Finally heading out west!

After a good weekend of catching up with old friends we are planning a trip out west. Being completely green to this style of hunting, I’m gonna need to expand my hunting gear. I’m hoping some of you here that have went through the agony of choosing the correct gear can help me out. We will be packing in about 10 miles and setting up for no less than 8 days in the bush. So what are some examples of pack frames, day packs, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, two man tents, boots, rain gear, water filtration, etc. I can see weight is a big factor. How large should the pack and frame be? How big should the day pack be? 11 months doesn’t seem like enough time to prepare! Any help would be greatly appreciated!

As a flat lander like yourself, I found it pretty challenging to pack the right gear for the first year. Since that first year where it seems like I brought everything that I owned or could borrow, I have really slimmed down on supplies. We pack in pretty far on foot, and it may seem a little crazy, but I try to plan out each meal (for the most part) etc.
First, what season are you going? Weather is easily one of your biggest factors. I’ve been there between August and November for hunts, and it varies greatly between those months. Morning temps are cool, even in August, but are down right frigid in October and November- with day temps typically very comfortable. I prefer layering systems, with moisture wicking clothes nearest your skin and layering merino wool, athletic type shirts- covered with a vest or something similar. In the clothing department, you really get what you pay for.
Footwear- This is the single most important piece of “clothing gear” that you will bring on this trip. Again this is dependent on the time of year, but early in the year I prefer 0-200 grams of insulation, with 600-800 grams for Oct-Nov. Leave the 1500-2000 gram boots at home, they are way too bulky and too heavy. You will be on the move for western big game, and will rarely sit long enough to get cold.
We can beat gear to death here, but I prefer 4 season backpacking tents for the kind of hunting that I do. Do your best to keep your tent under 10lbs max. I actually own a Cabelas 4 season XPG tent. It has stood up to everything from extreme heat, to 2 feet of snow, hail, rain-and everything else that altitude has to throw at us. 2 pole tents can be okay, but I would recommend something more sturdy with 3 or 4 pole designs.
Sleeping bag would preferably be of higher quality. I use a 20 degree for earlier in the year, and a 0 deg. bag for later hunts. I prefer Kelty bags, or something in that price range.
Finally, unless you are in incredible shape, you are not going to backpack 10 miles in while packing all of your supplies in. I also don’t think it is necessary to pack in that far, nor are there many tracts of land that are 10 miles wide. That being said, I would get at least a couple miles off from the nearest road.
I hope this helps, be realistic with yourself and your expectations. Be willing to work hard, and enjoy yourself. The mountains are not very forgiving, and are very moody when it comes to weather patterns. Good luck!

I’ll make a recommendation on a packframe…I just returned from a 9-day elk hunt and used my Wilderness Pack (compact model) for the first time. These things are AMAZING. I’ve packed elk out before using a Bull Pack (which cost about the same, roughly $150) and there is no comparison. The Wilderness pack is made of a composite material, so it weighs considerably less, and it flexes with your body. My buddy stuck a hefty 6X6 and I packed out a hindquarter (about 85-90 pounds) with less effort than I could have ever imagined. I’m a small-framed guy, tipping the scales at only 145 pounds. Using these packs is like puting on a heavy jacket rather than having weight strapped an inch away from your back. The last elk I packed out (using a Bull Pack) just about killed me.

Here’s a link:

http://www.wildernesspacks.com/compact-frame

As the frame only weighs about 3 pounds, I lashed my daypack to it and hunted with it everyday. It was way, way more comfortable than just carrying my daypack.

That’s a lot of questions therefor that means a lot of typing to answer them all. I’ll shoot you a PM with my phone number instead and if you want to get my opinion feel free to give me a call. I’d be happy to help.

The plan is still in it’s infancy but as of right now we are planning to put in for a draw unit in either Wyoming or Montana. The backup plan is buying an over the counter tag in Colorado. Rough dates will be September 17th thru the 29th. Three of the five guys have made quite a few trips west so we will have an idea of what to expect. What they have suggested so far is a good external pack frame in the 3500ci to 5000ci range, a day pack, a 20 degree sleeping bag (such as the Kelty), a sleeping pad under 3lbs, and a high end pair of boots. Specifically, they have mentioned the Cabela’s ultralights made by Meindl.
I felt packing in 10 miles was a little drastic myself. Last year, they set up just over 5 miles in and ended up finding elk on the second day another five miles in so they picked up camp and moved. Who’s to say they will be that far in again… who knows? That’s the farthest they have been back. I am just planning to be prepared for anything. I don’t work out as much as I used to but I still run a few miles 2 to 3 times a week. My goals are set pretty basic. I don’t care if I fill my tag. The pursuit itself is what I’m looking forward to. Doing something I have never done before with open expectations of seeing beautiful country and having the chance to share the experience with a group of friends.