Travois For Pack Out? Other Options For The Solo Packer?

[Sytes]

Curious if anyone has used a travois to pack out game and if it's worth the effort.

An interesting article that details the construction and use of a travois.

I solo hunt frequently. Personally I believe it may be just as simple to pack in a pack roll game sled and even a sled itself. This is for Wilderness use as wheels are not permitted, always trying to figure methods to simplify the pack out. 13+ miles... I've packed out in a single trip. Rough suffer once than suffer multiple trips + weather sometimes requires a one trip pack-out.
Kuddos to the author for sharing his experience. Are there better solo means to pack out of Wilderness Protection Act areas outside pack, drag sleds and possible travois?

Side note: I tried a travois out of boredom once with a buddy. Muley. Meh, didn't spend the appropriate time to make it an effective tool.

https://www.backcountrychronicles.com/travois-game-drag/

 

[Pagosa]

Three years ago we shot a small calf about 1.5 mile from our truck, my buddy and my boy continued hunting, while I dressed the calf and built a travois. It worked great on flat ground and I could easily move the 200 lb calf. But side slopes and blowdowns stopped forward progress. We end up have my boy clear a trail through the blowdowns and we disassembled the travios and used the remaining rope to build a two man rope drag with a 4’ 3” green fir tree. It went pretty fast. I think travios would be great in grassland areas or flat/mild sloping Forest. Anything else a sled, packframe, or pack animal is the best choice.

 

[MTLabrador]

Looks even more miserable than a sled on dry ground, which is very miserable. At 13 miles I think a horse is really the only viable option.

 

[Sytes]

Looks even more miserable than a sled on dry ground, which is very miserable. At 13 miles I think a horse is really the only viable option.

Agree 100% regarding pack animals. I had three for three years recently. Fault was square on me. I had little time to commit to the necessary investment for backcountry packing. No time to give.

So, solo I have become the past several years with a sled into my location (approx 13miles). I've shared a few prior stories and a couple videos of the adventures or self afflicted torture... haha!

It's a royal pita, no doubt, though if the option is to hunt the wilderness or not? One step in front of the other and shoulder strap prepped drag.

I don't see how a travois would benefit aside from packing the rolled sled weight or dealing with loss of opportunity due to pulling the sled (noise) to my base camp area.
I was thinking of a crafted aluminum breakdown packable type travois with some form of opposite V shape to have one skid base @ the V point. Though, where creativity goes a step too far... however, I've crafted some cool uses with aluminum.
That's where my thoughts routed when I saw the article.

Appreciate the input.

 

[rwc101]

Definitely interested. No money for pack animals but with a hip most octogenarians would turn down has me looking for any improvement over staggering with a pack.

 

[MTLabrador]

Agree 100% regarding pack animals. I had three for three years recently. Fault was square on me. I had little time to commit to the necessary investment for backcountry packing. No time to give.

So, solo I have become the past several years with a sled into my location (approx 13miles). I've shared a few prior stories and a couple videos of the adventures or self afflicted torture... haha!

It's a royal pita, no doubt, though if the option is to hunt the wilderness or not? One step in front of the other and shoulder strap prepped drag.

I don't see how a travois would benefit aside from packing or dealing with loss of opportunity due to pulling the sled to my base camp area. I was thinking of a crafted aluminum breakdown packable type Travis with some form of opposite V shape to have one skid base. Though, where creativity goes a step too far... however, I've crafted some cool uses with aluminum.
That's where my thoughts routed when I saw the article.

Appreciate the input.

I‘ve seen your hunts in the Bob, and I definitely respect the effort that I know it takes to do that.

Still, if it were me and I didn’t have horses, I’d go anywhere in Region 3 and hunt some country with a lot more elk a lot less than 13 miles in. Have you sledded an elk out of there before? I’m young and strong, I’m not afraid of packing elk, but 13 miles with an entire bull and camp is beyond my physical capabilities.

 

[Sytes]

Have you sledded an elk out of there before?

Pulled a good bodied muley out. It sucked but got it done. Passed on a few elk simply because of the packout. Crosshairs followed all the way into cover once. Contemplated the entire time whether to pull the trigger or not (best one I'd seen since getting in there). Weather played a huge factor as I figured it was going to be at least a 2+ day trek.
Good side of my location, it's vastly downhill to get out. Horse trail almost 90% so it's grooved enough to keep the pack sled and drag type sled straight.
Though tree knots play havoc! Hah! I've been yanked off my feet and back onto my ass several times.

I really was hoping to get in there with the trad. muzzleloader during the rut. Extremely rough bucket list. This year was the year though back surgery knocked me out of '21 hunt. Is what it is though great opportunity to figure if a super-light weight build would help.

 

[Straight Arrow]

I‘ve seen your hunts in the Bob, and I definitely respect the effort that I know it takes to do that.

Still, if it were me and I didn’t have horses, I’d go anywhere in Region 3 and hunt some country with a lot more elk a lot less than 13 miles in. Have you sledded an elk out of there before? I’m young and strong, I’m not afraid of packing elk, but 13 miles with an entire bull and camp is beyond my physical capabilities.

I have sledded a moose out with my plastic sled to which are attached paracord lash straps along each side. 'Took six trips but thankfully only about a mile to vehicle.
Packed an entire cow elk on one sled load for a couple of miles, but mostly boned out. The trick is to lash all dead weight super tight and to devise a shoulder pull harness that is as ergonomically efficient and comfortable as possible.

 

[MTLabrador]

I have sledded a moose out with my plastic sled to which are attached paracord lash straps along each side. 'Took six trips but thankfully only about a mile to vehicle.
Packed an entire cow elk on one sled load for a couple of miles, but mostly boned out. The trick is to lash all dead weight super tight and to devise a shoulder pull harness that is as ergonomically efficient and comfortable as possible.

I’ve used sleds too when the snow conditions are right, including entire cows in one trip. The problem is using them on dry ground.

 

[Sytes]

Snow is fantastic! Hah! I've sat on game and ruddered my way down a gated road a couple miles with my boot heels as brakes! Haha!

It's not bad over dry ground though maybe not bad when faced with water / mud. That setting turns the bottom of a sled into a suction cup and requires a good 10 + steps before the sled tracks again.

 

[Sytes]

The trick is to lash all dead weight super tight and to devise a shoulder pull harness that is as ergonomically efficient and comfortable as possible.

Exactly! Amazing difference!
I've used a carabiner affixed to two looped flat webbing units, crossed over each other. Basically, picture an X formed by the webbing on the chest.
That was the best and pretty easy to get in and out. Though typically it's a single 1.5" flat webbing going over a shoulder and cross over the front. Hooks to a carabiner that connects to the p-cord V from the sled.
Most challenging was the non tested use of the should cross over webbing with my meat pack! IMO/E the use of an internal frame pack is a MUST.

Clinching down the game bagged meat and placing it in a weight distributed manner makes a world of a difference! Rear of the sled heavy helps the front overcome obstacles better.

Also, one other point learned (the hard method) do not use the poly runners. The sled needs some tracking though needs to slip just as much and my setting, the front squared ends occasionally hooked a root and Wham! Flat on my ass! Haha!

 

[Pagosa]

I use a small otter sled a lot for retrieving elk/deer. I’ve found that using a single tree system, similar to pulling a wagon with a horse helps. I cut a 3’ green pole about 3” think and attach two ropes to each end of the pole and then back to the sled. You can use the green pole across your upper body or lower around your waist to minimize fatigue. Anything that is uphill I use a packframe.

 

[Sytes]

Aside from a couple day road hunts / glassing with my hunt partner for bear and maybe some calling woofs or bear (I'm not picky ) my interest is crafting something packable with weight and packability as the key factors that eliminate the sled and still enable a means to pull a full harvest out.

May be a different scenario if my trek was downhill to base camp 10-15 miles though I value the uphill start - big time! It's not a pretty deal sledding out a full elk harvest in one go as many know. I've been there done that though typically only a few miles at the most.

Here's my thought - Something along this line though with an aluminum / slick coated base as a mini sled. picture a child sized snowshoe shaped with a forward facing lip and up turned edges that adapts to the terrain contours. I pulled this pic off the net as a general example. I have a valued Kelty Elkhorn shoulder strapped hip pack that is comfy as hell! Adapting that setup with this general principle. Likely designed to adapt for a small wheel in non Wilderness Act areas.