millagerobert

Forgot to put tape on my list, I take a roll of electric tape, and wrap some duct tape around my water bottle. Come's in handy for all sorts of repairs and duct tape makes a good fire starter. Also a few zip ties can be handy for everything from fixing packs to tying game bags shut.

Jeff Ovington

65lbs is alot of weight.
The main weight is probably due to sleeping bag and tent Tarp and stove and camp fuel axes GPS BINOS CAMERA Rangefinder.
Everybody needs to bring their own ammo and rifle and binos,but alot of this stuff can be divided if neccessary.
If you can purchase lighter sleeping weight bags and tent it may be a way to go.
Because 2 of us hunt together, both are glassing but one is either the shooter or the spotter.
We carry 1 Tent for every 2 hunters and share it.
We carry 1 spotting scope for every 2 hunters.
I'd ditch the lantern/flashlight and go with a headlamp only.
A light is a light....
head lamps are the bomb.
I'd take either one or the other of GPS or Topos not both.
As much as I love GPS, I don't have time to map everything out on them so I stay with Topos.
Again saves on space and weight.
As far as toiletries.. Someone mentioned disposable wipes.
I use them they are great. ALOE really works....
A camera is great I consider it a neccessity, but if one of your members has got one why carry another?
Wetake one camera for every 2 hunters.
Again with an axe, we save weight by carrying one between 2 hunters.
So instead of everybody carry one of the same thing we distribute the load equally between our packs, so we end up carrying no more than 35 lbs.
I would consider carrying an extra knife or even a back packing bone saw.
This allows for lighter trip up and enough space in your pack for packing an animal out as well as your gear in fewer trips.
Cause as you know, just packing your gear is is never ever
as organizedor as light as you had it when youpacked it in the comfort of your home.
You can add another 15 lbs onto that load after a week in the bush just from everything possibly being wet.
And an 80 lbs downhill ain't a fun trek especially if there ain't a monster rack strapped to the back of you.

Hurricanespg

I would take parachute cord instead of string.
Since your carrying dehydrated foods itshould weighunder 6lbs before snacks.
Only carry enough water to get you from one fill station to the next, but remember that at higher elevations your water intake will increase.
How much does your sleeping bag and tent weigh? I like a bag to weigh less than 2.5lbs (15 degr or lower temp rating), and a two man tent to weigh no more than 4lbs. Personally I prefer just a tarp (1lb 9oz split between two people), but if you guys split the weight of a tent then you should be ok.
I would ditch the flashlight, and lantern too. Just stick with the headlamp, they work great.
No reason to carry an axe unless you just want to. You wont need it for cutting wood, and I can't think of a reason to use it on game animals, but to each their own.
You might try Sweet Drops instead of a water purifier. That should lighten your load by about 12-15oz.
Advil and Tylenol would be a nice addition to the first aid kit if you do not already have them. Put your first aid kit in a ziploc bag instead of a carry bag. Those carry bags are heavy.
A small whetstone will weigh around 1.5oz, you can pick them up real cheap and they work just as well as a large one.
Cut the tags off of everything....I know it does not sound like much, but it is just dead weight you are caring around for no other reason than to advertise for the manufacturer.
Oh yeah, you might carry some Seam Seal for the tent.
Good luck, hope you have fun.

jjwillie

What would you guys consider as enough space in a pack for a 7-day trip? I'm in the market for a new external frame pack and am thinking that 3500 cubic inches might be enough?

What do you think

bugs11

Check out http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/311,85630_VORTEX-STX-BACKPACK.html


Vortex make Badlands packs. The Vortex STX is identical to the Badlands STX, just not camo. I picked up a 4500 Vortex a couple years ago from STP and it's a nice, tough, comfortable pack.

Here's site with comments about Vortex packs.
http://www.campnpost.com/gear-reviews/vortex-backpacks/

Bugs.

MTMountainMan

I have a 4500 and would not recommend getting one smaller than that unless you are a youth or something. The 4500 isn't really all that much space even with good backpacking gear.

Take lots of stuff. You're only doing 2 miles, even though it's a lot of climbing. It sounds like you're going to get there early, so do two trips if you have to. Be prepared. Have a good camp. Don't get too cold.

A Thermarest is invaluable. If you're in the market for one they're awesome. I had a friend get drunk and float the Clark Fork River on his sleep pad last year. He floated through all the rapids, never sank. That convinced me to buy one and I would never go back to cold nights on the ground.

Stick with a filter. Tablets taste terrible and drops have that warning saying if you don't mix the two liquidsright they're both extremely poisonous. It's worth the weight.

My $.02 (might not be worth that)

Redclub

I would make 2 trips, We did this quite a bit, figure on 20% of your body weight for carring safely, A 200# person in decent shape can carry 40#. A 1000# horse can only carry 180# uphill. Think about it what you are doing is very difficult, do the 2 trips.
Redclub

JNTURK

everyone is giving you some sound advice.

i will add - having iodine pills (if possible) is much lighter than a filter. One bladder full for the hike up and one empty, fill the empty oneup and leave at camp. tent, sleeping bag are heaviest items so try and downgrade them if feesable.

not much of an external packer....but, internal i will say the Badlands 4500..great pack...but i personally like the Eberlestock J104 or J107. Great packs all around and if you add the duffell with the J104 or J107 you can go for days...

Hurricanespg

If you pack well 3500 will suffice, most people I know prefer 4500 - 5000. If I am hunting game larger than deer I carry a bigger pack just because I can fit more meat into it at one time.
If you have not bought a rest think about one of the Big Agnes Insulated Air Core pads. They get you a full 2.5 inches off the ground, roll up smaller than the Therma rests and weigh less too.

justhuntitall

Thxs all who replyed to this thread great stuff here . Been hunting elk with bow in Co. since 92 never yet bividy it going to this year try to save some energy from up the mountian down the mountian .

Thanks agian for all the info nothing beats experience !!!

Shane.