What is in your pack?
 

So, what do you all keep in your pack while ML hunting?

Holy cow! right now I really could not answer that - I would have to get the pack out and do an inventory. I probably have way to much, but I would rather have it than not have what ever it is.

But it is a lot of stuff. But you know that is a good question that I will have to investigate more.

What ever fits in this back pack

just muzzleloader-related stuff mentioned below and with me enroute to my sit-down hunting tree.......

small bent needle-nose pliers
long ramrod loading jag
small folding ramrod t-handle
two extra loads (primer/bullet/powder)
four patches
two cotton balls

I bought a new pack today and am loading it with stuff that I usually take with me. I'll post the list when I'm done.

You recognize the rifle - correct?

Them are carried in pockets... pants, vest, and shirt; except knife is on belt. Tool is on key ring. Carry binocular around neck. GPS is in vest pocket. If hunting prairie also carry range finder in vest pocket. If weather is warm carry water in back vest pocket.

No pack.

I go lite. Fanny pack. Three " Lanes Tubes " of powder, one with three bullet sabot combos. I have the red TC palm saver with 4 primers.

Other than that, some water, a few granola bars, knife, gutting gloves and my phone That's it.

I like to move when I'm out of the ground blind.

Ron's post came in while I was writing mine. Almost the same list but I like to eat and drink when I'm out.

Compass
Couple Cheerios bars
Small first aid kit
Bic Lighter
6-8 full sheets of paper towel folded in a Ziploc bag
1 pair brown cotton gloves in a Ziploc bag
Wyoming knife
Buck knife
Rubber gloves
Gerber multi-tool.
30’ of ¼” rope

Reloads, "T" handle, patches and primer carriers are in my coat pocket.

Snickers, Peanut Butter Crackers, Granola Bars, Soda, Water, Sunflower seeds......oh wait, you mean ML stuff.
Well probably 3 loaded speed loaders (what a misnomer that is!), short starter, #11 caps or primers or extra flints, a small plastic bag with all the tools I would need to make any minor changes like nipples, vent liner, flint, etc, a couple cleaning patches, pan primer (flintlock), flashlight, field dressing gloves, a silicon impregnated cloth to cover my lock in the rain, toilet paper and paper towels and maybe some more items I can't remember right now.

A laptop to monitor my drones and trail cams in real time. 3 reloads and a ball starter. A uranium PU-36 space modulator. Alcohol wipes. 3 French hens, 2 turtle doves and a partridge.

Smartass :biggrin:

Dang, i forgot rope. Good thing i didn't kill one today.

Seriously i dont carry much because.........

I have a small foot locker in my tree stand....ok ok its more like a tree house.....well more like a semi heated tree house with a sofa, foot locker, cooler and pee bucket.

Rifle, one reload canister, capper with caps(#11 or 209) ball starter.

That is the muzzle loader stuff and goes in my right side pants cargo pocket. :biggrin: Except the rifle.

Extra stuff is a cell phone in my right coat chest pocket, talk about radio in my left coat chest pocket.
Two granola bars in case of low blood sugar in the right coat cargo pocket. Bino, and camera hanging around neck, thermos filled either with honey laced black tea or broth slung and hanging off the left shoulder. Knife and small stone in the left pants cargo pocket. Also in left pants cargo pocket goes the paper pack & kindle, Wet ones for cleaning hands after field dressing, a wad of paper towels folded small, works as emergency TP to.

All is shed at the blind.

:D Al

Cell phone
Van keys
Lighter
Rope
Toilet paper
Snack bars
Water
Gutting gloves
Licenses
Buck knife
Binocs
Range finder
Public ground map
Finger cot for rain or snow
Buck grunt
Rattle thingy
Doe bleat
2 extra shots
Branch hand trimmer
Chap stick
Pocket knife
Sunscreen
Sunglasses
Thermocell
Mosquito net
Headlamp
UA gloves
Extra skull cap hat
Face mask
Kitchen sink
Think that's it....

Depends on whether its a long day hike or a simple couple hours sitting. First and formost on my belt is a knife. Normally its a Green River blade I put handles on, sharpened to a razors edge, and made the sheath out of an old boot. In my fanny pack, depending on the rifle of course, is a small powder flask. This is good for many charges.

If I have a flintlock I have the pan flasked, nose taped, in a shirt pocket. I also carry my cell phone, GPS, compass, extra flints, tools needed to repair the lock, ball puller, extra jag, lube, patches, ball, box of alcohol swipes from the dollar store (you can swab with these or wipe a cut), and a tiny (dollar store again) tube of crazy glue. Good for instant repairs or to close a bad cut if the need should happen. Two vacuum sealed packets of light anywhere farmers matches, an apple, and a sandwich. Then I have a #11 metal cap, made into a candle for light or easy fire, my camera of course, and last a knife sharpener. I also carry a canteen of water. The fanny pack is small. Its also a hand warmer. So some of this stuff might be in my multi pocket hunting coat. And my drag rope is my shoulder safety harness from my tree stand.

I sure do!!!

Let's see,
Thermacell and refills
skinning knife
2 lightening loaders
grunt call
Primos fawn bleat
Paper towels in a ziplock bag
rubber gloves
folding shooting sticks
binos
rangefinder scent killer
cell phone
word find magazine and pen
2 cold Gatoraids (it's quite warm down here during ML season)
Hand wipes
Flashlight

I didn't mention anything not muzzleloader-related. But when I gather all my items for the hunt, the very first thing I pack is my compass. Cellphones in our Huron National Forest cannot pickup any signals. We have to drive 30 miles to a nearest city to use our cellphone. Some of these small towns we drive by are in valleys, where cellphones won't work right in their downtown parts.

Well... short of digging out my gear and looking, it depends on the hunt. If hunting my own woods I carry as little as possible, usually just a few premeasured loads, a pan primer or #11 capper hanging from a lanyard from my neck, ball/bullet starter, prelubed bullets and bore buttons or round balls and prelubed patches in a plastic tobacco tin, pan brush (if flintlock). Also a spare flint or nipple, a jag and a few clean patches and a multi-tool in a small pouch in my possibles bag. Leather "cow's knee" lock cover, my 8x40 Nikon binocs, a bag for heart and liver (if they aren't shot), a bottle of water and maybe a deer call or two. And yes, my dad-gum cell phone!


BPS

Not to get off on a tangent here but this is a good post to do it.
If you watch all the ads on TV and magazines for hunting related items you would need an ATV pulling a trailer to get it all into the woods.
When I first started hunting close to 50 years ago I carried my rifle, some extra ammo, a knife, rope, license and pencil to fill my tag, sandwich, apple and maybe a candy bar. Drank water from a spring or creek or just ate snow. Everything either went on my belt or in my hunting coat pocket.
With this stuff I left the camp before light, and unless I got lucky and tagged out, stayed out until dark.

Rifle
Primers
3 speedloaders
flashlight
knife
license
gloves-latex
face mask
small amt. of folded hand towels
sanitizer
small bottled water
maybe a sandwich and/or candy/granola bar
My Walkers Game Ears
Fully charged phone

In my shooting pouch I have extra balls, patching, lube, flints, a knapping hammer with a turn screw on one end, some cleaning patches, a frizzen cover, powder measure, loading block with 4 extra patched balls, a wing bone turkey call and a short starter...

The cell phone reception I find laughable, got to be one of those cheap Wal Mart plans. I have found one spot in the whole state of Michigan where mine won't work, a spot on High way 35 between Escanaba and Marinette Wisconsin. I get good reception in the middle of a cranberry bog near Rapid river.

:D Al

I have a fanny pack that I use, only when I am stand hunting. If I am still hunting, I don't take it.

In the pack I have compact binoculars, knife, cotton gloves, flashlight, grunt call, bottle of water, granola & snickers bars. My ML stuff I keep on me, in my pockets. Typically 2 speed loaders, a ball starter, and capper (or cap holder for 209's). If I was going for an all day sit, I'd pack a couple sandwiches too. I take a walkie talkie if I'm hunting with other buddies, not if I'm solo.

If I'm just going out for a still hunt, I don't take my pack. Knife goes on my belt, ML stuff in my pockets, bino's around my neck. To me, less is more. I used to carry alot more stuff, 90% of it never got used.

Verizon and ATT subscribers we are! It's probably the worst area for cellphone reception in Lower Michigan. Just follow your eyes and nose thru the areas showing the Huron National Forest / Mio areas, and a little north and south of that, when looking at cellphone reception strength maps online. If it's inside a mid-sized town like Mio where population is heavier, then reception is available. But minutes outside of Mio and the signal starts to weaken. Lots of little towns where there's nothing, depending on elevation.......etc.

You must have a 1st class smartphone.... probably an Apple. But in case you don;t know this, over 70% of America is still NOT beyond 3G phones yet Alleyyooper. I think over 50% of Amerrica still don't use a smartphone. SeniorCitizen America is still pretty big in this country and many know very little about computers, ***********......etc.

Sure I can walk 200 yards to a woodshed, once in a while and find a perfect spot for reception. Or drive 12 miles to reach a top of the hill to talk. But in the Area forests there..... no way! We also drive vehicles over 10 years old. We aren't like you alleyyooper, with built-in bluetooth in your 30+K vehicle.

Wouldn't spend 30 cents for any smart phone on the market. I like my dumb 7 year old nokia flip. We ride the MCCC trails in the Grayling, Gaylord, Mio, Atlanta , and Joburg areas.

:D Al

Now days?

Extra layers.

As far as MZ stuff since going to tool less breach plugs I carry a Bore Snake to do a routine field cleaning along with a welders tip and drill bit to keep the breech plug clean, all three items weigh practically nothing and take up very little space in my pack.

Depending on where I am hunting and how long the walk in is or how long I plan to be out I also keep anywhere from 3 to 5 Speedloaders with extra primers in a capper.

Having broken a few slings in the past I always carry some rope to use as a back up sling,