Let's talk Gear

[Swamp Fox]

Wait, are you hijacking your own thread?

It's still almost a free country ...

[Swamp Fox]

So, just to pile on a bit. On my Rocky, I've got 4 smaller outside pockets and one larger outside pocket, pocket on top flap and smaller pocket on lower back.

top flap: compass, keys
top right: sheath knife, folder knife, headlamp, small flashlight, extra batteries
lower right: TP, hand sanitizer, paracord
top left: extra release, gps unit
lower left: range finder, scent wafers, bow string wax
larger outside pouch pocket: rattle bag, release, mesh face mask, grunt tube, binoculars, strap with equipment hooks
inside pocket: folder saw with wood and bone blade, license, first aid bag, hand warmers
lower back: bow hook
pants pocket: cell phone

Now put all of that in a large compartment along with a water bottle, harness, gloves, rope etc. and you have a recipe for disaster.

So I see backpacks with great quality just not useable design.

I would actually like to have my kill stuff with me but there is no room: pulley system, butt-out, small tarp, meat bags, ziplocs for heart and liver, string for colon etc.

Random thoughts:

Cargo pants/BDUs are your friend.

A bino pack/harness is your friend.

A fanny pack worn in the front is your friend.

A chest pack/ small backpack worn in the front is your friend.

Buddy Lok and Molle and similar pouches/systems are your friend.


I essentially gave up on carrying much "kill kit" gear on most hunts, even when hunting deep (Southern deep, not Western deep, but legit deep nonetheless). The pack requirement is just too much, and even if it weren't, you're not hauling all the meat plus all your gear out in one trip anyway. Especially in the early season, I try to prepare for getting the deer dressed to cool before coming back for it ---which admittedly sometimes also means extra gear to get it in a tree for the interim (swamp, coyotes, eastern mountain lions, etc. etc.)-- but most of the butchering gear stays at the truck until I come back for it.

I say essentially because I do have a kit ready to go to hunt a couple of deep swamp stands one way in and one way out, but I use it so infrequently because of the PITA factor that it's almost not worth mentioning.

Whoever first promoted the idea that you should be able to kill your deer and get it and all your gear out in one trip was obviously a sick, sick man, and not hunting how and where I (mostly) do.

[Swamp Fox]

.....

[Swamp Fox]

Your pack is heavy, your belt is tight,

Your balls are swingin' from left to right ...

Left, Left, Left Right Left ...

[Swamp Fox]

[bluecat]

lol ^^^^^^^^^^^

Random thoughts:
Whoever first promoted the idea that you should be able to kill your deer and get it and all your gear out in one trip was obviously a sick, sick man, and not hunting how and where I (mostly) do.

You mean, you don't radio the ranch and let them know you've just downed a giant 10-ptr and then wait until the pickup arrives to your stand with photographers and plenty of ranch hands?


I agree about the cargo pants. Wouldn't hunt without them.

One of the places I'm hunting now is a half-mile walk in, so leaving kill stuff in the truck would not be feasible as it would lead to a mile walk just to go and get it. The game cart is helpful in most areas but it can be burdensome if the terrain is bad. Most of this is done in the dark as I hunt mostly in the late afternoons. All of it sucks. The deer has to come out in bags. It would be even more of a nightmare trying to get a whole deer back and into the Blazer.

I guess if it was easy then everyone would do it, right?

[bluecat]

I tried to find that post but searching forums is a PITA. Anything under Advanced Search yields 0 results. Those things never work.

I think it was someone who had a pack and the threads were pulling through so the guy tried to fix it himself. It didn't work so he wanted Badlands to fix it and they refused because the guy had already tried. It was something like that. It was petty.

[bluecat]

Your pack is heavy, your belt is tight,

Your balls are swingin' from left to right ...

Left, Left, Left Right Left ...

Haiku form

Pack is heavy, belt is tight
Balls are now swingin'
Hurrah, Left to Right

[DParker]

Whoever first promoted the idea that you should be able to kill your deer and get it and all your gear out in one trip was obviously a sick, sick man, and not hunting how and where I (mostly) do.

I think the thing that made me feel the most like a lazy-ass was this episode of Tred Barta's show (remember Tred?) where he and another guy have to get a bull moose out of the beaver pond it went down in, then make multiple trips to pack it out using a canoe that they had to portage between ponds.

[bluecat]

I think I dislocated my shoulder watching that.