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Thanks everyone. challenge met

2Sloe said:
I’ve always wondered what separates a “minimalist” setup from a regular setup. When I look at the things I carry the only thing that really changes from early season to late season, other than layers, is to maybe switch a water bottle for a coffee thermos and add or subtract a Thermocell. Other than that, I’m carrying the same stuff every hunt….because that’s the stuff I need to hunt. My storage requirement and setup really doesn’t change.
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But how much of that same stuff do you use on every hunt? That I think defines minimalist.

Weapon, climbing/hunting setup, water, knife and thermacell for early season. It’ll be different for everyone but look at your gear and if you don’t use it at least every other hunt, get rid of it.


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MNFarmHunter said:
But how much of that same stuff do you use on every hunt? That I think defines minimalist.

Weapon, climbing/hunting setup, water, knife and thermacell for early season. It’ll be different for everyone but look at your gear and if you don’t use it at least every other hunt, get rid of it.
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I agree. I only carry what I actually need and use on every hunt, except for safety related items such as a utility knife, self rescue loops, LB and a compass. I don’t even carry a knife/kill kit because I know I’m not going to use it on but a few hunts so why carry it? If I kill a deer I am going to walk back to the truck to drop off my gear anyway, so I can just pick up the kill kit then. When I need layers I just add a 2oz nylon game bag to my Alps Little Bear, so there’s no need for a different bag or setup. I routinely go through my bag during season to make sure unnecessary stuff hasn’t snuck into my bag lol.

Don’t want to derail the thread…on that note, many use and recommend the Eberlestock Dagger hydration pack as a “minimalist” bag. You can occasionally catch them on sale for 50% off when they change camo patterns.
 
I made a bag based on the Kifaru Claymore and use it as a minimalist pack when using my saddle close to the truck or as a detachable bag to bring up the tree with me. I'll attach a belt of 1" webbing and use it as a shoulder strap or waist belt when I go out.

Most of my saddle gear lives in this pouch full time, this way my saddle setup is all together (especially since I rarely saddle hunt now). I can grab the bag and go, or use a couple of MOLLE sticks and attach it to my main hunting bag. I don't like having to swap bag contents around and forget things, so this modular system works out for someone like myself who gets scatterbrained.

Mine:

Kifaru Stryker and Frame

This is what I came up for buckles last night it’s far from perfect but will get me by. Still wish the whole strap body was stiffer I like my cabelas transporter straps better wonder if I can marry the 2 together
saddlehunter.com

The real deal:

Gen 2 Claymore - Kifaru International

Claymore Pocket This is a remake of our original Claymore pouch. It is a Molle compatible pouch that has two sections of pals webbing on the back with 8 vertical columns. It has a zippered pocket up front and a mesh pocket on the inside with a key hook. There are 3 slot pockets sewn on the...
kifaru.net kifaru.net
 
Ok, l throw my two cents in this. I have tried to run minimalist for years with using a sling pack for the last two years. Worked out ok. But by end of season it was over full and was forgetting to put things back in. Then I started hunting public more and longer hikes from truck. So I now have a Eberlestock F1 main frame with two bat wings. If I hunt small private behind my house or reduction property(where I have to haul whole deer out) I just grab the one bat wing that I put a sling strap on and use it, it's already setup for those hunts that won't require my one stick. If I go deep on public I have the main frame with both bat wings and one stick and can haul meat out. Time with tell!
 
2Sloe said:
I agree. I only carry what I actually need and use on every hunt, except for safety related items such as a utility knife, self rescue loops, LB and a compass. I don’t even carry a knife/kill kit because I know I’m not going to use it on but a few hunts so why carry it? If I kill a deer I am going to walk back to the truck to drop off my gear anyway, so I can just pick up the kill kit then. When I need layers I just add a 2oz nylon game bag to my Alps Little Bear, so there’s no need for a different bag or setup. I routinely go through my bag during season to make sure unnecessary stuff hasn’t snuck into my bag lol.

Don’t want to derail the thread…on that note, many use and recommend the Eberlestock Dagger hydration pack as a “minimalist” bag. You can occasionally catch them on sale for 50% off when they change camo patterns.
Click to expand...
Can attest to this pack being a good early season saddle pack- stock straps hold a one stick very nicely. Not sure what camo pattern I got, it's very green and very ugly, but it was half price. End of August, 2021. I think I remember similar sales from this last summer but didn't pay as close attention for obvious already-having-one reasons.

I converted it over to a kill kit/drag out bag for late season since it has a hydration bladder and I'm carting deer out so I hike out drop my pack and grab the cart, but shot deer in September and October this year so never got a chance to use it that way. Next year is the year of quarter in the field and sell the hawk crawler cart. Or leaving it in the shed.
 
x2 on the eberlestock dagger. I used it until I start having to bring in a lot of extra clothes after it gets cold. Then I use the eberlestock x2 from there out.
 
Nice! What state? Looks like the old westerns I used to watch!!!
 
4090Sharps said:
I made a bag based on the Kifaru Claymore and use it as a minimalist pack when using my saddle close to the truck or as a detachable bag to bring up the tree with me. I'll attach a belt of 1" webbing and use it as a shoulder strap or waist belt when I go out.

Most of my saddle gear lives in this pouch full time, this way my saddle setup is all together (especially since I rarely saddle hunt now). I can grab the bag and go, or use a couple of MOLLE sticks and attach it to my main hunting bag. I don't like having to swap bag contents around and forget things, so this modular system works out for someone like myself who gets scatterbrained.

Mine:

Kifaru Stryker and Frame

This is what I came up for buckles last night it’s far from perfect but will get me by. Still wish the whole strap body was stiffer I like my cabelas transporter straps better wonder if I can marry the 2 together
saddlehunter.com

The real deal:

Gen 2 Claymore - Kifaru International

Claymore Pocket This is a remake of our original Claymore pouch. It is a Molle compatible pouch that has two sections of pals webbing on the back with 8 vertical columns. It has a zippered pocket up front and a mesh pocket on the inside with a key hook. There are 3 slot pockets sewn on the...
kifaru.net kifaru.net
Click to expand...
I really like the dimensions of that pack.
I do similar with a cheap EWO Admin pouch and put ITW Grimlocs on the top 2 D loops. This way I can use it in a pack ( like below ) or outside of a pack like a capture flap.I also keep a cam jam w para cord if I want to run it solo for a preset/ ground hunt.
However, It maxes out quick if I add a saw / pruner or back up anything.
its my best attempt to easily move from early season to late Season bags and in between, ya know until I find that one bag.
I’m trying to move to a US GI xlarge utility pouch ( 9”x9” x4”) but I’ll need to mod it as it has an aggressive elastic closure band and no internal pockets

* other solid - “minimalist packs” I’ve tried are the surplus Fanny pack already mentioned, HPG Tarahumara , and 5.11 bail out sling bag.
 

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Another vote for the Badlands Monster. When it gets cold & I have more layers, I switch to my Mystery Ranch Treehouse 38, unless there's water in the forecast-it soaks it up like a sponge!

In that case, I go with my MR Pintler w/frame-way more water resistant!
 
I've been playing with a Summit Open Shot seat that I put some backpack shoulder straps on. I made a pillow case out of some camo material that fits on the seat with a couple bungees. I have a strap on it so when I get to the tree I throw it on my shoulder, when I get to height it straps to the tree. Inside I have a bag for my camera stuff, another bag for my rappelling rope and other climbing stuff, and a couple other bags. All the bags are different so I can tell them apart. All the stuff together weighs in at 22 pounds. I'll post pictures later.
 
Wirrex said:
Man, idk how you guys do it. I can barely handle a cellphone in my phone in my pocket. Hiwever, I don’t mind a backpack at all. It’s behind you and smaller than your profile if it’s a minimal style. I want NOTHING hanging off me when I’m hunting. It’s so nice to hang your small bag in the tree.

I use an old badlands that is barely bigger than a hydration pack.
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Out of curiosity, are you running the badlands reactor? I’ve used that pack for years tree stand hunting and plan on using it this coming year in the saddle.
 
My definition of "minimalist" is no additional layers or game processing gear, meaning it's a close to the truck/house hunt and I can access what I need without hiking miles and I can wear in what I plan on sitting in. In a "minimalist" situation, I run just my saddle and dump pouches, and a few things in pockets. In a warm weather hike-in hunt; I run a FHF Gear Chest Rig. Cooler weather/deeper hunts (read layers/pack-out if successful) I run a MR Sawtooth 45 and no chest rig. If I'm staying completely mobile/scouting, I may run the pack and chest rig, stash the pack while scouting, and return prior to hunting (but if necessary I could just use critical stuff from my chest rig). My saddle/safety gear lives together always...
 
elk yinzer said:
Just a small fanny pack for me. Water, knife, saw, flashlight, phone charger. Pockets would do me fine but I hate walking around with loaded pockets.
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How is nobody commenting on the Metal Miller Lite bottle??? I love it! It could very likely have water or tea in it, but I still love seeing it in the pic. (been guilty of enjoying a beer in a saddle a time or two myself! Never while hunting though!) Excellent pic man!
 
backstrap19 said:
How is nobody commenting on the Metal Miller Lite bottle??? I love it! It could very likely have water or tea in it, but I still love seeing it in the pic. (been guilty of enjoying a beer in a saddle a time or two myself! Never while hunting though!) Excellent pic man!
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I'm not ashamed to say that I've enjoyed a tree beer on a few occasions. Coincidentally, I had one with me when I shot my buck this year and didn't drink it because I was torn up about blowing it and gut shooting him.
 
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