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If I only knew this when I first started backpacking....

I fall more in the “it’s backpacking it’s not supposed to be that comfortable” camp. That doesn’t mean crappy gear and food, just being very strategic and making some sacrifices in the name of flexibility, speed, and range.
 
SnowyMountaineer said:
I fall more in the “it’s backpacking it’s not supposed to be that comfortable” camp. That doesn’t mean crappy gear and food, just being very strategic and making some sacrifices in the name of flexibility, speed, and range.
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This. I would never carry more in than I could get in or out in one trip. I shoot for 55-60 pounds in pack weight for 6-8 days.
 
I too had acquired a bit of poisoning from drinking water that I treated in the field. Ended up with pants down for a good part of that day. You would think water in the mountains coming off the rocks would be relatively clean. Treated it with one of those filtration kits. Ever since then I carried water with me. If I am backpacking that might be a few days, I carry two bladders in my backpack.
 
Alot of great info has been mentioned.

I would echo only bring the clothes you will need. I don't know how many times early on I'd come home with clothes that never came out of the pack. Other than extra undies, socks, rain gear and a jacket, I'm probably wearing most of what I'll need.

Also, get creative with your food. You can be light and still have great food. Nothing worse than 7 days of mountain house...😝

Can't stress how important water is. I usually have a backup filtration system just in case and know if there are water sources where you're going. Pretty bad when you're dehydrated and there's not a water source for miles.

Good luck and have fun!
 
Benchmark your pack weight at 50lb all up, including food, rifle, spotter and everything you need for a week. I usually go for 10-11 day trips and am usually around 55lbs, and bring home food @ 1.5lbs/day. If you can't get under that, rethink your setup. Even with less expensive lightweight gear you should still be able to make it in the 55lb for a week, or likely less. There are tons and tons of synthetic options out there today. Don't be fooled into buying $400-500 jackets and $200-300 pants. You can survive just fine without Sikta or Kuiu, FL and the rest. Spend the money on boots, pack, tent, bag/pad and cook kit. Those are your 4 heaviest items, get high quality, and the lightest you can that makes sense. I see lots of people taking way too many cloths, and crap you don't really need. Those little battery packs add up and seem to be the norm these days. Think about if you really need it. I see people spending hours on their phone in the backcountry? Why? I take one small battery to recharge my phone, and InReach, I make it last.

Pre-cooked bacon and Snickers are a staple... Can use the bacon with the fresh meat while cooking... its amazing. I also pack a small squese bottle of bacon grease for the same reason.

Split stuff between your partner. There are tons of threads on backpacking on here, with lots of good information.

Good luck on your hunt!
 
Not sure if you're planning to hunt the west side or east side, but probably doesn't matter too much either way, I'd be prepared for wet feet, or at least doing your best to avoid them. Wax your boots up real good before you go, bring good waterproof gaiters, and extra socks that you can rotate through. I hate dirty socks that have been dried, so I personally will carry lots of socks if I think I'll be dealing with wet feet. Trying to dry stuff by the fire is recipe for ruining gear. Some friends did the Pasayten high hunt a couple years ago and it was white-out blizzard one of the first days, and right above freezing in day time, my friend said his boots got wet and couldn't get them dry, they were frozen solid every morning. That's a morale killer! Quality rain gear and waterproof pack cover, and a tent you know will stay dry in the worst, that seems to be what I worried most about when I spent lots of time in the Cascades, sucks being wet for a week straight! Hoping to do the high hunt next year, look forward to seeing how it goes for you.
 
JLS said:
For giggles I’ll weigh my pack, sans food before I leave this week. I also come in around 1.5-2 pounds of food per day. I could probably lighten up a few items.
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AT 55-60lbs for a week in the hills, your either extremely more comfortable than I am or a hell of a lot tougher....maybe both? I've always figured that 40lbs was my limit minus what I was wearing and carry water if needed. I'm also not as brave as Bambi with the bacon/bacon grease but realize that he probably has a G-bear tag in his pocket. If the item is absolutely not needed....it stays home!

I should add that as the days get shorter and temps drop, my pack weight will increase with heavier gear..also...the distance that I hike will decrease as the snow increases.
 
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Mtnhunter1 said:
AT 55-60lbs for a week in the hills, your either extremely more comfortable than I am or a hell of a lot tougher....maybe both? I've always figured that 40lbs was my limit minus what I was wearing and carry water if needed. I'm also not as brave as Bambi with the bacon/bacon grease but realize that he probably has a G-bear tag in his pocket. If the item is absolutely not needed....it stays home!

I should add that as the days get shorter and temps drop, my pack weight will increase with heavier gear..also...the distance that I hike will also decrease as the snow increases.
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Yeah it’s been a while since I weighed stuff. That was ALL of my gear. I don’t play the game of “well it’s not IN my pack “. It’s my binos, rangefinder, water (3L), ammo, weapon and so on.

I guess I could weigh my camp gear separate, but it all goes in and all comes out.
 
JLS said:
Yeah it’s been a while since I weighed stuff. That was ALL of my gear. I don’t play the game of “well it’s not IN my pack “. It’s my binos, rangefinder, water (3L), ammo, weapon and so on.

I guess I could weigh my camp gear separate, but it all goes in and all comes out.
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I feel a bit less wimpy now!:)(y)
 
Everyone's weight limit Is different, just need to find yours. Take a couple 3 mile hikes in the summer With a known pack weight. Adjust for the amount of discomfort your willing to deal With.

Then take your gear and figure out the absolute need items. See it's weight and then at that point your balancing comfort items for camp/eating/hunting for discomfort weight while hiking.
 
My feet get pretty sweaty regardless of which boots I wear or what the conditions are, so I've found that for longer trips that a preemptive application of K Tape on the known hotspots works really well to avoid foot problems later in the trip.
 
Lots of great tips!
Consider "cold soaking" and going stoveless...perhaps try it on a 2 to 3 day trip.

A 2-3 day trip is an excellent opportunity to test out new gear, for example the Steripen failed for us in murky glacial water,
so we went back to tablets or filtering for water purification.
 
Dsnow9 said:
The best boots you can buy and don’t bring extra clothes, only what you need, merino like firstlite lasts days without turning rank. Also a water filtration system, so you don’t have to carry all the water for the trip.

Other than that I personally go for sleeping comfort, have a better/bigger pad than the average backpacker and two inflatable pillows. I herniated a disk in my back a few years back and if I don’t sleep well I will not be able to function so it’s worth the added weight for me.
Click to expand...

What are some really good boots that you guys recommend?
 
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