Daypack contents -- lightening the load

[JGH]

Just back from a 1.5-day trip to camp ... scouting/hunting.

Had a bull answer a bugle on 1st morning of the season -- called, and had a cow come into 30 yards (vitals covered)! So, we're off to a good start.

I got to thinking, though, that my daypack is just too heavy. I'd like to lighten my load, so-to-speak. I'm not talking about using light-weight gear ... I'm talking about getting rid of some -- at least for the hunt. There's always room in camp.

What are the bare necessities that you take with you leaving camp?

What have you nixed from your daypack, and not missed?

Assume you've packed-in a 2+ hour hike, and will hunt from there.

I'm thinking of a list:

Food for the day. (Maybe a little extra for emergency rations).

Water, and the ability to make more clean water.

Tags, knife, and bags (if it's colder, maybe just leave the hide on and leave bags in tent), and paracord. (Kill-kit).

Rangefinder, camera, GPS. (Could narrow this down 100%, I suppose.)

Headlamp.

Insulating layer. (Upper).

Rain layer. (Upper).

Duct tape (First aid).

Amazing, but SO MUCH other gear wiggles its way into my daypack ... and I'm sick of it.

[planebow]

The only other thing that I have in my day pack is an extra release.

[Herb]

If you are in that 18-20# range, that's what it is.

[Bowhunter]

Water,food,Flashlight or headlamp, and waterproof insulating layer is my bare bones bag. My binos are on a harness and my gps and range finder are in a pocket. If I am 2 or more miles in I will bring the game bags. I will run back to the truck 1-1.5 miles for them most times.

[twinkieman]

I carry my rangerfinder on my person, not my pack. I use Allen Backcountry Game Bags, they are quite a bit lighter than the standard qtr.bags. I just do not see where you are packing more than you need, weight sucks, but that is just the nature of the beast.

[>>>---WW---->]

I always carry my game bags. I use the Allen game bags that Elknut has on his site. Here is a picture of four of them that have been vacuum sealed. The coffee cup is for size comparison. Notice they are less than an inch thick. I place them in the very bottom of my pack. They take up no room, weight practically nothing, and when you lay them in the bottom of your pack, they make a good foundation when they are folded to the same size as your pack bottom.

On good days when there is no chance of rain, I leave the rain gear at home or in camp and pack one of those $1.98 plastic ponchos from Walmart to save weight. If there is the slightest chance of rain, I take my rain gear.

I used to have a big water bladder. But I got rid of that heavy thing and went with a smaller bottle instead. That knocked off a couple of pounds.

[easeup]

that's all the stuff I carry also. to me that is what I need to have also. Most of the weight on me is comprised of the binocs, the rain suit, water, water filter and food. and that is it.

Now I did switch over to lightweight hikers a few years back and they suit me fine and cut the foot weight in half.

[pointysticks]

Any idea how heavy it is? Sounds like the same stuff I carry. I add a sharpie, pen, and a couple of clean ziplock bags for tasty organ bits. And my phone and wallet+car keys.

[dtrkyman]

I know my day pack got lighter every day i hunted last year, depends on how you are hunting, with the warm weather I was returning to base camp mid day every day so I carried very little.