when you select the firearms and ammo you carry on a back pack hunt
 

when you select the firearms and ammo you carry on any couple day long back-packing hunting trip,
where you intend to live and camp for days using just what you carry, with you.
have you ever selected a more powerful cartridge , of faster repeat fire weapon, to carry on a hunt,
just in case you might need to use that rifle, or handgun,
to defend your deer or elk meat on a return hike to your truck, from miles down some canyon?
on the potentially very rare chance, a cougar or bear might decide your the local food delivery service provider.
obviously back-pack space and weight and your budget,
where and what your hunting, your physical condition,
all have a huge effect on your potential options
do you just think about the game your going to be potentially hunting,
do you carry several extra reload's in firearm cartridge capacity, in spare cartridges
or do you ever take some time & thought into what you might potentially need ,
under the very unlikely circumstance's, if some predator, 4 legged or two, legged, might be Encountered,
and you might need to fight off that threat.
personally Id think the threat of hypothermia, not being able to keep warm & dry,
getting soaking wet or running out of clean drinking water ,
or getting totally lost are hundreds of times more likely.
yeah I generally carry a 44 mag ,or similar larger bore revolver in a shoulder holster and a kukri on my backpack.
In 50 plus years of hunting, I've had my parked car broken into and contents stolen,
and a buddy hospitalized by a wounded wild hog, that gave him a dozen plus stitches,
(never shoot large hogs , if your a piss poor shot, with a 9mm handgun)
and a buddy hospitalized with a mild heart attack, (stress and high altitude) but no other real trauma
I also carry extra water, food, and a water resistant parka, and rain coat, and several means of
starting a fire, cell phone and other items.

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I generally let the species I'm after dictate the firearm of choice. I'm typically after upland birds; pheasant, grouse, woodcock or ducks. Therefore a shotgun would be the ticket. Being a fan of double guns means an over-under or side by side typically gets the call. In special circumstances for grouse on an extended canoe trip with numerous portages I might decide to bring my Henry A-7 which breakdowns and packs in the stock (also very lightweight). I've never worried about black bear encounters in Northern Ontario but if I was in polar/grizz country my Remington 760 30-06 or a 12 gauge would likely accompany me. I generally don't think you need a ton of follow-up shots for hunting or protection but that's just my humble opinion. Ducks might be the exception as they can require a quick follow up to ensure a humane kill. Hope this helps.