How light or heavy do you go

[Borngeechee]

When it's time to head into the woods for your hunt, how light do you go? Do you carry your rifle/bow and what fits in your pockets or do you bring a load of gear. What do you carry?

Geechee born and Geechee bred

[Lawdwaz]

Other than Opening Day, light done right.

[Chef]

It depends on the hunt, if it's at camp and close to the house, and just a half day sit almost nothing,rifle ammo water knife... If it's at camp all day sit add snacks and the other stuff that stays in my pack.... Not at camp area I don't know or over night lots more

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[dbHunterNY]

most of the time i'm not that deep in so i almost always pack light.  fit everything in my pockets but i usually have lots of pockets.

[Tughill Tamer]

Usually just fill all my pockets with the necessitates like tp,water , knife gutting gloves , compass stuff like that if it's going to be a all day sit I will bring a backpack with some added goodies.

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[NYBowhunter]

I like to dress lite on my way in not to sweat as some of my stands on my property are near ridgetops, in all instances i have a backpack with my clothing , calls, deer scents, hand saw, knife, rope, light....

[Jaeger]

Quick reply,

 

Opening day, loaded down like a pack mule.

                 -full pack with extra clothes mainly, big binocs., scents, food and coffee/water, gutting kit, etc.

 

Closing day, practically naked.

                  -small binocs, water, little knife and string.

[GreeneHunter]

Cup of coffee , PB & J sandwich and gun !

[tommyc50]

pb&j sandwiches, apple, candy, thermos of tea  magazines or a book i have a shoulder sack to carry my stuff knife buttout tool scents drag line i stay on the stand all day it gets boring after two hrs looking at the same trees so the book or hunting and fishing magazines help to stay alert  

[ants]

As light as possible, always. I fit everything into a small fanny pack and a couple pockets.

[wooly]

I usually fill my pack with everything I could possibly need before season and leave it in there for the duration.

At least then I know where everything is when and if I need it.

I don't really mind carrying the extra weight on my back.. it's the stuff hanging around my neck I tend to leave behind some days.

A camera or binocs don't do much good on the fly if you gotta strip down to dig them out.

 

[Daveboone]

No quick answer: depends on the weather, type of hunting (back woods, still hunting, tree stand 100 foot from the road, experience,etc.)

usually dress in layers, lighter when moving, with a fleece/ cover to put on when I stop. If you leave the toys behind (gps, tablet, keep it to one thought out knife, a few extra rounds of ammo, etc. you can travel pretty light.

Where my main hunting is done, I can walk back to the camp for rope/ tarp, bulkier items if I need them, as opposed to clumsily carrying them. Learn how to use the essentials, and quite quickly you leave the rest behind.

[ATbuckhunter]

Depending on the time of the year I usually have 3 or so layers on, I wear a camo backpack for my grunt calls, tp, doe bleats things like that. Its not much really. Early in the season the only thing I take is a knife, tags, doe bleat and grunt call.Obviously I carry my bow or rifle with me always at the ready. 

[518BowSlayer]

i bring a full backpack, mostly full of clothes to layer because i sweat like a donkey. walk down in a tshirt or base layer then add more layers when I'm at my stand. during early bow season i bring a much smaller pack with just the basics

[NFA-ADK]

 

I pretty much pack my day pack with everything and take it everywhere.  Knife, extra compass, gutting gloves, extra gloves, socks and clothes in cold weather, GPS, compass and calls on lanyard, flashlights and batteries, drag rope, soda, water, Gatorade, trail mix, fat sandwich, chips, range finder, extra release, bandanas, TP, first aid kit and fire starters, hot seat.  Only other thing is my phone when hunting LI and radio when I am not solo up in the ADK.  I even take the back pack into the tree when on LI as I usually get stuck in the dark and sometimes have to track a blood trail, usually not mine.

 

At its lightest I am probably around a few pounds, LI early bow state land still hunting.  Up in the ADK I tend to bring the extra's as it is NFA area.  No Fooling Around because every year someone dies up in that area.  Then the pack is probably close to its maximum as extra bullets, batteries, clothes and food fill the voids.  If I did not stop and post the extra clothes would not be needed but find a great spot miles back and it is basically impossible for me to leave the area, that extra gear, flashlights and warm clothes keep me on post when most others are back at camp. 

 

I can't say staying in deep woods late has always worked but one year I found a track of all tracks after getting situated for a hike out in the dark.  The next day I caught up to him!  Now I get to look at him every day and remember the one day that everything worked out right!  Big deal for me as many times something went wrong! 

 

[landtracdeerhunter]

Hell, it's just like a mini vacation every time out. Why not pack for it? 

[Nomad]

I hunt farmland yet my pack has plenty in it . Back up face mask and gloves because I tend to loose or forget those after washing them, warm hat if wearing a baseball hat , extra knife and flashlight , dragging rope, binos, water bottle , my survival stuff is always in my pack, if I'm in the Yukon or Canandaigua it just is. Seat cushion as I don't leave them on the stands .

First aid stuff that will stop major bleeding including GSW.

Atomic Fireballs !!!

If they made a camo kitchen sink I'd consider that too.

[G-Man]

For gunseason

Most of the time, gun ammo and pen..

For turkey, gun or xbow, 2 pot calls, locators, 3 strikers ,a box call, and a push box.and a pen

[Doc]

I once saw a guy walking up the very steep and long hill next door dragging a fully assembled ladder stand, and a huge back-pack, and his bow, huffing and puffing like a steam engine and sweating all over himself. He walked by at 30 yards and I could hear his breathing loud and clear from that distance. I couldn't help it ..... I just started laughing. Just a guy out having a nice relaxing day of hunting.

[Borngeechee]

My first time out I had a small stool, a loaded backpack and my rifle of course. I was sweating by the time I got to my spot and ended up leaving the stool. As I moved around I saw a bunch of other Hunters that had a fanny pack at the most. They were all comfy while I was huffing and puffing. That taught me to def go lighter.

Geechee born and Geechee bred

[ny hunter]

I try to carry in my pockets....I carry a thermos and seat on a strap and go in...Pack poptarts for the day and coffee....and off i go sit all day come out in the dark...Do this the 1st 5 days of the season.Then on weekends a thermos...And rifle.....Well walk more then sit..

[Buckmaster7600]

Around the house I carry a back pack with a bunch of crap I don't need. In the adk's at my camp I carry a small wool fanny pack with matches license pen extra knife a flashlight extra compass and a piece of 550 cord and a small candy bar and a life straw. When I'm covering miles in a day I want to be as light as possible

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[Tacti_Steve]

It depends on what I'm hunting and what the weather is like/going to be. Usually I carry a pack with the basics and what I'll need for that hunt. 

[maytom]

For deer hunting, I carry a back pack that is loaded up with most items I need. Sure adds extra weight to my climber as I walk into the woods.

For turkey hunting, my vest is also quite loaded up as well. Along with carrying a seat, and decoy bag, besides my gun!!! LOL

[ApexerER]

I carry the same backpack for every hunt. Doesn't matter if I have an hour in the stand or I am going to sit dark to dark. Its whats in that backpack that changes a lot for me. Early bow it will be fairly empty, just bino's calls, knife, rangefinder etc. Late season when it is cold and I plan on sitting dark to dark it looks like I am planning on backpacking for a week. I have my packed stuffed full of extra layers, snacks, lunch, thermos, hot hands and if it really cold I will have my camo coveralls rolled up and strapped to the outside of the pack. That's when it looks like I am planning for a week long hike....