who bowhunts the back country?

[mattys281]

To the guys that want to try it, best advice I can give is just go do it. You dont need to overwhelm yourself with expensive gear. The first several trips I made were with day packs that had a gigantic 20lb. Coleman sleeping bag tied to the outside. You only need four things: food, water, a sleeping bag and a rolled up blue foam mat which can be had from walmart for about $4. Thats literally all it takes for a two night trip. Thats the real beauty of it: its simple.

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

If I had a dollar for all the cwt guys who pmd me saying they would go backpacking with me and naver made it ide have like 25 bucks. Edge is the only dude who ever made it. Just do it you won't regret it.

[WampusCat]

You only need four things: food, water, a sleeping bag and a rolled up blue foam mat which can be had from walmart for about $4. Thats literally all it takes for a two night trip. Thats the real beauty of it: its simple.

I think the same way, or at least I start out that way. I would be an awesome minimalist hiker but then I bring all my hunting gadgets and camera gear.

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

Haha ,vya camera gear is my new pain in my back as well.

[mattys281]

 

You only need four things: food, water, a sleeping bag and a rolled up blue foam mat which can be had from walmart for about $4. Thats literally all it takes for a two night trip. Thats the real beauty of it: its simple.

 

I think the same way, or at least I start out that way. I would be an awesome minimalist hiker but then I bring all my hunting gadgets and camera gear.

Yeah i must've loaded my pack a million times over the years, but some how it still gets heavy and I still have to go back through it to slim it down to my 45 lb limit.

[208muley]

One thing I have started taking with me is a plb like a spot or a delorme Inreach. If you have a family then you owe it to them to have one. If you break your leg or worse and no one knows where you are you may stay out there till you become dirt. It is good insurance. My wife is much happier now and it nice to know if something bad happens I'm still getting out.

 

For you guys that do backpack hunt how much does your pack weigh for a 7 day trip during oct/nov time frame?

[mattys281]

Longest ive gone is 5 days at 40-45 range. If there s reliable water in the area I can get under 35.

 

Several years ago i went with a couple guys on their first trip. They brought everything! Both were around the 50# mark for a two night trip. I was bouncing up those hills at 28#, and that included a slik tripod and 12x binos in there. I cant go that light on a hunting trip because that ultra light pack isnt any good for hauling dead stuff, but its great for scouting and just-for-fun trips.

[Vixen]

Its all trial and error and personal preferences. Never hurts to have extra stuff,if you can haul it. Most of it really depends on the pack you carry.

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

I am sitting at 43 lbs with water food for 5 days. Add about 2 lbs per day for food each extra day. Water in az is always the key. We've had to go 5 miles from camp to haul water a few times. That sucked.

[8OWHUNT247]

_{"Back Country Hunting" - Where you spend a small fortune to live like a hobo..}

[Pac8541]

Last Nov I started my hunt in an area at the corner of my unit and other than tanks there wasn't any water source I could find that didn't require descending very steep and rocky canyons daily. I hauled all my water in for 4 days, on day 1. That pack wound up somewhere around 70lbs and my saving grace was the knowledge that it was only 3 miles from the truck to where I planned to make camp. A good pack pays for itself in that very moment and I can't say enough about Kifaru's Duplex frame.

 

Two months prior I was 9 miles in on a small creek in CO chasing cutties. That 3 day trip had me hauling 25lbs in a 1800ci. pack with no frame. Lighter is definitely better, unless you gotta haul heavy sh!t then those extra ounces, maybe a pound and a half in a beefy frame, make ALL the difference in the world. $376 for a pack frame and no bag? Yup. Right then and there.

[208muley]

Water is always the wild card in AZ. If it is dry I will usually start with 3L of water for the hike into our usual spots about 7 miles in. If the spring that is there ever goes dry holy crap that would suck!!! But my pack weighs 32-35lbs not including the clothes I'm wearing and the weapon (gun or bow).

 

To the OP, you will hear comments from gear junkies and from those that go old school and everywhere in between. Just get out there and do short easy trips and go from there. Doesn't matter if you become a gear junkie or go old school or somewhere in between, just enjoy what your doing at whatever level and you will be rewarded with amazing stories and memories that few people get to experience with or without a kill, and that's all that matters.

 

I do a backpack hunt for javelina every jan. absolute Funnest hunt I do. People give me all kinds of crap for working that hard for a pig. And maybe from their perspective it doesn't make sense but I get to hunt pigs that have never seen or smelled a person and I don't see anyone and it isn't really about the pig kill anyways, it's about the experience!!

[Shawn]

_{"Back Country Hunting" - Where you spend a small fortune to live like a hobo..}

Now thats funny!

[DesertBull]

Lower Gear on University and the 101 in Tempe rents quality backpacking gear if you want to try it out and see if you like before investing a lot of $ on gear.

[bojangles]

thanks for the great replies, keep 'em coming.

 

i'd really like to get out there and hunt the old fashioned way, i think the biggest hold up right now is work, kids, etc. it keeps me from really planning a big hunt, seems i can't let myself get away.

 

i think if i could ever push past that, i could really get out there.