What I pack on a Backpack Hunt and Why.

What I Packed on my recent Backpack Hunt.

Having recently returned from a Backpack hunt for Sambar Deer in Victoria’ Alpine region I thought it may be a good Idea to share a few things. First off I will look at suitable equipment for spending 5 days camped out in an area the has snow on the ground and may possibly at any time receive more and I will look at what I did and how I use that equipment.

Except clothing and Rifle, this is pretty much everything I use for 4 nights on a Backpack Hunt, my Bivvy bag is rolled up with my Sleeping bag, My tent and Back Pack are not Pictured.

Backpack

The first thing I realised was my 65lt Backpack was a bit too small, yes I managed and it was not too heavy just a bit too small to fit all my gear in. I currently own a 26 year old 65lt Berghaus pack, which has held up very well over the years, it still has plenty of room for all the gear required to hunt in a warmer climate just not Alpine areas in winter. I ended up with some gear strapped on the outside of the pack which is not ideal, it’s fine if we are just hiking on a well defined track just not when hunting and trying to stay quiet. I now have a more suitable pack on the shopping list and so far the 75lt Alpine Stalker by Moroka30 www.moroka30.com.au is top of the list for me.  

Tent

Suitable shelter, there is an endless choice of light weight tents available, most however will simply not stand up to a big storm or high winds; this must be taken into consideration when making your choice. Remember that the weather can be vastly different in the mountains than it is lower down, especially the strength of the wind and it can change very quickly. Choose your campsite wisely, pick somewhere that has some natural shelter from the wind, and if possible is slightly elevated with good drainage. The last thing you want is to wake up in a pool of water after an overnight shower. If camping on snow you can create a flat platform the same size and shape as your tent that is about 100mm higher than the surrounding ground and pitch on that. Keep an eye on the weight of you tent, I would try and keep it under 2kg for a single person and 3kg for two, of course with two of you hunting together you can share the weight of the loads. A Bivvy Bag and fly can be a viable alternative if you want to go ultralight and you know the weather will be good.

 Sleeping mat

A Sleeping Mat or Pad, the choice is once again endless and you have a choice between foam pads and self-inflating mattresses, I use a 30mm self-inflating mattress but it’s up to you. Foam pads are light but take up volume, self inflator’s can be a little heavier but can roll up smaller, they are however susceptible to punctures. Whatever type you choose it must keep you insulated from the ground.

Sleeping Bag

Your sleeping bag must be rated to well below 0c if you plan to use it in winter; I have a good quality Goose down bag from Kathmandu rated to -20, it is over 20 years old and still keeps me warm on all but the coldest nights. On those extra cold nights I wear a pair of socks and thermals to bed and I am fine.

When you look at a bag pay attention to the temperature rating it may be a 3 temp rating or a 1 temp rating. If 3 different temperatures are quoted the middle one is the one to pay attention to it is the lowest temp you will have a comfortable sleep at. If a single figure is quoted then this is most likely the lowest temp the bag is rated to, trust me you won’t get a good night’s sleep in that bag at that temperature you will wake up cold. Also consider if the manufacturer offers down top ups or refill's, down will crush over time and a top up is a lot less than the price of a new bag.

Stove, cooking and eating utensils.

A suitable cooking appliance is a must, it must be small light and easy to use with numb fingers, I have a 360 Furno stove and pot set by Sea to Summit but there are others that are just as suitable. The main reason I chose a 360 Furno stove and pot was that I can if I have to use the pots on an open fire. This is an important consideration as some sets are unsuitable for use on an open fire. This of course is irrelevant if you are hunting well above the tree line in say New Zealand or North America. I found a single 450gram Isobutane canister was ample for 5 days of cooking for 1 person.  I was not melting snow for water so keep in mind doing this will use considerably more fuel and pack accordingly. As for eating utensils I use a light weight Sea to Summit knife, fork and spoon set. I do not carry any crockery, I use the smaller pot from my pot set as a cup and I eat my freeze dried meals direct from the Bag.

Stove and Potset, Gas canister and Cutlery.

Water bottle

A water bottle or means of carrying water is a must, I use a LifeStraw water bottle as I can refill it from pretty much any water source and have drinkable water. I also carry an empty 1lt water bottle, when I camp for the night I fill my LifeStraw bottle and filter the water through it into the 1lt bottle then refill the LifeStraw bottle. I now have close to 2 lts of water to use to cook with and drink overnight.I only fill and use the LifeStraw bottle during the day to save on weight. The empty 1lt bottle doubles as a water proof container when not in use.

My Water Bottles.

Food.

The food you decide to pack and take is entirely a personal preference just remember you have to carry it all in and pack the rubbish out. I don’t eat much for breakfast and find a simple breakfast bar and a cup of coffee do me until mid-morning.  Then I will have some cheese dip and crackers, a small chocolate bar and another cup of coffee. For lunch I will often have a Pasta cup sachet, these are meant to be boiled in a pot of water. I have found you can just add boiling water, give them a stir and let them stand for 10 minutes and they are fine. For an afternoon snack I will either have some more cheese and crackers or dried fruit and a cup of tea.  For dinner I like some of the freeze dried meals by Back Country and quite often add a small Ziploc bag of instant mashed Potato for something extra. I also like a cup of Miso soup and pack the little sachets that I just add hot water to, then to top it all off sometimes a rice pudding desert. 

I make up a sort of 24 hour ration pack and place it all in a large Ziploc bag, once consumed I use the bag to store the rubbish in. The video above explains what I pack and how I pack it pretty well, and each pack ends up weighing around 1kg.

Well that pretty much takes care of the essential items other than your Rifle, Ammunition, clothing and non essentials. As far as you rifle goes that’s up to you, I like to have a sling on mine to help me steady a shot, you may choose otherwise. I don’t attach my rifle to my pack either; I prefer to carry it in my right hand. Ammunition wise I load my rifles magazine and carry 5 spare rounds in a pouch, after all how many Deer are you intending to shoot and carry out.

For clothing I wear a light weight T-shirt with a polar fleece jumper over the top, I wear a pair of light weight pants and a good pair of woollen socks. My Boots are plain old Hitech Hikers nothing fancy just functional. I pack a Jacket that can be worn over my Polar fleece if the weather turns nasty; my jacket is a “Highlander” 3 in 1 by https://www.ridgelineclothing.com.au  My Pants and shirts are by a South African company “Sniper Africa” and are very similar to the Ridgeline range. I pack spare socks along with a T-shirt and a change of underwear and thermals to sleep in. I do not pack a change of pants for a 4-5 day back pack hunt, I can dry them out over a fire if I really need to.

I sometimes carry a pair of wetsuit boots in my pack; I wear these if I am going to be doing a lot of creek crossings in a short period of time. I hate wearing wet clothing so if I know I will be crossing a lot of creeks I will wear wetsuit boots and simply remove my pants at each crossing and cross the creek bare legged then put my pants back on.  I sometimes stalk in them too especially in wet swampy country.

As for Non essentials I like to pack a camera, LED torch and Headlamp, a knife mine is a Schrade “Uncle Henry” folder and lives on my belt. I often carry a set of shooting sticks, mine are “Primo Trigger Sticks”, I chose them as they can double as a camera tripod, which is handy for taking photos of you and your trophy using the camera’s self-timer. I also like to carry a GPS with a topographic map card and mark all the rubs and wallows I find on the map, I transfer these to a paper map later at home. I also carry a paper map in a sleeve and a compass.

That’s pretty much about all I can carry, and when you lay it all out you will be quite surprised at how much gear it actually is and how much it ends up weighing. Don’t be surprised if it ends up weighing over the 20kg mark and remember that’s before you have a deer on the ground to pack out.  By hunting with a buddy you can share the burden of items you only need one of like the tent, stove and cooking utensils, and the non essentials can be shared making things a bit lighter.