After a ten year hiatus I'm getting back into hunting. Since the SQ-2 will be my Jeep and I'll be doing some backpack hunts I've decided to change some things I carry, remove some, and add others. A lot of stuff will be dual purpose so I'll need a way to easily identify the stuff I carry in the plane that will be moved to my backpack for hunting. And as part of this process I'll be looking to loose weight everywhere I can, including off my person (that will be the hardest). Thought it might be helpful to others if I chronicled what I'm doing.

I'm starting by changing from an inReach SE to an inReach Explorer+. The primary reason for this is to have Game Management Unit maps so while flying and scouting, and backpacking and hunting, I won't stray into an area I can't be in.

Barnstormer wrote:After a ten year hiatus I'm getting back into hunting. Since the SQ-2 will be my Jeep and I'll be doing some backpack hunts I've decided to change some things I carry, remove some, and add others. A lot of stuff will be dual purpose so I'll need a way to easily identify the stuff I carry in the plane that will be moved to my backpack for hunting. And as part of this process I'll be looking to loose weight everywhere I can, including off my person (that will be the hardest). Thought it might be helpful to others if I chronicled what I'm doing.

I'm starting by changing from an inReach SE to an inReach Explorer+. The primary reason for this is to have Game Management Unit maps so while flying and scouting, and backpacking and hunting, I won't stray into an area I can't be in.

Holy shit, the new docks have a usb charging cable? Game changer! I was annoyed that they only offered the old docks with a cigarette adaptor.

Going down this rabbit hole can cost as much per ounce as trying to shed weight from a plane, as I’m sure you are aware.

I feel like I have finally refined my lightweight (Sheep) hunting gear. I can do a 14 day hunt with less than 50lbs on my back, not including water or rifle. Some of my favorites for consideration:

•Kuiu Clothing (I don’t recommend anything that is not an article of clothing however)
•Stone Glacier pack
•”Decomposing” my freeze dried meals by losing the aluminized pouch and O2 absorber and just sticking them in quart sized ziplock.
•Only bringing food that has >100 calories per ounce
•Vapur water bottles
•A kindle, rather than paperbacks, for those weather days in the tent.

I’m currently carrying a custom sub 8lb Savage .338, but I’m contemplating building a new rifle based on a Kimber Montana. It will be a lighter, cheaper version of the Mountain Ascent.

Sorry, I know you didn’t ask for advice...

[/Ramble Off]

The light weight game is very addicting. I went in last year for my sheep hunt with 11 days of gear and I was at 56 including my rifle and 2 lbs salt. I have a few places I can cut a little weight but I have a pretty heavy tent that is bomber proof so I do not have to worry of that. I saw you had the knifes. I haven’t tried them but heard good things.

As previously mentioned stone glacier packs are absolutely amazing and lightweight. I am looking at upgrading mine so if your in the market for a used one that’s only packed a few animals we could talk.

Kuiu clothes are great everything I have has worked better then expected, and I do have a pretty sizeable collection. Attack pants are my go to everyday pant for EVERYTHING! Can not say the same for there packs. Tried three generations due to their awesome marketing and will not ever try them again.

The new inreach is sweet and I want to upgrade my old explorer. The Explorer+ will also sync up to your iPad with Garmin pilot for messages and will act as a external gps source if you need.

I have a lot of different lightweight sheep stuff if you want to check anything out I can fly over. And I have a lot of friends that are also avid sheep hunters will all the fancy stuff to play with!

I know you didn’t mention sheep but after some research you will discover us sheep hunters are pretty nuts when it comes to weight. Go in light come out heavy.

Yea guys I've gone KUIU crazy. Pretty sure I paid the salaries of a number of their employees over the last two months. Appreciate your comments, keep em coming. So far the only thing I purchased that was a complete failure was their Scarpa Rebel Ultra GTX in size 14. Those things are so incorrectly sized that I couldn't even get my toes into the gaiter, much less into the boot. Ended up with Kenetrek Mountain Extreme which fit perfectly and which I've been wearing one my treadmill trying to get into "Sheep Shape" and I have a long ways to go. Curious to know what you guys didn't like about KUIU packs?

On the hunting rifle side I've always hunted with a custom built .30 Wildcat which of course requires fire forming cases and hand loading. Decided that rifle was too heavy plus I wanted a accurate rifle that shot factory ammo. Went with the Barrett Fieldcraft in 6.5 Creedmoor. They guaranteed submoa with factory ammo. Put on a Swarovski Z5 3.5-18x44 with a ballistic turret. First Swaro I've owned and a few ounces heavier then a Leupold 4.5-14 that I've used on other rifles, but I've always wanted the better Swaro glass and I have to admit their ballistic turret system and their app is pretty clever. Rifle with scope weighs just less then 6 and a half pounds.
https://barrett.net/firearms/fieldcraft/

The next step was breaking the barrel in and then figuring out what factory ammo it likes best. I tried every brand of ammo for sale on this end of the Peninsula, plus paid a hazmat fee to have Nosler ship some ammo directly to me. Their brass is so consistent as is their bullets that I figured their factory ammo would be the best. I was wrong, it was the worst. Their powder charger must be worn out cause the velocities of their ammo was all over the place, as was bullet grouping. The best factory ammo so far is Hornady's American Whitetail which is inexpensive ammo that I used to break in the barrel. A very close second is Winchester's Expedition Long Range which interestingly enough uses the Nosler Accubond bullet.

As I've said about flying, shooting is also a perishable skill. Having not used a hunting rifle in ten years, and never having shot a lightweight rifle which presents its own challenges, it took about a hundreds rounds before I was accurate enough to tell which ammo the Fieldcraft liked best. Being that I was shooting when it was 20-40 degrees outside I set up a 100 yard range and shot out the door from inside my cabin. The Fieldcraft is definitely submoa consistently shooting a 3/4 inch group or less, with this being the best 100 yard group I shot with the Hornady American Whitetail.


Chris, are you still on skis? Would be great to have an off-line conversation about sheep hunting.

Speaking of getting in "Sheep Shape" and loosing weight, I've sent up a home gym with an incline/decline treadmill and a rower. I wanted a stairclimber as well but don't have the ceiling clearance downstairs in the "gym". But I found this online which is truly amazing plus works on improving balance.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004WSAEC0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Re: Kuiu Gear

The packs can’t carry a load, can’t secure a load, flop around, maddening as hell. Never again.

Sleeping bags are expensive and heavy for what they are.

Tents are a rebranded MSR Hubba Hubba.

I'm not sure what they are trying to do with the boots they offer...

I forgot about the game bags, those boned-out game bags are fantastic but pricey. I also like the bino harness.

The bino harness is awesome.

I would not say there tent is a msr at all. But an exact copy of the big sky reveloution. http://bigskyproducts.com/big-sky-revolution-2p-tent.aspx

Phil had the mechanic take the skis off last week during the annual. The airport WAS degrading fast but now it seemed to stop... [emoji19] so I am on wheels for the time being.

AK_Logan wrote:The bino harness is awesome.

I would not say there tent is a msr at all. But an exact copy of the big sky reveloution. http://bigskyproducts.com/big-sky-revolution-2p-tent.aspx

Phil had the mechanic take the skis off last week during the annual. The airport WAS degrading fast but now it seemed to stop... [emoji19] so I am on wheels for the time being.

Rebranded was a poor word choice. When I looked at one when they first came out, I was convinced it was the same tent but I was not comparing them next to each other.

Thanks for your thoughts guys. I agree KUIUs bino harness is pretty cool. Chris, what size tires are you on? I've got 4-6 inches of snow on the runway but it's packed pretty hard.

Barnstormer wrote:Thanks for your thoughts guys. I agree KUIUs bino harness is pretty cool. Chris, what size tires are you on? I've got 4-6 inches of snow on the runway but it's packed pretty hard.

31s. Another day or two like today and I think most of that is gonna go away!

If I was going to start hunting again I'd look for an eager 17-year-old who's crazy about airplanes and thinks a pack board with 130 pounds of meat on it is the worlds finest fashion accessory. If you find that, the rest of your kit really doesn't matter so much.

Hammer wrote:If I was going to start hunting again I'd look for an eager 17-year-old who's crazy about airplanes and thinks a pack board with 130 pounds of meat on it is the worlds finest fashion accessory. If you find that, the rest of your kit really doesn't matter so much.

Shhhhhhh! That's what I intend to do but good form dictates I at least look the part. Let's keep this between us.

I've been reasonably happy with my KUIU pack system. I got the Icon with 1850 and whatever the larger bag size is, though I mostly use the larger one as a duffel on horse drop-camp trips. I'm never away from base camp long enough that I need that much space to live from. My KUIU pants are somewhat disappointing though. Not durable, they had to go back once to get fraying threads fixed under warranty, and then the leg snagged on a branch and tore big time in conditions I basically expect this type of gear to withstand. I still use the pants with gaiters, but am contemplating Sitka even though it's more expensive. Most of my group is using Sitka and are extremely happy with it. I dunno, not in a hurry to blow a ton of money on that now that I've built up my base. If the durability were better I'd be happy, the function and design otherwise is great.

I've tried a few boots. This year I ended up with some of the new model Browning boot and have two elk trips on them, plus some upland hunting. Very lightweight, tread sticks like glue, quiet as boots go, and the 400gr insulation is warm enough. Also verified waterproof in some creek traversal.

I intentionally keep the sat comms and navigation as separate devices. This past season I bought a Rino 650 which combined the two way radio and GPS into one to save a device, but I treat my InReach as my last resort, SHTF bailout device. I keep it separate and use it sparingly specifically so that it's the last thing to fail. I have the older SE model, but it's light enough that I don't mind it. That said, I fully understand why people like Garmin's new combined models, and it's a personal choice.

While I haven’t tried a Kuiu pack due to the poor reviews, I’m another believer in the Stone Glacier packs. Lightweight, hold up great under the weight of a sheep or goat in the pack, durable, made in the US, fits nicely in the belly pod or behind the seat. I’ve been super happy with mine. I like my Kuiu rain gear, but didn’t see a reason to take a chance on their packs after what others have reported.

Brian M wrote:While I haven’t tried a Kuiu pack due to the poor reviews, I’m another believer in the Stone Glacier packs. Lightweight, hold up great under the weight of a sheep or goat in the pack, durable, made in the US, fits nicely in the belly pod or behind the seat. I’ve been super happy with mine. I like my Kuiu rain gear, but didn’t see a reason to take a chance on their packs after what others have reported.

Stone Glacier pack is a must.

I am not a KUIU disciple. I wear exclusively FirstLite. Great fit, great gear and they are pro-public land.

Running a Kimber Mountain Ascent & Leopoldo 3x9 and am under 6.5lbs.

Barnstormer wrote:...On the hunting rifle side I've always hunted with a custom built .30 Wildcat which of course requires fire forming cases and hand loading. ....

Curious just what wildcat it was?

hotrod180 wrote:

Barnstormer wrote:...On the hunting rifle side I've always hunted with a custom built .30 Wildcat which of course requires fire forming cases and hand loading. ....

Curious just what wildcat it was?

A friend of mine in Texas builds it. Standard .300 Weatherby on the left, .30 Wildcat on the right. The first Krieger barrel was really fast. 4,000 fps with a 120 gr ballistic tip. After I shot that one out the current Krieger barrel is not quite as fast. 3,950 is as fast as we could push it without the group starting to open up.

Look at Kifaru packs and Exo Mountain packs,top quality .
And first lite camo
Charlie

Hammer wrote:If I was going to start hunting again I'd look for an eager 17-year-old who's crazy about airplanes and thinks a pack board with 130 pounds of meat on it is the worlds finest fashion accessory. If you find that, the rest of your kit really doesn't matter so much.

I'v had the pleasure of raising several of those, and currently mostly hunt with a 30y/o daughter that out hunts and out packs the whole lot

At the end of the day, if the circumstances allow, it takes 3 men and a boy to come close to a good mule. This is Huckleberry, our smallest, most fine boned molly, packing a whole (quartered) smallish bull. And she can do it from places no airplane is going to reach

Barnstormer wrote:

hotrod180 wrote:

Barnstormer wrote:...On the hunting rifle side I've always hunted with a custom built .30 Wildcat which of course requires fire forming cases and hand loading. ....

Curious just what wildcat it was?

A friend of mine in Texas builds it. Standard .300 Weatherby on the left, .30 Wildcat on the right. The first Krieger barrel was really fast. 4,000 fps with a 120 gr ballistic tip. After I shot that one out the current Krieger barrel is not quite as fast. 3,950 is as fast as we could push it without the group starting to open up.

How did that combo work out on thick skinned game (Ballistic tips and 4000 fps)?
I have abandoned BT's in faster loads in favor of accubonds on anything larger than antelope, as I have had multiple BT's literally blow up on contact leaving nothing but a superficial wound when I jump shot elk at close ranges.
Not that I imagine the 120gr.'r is your pet elk load

Rob wrote:Not that I imagine the 120gr.'r is your pet elk load

I hunted whitetail with the 120gr. I tried to ensure my shots were 200+ yards. I shot an Aoudad once with it at 65yds and the entry wound was the size of a saucer. I changed to 150gr BT and hunted 26 different species plains game in Africa and a big Elk in Saskatchewan. I'm embarrassed to say I got so confident with that round that I took it Black Bear hunting one spring (the Kudu and Elk far out weighed the bear). The first round was perfect but I learned later it never made it past his ribs, 4" of fat was a contributor to that I'm sure. Hamburgered his shoulder. He spun biting at his shoulder so my second shot I aimed at the middle of the spinning bear. Got lucky and took out his femoral artery so he didn't go far after that. Like you I shoot Accubonds now but not at dangerous game. Haven't hunted a moose yet but imagine I'll use something like a Partition when I do.