gives great bang for your buck if you actually take the time to do the research. Makes it alot easier to get your pack weight down. The only premium product was the downmat 7, still not the most expensive but certainly worth the price when you sleep all night instead of your hip digging into the hard ground and having to roll over every 20 minutes.

Also I'd be curious to hear what you actually pack out on a mule deer to only be getting 60 lbs of meat. The deboned mulie I did weigh was 100lbs, Approx 90 lbs of meat and 10lbs for the cape and antlers. My pack was 115 lbs an my brothers was 118 lbs, NO water when they were weighted either. You replace some of that lightweight gear I have with your salvation army selection and your pack weight is all of a sudden too heavy. Especially for smaller stature guys

[dana]

I'm a internal frame guy. Being small, I find I carry the weight better and I don't feel offbalance with a internal frame that hugs me. I packed for years with a Gregory internal. It wasn't built for hauling meat, but I sure carried a lot of meat in it over the years. Got about 15 years of consistant use out of it. I bought it used off a buddy of mine who used to guide for Outdoor Bound in CA. He used it on 1 10 day trip and then got sponsered by North Face, so he sold it to me for dirt cheap. A couple of years ago, the abuse finally caught up to that ol' pack and I needed a new pack. After a ton of research I chose the Eberlestock J105. I am very impressed with it and have packed out numerous animals in it thus far. It definately can stand up to a lot of abuse and a lot of weight.

[GoatGuy]

Do you guys prefer a fixed frame pack or an internal for those serious grunts packing a load? I am in the process of getting my gear together, as during my previous trips all the gear was supplied and beggars can't be choosers.

I need a bag, pad, tent, and stove. I like the looks of the Big Agnes Emerald Mountain SL3 with the added vestibule awning for cooking and storing gear. It is not the lightest but looks comfortable. I am still undecided on everything. I used a North Face Vario 33 on a Stone Hunt and it worked vary well. For bags what temperature rating do you guys think I should use? I have heard good things about the jetboil stoves and MSR pocketrockets. I am still undecided. Whether to get an isobutane, or a white gas style stove.

I've got an internal somewhere but I don't use it. Like to make just one trip on the way out and also for packing swamp donkeys. I think most of the sheep/goat guys like the internals better. Those eberlestock's are nice and I'd probably get one if I was looking for another pack.

Got an MSR tent and a couple different sleeping bags. Sierra designs, couple of north face and used to have a MEC bag that ended up on an FSR somewhere about 4 hours north of FSJ. After a hard day it's nice to be warm and dry.

I've still got a whisper light that's probably 20 years old - still works good. Used a jetboil last fall and that worked well too.


I'm not a 'weight freak'. Gear is reliable and works - keeps me dry and warm. Rather be spending my $ on hunting trips, instead of hunting gear. If you've got the money to burn spend it.

[Brambles]

Do you guys prefer a fixed frame pack or an internal for those serious grunts packing a load? I am in the process of getting my gear together, as during my previous trips all the gear was supplied and beggars can't be choosers.

I need a bag, pad, tent, and stove. I like the looks of the Big Agnes Emerald Mountain SL3 with the added vestibule awning for cooking and storing gear. It is not the lightest but looks comfortable. I am still undecided on everything. I used a North Face Vario 33 on a Stone Hunt and it worked vary well. For bags what temperature rating do you guys think I should use? I have heard good things about the jetboil stoves and MSR pocketrockets. I am still undecided. Whether to get an isobutane, or a white gas style stove.

Serious heavy duty work I still recommend a good external. The internals are still more comfortable (Tatonka external is pretty comfortable).

Canister stoves are a lot smaller, and you can simmer much much better. White gas stoves are better for mass production because of a bigger cooking surface. If your on a budget and can only afford one stove I'd get the white gas stove. More versitile, works better in cold temperatures and you can get ones that burn practically any combustable fuel. I have many different stoves because I'm a gear junkie, so when I go solo or two guys and all I need to do is boil water I just take the Gigapower.

White gas stoves are also easier to rig up wind breaks because the bottle is connected by a hose, canister stoves can explode if the wind break channels the heat down to the bottle, since the stove is threaded on to the fuel supply directly.


For the tent I'd get a lightweight roomy two man. You don't want to have to pack more tent weight then you need to.

Bulk is another thing to consider, if something is light and bulky then its not that great either. You only have so much roon in you pack, you don't want to use it all up on the way into the hunt, gotta leave some room for meat. Sure you can strap stuff on the outside till your hearts content, but that space is limited too.

[Dirty]

I've got a Eberlestock J107 and it worked well this year hauling out half a mule deer and a bobcat (30lbs! LOL). I also picked up a Tatonka frame for a song and a dance, so I couldn't complain. I thought about getting a bag for it, but I might just keep it as a spare for conning friends and family into helping me haul things out.

What are the advantages/disadvantages or pros/con of Synthetic vs Down bags?

[dana]

Brambles,
Figured you'd light off right on schedule. You are too easy man. LOL!

Why is it that guys think you need the latest and greatest gear to get er done? I'm living proof that one can whack and stack trophy muleys without the latest gizmos that the hunting companies pimp out to hunters. It isn't the gear that gets er done, it is the hunter.

As for weight in meat, I pretty much do an entire cut without the wrap. I don't eat fat and sinew so why would I pack it out on my back? My pack is pretty much cut in steaks and roasts ready for the freezer. I haven't killed a buck worthy of mounting for years, so why pack out a cape for a rat buck?

[Brambles]

What are the advantages/disadvantages or pros/con of Synthetic vs Down bags?

Down pack smaller and are lighter for any given temperature rating (provided they are using good quality down) Worthless when wet. More expensive, down lasts a lifetime

Synthetics are a little more bulky but retain warmth when wet. Cheaper, synthetic breaks down and won't last as long.


Down bags normally have a DWR(durable water repelant) finish on the fabric that will resist some moisture,

I have the exact same bag in Synthetic and in 800 fill down, both have the same temp rating but the down seems a bit warmer.