PEAX Equipment

Gear suggestions, basic load out.

Pair of jacks

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Flathead valley MT
So far my Rifle season has been getting out maybe 4 times mostly in areas heavily traveled but close by due to my need to stay close to an expecting wife so getting out to glass a bit has been better than not. At any rate i came across a late season elk hunt video from Randy and the forum, since then reading a lot of post from the guys that have been at this for some time and has made me rethink my gear as well as my strategy.
With that being said I want to run by some of the gear I'm using and see what it is that will benefit me more in the next season's hunt.
I am selling some old MIl packs to fund some other gear possibly looking at some of kifaru's offerings, I do have a Eberlestock blue widow and mainframe. I do not have the pack for the mainframe so I've just been using the spike camp duffel for gear but can see how it could use a little more and I haven't had the chance to put a lot of weight on it either to really see how it carries. What's been your experience with the mainframe? Kifaru/mystery ranch that much better?
The blue widow is a pack I got from a buddy and haven't had the chance to get it out either, thoughts, Experience?

I've been looking into setting up a good light mountain gun by selling an AR. I run a savage 30.06 with leupold 3x9 LR duplex. It does well but being a gun guy I am fond of hardware and wonder if it's really justifiable.

Things I don't have, GPS, Solid mountaineering boots, good wool hunting clothing (use MIl gear mostly), water filtration systems, range finder and others I'm sure I'm leaving out.
What's your opinion? What works for you and what would you change add etc? Backpack hunting is something that I really want to get involved in this next season I don't know how many days I'll actually be able to spend overnight in the field having a growing family but the wife may let me for a weekend here or there (fingers crossed).

Any thoughts, opinions would be appreciated.
 
Late season can get brutally cold so focus on gear to keep you warm. If it is nasty I would have a sleeping bag and some means for emergency shelter but wouldn't plan a backpacking hunt for a weekend trip. Maybe for a three day trip if I had a good idea there were elk in more than three miles. On a weekend hunt you aren't saving many miles but to kill an elk Sunday morning and still have to pack an elk plus your camp out and be home that night would be more trouble than just camping at the truck. If you have a couple friends along or could postpone heading home a couple days in the event you get something go for it.
 
I have had the Eberlestock F1 mainframe for two seasons. I have the little big top bag, a rifle scabbard, and I add the duffel as well on longer trips. In this configuration, it is definitely heavier than kifaru but it has worked great for me and is better than many packs on the market. I really love the Eberlestock scabbard system. I am able to carry my rifle on my back almost all the time out hunting, keeping my hands free to glass, check my GPS, etc. Yet, I can still slip the gun out and be ready to shoot in 1.5 seconds. As to meat hauling, I've used it for packing out 4 elk and 2 deer. It can handle as much weight as you can possibly strap on. You could put your buddy on there and carry him out if you had too, it is that robust. I have had 2 non-boned hinds and a 6x6 rack on with no problem. I would focus on getting your other gear filled out before thinking you need to upgrade a pack.
 
Things I don't have, GPS, Solid mountaineering boots, good wool hunting clothing (use MIl gear mostly), water filtration systems, range finder and others I'm sure I'm leaving out.
What's your opinion? What works for you and what would you change add etc?

Any thoughts, opinions would be appreciated.

Based on what you mention, I listed what I have and the order of importance IMO:

1.Boots- I have Zamberlan Outfitter 980 GTx boots for rifle and Kenetrek bridger ridge for bow season. Lowa is another good brand. Go try on different brands and find what fits for the shape of your foot. Many people love Kenetrek Mountain Extreme (Randy Included) but they gave me horrible heal blisters. It's essential to have good boots if you want to last in the woods on extended trips. SuperFeet Merino Insoles have also been awesome for me as far as comfort and insulation.

2. Great Binoculars (Spotting scope too)- I'm a big fan of Zeiss Conquest 10x42s binos but there are many great options. Vortex, Leupold, Swarovski, Meopta to name a few. Depending on where you hunt, a spotting scope might be a big game changer. It's the difference between "Hey there is a deer over there" and "hey that deer over there is only a 3x3, I'm not going to walk a mile to get a closer look." The one I use is Nikon Prostaff 5 that I got used off eBay for $260. I hope to have a nicer one someday but this one does a good job for my purpose. I would say save up and buy nice binoculars rather than getting a dumpy pair.

3. I have a Garmin 60CSx GPS. You can use Onx chips in these and get them used on eBay for cheap. But i find myself using it less and less and opting for the Onxmaps app on my smartphone. If you are going to stay out in the backcountry awhile, make sure you get a powerful lithium battery to charge your phone

4. Rangefinder- I use the Leupold rx-1000 TBR. It's great for bow because it automatically adjusts for steep angle shots. It will range elk out to about 800 yards, which is way more than I need. You don't need one if you are always getting close, but definitely more of a necessity the farther away you plan on shooting. You can drill 500-yard shots at the range all day, but in the field, you will miss if you do not have a reliable range. I am amazed at how often the terrain fools me into thinking animals are closer/farther than they actually are.

5. Clothes- I put these down here because you mentioned weekend trips as your primary hunt type. I think on adventures like these performance clothing has less impact. The greatest advantage I get from these is how well they perform even when soiled. For instance, a merino shirt will still insulate me on day 7 the same as it did on day one, and not stink. Same can't be said for cheaper alternatives. But when you only hunt on the weekends this advantage does not really come into play. When I was primarily a weekend hunter I got away with pretty cheap clothes. Sure, they were heavier and other issues, but it doesn't really matter on a 2-day hunt.

That being said, I use a Sitka system with a few first lite items. Of Note: Jetstream Jacket, Timberline Pants, Merino Top, Merino Base Layer, Down Jacket, Stormfront Gators. I like the first lite merino hooded insulation layer too. It's pretty remarkable to me that I only need one set of clothing for seven or more days at a time. All I change are my socks and underwear every couple days.

6. Water filtration- Katadyn pump. Lots of good options out there. But if you are going for two days I might just carry enough with me to last that long and bring purification pills for if I got into a pinch. It is nice to not have to worry about finding a water source, especially on a shorter hunt.

7. Bino Harness- I have the Sitka one but most guys on here would advocate for the FHF. Whatever the case, these are amazing. Not necessary but I don't know how I hunted without it. Eliminates the annoying bino bounce from walking and allows me to have my GPS, Wind Checker, Calls, and Rangefinder available to me readily.
 
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Thanks guys, in the coming seasons I plan on getting out as much as I can, shed horn hunts, hikes-training, and scouting. I could swing a 4 day hunt. It wouldn't be time from work as much as from family. I am only a couple miles from public land so typically I am able to get out for the evenings but prefer to get further away where cell service is extremely spotty if any which brings me to the onxmap app. Does this still work with out service?
What hard copy maps are guys using? A local mountaineering shop has a large inventory and seems handy to keep on you.

I'm running Burris euro diamonds 10x42 a bit bulky but glass is good. I'll definitely be looking at a chest rig of sorts. I hate not having them secured (running a basic elastic harness) along with being exposed. Also could see myself using a tripod binocular setup.

The mainframe seems well made I've just been wondering if everything friends are saying about the kifaru packs is true. They also run FL almost exclusively and have had really good things to say about them.
I like the idea of one set of clothing for a hunt and that is impressive and why I'm interested.
Shelter wise, with not much research a simple tarp style seems doable.
Watt21 I'll have to check the little big top, I've only seen a couple other packs for the Mainframe which seemed a bit small IMO.
 
Thanks guys, in the coming seasons I plan on getting out as much as I can, shed horn hunts, hikes-training, and scouting. I could swing a 4 day hunt. It wouldn't be time from work as much as from family. I am only a couple miles from public land so typically I am able to get out for the evenings but prefer to get further away where cell service is extremely spotty if any which brings me to the onxmap app. Does this still work with out service?

You will need to download the maps to the offline maps cache, but it is super easy to download and worked much better than I had expected. I will cough up the money each season for the download for the phone and the chip for my GPS!
 
Thanks guys, in the coming seasons I plan on getting out as much as I can, shed horn hunts, hikes-training, and scouting. I could swing a 4 day hunt. It wouldn't be time from work as much as from family. I am only a couple miles from public land so typically I am able to get out for the evenings but prefer to get further away where cell service is extremely spotty if any which brings me to the onxmap app. Does this still work with out service?

You will need to download the maps to the offline maps cache, but it is super easy to download and worked much better than I had expected. I will cough up the money each season for the download for the phone and the chip for my GPS!

You would need the chip annually for updates etc then?
And thanks,
 
I would recommend being very weight conscious in every item you select. The goal of backpacking is going further and getting away from pressure. Test your gear on some summer mountaineering outings. I found that much of what I initially packed I didn’t use or need, and weaned myself off of it (like 4 different ways to start a fire and 3 ways to filter water). I don’t use a GPS. I use onxmaps on my cell phone. Its phone, camera, gps, texting machine, navigation, internet and more. If I’m out more than two days I would take a mobi or have a way to charge my phone. Wool is great, but even cheap polyester is dry and comfortable. The downside is it’s stinky after day one. I would pay for good waterproof, highly breathable technical shell coat and pants (I like the Kuiu chugach). I have found that the hiking/mountaineering market has had great gear far ahead of the hunting crowd (I started out mountaineering and backpacking before backpack hunting). Check those brands for things like boots, packs, camping equipment. I don’t need mountaineering boots, I have found that heavy hiking boots or backpacking boots work great- Salomon, vasque, Lowa. I have used a life straw to filter water, but don’t forget that you can boil water on a wood fire. Tabs are smaller, and have never let me down; they work well as long as there is a fairly unpolluted water source. Unless you live in the mountains, I highly recommend a rangefinder. After using one I realized how difficult it is to judge distance in unfamiliar terrain, and some animals I thought way too far were actually in range. I save money by buying things gently used on ebay or gear trade. Scour amazon, cabelas, and sierra trading post and wait for the more expensive things to go on sale.
 
Where I would start if I were you. Your rifle is fine, but I am not one to ever discourage gun purchases, but it isn't going to help you kill more elk, IMO. The brands are all pretty comparable,try a few out and get the one that fits you best.

1. Good boots (Kenetrek, Lowa, Hanwag, Zamberlan, Crispi)
2. Solid pack (MR, Kifaru, Stone Glcier, EXO)
3. Optics (best you can afford, and get a tripod adapter for your BINOS if you don't have a spotter)
4. Clothing (wool base and performance outer, mountaineering clothes are great, and usually cheaper)
 
Where I would start if I were you. Your rifle is fine, but I am not one to ever discourage gun purchases, but it isn't going to help you kill more elk, IMO. The brands are all pretty comparable,try a few out and get the one that fits you best.

1. Good boots (Kenetrek, Lowa, Hanwag, Zamberlan, Crispi)
2. Solid pack (MR, Kifaru, Stone Glcier, EXO)
3. Optics (best you can afford, and get a tripod adapter for your BINOS if you don't have a spotter)
4. Clothing (wool base and performance outer, mountaineering clothes are great, and usually cheaper)

^^^^^This. Keep it simple with good boots and optics then fill in the other stuff as your budget allows^^^^
 

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