Dave_Collins
Member
- Joined
- Sep 2, 2019
- Messages
- 55
This started from a new hunter asking a question into the wind: “What do I need?” This is not everyone’s setup and it’s certainly not terribly light, but I can hump it all anywhere, any season I want, including up the tree with me. I think this might work best if I break it down into where on my body the stuff goes. I’ll kind of explain along the way how it’s used. That’s the way I do it, not the right way or wrong way, but I got my tips/advice from someone most likely on this and other similar forums along the way, so I’m not completely alone! Haha
Okay, I usually walk in from my truck, and am lucky enough to be within 2 miles of where I’ll set up pretty much at all times. Have never hunted out west, so the over-night, 15 or more mile treks isn’t applicable to me. Here goes:
At the truck, I put on my saddle, bino harness and back pack, and carry my bow, in case I jump something on the way in.
On saddle:
Left hip dump sack: lineman’s belt with mechanical aider (Ropeman, Kong Duck, etc.) , extra aider, climbing gloves, (just tough leather gloves that can take a beating but have good grip)
Center of saddle: retrieval line, it’s a self-reeling type with a good fastener on one end that I can connect my bow to
Left/right of center: molle attached hooks I can attach something like a small platform too, it’ll be hanging behind me during the climb, but in my pack on the hike in along with my climbing method
Right hip dump sack: tether with both a prussic and mechanical device, prussic above (some mechanical devices can cut into the line, if that happens, I’m still attached to the line by the prussic), swaider and knaider, bow hanger, accessories (pack, quiver, whatever) hanger
Bino harness (worn on chest up high, it’s got to clear your bridge when you’re on tether at hunting height, should be compact):
Main compartment: binoculars, 10 x 42, nitrogen filled (to prevent moisture/leaks), anti-glare lenses, these are not only in compartment but attached by separate straps to the shoulder straps on the bino harness so when you take them out, they’re still secure, and you can leave them out if needed
Sub compartment 1: range finder, as long as it’s compact and relatively accurate, should be good to go, anti-glare lenses are a nice plus, get one that has standardized batteries to other things you might carry, like a flashlight, etc. (for me it’s AAA)
Side pocket 1: milk weed, powder is great, but it dissipates right away, you can track milk weed for as far as you can see, and you can see it dance up and down with thermals, I put it in an old fashioned rubber coin purse, the kind with the slit across the top, I can pinch out a piece with my hunting glove, which is as scent free as I can get it, and let it go like that, go out in the spring and find some milk weed, usually growing on the periphery of agricultural fields, they look like little coconut husks, getting all the flowers, or whatever they’re called out is a pain, but if you get 20-30 husks, that’ll last you years
Side pocket 2: bow release, some people wear them in right away, I found that the number of times I’ve actually jumped a deer are pretty low, and the clanking around that the release makes as I walk if I’m carrying my bow in my release hand isn’t worth it, and if you have time to nock an arrow, you might have time to put on your release, with it in my bino harness, I know it’s always right there, and secure till I get at height, I’ve just started carrying a hand held (thumb) release in my pocket/somewhere immediately accessible on the odd occasion I do jump a deer, much quicker to get onto your bow, but you have to practice shooting both styles
Under pocket/pouch: copy of hunting license, and tags, my state does electronic tagging now, but it’s handy to have as a backup
Backpack (My buddy accuses me of packing like a princess, but I’m ready for anything at all times….haha) (I’d recommend 1800 cubic inch or bigger, I’m actually switching from 1800 to 2300, because I’ve recently purchased a larger platform (like a Tethrd predator but made by a friend at a fabrication shop) and still carry my old smaller/lighter platform as well, and a set of six Wild Edge Stepps, it’s the only brand name I’ll use, and it’s just that they kick butt and absolutely work for me
Main compartment: ghillie suit, (I don’t always have a ton of cover in a tree, and this makes me look “bushier”, plus the one I got is a surprisingly good extra layer, despite it being very meshy and see through where the leaf parts aren’t showing), in the late season, an extra fleece layer and boot covers, antlers for rattling, I keep these within a separate, tough nylon dump sack so the antlers don’t gore me or my gear, extra pair of thick wool gloves
Hydration compartment: two liters of water with tube running down one of my two shoulder straps,(I try to drink as little as possible so I don’t have to pee, but sometimes you just need to hydrate, and the thought of getting lost in the woods is terrifying, I’m gonna have some water), machete (for thick brush, plus my stupid state doesn’t allow you to pack a sidearm when you’re bowhunting, so this is a just in case coyote/zombie skull splitter…haven’t had to use it, just my Walking Dead fantasy)
Sub compartment 1 (closest to outside, easiest to reach, this is my “emergency pouch”):first aid kit, (including blood thickener, can’t think of name, but it makes you clot quick, a tourniquet, ibuprofen, tweezers, bandages, Bacitracin (antibiotic cream/gel), etc.) 25 feet of paracord, 8 feet of doublebacked velcro (loop where you wrap it around something and it sticks to itself), extra AAA batteries, extra hand held flashlight, small cheapo, (for signalling if you do get lost), extra bow release (yes, I carry three, nothing like getting to height and dropping one, or realizing you’ve left it in your truck…) extra hand warmers, the chemical type pouches, portable cell phone recharger battery with cord, quick protein based snacks (peanuts, jerky, etc. I usually just go out either at dusk or dawn, with long sit waiting to shoot at dawn, or long setup and wait prior to dusk, our critters around here are pretty honest to the dusk/dawn thing, plus I try to go on work days, and I can still get some work done this way AND hunt, best of both, so max time I’m out there is about 6 hours, I can go without a meal or food for that long, plus, I’ve never tried to poop while in a saddle, can’t imagine it being a successful operation…)
Sub compartment 2 (kill kit): extra blades for field dressing knife (I use one of those where you can change out the blade like a surgeon’s scalpel, sharp as heck, and replacments are pretty darn cheap), Butt-out tool, google it, pretty gross but it works (okay, another trademark, but I don’t know anyone that makes anything similar, it’s pretty nifty, but they can break, but so can a bunch of other methods), long gloves (up to forearm, yeah, I’m a princess, but I spend a lot on my hunting clothes and I don’t want them stained….haha), vinyl/nylon short gloves for close-in work once you’re past the big stuff, a couple stout rubber bands (in case Buttout breaks, for whatever), small plastic bag for gloves, whatever you’re packing out that’s not bio-degradable, baby wipes, (emergency TP, but also to wash blood/gore off of whatever is on you or your gear, just a small travel pack)
Side pouches: extra screw-in hangers in case I drop one, calls (I have a cheap one from a sporting goods store that actually sounds pretty good as a backup to my nice one), extra pull-up rope in case my auto-retriever fails, another backup/easy to reach cheapo flashlight, compass (I also have a small one fastened to the top of my bino harness, forgot to mention), extra all-purpose knife
Hanging beneath: I use one of those hand mufflers/tubes in the late season to keep my hands and cell phone warm, I try not to use the phone too much, but when you need it, you want it fully charged, a REALLY cold day will wipe out your battery quick, I usually stash an extra hand warmer in here too, it’s got a couple pockets of its own
Future pack:
Everything I’ve mentioned here, plus room for a larger platform, and my Stepps, or at least a lash down/exterior system (like molle, etc) I can lash them to, right now I lash down the platform, then the Stepps on top of that, sticks WAY out, which is why I want a bigger pack
I know that’s an awful lot, and you’ll notice I have a lot of redundancy. I was in the Submarine Force in the US Navy for 30 years, and having backups and sometimes backups to backups is in my DNA, and I realize the value of that mentality everytime I forget or drop my main this or that, and have a backup to pull out. Overkill, absolutely, but I’ve never had to abandon a hunt because I didn’t have some vital piece of equipment. (Except for my second saddle experience where the I left my entire saddle, with all it’s gear on it, back at the truck, didnt realize till I got to the base of the tree, talk about a Homer Simpson “d’oh!” moment! Even then, I melted into a bush and was able to have a semi-succesful sit, saw a couple deer at distance, no shot opportunities, but found some nice scrapes for next time…) I developed this list over a couple years of trial and error and tips from other hunters, some of it (mainly emergency stuff) I never use, but I’d rather hump it in and have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. I weigh 245, and with all of this on (in late season), weigh about 268, so yeah, it’s a lot, but it’s everything I need for an entire day. For clothing it’s highly personal preference, and I don’t know where you live, but if its cold, you know light, efficient layering is the best way to go. It’s only warm part of hunting season, really just the first few weeks, so it’s all about bug control and sweat management at that time. Let me know if you really want to hear some brand names, I was trying hard not to skew you one way or the other. Good luck!!!
Okay, I usually walk in from my truck, and am lucky enough to be within 2 miles of where I’ll set up pretty much at all times. Have never hunted out west, so the over-night, 15 or more mile treks isn’t applicable to me. Here goes:
At the truck, I put on my saddle, bino harness and back pack, and carry my bow, in case I jump something on the way in.
On saddle:
Left hip dump sack: lineman’s belt with mechanical aider (Ropeman, Kong Duck, etc.) , extra aider, climbing gloves, (just tough leather gloves that can take a beating but have good grip)
Center of saddle: retrieval line, it’s a self-reeling type with a good fastener on one end that I can connect my bow to
Left/right of center: molle attached hooks I can attach something like a small platform too, it’ll be hanging behind me during the climb, but in my pack on the hike in along with my climbing method
Right hip dump sack: tether with both a prussic and mechanical device, prussic above (some mechanical devices can cut into the line, if that happens, I’m still attached to the line by the prussic), swaider and knaider, bow hanger, accessories (pack, quiver, whatever) hanger
Bino harness (worn on chest up high, it’s got to clear your bridge when you’re on tether at hunting height, should be compact):
Main compartment: binoculars, 10 x 42, nitrogen filled (to prevent moisture/leaks), anti-glare lenses, these are not only in compartment but attached by separate straps to the shoulder straps on the bino harness so when you take them out, they’re still secure, and you can leave them out if needed
Sub compartment 1: range finder, as long as it’s compact and relatively accurate, should be good to go, anti-glare lenses are a nice plus, get one that has standardized batteries to other things you might carry, like a flashlight, etc. (for me it’s AAA)
Side pocket 1: milk weed, powder is great, but it dissipates right away, you can track milk weed for as far as you can see, and you can see it dance up and down with thermals, I put it in an old fashioned rubber coin purse, the kind with the slit across the top, I can pinch out a piece with my hunting glove, which is as scent free as I can get it, and let it go like that, go out in the spring and find some milk weed, usually growing on the periphery of agricultural fields, they look like little coconut husks, getting all the flowers, or whatever they’re called out is a pain, but if you get 20-30 husks, that’ll last you years
Side pocket 2: bow release, some people wear them in right away, I found that the number of times I’ve actually jumped a deer are pretty low, and the clanking around that the release makes as I walk if I’m carrying my bow in my release hand isn’t worth it, and if you have time to nock an arrow, you might have time to put on your release, with it in my bino harness, I know it’s always right there, and secure till I get at height, I’ve just started carrying a hand held (thumb) release in my pocket/somewhere immediately accessible on the odd occasion I do jump a deer, much quicker to get onto your bow, but you have to practice shooting both styles
Under pocket/pouch: copy of hunting license, and tags, my state does electronic tagging now, but it’s handy to have as a backup
Backpack (My buddy accuses me of packing like a princess, but I’m ready for anything at all times….haha) (I’d recommend 1800 cubic inch or bigger, I’m actually switching from 1800 to 2300, because I’ve recently purchased a larger platform (like a Tethrd predator but made by a friend at a fabrication shop) and still carry my old smaller/lighter platform as well, and a set of six Wild Edge Stepps, it’s the only brand name I’ll use, and it’s just that they kick butt and absolutely work for me
Main compartment: ghillie suit, (I don’t always have a ton of cover in a tree, and this makes me look “bushier”, plus the one I got is a surprisingly good extra layer, despite it being very meshy and see through where the leaf parts aren’t showing), in the late season, an extra fleece layer and boot covers, antlers for rattling, I keep these within a separate, tough nylon dump sack so the antlers don’t gore me or my gear, extra pair of thick wool gloves
Hydration compartment: two liters of water with tube running down one of my two shoulder straps,(I try to drink as little as possible so I don’t have to pee, but sometimes you just need to hydrate, and the thought of getting lost in the woods is terrifying, I’m gonna have some water), machete (for thick brush, plus my stupid state doesn’t allow you to pack a sidearm when you’re bowhunting, so this is a just in case coyote/zombie skull splitter…haven’t had to use it, just my Walking Dead fantasy)
Sub compartment 1 (closest to outside, easiest to reach, this is my “emergency pouch”):first aid kit, (including blood thickener, can’t think of name, but it makes you clot quick, a tourniquet, ibuprofen, tweezers, bandages, Bacitracin (antibiotic cream/gel), etc.) 25 feet of paracord, 8 feet of doublebacked velcro (loop where you wrap it around something and it sticks to itself), extra AAA batteries, extra hand held flashlight, small cheapo, (for signalling if you do get lost), extra bow release (yes, I carry three, nothing like getting to height and dropping one, or realizing you’ve left it in your truck…) extra hand warmers, the chemical type pouches, portable cell phone recharger battery with cord, quick protein based snacks (peanuts, jerky, etc. I usually just go out either at dusk or dawn, with long sit waiting to shoot at dawn, or long setup and wait prior to dusk, our critters around here are pretty honest to the dusk/dawn thing, plus I try to go on work days, and I can still get some work done this way AND hunt, best of both, so max time I’m out there is about 6 hours, I can go without a meal or food for that long, plus, I’ve never tried to poop while in a saddle, can’t imagine it being a successful operation…)
Sub compartment 2 (kill kit): extra blades for field dressing knife (I use one of those where you can change out the blade like a surgeon’s scalpel, sharp as heck, and replacments are pretty darn cheap), Butt-out tool, google it, pretty gross but it works (okay, another trademark, but I don’t know anyone that makes anything similar, it’s pretty nifty, but they can break, but so can a bunch of other methods), long gloves (up to forearm, yeah, I’m a princess, but I spend a lot on my hunting clothes and I don’t want them stained….haha), vinyl/nylon short gloves for close-in work once you’re past the big stuff, a couple stout rubber bands (in case Buttout breaks, for whatever), small plastic bag for gloves, whatever you’re packing out that’s not bio-degradable, baby wipes, (emergency TP, but also to wash blood/gore off of whatever is on you or your gear, just a small travel pack)
Side pouches: extra screw-in hangers in case I drop one, calls (I have a cheap one from a sporting goods store that actually sounds pretty good as a backup to my nice one), extra pull-up rope in case my auto-retriever fails, another backup/easy to reach cheapo flashlight, compass (I also have a small one fastened to the top of my bino harness, forgot to mention), extra all-purpose knife
Hanging beneath: I use one of those hand mufflers/tubes in the late season to keep my hands and cell phone warm, I try not to use the phone too much, but when you need it, you want it fully charged, a REALLY cold day will wipe out your battery quick, I usually stash an extra hand warmer in here too, it’s got a couple pockets of its own
Future pack:
Everything I’ve mentioned here, plus room for a larger platform, and my Stepps, or at least a lash down/exterior system (like molle, etc) I can lash them to, right now I lash down the platform, then the Stepps on top of that, sticks WAY out, which is why I want a bigger pack
I know that’s an awful lot, and you’ll notice I have a lot of redundancy. I was in the Submarine Force in the US Navy for 30 years, and having backups and sometimes backups to backups is in my DNA, and I realize the value of that mentality everytime I forget or drop my main this or that, and have a backup to pull out. Overkill, absolutely, but I’ve never had to abandon a hunt because I didn’t have some vital piece of equipment. (Except for my second saddle experience where the I left my entire saddle, with all it’s gear on it, back at the truck, didnt realize till I got to the base of the tree, talk about a Homer Simpson “d’oh!” moment! Even then, I melted into a bush and was able to have a semi-succesful sit, saw a couple deer at distance, no shot opportunities, but found some nice scrapes for next time…) I developed this list over a couple years of trial and error and tips from other hunters, some of it (mainly emergency stuff) I never use, but I’d rather hump it in and have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. I weigh 245, and with all of this on (in late season), weigh about 268, so yeah, it’s a lot, but it’s everything I need for an entire day. For clothing it’s highly personal preference, and I don’t know where you live, but if its cold, you know light, efficient layering is the best way to go. It’s only warm part of hunting season, really just the first few weeks, so it’s all about bug control and sweat management at that time. Let me know if you really want to hear some brand names, I was trying hard not to skew you one way or the other. Good luck!!!
