Well after about 4 years of next year I've started putting together my first DIY elk hunt. Of course it's going to be OTC tags. I've about decided on a unit. We will be packing in (not mules) and hunting light. What I'm looking for is those things that I need. Things I shouldn't leave home with out but may be not in the norm. I've spent some time hiking fly fishing and camping in Colorado for the last 5 years. Of course the areas ive spent time in are draw only. Luck so I will be going in off internet scouting, topo maps etc


Thanks

I will be following this closely. I would like to attempt a DIY hunt for them as well, but don't have a clue where to start.

50ft of parachute cord or diamond braided cord always comes in handy!

Buy the right gear the first time.

If you are backcountry hunting (ie: not from the truck). Your pack becomes a big deal, and so does the weight of your equipment.

Better shape your in better hunt experience you will have

I'm believe I gonna pull the trigger on this pack.

http://m.basspro.com/RedHead-RH5000-External-Frame-Pack-Combo/product/13011606063211/

Course some new boots.

Good call on the para cord.

Any body have any personal experiences on water filtration systems? Good or bad.


Oh yes I've started working out. Running for a week now over two miles already of course I haven't ran in 4, 5 years so I've got some work ahead of me. My goal is a full hour of endurance 40 minutes track 20 bleachers. The unit I've chosen has decent success rate and less pressure because it's a booger to hunt.

Dunno about water filtration, but Camelbak packs are an awesome way to store water and stay hydrated.

Fill up the pack and wear it when you're working out!

Great advice so far, may want to swap more info on the pack with BoBo. I read the 1st couple reviews and comfort comes up . I have always used a lite pack, soft frame system w/ chest and waist snaps personally. I keep a canteen type belt at the truck, for packing out the rest of the meat, that is if I don't "leap-frog" it out. Material for a pack for me is a concern, I like soft that makes little noise when rubbing brush.

For sure I'd have:
Roll of florescent orange flagging.

1/4" rope (I carry 50' roll)

Surgical gloves (Great for starting wet wood and the obvious)

Pen and electrical tape

I always have 3-4 knives, a retractable bone saw and quick pull sharpener

I usually always have correct size game bags, (great for keeping it clean. even with hide on one side, or hanging in a tree if needed) unless your boning out.

once your boots come in, do some of your workouts in the boots to break them in and get used to how your maneuver in them.

Get a well-rated, high quality pack. Eberlestock, Badlands, Kifaru, etc.

Get the best boots you can afford, and put 50 miles on them before the hunt.

Small survival kit.

Do your cardio, but don't neglect your strength training. Look up Cameron Haynes. He's the king of elk hunting fitness.

Learn the gutless method and use it. I've gutted elk before. It's pointless.

Take multiple, quality knives, and a sharpener. The Havalon Piranta would be your best bet on a pack in hunt.

Parachute cord is worth its weight in gold, to me. Never ending uses.

Good maps and compass. A GPS is great, but don't depend on it for everything.

Don't fall for the worn out advice that you keep hearing about going in as far as you can. Successful elk hunters aren't the ones that go in the furthest. They are the ones that find elk. They can be anywhere, especially where there's no hunters. If everyone is going in ten miles, do you want to join them?

That's a good pack.

I just perfer more modular and lighter.

Modular means ability to change bag size. No need to carry extra weight if you don't need to. Trips that i hunt close to the truck, I go smal 1800 cu, further 3000-5000 cu.

Price point wise Kuiu Ultra, EXO mountain gear, or elberlestock F1 (system).. are great and have more uses then just backcountry hunting

I just bought the exo and love it, but if I would of seen elberlestocks f1 system I probably would of went that way just for the rifle scabbard option

Also if you ever decide to get rid of an exo, kuiu, elberestock... they retain value very well and will sell quicker

For archery back packing I take following with me or have it in the truck

On me:
Broad head Sharpener
2 packs of Quick Fletch
6 spare knocks
3 extra broad heads
Binos
Range Finder
2 Knives
Knife Sharpener
1 Dozen Nitrile Gloves
Water Bladder
Cough drops
White Gold (Biodegradable Toilet Paper or bio degradable baby wipes)
MSR Dragonfly with fuel
2 Flashlights one being a headlamp
Spare Batteries
Eberlestock J107M
3 Person tent
Sleeping pad
Sleeping bag
Map, Compass, GPS with topo Maps
Whistle
GPS Emergency Transponder
Sat Phone
Cell Phone
Good Rain gear
Good Boots
Merino Wool Thermals and Socks
Bug Spray or Thermacell
Game Bags
550 Cord
First Aid Kit



In Truck:
Set of Allen keys
Broad head Target
Spare Bow
Extra Arrows
More Extra Broad Heads
Extra Sight
Extra Quiver
Extra Stabilizer
Extra Fuel and Stove
More Batteries



That's about all I can think of that I take with me when Im Backpack hunting aside from clothing, water and food.

Forgot the cooler

Thanks guys great list. I don't see me getting a sat phone or gps transmitter but both would be great for safety, emergency.

Food suggestions

Mountain House meals.

extra hydration bladder, good water filter (Katadyn), but take the iodine pills for back up (filters can break, pocket rocket for stove, titanium pot, mountain house meals are good as long as you stay in lead of your buddy chili mac is my favorite.

Take a 2-way radio, best proven one you can afford and spare batteries, you'd be surprised how many folks are out there. Sometimes even your cell will work.

Just a thought. I had 2 friends that for years had a drop camp, but they hired a cowboy to take them in and pick them up. Last I heard they paid around $400. You can get allot of stuff in, on a mule or horses. They went "in" around 9 miles.

Food wise, I always had water, usually dried foods, but I only went out for a day or 3 and could always get back to base camp. Romen may be something, but has allot of salt.?

I have read these lists and comments and am thinking most of you have never been on a backpack hunt.

Every ounce counts and it adds up fast. If you plan to go in more than a couple of miles and stay more than a couple of nights you should consider a real backpack. Lots to consider and think about when going in with everything on your back. Spend some time on the hiking/backpack websites and you will see what I am talking about. Here is my last list from a drop camp hunt. This does not count food.

lighter
Havlon Knife w/ blades
binoculars
Map
GPS
Range Finder
Diamond Head Lamp 3 AA
Browning flash light 1-123A
Makeup
Heads-up decoy
Hoochie Mama Cow Call
Bugle
cow call
Kuiu Camo Wool Shirts
Core 4 Element Shirt
Firstlite shirt
Natural Gear Fleece Pullover
Underwear
Sitka Camo Pants
firstlite pants
Core 4 element underwear
warm gloves
Hunting Cap
wool socks
Sock Liners
Gaiters
Crocks
rain-gear
Down Vest
stocking cap
pillow
Knife sharpner
Drink mix
toilet Paper
Paper Plates
Paper bowls
License
Wet Wipes
AA Lithium Batteries
AAA Lithium Batteries
123A Lithium Batteries
cr2 lithium battery
Tooth taste
sleeping bag
sleeping pad
Custom Skinner Knife
cloth game bags
Marauder 3 AAA
Water Purification tablets
Water Purification pump
Leatherman
Platypus
Bar soap Dead Down Wind
Antiperspirant Dead Down Wind
hunting boots
trash bags
Bath towel
fire-starting lent/stricker
lens cleaner cloth
toothbrush
first-aid kit

Just so everyone knows, what was the weight of that pack? And I did not see a tent listed? Does a drop camp have a tent for you already?

Let me get into a little detail to give you some things to think about.

Comfort is king. if you don't rest well you will NOT hunt well. Sleeping bag and pad are of the utmost importance. What temps to you expect to encounter? How "warm" to you sleep? Will a 10 degree bag work, how about a 30 degree bag. I have spent nights in CO with temps as low a 2 degrees and 40+/- MPH winds and I have see it in the 60's at night. I am cold blooded and need a little extra bag to stay warm. Can you sleep comfortable in a mummy style bag or not? Can you get by with a foam pad or will you need a blow up pad? You can spend a couple hundred to five or six hundred bucks for a bag and pad.

How about a tent or will you get by with a bevy? How about dealing with rain, snow, wind? A good tent will save your life. Ever spend 36 hours in a tent waiting for the weather to clear?

Food and cook ware is another thing to put a lot of thought into. If you don't put fuel in your body you will not hunt good. Buy and try lots of backpack food before your trip. Most of that stuff does not taste good to me, therefor I tend to not eat good. After a couple of days I am not a happy camper.

This last "food for thought" is a big one. How long can you stay "off the grid"? Most of us think we are mountain men can go a week or two out there. I will tell you I have been to the mountain top and back a few times and my limit is about 3 days, maybe 4 if everything goes my way. I have spend 10 days straight in the mountains hunting with a small group and I have spend 6 days solo. By day 3 or 4 I am running on empty. Not calling home for a couple of weeks is not a big deal to me, but most guys I know can't handle not being able to communicate with family that long. I recommend you find your comfort level before you plan on a week in. Most are better off going in for 3-4 days and come out for a day and re-stock and go back.

5day hunt

2pairs of wool socks
First lite 1 wool boxer
Kuiu 230 weight wool shirt
Kuiu Neck gaitor
Headlamp
Plastic baggie (extra batteries for gps/head lamp, 5 disposable toothbrushes two lighters, firestarter, idione and firstaid)
Rain gear(mountainhardware and columbia)
Kuiu puffy jacket
Phone/mophie pack
Extra release
Gps
Tent (hoopla or 2 person mountain hardware ultra)
Knife (extra blades)
Sleeping bag +30 mountainhard ware
Water filter
Spotting scope/ tripod
Blow up mattress
Beanie
Hydration bladder
Tag bags
Jetstove combo
Flip flops(columbia pfg)

Attached to pack, gps, rangefinger and paracord

Wearing
Pants
Boxer
Socks
Belt
140 shirt
Knife
Vest
Hat
Gaitors
Binos

42lbs with out food or water or bow.. usually under 65lbs
(pack by its self is 4.5lbs)

At truck-spare bow, icechest, extra water, big first aid kit.


I've been lucky and been hunting out of a truck based camp last three years so my pack is usually about 20-30lbs(most of that's water)

This year will be mixed

The cloths you take may make or break you, your hunt and could cost your or save your life. Good mountain hunting cloths are not cheap. I would not go on a backpack or drop camp hunt without Merino wool everything, shirt, pants, socks, and underware. Firtlite, Kuiu, Sitka or Core 4 Element are good places to start looking. My wife does not understanding why I spend $100 for a "tee shirt" to hunt in. I spent more money on a shirt and pair of pants than I spent on the suit I got married in. I love Kuiu and Firstlite for lightweight and Sitka for a little heaver.

On the backpack hunts Ive done, I go in heavy and set up camp and take day trips from there. I don't mind carrying in extra weight if I know Im not taking it with me every step of the way. I prefer to be as comfortable as possible when in a tent, which is why I take a 3-4 person model so I have room for myself and gear inside, also it gives me room to change inside of a shelter. I think my day pack last year when I was rifle hunting was pushing 40 lbs. Before you go off into the mountains take several day trips out into the field with your pack loaded how you want it to make sure you can deal with the weight. And like was said before, get a quality pack since it will make or break your trip, based on ease of packing in and out.

That pack was my eberlestock J107M at 10 lbs, its heavy but Rick liked it when we were packing my bull out cause it carries weight really well.
My Rifle w/ bipod and rear bag at 14 lbs
20 rounds
Binoculars
spotting scope with tripod
water
snacks
2 knifes
flash lights
spare gloves and hats
and rain gear

I wouldn't be surprised if my packs were not pushing 70-80 lbs or more when I first leave my truck. That being said I also take my time getting there and will stop and take breaks when needed.